Sports
Mets deliver timely hits, take advantage of Yankees' mistake for win
May 16, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos (27) gestures after hitting a two-run double in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Mark Vientos had three RBIs on Saturday night for the host New York Mets, who received gritty relief work from Luke Weaver in a 6-3 win over the New York Yankees in the second game of the Subway Series.
The Mets improved to 9-5 this month. Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt had RBIs for the Yankees, who have dropped seven of 10.
Vientos was at the plate when the Mets went ahead for good in the third inning, when Carson Benge scored on left-hander Carlos Rodon’s bases-loaded wild pitch. Rodon threw high of catcher Austin Wells trying to nab Benge, which allowed Bo Bichette to score from second on the play.
Brett Baty had an RBI double in the fourth and Vientos ripped a two-run double in the fifth to extend the Mets’ lead to 5-2.
The Yankees loaded the bases with none out in the seventh against Brooks Raley, who allowed a leadoff double to Aaron Judge before Judge scored when right fielder Benge dropped Cody Bellinger’s fly ball. Raley plunked Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed by blooping a bunt in between the pitcher’s mound and second base.
Weaver, who signed with the Mets last December after two-plus seasons with the Yankees, entered and struck out Amed Rosario and Grisham before getting Anthony Volpe to hit into a forceout.
Wells singled off Weaver to open the eighth, but Weaver got Ben Rice to hit into a double play and retired Judge on a flyout to center.
Devin Williams threw a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
David Peterson (2-4) earned the win after allowing two runs on six hits — including the RBI singles by Grisham and Goldschmidt — and three walks while striking out eight over four innings of bulk relief. Opener Huascar Brazoban struck out two in 1 1/3 perfect innings.
Benge went 3-for-4 while Juan Soto had two hits, drew two walks and stole two bases.
Rodon (0-1) gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out six over 3 2/3 innings in his second start since returning from left elbow surgery.
Goldschmidt, Chisholm and Judge had two hits each.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pitt adds Bryant transfer G Timofei Rudovskii
Timofei Rudovskii, Bryant Men’s Basketball Bryant transfer wing Timofei Rudovskii has committed to Pitt.
ESPN reported the news Friday morning, and Rudovskii confirmed it in his Instagram bio.
Rudovskii averaged a team-best 12.9 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds in 31 games (all starts) last season en route to being named to the America East All-Rookie team.
The 6-foot-9 Russian shot 41.0% from the floor and 36.2% from 3-point range during his lone campaign with the Bulldogs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Japan leaves injured Kaoru Mitoma off World Cup roster
Japan midfielder Kaoru Mitoma (7) controls the ball as USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre (14) defends at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio on Sept. 9, 2025. Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images Japan left injured midfielder Kaoru Mitoma off the 26-man World Cup roster announced by coach Hajime Moriyasu on Friday.
Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury during Brighton’s Premier League match against Leeds on Saturday, leaving his World Cup status in serious doubt. That was confirmed with Friday’s reveal of Japan’s roster.
“The medical team assessed that it would be difficult for him to get back to fitness during the tournament,” Moriyasu told reporters Friday.
Monaco forward Takumi Minamino also will miss out on the World Cup after the 31-year-old suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December.
Moriyasu did take a chance on some other players dealing with injury issues, with Wataru Endo, Ko Itakura and Takehiro Tomiyasu included on the roster. Ajax defender Tomiyasu has dealt with multiple injuries that have led to him not appearing for Japan for nearly two years, while Liverpool midfielder Endo has only played in eight Premier League matches this season due to an ankle injury.
Sporting CP defensive midfielder Hidemasa Morita did not make the roster after totaling seven appearances in World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, defender Yuto Nagatomo will make his fifth World Cup appearance.
“I was able to select only 26 players, but I feel sorry that I couldn’t select many other players,” Moriyasu told reporters Friday. “However, I selected these 26 based on their past performances and through conversations with the coaching staff, believing that this is our best squad right now. I think I have chosen the best 26 players in order for Japan to win on the world stage at this moment.”
Mitoma, 28, has nine goals in 31 appearances for Japan.
Japan has won five consecutive matches ahead of its final pre-World Cup friendly against Iceland in Tokyo on May 31. The Japanese will then travel to the team’s base camp in Nashville, Tenn., where they will train at the Nashville SC Training Center.
