Sports
MLB roundup: Nationals storm back from 6-run deficit to top Mets
Apr 27, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (2) is doused with water by first baseman Josh Bell (19) after a walk-off hit against the New York Mets at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images CJ Abrams scored on Pete Alonso’s throwing error in the ninth inning and the Washington Nationals rallied from a six-run deficit for an 8-7 win against the visiting New York Mets on Sunday.
Alex Call doubled leading off the ninth against Ryne Stanek (0-2) and pinch runner Jacob Young went to third on a groundout. Abrams singled to right to score Young with the tying run before James Wood walked. Luis Garcia Jr. hit a grounder to Alonso, whose throw eluded Stanek covering first.
Jorge Lopez (3-0) got the final out in the top of the ninth.
Juan Soto, Luis Torrens and Mark Vientos each had two hits for New York, which lost for just the second time in the past 10 games.
Riley Adams hit a three-run shot to pull the Nationals within 7-6 in the seventh, and Dylan Crews also homered for Washington.
Yankees 11, Blue Jays 2 (Game 1)
Austin Wells capped a six-run third inning with a bases-loaded double off a frustrated Kevin Gausman as host New York rolled to a rout over Toronto in the opener of a doubleheader.
Wells gave New York a 6-1 lead with a double off the base of the right-center field fence on a full-count fastball, knocking Gausman out of the game. Gausman (2-3), who allowed six runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings, was ejected as he walked off the field. Addison Barger had two hits and an RBI for Toronto, which has lost six of seven.
New York’s Max Fried (5-0) allowed one run on six hits in six innings and has won seven straight decisions dating back to last season. Anthony Volpe homered and drove in two, Jazz Chisholm Jr. also had two RBIs and Aaron Judge had two hits to extend his on-base streak to 23 games and ended the game with a .412 batting average.
Yankees 5, Blue Jays 1 (Game 2)
Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking homer to highlight a three-run sixth inning as host New York beat Toronto to complete a doubleheader sweep.
A day after his 33rd birthday, Judge ended a nine-game homerless drought by lining a first-pitch cutter from Toronto starter Chris Bassitt (2-2) into the right-center field seats. Judge extended his on-base streak to 24 games and ended the doubleheader with a major-league-leading .406 batting average. Trent Grisham hit Bassitt’s third pitch of the game for a homer.
Anthony Santander broke an 0-for-25 skid with a tying homer off New York starter Clarke Schmidt in the third. Toronto lost for the seventh time in eight games and was held to three hits. Bassitt allowed four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Mariners 7, Marlins 6
Logan Evans pitched five solid innings to win his major league debut and Cal Raleigh hit his American League-leading 10th home run as Seattle defeated visiting Miami.
J.P. Crawford also went deep for the AL West-leading Mariners, who won their sixth consecutive series. Evans, called up from Triple-A Tacoma after M’s ace Logan Gilbert went on the 15-day injured list, allowed two hits, walked three and struck out three.
Ramirez homered twice to cap a remarkable first week in the majors. Ramirez went 9-for-19 with four doubles, three home runs and five RBIs with a 1.682 OPS.
Phillies 3, Cubs 1 (10 innings)
Trea Turner went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Aaron Nola threw seven solid innings as visiting Philadelphia defeated Chicago in 10 innings.
Nola allowed one run on three hits. Jose Alvarado (3-0) struck out one in a clean ninth inning to earn the win, and Jordan Romano did the same in the 10th for his second save of the season. The Phillies took the final two games of the three-game series.
Cubs reliever Julian Merryweather (0-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit in two-thirds of one inning. Starter Jameson Taillon gave up one run on five hits in seven innings.
Rays 4, Padres 2
Taylor Walls homered and Zack Littell got his first win after five straight losses as Tampa Bay completed a three-game sweep of host San Diego, handing the Padres their fourth straight loss.
Chandler Simpson scored the tiebreaking run in the top of the fifth inning when he scampered home from third on a wild pitch by Randy Vasquez (1-3). Simpson added insurance in the ninth when he stroked a two-out RBI single to left that scored Travis Jankowski, finishing a 3-for-4 game.
Littell lasted five innings, permitting five hits and two runs. Four relievers worked hitless ball over the last four innings, with Pete Fairbanks pitching the ninth for his sixth save and second in as many nights.
Red Sox 13, Guardians 3
Ninth-place hitter Ceddanne Rafaela hit a three-run homer and had five RBIs, while Rob Refsnyder and Rafael Devers also went deep during Boston’s road rout of Cleveland.
