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Motorsport

Chase Briscoe fends off Kyle Busch in the Southern 500 to secure his spot in the NASCAR Cup playoffs

Chase Briscoe in his car performing a burnout

Chase Briscoe felt the weight of everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing as he raced through the final laps on Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, and he was thrilled.

“I feel like I run better under heavy pressure,” Briscoe said. “I love the Game 7, pressure-heavy moment.”

He made a bold, three-wide pass late in the race and managed to win the Southern 500, securing a spot in the playoffs. This victory gave Stewart-Haas Racing one last chance to add to its championship history before the team closes down after the season.

Briscoe and his team are heading into the postseason embracing the pressure, especially in the last days of a program that won NASCAR titles with Tony Stewart in 2011 and Kevin Harvick in 2014.

Briscoe received a call from Stewart, his team owner, and drivers came over to congratulate him on his win.

Briscoe took the lead with his three-wide move over Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain and then managed to outrun two-time series champion Kyle Busch at the end.

Chase Briscoe celebrates after winning the race

He pulled away on a final restart with 17 laps to go and held off Busch, who, like Briscoe, needed a win to reach the postseason.

“We just won the Southern 500!” an excited Briscoe said over the car radio.

Briscoe is ready for more achievements with Stewart-Haas Racing.

“Yeah, this group, the day we found out that the team wasn’t going to exist anymore, we went over to the shop board, looked at each other and said, ‘We’re in this to the end,’” Briscoe said. “I was saying all week, ‘We’ve got one bullet left in the chamber.’ That bullet hit.”

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr. took the final two postseason spots based on points, while Bubba Wallace and Chastain, both within 27 points of the cutoff when the race began, fell short.

Briscoe’s impressive move spoiled Kyle Larson’s dominant run at Darlington, where Larson led 263 laps but struggled after being passed by Briscoe. Larson was also trying to overtake Tyler Reddick for the regular-season points title and the 15 bonus points that come with it but came up just a point short.

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Motorsport

Martin Truex Jr. qualifies for the NASCAR playoffs despite crashing out early at Darlington

Racers in the NASCAR Cup Series auto race

Martin Truex Jr. made it into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs despite a tense situation when he crashed out on the third lap of the Southern 500 on Sunday.

Drivers like two-time series champion Kyle Busch, and last year’s playoff participants Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher, weren’t as lucky. Chase Briscoe used a late three-wide pass to take the lead and hold off Busch to win the race.

Busch faced a second consecutive close call missing the postseason for the first time since 2012, also finishing second to Harrison Burton a week earlier at Daytona.

Busch thought he had a chance to catch Briscoe and got close to his back bumper in the final laps, but he couldn’t pass him.

“To come in here in a last-ditch effort and have a shot,” Busch said, noting he hasn’t won in his last 47 races. “Early in the race, I wouldn’t have thought we’d have a shot so I really felt like we overachieved.”

Racers in the NASCAR Cup series

Buescher, who won three races to reach the playoffs last year, finished last in the projected field but couldn’t pass Truex for the final playoff spot.

“We thought we did what we needed to do today,” said Buescher, a driver for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.

“We’ve been so fast and outrun so many of these cars that are going to run for a championship,” he added. “But that’s the system we’re in.”

Truex’s place in the playoffs seemed uncertain when he collided with defending champion Ryan Blaney, causing both cars to go to the garage. However, after two stages (230 laps) at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR confirmed that Truex, the 2017 series champion, was locked into the 16-driver field.

Truex is in his last full season with Joe Gibbs Racing. He started the race 58 points ahead of the cutoff for the playoffs, which begin next week at Atlanta. He felt confident about being in 14th place on the playoff grid going into the weekend.

The crash left Truex watching the race and hoping others behind him wouldn’t do enough to push him out of the playoffs.

“It was all my fault, all my doing,” Truex said outside the infield care center.

Bubba Wallace steers down the front stretch

Truex explained that he had a run on William Byron’s No. 24 car when he lost control. “I thought everything was going fine and I ran into him. Obviously, that was on me,” he said.

Blaney, like Truex, was taken to the care center. The Team Penske driver said he was in pain at first but felt he would be okay as he gets ready to defend his series title starting next week in Atlanta.

“I saw Martin get loose, and I thought he was going to spin to the bottom, so I kind of gassed up to get around him, but it was just terrible timing,” Blaney said. “He overcorrected, and we were just right there.”

