Sports
Nashville's Warren Madrigal scores twice to earn draw with D.C. United
May 9, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC defender Jack Maher (5) breaks up an attack by D.C. United midfielder Jackson Hopkins (25) during the first half at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images Substitute Warren Madrigal scored his third and fourth goals of the season and host Nashville SC rallied from two behind late to a 2-2 draw against 10-man D.C. United on Saturday night.
Andy Najar was influential on both of Madrigal’s tallies, providing the assist on his 89th-minute leveler and a key pass on the first that came only moments after the 75th-minute ejection of D.C. defender Silvan Hefti.
That was enough for the Coyotes (7-1-3, 24 points) to avoid a first league loss at home, although they still dropped points there for the first time in five regular-season matches.
Louis Munteanu scored his fourth goal in his last three games for D.C. (4-4-4, 16 points), which extended its league unbeaten run to five.
Lucas Bartlett added his first MLS goal since 2024 for the Black-and-Red, who looked in control while playing 11-on-11.
But the flow of play changed immediately after Hefti received his second booking for a foul to stop a promising attack, with Madrigal’s first strike coming only seconds later.
Matthew Corcoran chested down Najar’s entry pass into the right side of the penalty area, turned and fired a shot that forced Sean Johnson into a low, sprawling save.
The rebound fell directly to Madrigal, who tapped into an open net from close range for a 2-1 deficit.
If Madrigal’s first was opportunistic, his second was classy.
This time he took down Najar’s early cross himself, bringing the ball down off his chest and to his feet at the top of the penalty area, where he struck an exceptional first-time volley into the bottom corner that left Johnson no chance.
Madrigal had entered the match at 62 minutes as a replacement for Alex Muyl.
Munteanu put D.C. in front at 25 minutes, reaching Hefti’s dipping early cross from the right at the far post and calmly guiding a header past Brian Schwake and into the bottom left corner.
Bartlett doubled the lead eight minutes later from a corner, rising to meet Keisuke Kurokawa’s inswinging service and power a header between Schwake and the right upright.
Originally ruled offside, referee Randy Encarnacion gave the goal after consulting replay that showed Jared Stroud — while standing in an offside position — had not interfered with Schwake’s ability to make a save.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Gabriel Pec's second-half brace vaults Galaxy past Atlanta
May 9, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; LA Galaxy defender Harbor Miller (26) and Atlanta United defender Tomas Jacob (55) fight for the ball during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Gabriel Pec scored two second-half goals for the LA Galaxy, who defeated host Atlanta United 2-1 on Saturday evening.
Pec’s brace, which gave him three goals in MLS play this season, led the Galaxy (4-4-4, 16 points) to their second road win in league action and a third straight unbeaten result (2-0-1).
Atlanta (3-8-1, 10 points) saw its three-match win streak across all competitions come to an end in its final home match before the World Cup break.
Pec scored the eventual match-winner in the 79th minute. As he ventured into the box, his initial shot was blocked. The LA winger then pounced on the loose ball and fired it home to make it 2-1.
That came five minutes after Pec equalized it in the 74th minute. A failed tackle by Elias Baez gave Pec a one-on-one chance against Atlanta goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos, which he converted to level the match at 1-all. Marco Reus and Joseph Paintsil assisted on the goal.
Pec’s tying goal canceled out Jay Fortune’s brilliant opener in the 69th minute. Fortune collected the ball near the left touchline, dribbled to the top of the box and laced it past a lunging JT Marcinkowski. It was Fortune’s first goal of the season, assisted by Elias Baez and Saba Lobjanidze.
An eventful, yet scoreless, first half featured three yellow cards for Atlanta United within four minutes, along with yellow cards issued to both the Atlanta and LA benches.
In the 41st minute, Atlanta appeared to take a 1-0 lead on a corner-kick routine, but Juan Berrocal’s potential first MLS goal was disallowed after Matias Galarza was ruled to have committed a foul on Marcinkowski in the process.