Rafaela, whose towering homer to left-center field in the seventh made it 12-3 and capped his productive day, was one of six players with at least two hits for Boston, which outscored Cleveland 20-6 in winning the last two of this three-game set. The Red Sox’s Jarren Duran had four hits with an RBI, while Refsnyder and Kristian Campbell each drove in two.
In his second start, Boston’s Brayan Bello (2-0) yielded six hits and three walks, but only Nolan Jones’ three-run homer in his sixth and final inning. Meanwhile, Logan Allen (1-2) allowed seven runs, nine hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings for Cleveland, which committed four errors and some poor baserunning while dropping its first 2025 home series.
Giants 3, Rangers 2
Heliot Ramos led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a “Little League home run,” taking advantage of two Texas throwing errors to circle the bases on an infield single and hand host San Francisco a walk-off win.
Ramos chopped reliever Luke Jackson’s first pitch between the mound and third base, where Jackson bare-handed it and threw it past first baseman Jake Burger. Burger chased down the ball in foul territory down the right field line, but his attempt to gun down Ramos streaking for third was off-line, allowing the Giant to dash home.
Camilo Doval (2-1), who needed just 10 pitches to retire the Rangers in order in the top of the ninth, was credited with the win. Jackson (0-3) took the loss. Marcus Semien hit a two-run single for Texas. San Francisco’s Wilmer Flores drew a bases-loaded walk and Christian Koss hit an RBI single.
Tigers 7, Orioles 0
Tarik Skubal struck out 11 in six dominant innings and host Detroit completed a three-game sweep of Baltimore. Skubal (3-2) held the Orioles to four hits without a walk in a 91-pitch effort.
Gleyber Torres drove in three runs while Javier Baez scored two runs and knocked in two more as Detroit won its fourth straight game. Jace Jung and Dillon Dingler had the other Tigers RBIs.
Baltimore starter Dean Kremer (2-4) gave up five runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The Orioles have dropped six of their last seven games.
Astros 7, Royals 3
Yordan Alvarez and Jeremy Pena drove in three runs apiece and Chas McCormick went 3-for-4 with three runs as Houston avoided a sweep in Kansas City.
Alvarez put the Astros up with a three-run home run, his third of the season, that went 436 feet to center field. Houston starter Hunter Brown (4-1) pitched six innings, allowing an earned run on seven hits and striking out nine.
Jonathan India reached three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and an RBI on a sacrifice fly for the Royals. Salvador Perez went 2-for-4 for his third multi-hit game in his last four starts.
A’s 3, White Sox 2 (10 innings)
Luis Urias hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Athletics a walk-off victory over Chicago in the rubber game of their three-game series in West Sacramento, Calif.
Urias hit the first pitch he saw from reliever Jordan Leasure (0-2) an estimated 398 feet over the left field fence, driving in ghost runner Jacob Wilson and giving the Athletics their fourth win in the last five games.
Brent Rooker went 2-for-3 with a double, walk and RBI for the Athletics, who won back-to-back home series for the first time this season. Joshua Palacios went 2-for-4 with a home run for Chicago, which finished its 10-game road trip 3-7.
Twins 5, Angels 0
Joe Ryan threw seven scoreless innings, Ryan Jeffers and Ty France each drove in two runs, and Minnesota beat Los Angeles in Minneapolis to complete a three-game sweep.
Ryan (2-2) allowed just four hits, struck out 11 and walked one as the Twins handed the Angels their fifth loss in their last six games.
Los Angeles’ Jose Soriano (2-4) allowed five hits over five innings, surrendering four runs (three earned), striking out four and walking one. Luis Rengifo was the only Angel to muster two hits.
Brewers 7, Cardinals 1
Jose Quintana tossed five solid innings and Christian Yelich had two hits and two RBIs as Milwaukee avoided a three-game sweep with a win over host St. Louis.
Quintana (4-0) allowed one run on five hits on Sunday and over four starts has yielded three runs in 23 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six. Brice Turang, William Contreras, Sal Frelick, Rhys Hoskins and Caleb Durbin each drove in a run for the Brewers, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Brendan Donovan doubled in a run and Lars Nootbaar had two hits and a run for the Cardinals, who had won three of their last four games.
Reds 8, Rockies 1
Nick Lodolo tossed seven innings of two-hit ball, Noelvi Marte had three hits and three RBIs and Cincinnati beat Colorado in Denver to sweep the three-game series.
Cincinnati totaled 14 hits and has matched a season high with four straight wins. Lodolo (3-2) got through 5 2/3 innings without giving up a hit until Jordan Beck legged out an infield single to shortstop. Lodolo struck out nine in his longest outing of 2025.