Truex’s JGR teammate, Ty Gibbs, qualified 15th on points.

Wallace, who started from the pole position, was the first driver out of playoff contention, 21 points behind Buescher when the race began. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan was in his pit box to watch the race.

Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. drive in the NASCAR Cup Series

“Got caught up in someone else’s mess,” Wallace said about the multi-car wreck 24 laps from the end. “Unfortunate. I hate it for our guys.”

Truex’s crash briefly knocked him out of playoff position. Even though he made it in, he knows he needs to improve to make a strong run in the playoffs.

“It sucks. We just had a miserable two months,” he said. “Tonight was on me, sorry to my team and all the guys who work so hard.”

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Motorsport

Alex Palou overcomes an early electrical problem to lead the IndyCar points standings heading into the season finale

Alex Palou preps for the race

Alex Palou was stuck watching his championship hopes slip away as he sat in his car, which had broken down.

The second race at the Milwaukee Mile was about to start when his car suddenly lost power and wouldn’t start. This left him feeling helpless, as rival Will Power was ready to take over the lead in the title race.

Chip Ganassi Racing managed to change a battery in Palou’s car, allowing him to rejoin the race 29 laps in. By then, Power had taken the race lead and erased Palou’s 43-point advantage in the standings.

However, the situation changed dramatically due to race attrition and Power’s mistake. Palou watched as more cars retired from the race and ended up finishing 19th. Power spun out on his own during a restart, fell a lap behind, and finished 10th. This only reduced Palou’s lead to 33 points with one race left in the season.

Power admitted it was a long shot now, saying, “God gave us a chance. That’s a season, man, you can’t make those mistakes.”

Instead of heading into the finale tied, Palou still has the championship in his control before the final race on September 15 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Will Power get ready for the race

Palou expressed, “Bit sad and disappointed today. It was out of my control and the team’s control. It is a sport, it is what it is. We were getting happier and happier getting more points, one more point, one more point. On to Nashville.”

Scott McLaughlin, Power’s teammate at Team Penske, won the race for the third time this season, finishing ahead of Scott Dixon, Palou’s teammate at Ganassi, in a 1-2 finish for New Zealanders.

Dixon, who made his 400th career start on Saturday, achieved his 142nd podium, surpassing Mario Andretti for the most in series history.

This race was mostly focused on the championship, and Palou managed to recover from a major issue. IndyCar introduced a new hybrid engine midway through the season, and teams were worried it might negatively affect the championship.

The engine failed on Dixon’s car during its first race in July, and Dixon said he asked his team twice what happened when he saw Palou stranded.

“I was kind of trying to make sure we weren’t doing the same thing, making sure it wasn’t the same problem I had at Mid-Ohio,” Dixon said. When he learned that the Ganassi team changed a battery in Palou’s car, Dixon thought it might still be related to the hybrid.

“The DC to the DC on the hybrid could kill that, as well. There’s a lot more parts now,” Dixon said. “The hybrid can get into a funny kind of mode, which will just kill the car. Just sad to see. I think Alex would have had a great race. I think he probably would have had it sewn up.”

Will Power drives his IndyCar

Palou, the reigning IndyCar champion, is aiming for his third title in four years. Power is a two-time champion and won in 2022, between Palou’s two titles.

Colton Herta from Andretti Global finished third. Santino Ferrucci came in fourth for the second day in a row, helping A.J. Foyt Racing earn a critical end-of-season bonus.

Marcus Ericsson from Andretti was fifth, followed by Alexander Rossi from Arrow McLaren, Rinus VeeKay from Ed Carpenter Racing, Kyle Kirkwood from Andretti, and Romain Grosjean from Juncos Hollinger Racing.

Juncos team achieved its first career IndyCar podium on Saturday with Conor Daly’s third-place finish, but Daly’s car had problems and he ended up 17th on Sunday.

Pato O’Ward, who won on Saturday, also had mechanical issues and did not finish the race. Eight cars retired after Palou’s initial electrical problem, and this, along with Power’s spin, kept Palou in charge of the championship.

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NFL (American Football)

San Francisco 49ers player Ricky Pearsall has been released from the hospital following a shooting during an attempted robbery

Ricky Pearsall in the training

A juvenile suspect is in custody after allegedly shooting San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the chest on Saturday afternoon during an attempted robbery in central San Francisco, officials said.

Pearsall, 23, was released from San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center on Sunday, according to a statement from the team. He had been listed in fair condition.

