Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe, who last month became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours in an official race, will attempt to improve on that record on one of the world’s fastest courses at the Berlin Marathon in September.
“After my victory in London and my sub-two-hour performance, I can only say that I will – as always – prepare as well as possible, come to Berlin to honour this great event and the organisation that invited me, and aim to run as well and as fast as I can,” Sawe said in a statement.
Sabastian Sawe will defend his Berlin Marathon title in September (Getty)
The Berlin Marathon’s flat course is regarded as one of the quickest in the world, with nine men’s world records being set at the event between 1998 and 2022.
Sawe finished the Berlin Marathon in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds in 2025, clocking the world’s best time of the year despite temperatures reaching up to 25 degrees.
His compatriot Eliud Kipchoge still holds the course record, having clocked 2:01:09 in 2022 to set a previous world record. “We’ll see what happens on race day,” Sawe said.
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Organisers said the 2026 edition of the Berlin Marathon is expected to attract almost 60,000 athletes from around 160 countries.
Nigeria confirmed to host 2026 CAF Awards and General Assembly
Nigeria has officially secured the rights to host the 2026 CAF Awards and the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly.
The announcement was confirmed after a meeting between Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Patrice Motsepe during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.
The CAF General Assembly will bring together all 54 African football associations to discuss major decisions involving African football, while the CAF Awards will celebrate the continent’s best players, coaches and clubs.
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It will be the first time Nigeria hosts the CAF Awards since 2017, ending a long run of the event being held in Morocco.
The news has already generated excitement among Nigerian football fans online, with many seeing it as another major moment for the country’s sports industry.
While excitement remains high, some fans have also raised concerns about logistics and infrastructure ahead of the events.
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Still, hosting both the CAF Awards and the General Assembly is being viewed as a major boost for Nigeria’s football reputation on the continent.
PR Sreejesh, an illustrious member of the Indian men’s hockey team which won two back-to-back medals at the Olympics in 2020 and 2024, penned a strongly worded post on X on Wednesday. Sreejesh, who was named as the Indian junior men’s team coach after the 2024 Olympics, indicated that he was being removed from the post to make way for a foreign coach. Under him, the Indian junior team won a bronze medal at the Hockey World Cup.
“It seems like my coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years, during which we played 5 tournaments and secured 5 podium finishes, including a Junior World Cup bronze medal. I have heard about coaches getting fired after bad performances. But this is the first time I am experiencing being removed to make way for a foreign coach,” Sreejesh wrote in a long post on X.
He revealed a message from Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Kumar Tirkey.
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“The Hockey India President stated that the chief coach of the senior men’s team prefers a foreign head coach for the junior team, believing it will help develop Indian hockey from the junior level through to the senior level. Hence, the continued preference for foreign coaches – Can’t Indian coaches develop Indian hockey?”
It’s seems like My coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years, during which we played 5 tournaments and secured 5 podium finishes, including a Junior World Cup bronze medal.
I have heard about coaches getting fired after bad performances.
Sreejesh went on to refer to an interaction with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
“On 07-03-2026, during a meeting with the Hon’ble Sports Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, I was told, “Sreejesh, we need coaches like you to step up and lead our country as we prepare for 2036.” However, Hockey India continues to place its trust in foreign coaches over Indian ones across all four teams,” he wrote further.
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IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season
Dec 6, 2009; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ben Leber against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Vikings 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings’ upcoming quarterback competition at training camp will evidently be the real thing. Folks are lining up to proclaim it as such, and Ben Leber is no different.
The Vikings wanted competition everywhere. Quarterback now owns the spotlight.
Leber explained the stakes this week, paving the way for quite the showdown in Eagan.
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Minnesota’s QB Room Has a Real Summer Showdown
Who you got? J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray?
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray participates in minicamp drills on Jun. 11, 2019, at the team’s training facility in Tempe. Murray entered the NFL with enormous expectations as the top overall pick and later developed into one of football’s more dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks because of his mobility, arm talent, and off-script playmaking ability. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.
Leber on the QB Battle
Leber hopped on KFAN this week and said, “I don’t think you can really go wrong either way; I think there’s going to be some shock and awe from people who can’t believe it if McCarthy wins the job. I’m sure some will think there’s politics behind it, but I honestly believe it’s all business.”
“I don’t think they’re trying to placate anyone or make a political decision. I think they simply want to create as much competition as possible at every position, and quarterback is no exception.”
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Minnesota signed Murray in March for $1.3 million after the Arizona Cardinals cut ties.
Leber continued, “May the best man win. There’s too much riding on the season; there’s too much talent on this team.”
“This is not a rebuilding year where you say, ‘Oh, we’re just going to get cute, win a few games and be competitive.’ There’s no reason why we can’t compete to win this division. None at all. This is not just a wasted year. This is a year where, ‘Let’s go for it.’”