Pec’s double gave the Galaxy a third straight win over Atlanta United, tying the all-time series at 3-3-0.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers end Cubs' win streak at 10 with shutout
May 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) celebrates hitting a double and driving in a run against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Josh Jung and Justin Foscue each hit solo homers and the Texas Rangers snapped the Chicago Cubs’ 10-game winning streak with a 6-0 victory on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.
Jung went 3-for-4 with two runs, Alejandro Osuna had two hits and two RBIs, and Joc Pederson added two hits and an RBI for Texas, which snapped a two-game skid by outhitting the Cubs 9-4.
Chicago had won 20 of its last 23 games before being shutout for the fourth time this season. The Cubs went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.
Rangers starter Jack Leiter allowed three hits with a season-high five walks and six strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.
Jalen Beeks (2-1) replaced him and threw the next 1 1/3 innings with no baserunners allowed. Cole Winn followed with a perfect seventh frame before Gavin Collyer pitched the final two innings.
Texas opened the scoring with two runs in the second inning. Jung snapped an 0-for-12 skid by depositing an 0-2 fastball from Edward Cabrera into the right-center field seats for his fifth homer of the season.
With runners on the corners and no outs, the Rangers added another run on Osuna’s RBI single to left field.
The Rangers tacked on two more runs in the fourth when Pederson doubled in a run with one out before scoring on Osuna’s single to right.
Cabrera (3-1) was victimized by the home run ball again in the fifth inning on Foscue’s leadoff homer to left field. The 358-foot shot was Foscue’s first career homer in his 23rd major league game.
Cabrera gave up five runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts over five innings. He has allowed seven homers in his past four outings.
The Rangers added to their lead with two outs in the sixth on Kyle Higashioka’s run-scoring single against Jacob Webb.
Chicago left fielder Ian Happ extended his on-base streak to a career-high 30 games with a first-inning walk.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Merrill Kelly, Ildemaro Vargas lead D-backs over Mets
May 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) scores a run against the New York Mets in the third inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Ildemaro Vargas had a two-run single, Merrill Kelly delivered his most effective start of the season and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the New York Mets 2-1 to even the three-game series in Phoenix on Saturday.
Kelly (2-3) gave up one run on three hits in seven innings in his fifth start since returning from an early-season back injury, with six strikeouts and three walks. He had given up 19 runs in 13 2/3 innings in his previous three starts.
Vargas’ bases-loaded single off Clay Holmes (4-3) in the third followed two-out singles by Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo and a walk to Adrian Del Castillo, giving Kelly the only support he would need.
Vargas has hit safely in 29 of 31 games this season and is hitting .350, second in the major leagues to Miami’s Otto Lopez (.353). Vargas’ season-opening 24-game hitting streak, a franchise record, was stopped May 2.
The Mets (15-24) are one-half game ahead of the Los Angeles Angels (15-25) for the worst record in the majors. They had won four of five.
The Dbacks had lost 12 of 16 since going a season-high five games over .500 at 13-8 on April 18. They have not won a series since.
The Mets had three hits, none after Tyrone Taylor’s two-out double in the fifth.
Kelly retired the final seven he faced. Taylor Clarke pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Paul Sewald struck out two in a perfect ninth for his eighth save.
The Mets scored off Kelly for a 1-0 lead in the second, when Marcus Semien hit a two-out single and scored on Brett Baty’s double to right-center.
The Mets only hit after that was Taylor’s double inside the bag at third with two outs in the fifth. Kelly intentionally walked Juan Soto after reaching a 2-0 count before Bo Bichette flew out to end the inning. Soto was the last Met to reach base.
Holmes (4-3) gave up two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, leaving after Nolan Arenado’s two-out single in the sixth. He tied a season high with six strikeouts and walked two.
–Field Level Media
Gabriel Pec's second-half brace vaults Galaxy past Atlanta
Rangers end Cubs' win streak at 10 with shutout