Pearsall was walking alone with shopping bags to his car just after 3:30 p.m. on Saturday when a suspect tried to rob him with a gun on Geary Boulevard in the Union Square area, officials said.

“There was a struggle between Mr. Pearsall and the suspect, and gunfire from the suspect’s gun hit both Mr. Pearsall and the suspect,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said during a news briefing.

Officers nearby responded quickly, gave emergency medical aid, and arrested the suspect.

The suspect, a 17-year-old male from Tracy, California, about 60 miles east of San Francisco, was also taken to San Francisco General. His condition was not immediately revealed.

Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots. A gun believed to belong to the suspect was recovered, and investigators think he acted alone, Scott said.

Ricky Pearsall in the practice session

A video taken by a witness showed Pearsall, shirtless with a large chest wound, being helped into an ambulance, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“This kind of violence is simply unacceptable in our city, and we will do everything we can to work with District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to ensure that justice is served,” Scott said.

Jenkins told reporters at the briefing that her office expects to decide on charges by Tuesday or Wednesday and will initially file any charges in the juvenile court system.

Scott mentioned that there was no sign that Pearsall was targeted because he is a player for the city’s football team.

“He and his family, along with the entire San Francisco 49ers organization, would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department, emergency medical services, doctors and staff at San Francisco General Hospital,” said the team statement on Sunday.

“He’s good,” 49ers teammate Deebo Samuel posted on X. “Thank god!!!!” Mayor London Breed expressed confidence in the district attorney’s actions to handle the case. “This is how we hold people accountable in San Francisco.

Robberies and any violence like this will not be tolerated in our city,” Breed said during the briefing, also thanking the hospital staff, police, and first responders including San Francisco Fire Department personnel.

Ricky Pearsall in the training camp

“This was a terrible and rare incident in Union Square and our thoughts are with Ricky Pearsall and his family. He has a bright future and I look forward to seeing him recover and get back on the field,” Breed said.

Pearsall was drafted in the first round in April by the 49ers with the 31st overall pick but has faced injuries since joining the team.

He missed some time during training camp due to hamstring and shoulder problems before returning to practice this past week with a noncontact blue jersey while his shoulder heals.

Pearsall started his college career at Arizona State and then transferred to Florida for his last two seasons. He had 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Gators and finished his college career with 159 catches for 2,420 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The 49ers had hoped Pearsall could contribute as a rookie, serving as a backup to starters Brandon Aiyuk and Samuel.

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NFL (American Football)

New Green Bay kicker Brayden Narveson had family connections to Wisconsin even before he joined the Green Bay Packers

Brayden Narveson celebrates with the teammates

Brayden Narveson might not have been the happiest person in his family when the Green Bay Packers picked him off waivers to be their kicker.

The move was a homecoming for his wife, Shelby Narveson. She grew up in Prescott, Wisconsin, with a family full of Packers fans. Prescott is just east of the Minnesota border and about 270 miles west of Green Bay.

“She’s like, ‘I’m going to be the coolest person in my hometown,’“ Narveson said.

Narveson made 6 of 7 field-goal attempts with a longest kick of 59 yards during a preseason tryout with the Tennessee Titans, who decided to stick with Nick Folk as their kicker this season.

The Packers decided Narveson was a better choice than Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph, who were competing for the position during training camp.

Narveson appreciated the Titans for giving him a chance in the preseason. Even though he was preparing to spend the season on Tennessee’s practice squad, he said Titans officials told him there was a chance he might be picked up by another team.

He ended up with the Packers, which thrilled his wife. The Narvesons got married this summer in Mexico.

“When I called and told her I got claimed by the Packers, she was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’“ Narveson said. “She hung the phone up and called her parents immediately.

Tennessee Titans players in the preseason game

So, she was probably more excited than I was but, obviously, very thankful for me, as well.” Narveson will make his NFL regular-season debut on Friday when the Packers start their season against the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Even though he hasn’t tried a field goal in a regular NFL game yet, Narveson has made a good first impression on his new team. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he feels confident about Narveson after seeing him in just two practices.

LaFleur said, “I just like his approach, his mentality. I can’t wait to see what happens in the game.”

Green Bay is the latest team for the well-traveled Narveson, who attended four different schools during his six-year college career. He played two seasons at Iowa State, briefly transferred to San Diego, spent three seasons at Western Kentucky, and finished at N.C. State last year.