Kyle Farmer singled in the seventh and Alan Trejo, acquired from Texas on Saturday, led off the eighth with a single and scored on Beck’s sacrifice fly. Right-hander Bradley Blalock, (0-1) who was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to make the start, allowed six runs on seven hits in four-plus innings.
Diamondbacks 6, Braves 4
Geraldo Perdomo homered, Brandon Pfaadt won his National League-leading fifth game and Arizona avoided a three-game series sweep with a victory over Atlanta in Phoenix.
Josh Naylor had two doubles among his three hits along with two RBIs and Corbin Carroll had the first two-triple game of his career for the D-backs, who had lost four in a row and six of eight. Pfaadt (5-1) gave up three runs (two earned) and nine hits in six-plus innings, leaving with a 4-2 lead three batters into the seventh inning after a season-high 100 pitches.
Alex Verdugo had four hits and two RBIs and Marcell Ozuna had two hits and an RBI for Atlanta, which had won seven of eight.
Dodgers 9, Pirates 2
Andy Pages continued his hot streak with four hits, a home run and a career-high four RBIs as Los Angeles withstood the early injury departure of starter Tyler Glasnow to beat visiting Pittsburgh.
Pages delivered an RBI single in a four-run first inning and a two-run homer in a three-run fifth as the Dodgers overcame an early 2-0 deficit to win their second consecutive game after dropping four of five. He had 10 hits in the three-game series.
Glasnow gave up back-to-back home runs to the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen and Enmanuel Valdez in the first inning, then left the game with right shoulder discomfort after warming up for the second. He also departed his previous start with lower leg cramps. McCutchen had four hits, while starter Bailey Falter (1-3) gave up seven runs (five earned) on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Chicago Fire score twice in stoppage time, blank CF Montreal
Feb 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Fire forward Jonathan Bamba (19) reacts after swirling a goal against the CF Montreal during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images The host Chicago Fire scored twice in stoppage time during the second half to secure a 3-0 win against CF Montreal on Saturday.
Jonathan Bamba, Hugo Cuypers and Robin Lod scored for the Fire (1-1-0, 3 points), who earned their first victory of the season in their home opener.
Montreal (0-2-0, 0 points) was shut out for the second straight match to open the 2026 season and has been outscored 8-0.
The two sides struggled to generate much through the first 12 minutes, though the hosts held a decided edge in possession with 70% of the touches.
Bamba gave Chicago a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute. Maren Haile-Selassie on the right flank inside the box drew keeper Thomas Gillier toward him and sent a cross for Bamba at the back post, where the forward easily scored into the open net.
Montreal nearly gave up another opportunity 10 seconds into the second half when Haile-Selassie was just outside the right edge of the goal area but the midfielder couldn’t get all of his shot for a quality chance.
After playing a man short in their 5-0 defeat to San Diego a week ago, Montreal had the advantage of playing a man up from the 56th minute on. After video review, Fire defender Jonathan Dean was shown a red card for denying Hennadii Synchuk of a goal-scoring opportunity when he tugged the midfielder’s jersey outside the box.
Montreal continued to struggle to generate offense despite its man advantage, and the match slipped away from the visitors in second-half stoppage time.
Cuypers was awarded a penalty after Gillier came off his line to deny the Belgian a chance, tripping him in the process. Cuypers beat Gillier to the right as the goalkeeper dove to the left to make it 2-0 in the fourth minute of extra time.
Lod increased it to 3-0 when he buried a rebound from the left side in the 10th minute of stoppage time.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Layne Riggs holds on to claim first NASCAR Trucks street race
Feb 12, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Truck Series driver Layne Riggs (34) during practice for the Fresh from Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In a thrilling run to the checkered flag, Layne Riggs bobbed, weaved and saved just enough fuel to keep a pair of hard-charging fellow Ford drivers in Ty Majeski and Ben Rhodes behind him to win the OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 on Saturday afternoon.
Riggs’ No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford crossed the line .879 of a second ahead of Majeski for his first victory of the year and sixth of his career as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series held its inaugural race on the streets of downtown St. Petersburg.
Starting 28th in the 36-car field, Riggs turned in remarkable work moving forward from the drop of the green flag. He finished seventh in the opening 20-lap stage and won the second stage 20 laps later. Riggs said the fuel light was flickering with about eight laps to go and that he was almost certain he wasn’t going to have enough to finish.
“Just didn’t know how long it was going to last,” Riggs said.
It lasted long enough to take the win and allow for victory donuts around the crowded course as he celebrated the first road course victory of his career, leading a race-best 41 of the 80 laps.