They begin their Group F play against the Netherlands in Arlington, Texas on June 14, followed by matches against Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico on June 20 and Sweden back in Arlington on June 25.
JAPAN WORLD CUP ROSTER
Goalkeepers: Tomoki Hayakawa, Keisuke Osako, Zion Suzuki
Defenders: Ko Itakura, Hiroki Ito, Yuto Nagatomo, Ayumu Seko, Yukinari Sugawara, Junnosuke Suzuki, Shogo Taniguchi, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Midfielders: Ritsu Doan, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Takefusa Kubo, Keito Nakamura, Kaishu Sano, Ao Tanaka
Forwards: Keisuke Goto, Daizen Maeda, Koki Ogawa, Kento Shiogai, Yuito Suzuki, Ayase Ueda
–Field Level Media
Sports
NASCAR's All-Star Race making Northeast debut at Dover
Aug 22, 2020; Dover, Delaware, USA; The statue of “Miles the Monster” out of Dover International Speedway hold a car of NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (not pictured) before the NASCAR Cup Series race. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Watkins Glen’s incredible closing run Sunday by Shane van Gisbergen and the NASCAR All-Star Race this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway represent the complete opposite ends of certainty in the Cup Series.
After winning for the sixth time in seven road races, van Gisbergen has established himself as perhaps the greatest road-course driver in NASCAR history, though Fox Sports announcer Mike Joy mentioned Dan Gurney — a five-time winner in the 1960s.
That’s good company for van Gisbergen to keep, though the New Zealander has won seven of his 14 starts (50%) compared to Gurney’s five of 16 (31.3%).
If van Gisbergen shows up in adequate equipment at the next two road courses, he will be the prohibitive favorite at San Diego and Sonoma in consecutive weekends to end June.
Folks may have thought his Chicago Street Race win in 2023 was a one-off fluke, but the masterful pedal work and curvy asphalt ownership by the veteran driver has been obvious from Race 1.
The 37-year-old No. 97 pilot just has a driving style that is a cut above — far better, really — anyone else’s when it comes to his heel-toe technique.
“I just don’t see anyone coming up the ranks who are volunteering to learn that style and stick with it,” Denny Hamlin said on his podcast, adding that there’s a “large likelihood” that van Gisbergen wins the remaining two road events.
A successful future isn’t as guaranteed on Sunday in Delaware at the Monster Mile, which is hosting its first All-Star Race in a 350-lapper — a race length as out of sorts and odd as the concrete track’s situation.
What lies ahead for the one-mile track, a high-banked, Bristol-on-steroids oval that challenges drivers from the first green flag, is completely up in the air for now.
Dover’s future grew cloudy when NASCAR put a refurbished North Wilkesboro Speedway back on the schedule in 2023 for the past three All-Star Races.
The joy in Wilkes County, N.C., multiplied when it received its first points race since 1996 with the scheduled 450-lapper on July 19 — another odd distance.
The feeling around NASCAR is that North Wilkesboro is heading up the elevator toward the penthouse.
However, that’s not the popular opinion regarding Dover, as NASCAR removed a points race for an exhibition one in the daytime.
Unlike North Wilkesboro, has Dover taken the elevator to the ground floor, awaiting a ding, a door opening and an exit from the building?
Track president and general manager Mike Tatoian doesn’t think so and is excited about Sunday’s first All-Star Race in the Northeast.
“The reason why we like it is because we’ve never had it before,” he told the Delaware News Journal. “Any time you get a new product, I think it’s good for the fans. … We’ll get a points race back.
“But as it relates to what happens in 2027 and 2028 and beyond, I really don’t know what is in store. I know we’ll have a race. I don’t know if it’ll be a points race or an All-Star Race.”
The drivers want one major change: a bigger All-Star champion’s check than $1 million, the same amount of the winning purse since 2003.
“I would like to see the prize money go up, to match the inflation for the past two years,” RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski said. “I know the TV money (for NASCAR) has.”
It may not go as far it did, but a seven-figure payday is still worth it.
Dover is certainly banking on it.
–Field Level Media
Pitt adds Bryant transfer G Timofei Rudovskii
Japan leaves injured Kaoru Mitoma off World Cup roster