Narveson said, “People can look at me and say that, ‘Oh, what is he doing? He’s going to four schools, this, that, and the other.’ But I think it prepared me really, really well.

Brayden Narveson kicks the ball in the 2nd half of the game

It was like an NFL journey, you know? You go in, you compete. You go in and compete. Every time I was at a new school, I had to win a whole new audience over. And I had to go compete against new guys, right?

So it just put me in a whole new frame of mind that every single day matters and every single time you step up on the field when you’re between those white lines, you’ve got to be focused and you’ve got to win the job.”

Narveson said that playing at N.C. State last year helped him get ready for the NFL because he had to take over for Christopher Dunn, who had won the Lou Groza Award as the top college kicker the previous year.

He responded by making 18 of 23 field-goal attempts last year and setting a school record with a 57-yarder against Duke.

Now, he’s facing even more pressure as he starts his NFL career with a team aiming for the Super Bowl. The Packers had a very stable kicking situation when Mason Crosby held the job from 2007-22 and became the franchise’s career-leading scorer.

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MLB (Baseball)

Darren Baker, the son of longtime manager Dusty Baker, was called up by the Washington Nationals and recorded his first MLB hit

Darren Baker runs to the base in the 9th inning

Darren Baker spent much of his childhood around baseball, but Sunday was the first time he woke up knowing he was a major leaguer.

The second baseman, and son of two-time All-Star and longtime manager Dusty Baker, was added to the Washington Nationals’ roster when they selected his contract from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday.

Darren Baker said, “I didn’t need an alarm today,” as he had learned of his call-up on Saturday.

Baker made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of a 14-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He got his first hit by singling to center on the first pitch he saw.

Baker’s first two calls were to his parents, who arrived in Washington from the West Coast early Sunday morning and made it in time for the Nationals’ series finale against the Cubs.

Darren Baker celebrates after his first hit

The 25-year-old, who was Washington’s 10th-round pick in 2021, hit .285 with 49 RBIs and 38 stolen bases at Rochester. He might also play some outfield while in Washington.

Washington manager Dave Martinez said, “He was brought up a baseball player. He understands the game and knows how to play the game. He steals bases when you need him to.

He puts the ball in play to get guys over and knocks in some big runs. All that stuff. He’s just a baseball player.”

Darren Baker was part of a memorable moment during Game 5 of the 2002 World Series when, as a 3-year-old bat boy while his dad managed in San Francisco, he was rescued from harm by J.T. Snow during a play.

Dusty Baker said, “That’s something he doesn’t even remember. He’s reminded of it constantly, but he doesn’t remember. That’s quite a story. At the time, it seemed kind of funny or embarrassing or whatever, but in the full circle of life, maybe it was supposed to happen.”

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MLB (Baseball)

Espinal delivers the game-ending hit as the Cincinnati Reds defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 11 innings

TJ Friedl bats in the 3rd inning

Santiago Espinal drove in Rece Hinds with an infield single in the 11th inning, and the Cincinnati Reds ended Milwaukee’s five-game win streak with a 4-3 win over the Brewers on Sunday.

Hinds started the inning on second base as the designated runner. He moved up on Will Benson’s groundout, and Reds manager David Bell chose Espinal to bat in place of Noelvi Marte.

Bell said, “In that situation, it has nothing to do with Noelvi not hitting. Espy and his skill set in that spot is exactly what you need. He puts the ball in play. It started with a great job by Will Benson. He had a chance to drive him (or) at the very least get him over.”

Espinal hit a grounder up the middle that deflected off reliever Bryse Wilson (5-4), allowing Hinds to score without a throw. Wilson pitched 3 2/3 innings, his longest outing since July 24.

Wilson said, “The outcome sucks. I was happy with everything I did. Just move on, have a game tomorrow.”

Brewer Hicklen runs off the field in the 3rd inning

Milwaukee went 0 for 21 in the last six innings and had only four baserunners, including two designated runners in the 10th and 11th.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said, “Can’t really shut it down like that. There were a couple really hard contacts in there. It was hard to watch those 21 at-bats. It’s disappointing in so many ways. Just need to concentrate on what we could have done better today.”

Cincinnati had lost eight of their last 10 games. Alexis Díaz (2-5) got three outs for the win after allowing seven runs, six earned, and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings over his last six appearances.

In the top of the 10th inning, designated runner Andruw Monasterio was thrown out by Jonathan India while trying to score from third base on Brice Turang’s groundball.