“It was a lot of fun racing here at St. Pete, I think everybody heard street course and thought they weren’t going to be able to pass and there wouldn’t be great side-by-side racing, but this was one of the race-iest tracks we’ve ever gone to, at least in the truck series in my time,” Riggs said with a smile. “It was a lot of fun.
“I call myself a road racer now,” he added, noting it was only the fifth road course race of his life. “It’s amazing to race so many well-known guys, going past some and knowing these guys are road-course ringers and we were faster today.”
Sunny skies and a scenic 1.8-mile 14-turn course along the downtown St. Pete waterfront provided a great scene for the series’ first street course event — and the trucks did not disappoint the large and enthusiastic crowd.
At one point late in the race, Riggs, 23, held a two minute-plus advantage on the field, but lapped traffic in the final 10 laps allowed Majeski and Rhodes to close in. With a lap to go, it looked like Majeski had put his No. 88 ThorSport Racing Ford in position to make a final challenge on Riggs, but he overshot Turn 13 for the second time on the day.
Majeski recovered enough to hold on to second, but left the track feeling he’d lost an opportunity.
The 2024 series champion also climbed out of his Ford truck encouraged by the venue.
“It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a race car in a long time,” Majeski said. “A lot of fun. It’s a racey race track with three good passing zones and rewards discipline.
“Just finding that balance between being aggressive and making mistakes and staying disciplined,” Majeski said of his day, which included two laps out front and that runner-up finish after starting 22nd.
“Just made a little mistake into (Turn) 13, got a little wheel-hop and had to chase it and battle my way back. Hope everyone enjoyed the show. We passed a lot of trucks today.”
Rhodes, who led 23 laps early, similarly could not mount a challenge in the closing laps as he, too, had to save fuel.
“That’s all we had in the tank for our F150 here, literally I was running out of gas those last two laps,” said Rhodes, who has a pair of top-five finishes through the season’s opening three races.
“Really proud of Ford Racing for bringing us a fast truck. Our truck’s in one piece and a lot of these trucks aren’t. Very excited, though. Brand-new truck and a good showing for it.”
Former IndyCar stars — Dario Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe and current IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series full-timer Colin Braun — added an extra element of intrigue to the field. Braun, who started 16th in Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 RAM Truck, finished ninth to pace that esteemed trio.
Hinchcliffe, the former Indy 500 polesitter and multi-race winner, finished 10th in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. Franchitti, the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, was officially scored 27th as his No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota pitted late in the race and lost a lap.
Fords swept the top four positions, with Riggs’ teammate Chandler Smith finishing fourth after leading seven laps. TRICON Garage’s Kaden Honeycutt rounded out the top five in a Toyota.
Neice Motorsports teammates Landen Lewis and Andres Perez De Lara were sixth and seventh with McAnally-Hilgemann’s Daniel Hemric, Braun and Hinchcliffe completing the top 10.
“I think the overall headliner is that a Bahamian, North Carolina, boy won on a road course against some of the best in the world,” a grinning Riggs said. “It’s a testament to everyone at Front Row Motorsports and a shoutout to (sports car driver) Joey Hand, who did a lot of work with me.”
“It is an amazing place to come and I don’t know why we couldn’t come back next year … I couldn’t believe how packed the grandstands were and I thought it was one of the best road course races the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has ever seen,” Riggs said of running the doubleheader weekend along with the IndyCar Series, which races Sunday. “Thank you to all the fans for coming out.”
Smith now leads the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship standings by 34 points over former two-time series champion Rhodes.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race — OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. Petersburg
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026
1. (28) Layne Riggs, Ford, 80.
2. (22) Ty Majeski, Ford, 80.
3. (4) Ben Rhodes, Ford, 80.
4. (5) Chandler Smith, Ford, 80.
5. (19) Kaden Honeycutt, Toyota, 80.
6. (8) Landen Lewis, Chevrolet, 80.
7. (14) Andres Perez De Lara, Chevrolet, 80.
8. (34) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 80.
9. (16) Colin Braun, RAM, 80.
10. (3) James Hinchcliffe, Chevrolet, 80.
11. (35) Ben Maier, Chevrolet, 80.
12. (11) Justin Haley, RAM, 80.
13. (1) Connor Mosack, Chevrolet, 80.
14. (30) Cole Butcher #, Ford, 80.
15. (31) Christian Eckes, Chevrolet, 80.
16. (18) Tyler Reif, Chevrolet, 80.
17. (12) Daniel Dye, RAM, 80.
18. (9) Jake Garcia, Ford, 80.
19. (20) Kris Wright, Chevrolet, 80.
20. (29) Tanner Gray, Toyota, 80.
21. (26) Carter Fartuch, Ford, 80.