Willy Adames hit his 28th home run for the NL Central-leading Brewers, and Joey Ortiz had two hits and scored two runs. Tobias Myers allowed three runs, two earned, and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.

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MLB (Baseball)

Torkelson and Greene hit home runs as the Detroit Tigers secure a rare series win over Boston the Red Sox

Masataka Yoshida bats in the 8th inning

Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene each hit a two-run homer, and the Detroit Tigers defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Sunday.

The Tigers (70-68) won their second series against Boston in the last 13 tries and claimed the season series for the first time since 2017. They are now just a half-game behind the Red Sox (70-67) for fourth place in the AL wild-card race.

Brant Hurter (3-1) pitched five innings, giving up just one run to get the win. He came in with two runners on base and one out in the second inning and managed to get Wilyer Abreu to hit into a double play.

Hurter said, “I’ve been playing baseball for 20 years, and I’ve never gotten a first-pitch double play before. That was cool.”

Due to trades and injuries, the Tigers had only two healthy starting pitchers for most of August. Hurter, who made his major league debut on August 4, has a 3.25 ERA in six games, including one start.

Jason Foley pitches in the 9th inning

He added, “I’m a rookie, so I’m going to embrace any role they offer me.” Jason Foley, the fourth Tigers pitcher, earned his 20th save with a perfect ninth inning.

Red Sox opener Cooper Criswell pitched four perfect innings and struck out five. However, Rich Hill (0-1) and Zack Kelly struggled.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, “The plan was for Coop to give us as many outs as he could and then take advantage of the matchups. It just didn’t work.”

Jarren Duran’s two-out RBI single gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, but Hill issued a leadoff walk to Kerry Carpenter in the bottom half. Jace Jung struck out before Torkelson hit a drive to left field for his eighth home run.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, “They’ve done that with Criswell where he has pitched a couple innings and where he’s gone five or six. We just had to react and take advantage of our opportunities.”

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MLB (Baseball)

Manzardo hits his first two career home runs as the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1

Alex Cobb pitches in the 1st inning

Kyle Manzardo hit his first two major league home runs, and Alex Cobb did not allow a baserunner through the first six innings as the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 on Sunday.

Manzardo, who was called up from Triple-A Columbus before the game, hit home runs in the fourth and sixth innings off Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller. Earlier this season, Manzardo had batted .207 in 30 games during his first MLB stint.

Manzardo said, “I knew coming back that I didn’t have one yet, so that was on my list of things to do. It took a little weight off my shoulders. It was good.”

José Ramírez and Andrés Giménez also hit home runs, making it four solo homers for the Guardians. Ramírez’s home run was his 250th career home run, all with Cleveland. The Guardians improved their AL-best home record to 43-25 and lead the division by 3 1/2 games over Kansas City and Minnesota.

Mitch Keller pitches in the 1st inning

Pirates manager Derek Shelton commented, “They’re good, they’re athletic and their bullpen is really good and can shorten the game. And the guy at third (Ramírez) is the best player in baseball that few people talk about, which is a shame.”

Cobb (2-1) lost his chance for a perfect game when Isaiah Kiner-Falefa led off the seventh inning with a sharp single off Cobb’s glove. Cobb then allowed a second hit to Bryan Reynolds and was taken out of the game.

Cobb said, “I feel like I should have caught it because it hit the meaty part of my palm.”

The Guardians activated Cobb to make his first start since August 14, when he broke a fingernail on his pitching hand. The 36-year-old, who joined Cleveland in a July 30 trade with San Francisco, gave up one unearned run, struck out six, and did not walk any batters.

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MLB (Baseball)

Dansby Swanson records four hits as the hot Chicago Cubs defeat the Washington Nationals 14-1

Jordan Wicks pitches in the 2nd inning

Dansby Swanson had four hits, and Jordan Wicks pitched five strong innings as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals 14-1 on Sunday, marking their season-high sixth consecutive win.

Isaac Paredes drove in three runs for the Cubs, who collected 18 hits in total. Cody Bellinger, Nico Hoerner, and Miguel Amaya each added two RBIs.

The Cubs wrapped up an 8-1 road trip that included games in Miami and Pittsburgh. With a record of 71-66, the Cubs are aiming to secure an NL wild-card spot and have improved to 20-8 since July 31.

Chicago has scored 99 runs in their last 10 games.

Manager Craig Counsell said, “Up and down the lineup, we had guys doing stuff. You can’t ask for anything more on offense than we got this trip.”

On his 25th birthday, Wicks (2-2) allowed one run and four hits in his first major league game since June 14.

Mitchell Parker pitches in the 2nd inning

The left-hander was activated from the 60-day injured list after missing over two months with a right oblique strain.

Wicks commented, “It felt good to go out there and get into game shape. You can’t really mimic being on a big league field in a big league atmosphere and facing hitters like that. Everything felt great and I was happy to just settle in.”

The Nationals (61-76) fell to a season-high 15 games under .500 and were swept for the eighth time this season.

Darren Baker, son of former big league manager Dusty Baker, made his major league debut as a pinch hitter for the Nationals in the ninth inning and singled to center on the first pitch he saw.

The 25-year-old Baker was called up from Triple-A Rochester as rosters expanded to 28 players.

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MLB (Baseball)

Manaea and Lindor guide the New York Mets to a 2-0 victory while the Chicago White Sox set a franchise record with their 107th loss

Francisco Lindor celebrates after hitting a home run

Sean Manaea pitched for seven innings, allowing just two hits, and Francisco Lindor hit his 29th home run to help the New York Mets win 2-0 against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. This loss was the 107th for the White Sox, setting a new franchise record for the most losses in a season.

The White Sox (31-107) broke their previous record for losses, which was set by the 1970 team. They also had the first 0-10 homestand in their history and became the first team since the 1965 Mets to have three separate 10-game losing streaks in one season.

Lindor gave the Mets a 1-0 lead with a home run to start the fourth inning off Garrett Crochet. In the ninth inning, Starling Marte hit an RBI double off the center-field wall against Justin Anderson.

This win was the Mets’ fourth straight and ninth in their last 13 games, finishing a 7-3 road trip. They are now just one game behind Atlanta for the final NL wild card spot after the Braves lost 3-2 to Philadelphia in 11 innings.

Garrett Crochet pitches in the 1st inning

Manager Carlos Mendoza said, “We knew coming in here, especially after playing the Padres and the Diamondbacks, that we needed to keep the intensity, we needed to stay locked in, match their energy.”

He added, “I’m proud of the guys that we were able to do it one day at a time. And finally getting that last one 2-0 was important for us.”

Manaea (11-5) struck out five, walked two, and hit a batter with a pitch. He has won his last four outings and New York has won 12 of his last 15 starts.

Manaea retired his first 11 batters before walking Lenyn Sosa, who was then picked off at first base to end the fourth inning.

The White Sox didn’t get a hit until Miguel Vargas had a single to left field with two outs in the fifth inning. Chicago had a chance to score in the seventh inning but did not succeed.

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MLB (Baseball)

Yordan Alvarez hit two home runs as the Houston Astros finished a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-2 victory

Yordan Alvarez celebrates after hitting a home run in the 4th inning

Yordan Alvarez hit two home runs and Jon Singleton added a two-run homer as the Houston Astros finished a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-2 win on Sunday.

This is Houston’s fifth win in a row and comes after the Royals had swept a three-game series against the Astros at home in April.

“They kicked our butts early in the season in Kansas City when we were not playing our best,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “But that’s why you play 162 and we are a different club. We’re getting closer to our goal and we’re playing with a different type of intensity and focus and we demonstrated that this series.”

Kansas City lost its season-high fifth straight game, falling into a tie with Minnesota for second place in the AL Central, 3 1/2 games behind the leading Cleveland.

The Royals had previously won the first game of a four-game series against the Guardians and tied for the division lead.

Bobby Witt Jr. runs after hitting a home run

Cleveland and the Royals start another three-game series in Kansas City on Monday. “The whole series was frustrating,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “We didn’t come out of here with any wins. That’s what we play for, is to win every day. So that stinks.”

This was Alvarez’s sixth game with multiple home runs this season and his second this week. He had tied a career-high with three home runs in Wednesday’s 10-0 win over the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.

Alvarez hit a home run off Alec Marsh (7-8) in the fourth inning, and Singleton’s homer made it 3-0. Alvarez hit his 30th home run of the season off Sam Long to start the sixth inning.

He is now one of only two players in franchise history, along with Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell, to have at least four consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs.

He nearly had another three-home run game on Sunday, but Tommy Pham caught his fly ball in the eighth inning on the track, just before the bullpen.