22. (25) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 80.
23. (10) Adam Andretti, Toyota, 80.
24. (15) Brenden Queen #, RAM, 80.
25. (2) Giovanni Ruggiero, Toyota, 79.
26. (17) Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 79.
27. (6) Dario Franchitti, Toyota, 79.
28. (21) Mini Tyrrell #, RAM, 77.
29. (24) Jackson Lee, Ford, 75.
30. (23) Frankie Muniz, Ford, 74.
31. (13) Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 70.
32. (36) Timmy Hill, Toyota, 63.
33. (33) Dawson Sutton, Chevrolet, Accident, 62.
34. (27) Nathan Nicholson, Chevrolet, Accident, 55.
35. (32) Derek White, Ford, Fuel Pump, 52.
36. (7) Wesley Slimp, Toyota, Power Steering, 15.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 58.756 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 27 Mins, 3 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.879 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 6 for 17 laps.
Lead Changes: 9 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders: C. Mosack 1-6;B. Rhodes 7-21;C. Mosack 22;B. Rhodes 23-30;C. Smith 31-37;L. Riggs 38-54;T. Majeski 55;L. Riggs 56-60;T. Majeski 61;L. Riggs 62-80.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Layne Riggs 3 times for 41 laps; Ben Rhodes 2 times for 23 laps; Chandler Smith 1 time for 7 laps; Connor Mosack 2 times for 7 laps; Ty Majeski 2 times for 2 laps.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 99,7,45,38,17,1,34,18,11,44
Stage #2 Top Ten: 34,38,45,88,99,17,18,1,9,44
–NASCAR Wire Service
Sports
While Grizzlies evaluate GG Jackson, Pacers appreciate Obi Toppin's return
Feb 27, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) shoots over Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (10) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images GG Jackson turned 21 years old in December, but the Memphis Grizzlies’ 6-foot-9 forward is practically an NBA veteran.
When the Grizzlies visit the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Indianapolis, Jackson will be nearing the end of his third season in the league and playing some of the most consistent basketball of his career.
With Memphis being short-handed this season due to an abundance of injuries — the most significant being the multiple injuries to star guard Ja Morant and a lingering ankle issue with big man Zach Edey — Jackson has benefited from extended play.
In the team’s last six games, Jackson has emerged as an offensive presence. He has averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game during this stretch and produced season highs of 28 points and nine rebounds in a Feb. 21 loss at Miami.
He had 12 points, three boards and four assists in Friday’s 124-105 win at Dallas that snapped a three-game skid.
“GG has made big strides throughout the season,” said Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo. “We talked about it with GG during (the summer league). We said his superpower is getting to the paint. He’s been doing a great job of touching the paint. His (offensive) efficiency is (at a) career high right now. How he’s finishing in those situations is a testament to his hard work.”
Jackson, who missed most of last season due to an injury, has also been accurate from beyond the arc during the six-game stretch. He has made 12 of his 25 3-point attempts (48%), boosting his season percentage to 34.7% from long range.
Iisalo noted that Jackson has also been “playing way simpler” and passing the ball more effectively. He had five assists in each of the team’s games on Jan. 30 and 31 against New Orleans and Minnesota.
“Offensively, he’s playing well off the catch and finding the open guys,” Iisalo said. “He still has to toggle between the right amount of aggressiveness and patience.”
The team’s recent deal that sent Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah has also created more playing time for GG Jackson, but at this early stage, he has yet to develop the same skills that earned Jaren Jackson the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2023.
“Defensively, (GG has) improved as a point-of-attack defender,” Iisalo said. “There are still some things that he needs to do better on the defensive end: being on a string, having that defensive awareness, rebounding better for his position. I think it’s very encouraging, the steps he’s making, and offensively, he has become a real weapon.”
Struggling Indiana hopes that the return of forward Obi Toppin will give the Pacers a boost. The sixth-year pro, who turns 28 on Wednesday, played Thursday in a 133-109 loss to Charlotte — his first action since suffering a stress fracture in his right foot in late October that required surgery. He scored three points and grabbed two rebounds in eight minutes.
“It was heart-warming,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He brings energy to our team and our situation. It’s great to have him back (but) it’s clear this is going to be a slow process of getting him gradually up to speed. But we need him. We need bodies.”
Toppin’s playing time should gradually increase, beginning Sunday against Memphis.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been out there on the floor,” Toppin said. “To be out there, I felt really good offensively and defensively. Just being out there, I feel like I’m going to find my rhythm.”
–Field Level Media
Chicago Fire score twice in stoppage time, blank CF Montreal
Layne Riggs holds on to claim first NASCAR Trucks street race