The Daniel Jones Comparison
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Leber also likened Murray’s 2026 situation to Daniel Jones in 2025, explaining, “It could very well be a Daniel Jones situation where he walked into the Colts, and they said, ‘Hey, we can’t guarantee anything, but we’ll give you a one-year rental deal, and all you have to do is get into a competition with Anthony Richardson. It’s up to you whether you think you can beat out Anthony Richardson.’”
“Then Daniel Jones was like, ‘Yeah, I see the writing on the wall here. I know that I can beat this guy out. ‘Maybe just situationally and also from a personal confidence standpoint.”
Leber added, “Kyler and his agent are not blind. They saw what happened with J.J. McCarthy last year, and they know the Vikings are looking for other services to bolster that room and bring in true competition.”
Betting Money on Murray?
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Murray arrives with a huge chip on his shoulder, a factor that shouldn’t be underestimated.
His release by Arizona after seven seasons is a bitter pill for any quarterback, particularly one with Murray’s personality and swagger. Though the Cardinals never secured a playoff victory with him and ultimately moved on, Minnesota now gains a highly motivated quarterback. He brings a documented track record of production and an athletic prowess capable of singlehandedly altering games.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy shares a postgame moment with Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil on Dec. 7, 2025, after a matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. McCarthy’s first season as Minnesota’s starter featured flashes of high-end arm talent, leadership traits, and growing confidence while navigating increased expectations around the franchise quarterback role. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
And he’s not a player who’s starting at square one. Projecting over a 17-game season, Murray routinely delivers approximately 4,000 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns, and 600 rushing yards. These are star-level numbers for a dual-threat quarterback, even if Arizona struggled to translate them into playoff success.
From a pure talent perspective, the comparison is straightforward. Murray surpasses McCarthy in speed, accuracy, experience, and arm strength. However, McCarthy’s five-inch height advantage is a notable factor. Both men have injury concerns.
Remember Murray’s Injury Resume
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While Murray may be the frontrunner to earn the QB1 job at training camp, one must remember his durability. Since 2019, Murray has missed 26% of all starts due to injury, and if that pattern holds in his first season with the Vikings, McCarthy will get one big shot to strut his stuff, assuming he starts the season as the QB2.
The Vikings drafted McCarthy in 2024 to be their future quarterback, plain and simple. The commitment was evident when they passed on established veterans like Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and the aforementioned Jones during the 2025 offseason in favor of McCarthy.
Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber watches from the sideline on Oct. 5, 2025, during an NFL International Series game against the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Leber has remained connected to the organization after retirement, frequently appearing in Vikings media coverage and offering analysis on Minnesota’s roster and outlook. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
At just 23 years old (Murray, by comparison, will turn 29 this summer), McCarthy has significant room for growth. If the Vikings’ original plan unfolds as hoped, he will arrive at training camp with sharper mechanics, improved command, greater maturity, and the same magnetic locker room presence that inspired belief in him last year.
McCarthy has already shown flashes of his potential. In college, he executed throws that few quarterbacks can make, and his teammates visibly rallied around his energy. His arm talent, leadership, and drive are undeniable.
Now, the Vikings simply await the arrival of the complete package. That could happen if Murray succumbs to an injury.
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Perhaps Leber is right that Minnesota has the best of both worlds.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
The Flyers and 76ers were each just rudely dismissed from the playoffs in second-round sweeps, and the Phillies scuffled so badly out of the gates that it cost manager Rob Thomson his job.
So, perhaps, sports fans in Philly could use a break. Touch grass, if you will.
Good thing the PGA Championship — the second major of the men’s golf season — begins Thursday in nearby Newtown Square at Aronimink Golf Club.
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Here are six storylines to watch as play gets underway bright and early Thursday morning:
Can anyone stop Scottie Scheffler?
The reigning PGA champion had a weird start to his season. Scheffler won his debut at the Amex in a runaway before his iron play — his greatest superpower — abandoned him some. That led to the same ghastly results for the Texan like, um, T3, T4, T12 and even T24 and T22 (gasp!). Of course, he found his game again at Augusta, but he couldn’t quite catch Rory McIlroy on Sunday in a second-place finish. Then, he recorded two more seconds at his next two tournaments.
Scheffler sits comfortably within the top 20 of each strokes gained category, per Data Golf, and the golf stats site gives him more than a 50 per cent chance of finishing this tournament in the top 10 and a 13 per cent shot at winning — both far and away the highest of any player.
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We haven’t quite reached the Tiger-vs.-the-field debates of the 2000s, but Scheffler is awfully close. But given the PGA Championship is the major set up most closely to PGA Tour tournaments (yearly reminder that the PGA Championship is run by the PGA of America, a separate entity from the Tour), and Scheffler dominates the regular circuit, the field is in tough.
Is Rory McIlroy really, truly freed up this time?
The best bet to stop Scheffler is likely McIlroy, the Northern Irishman and back-to-back Masters champion. McIlroy famously endured an 11-year major drought before finally breaking through to win at Augusta last year, also completing the career Grand Slam in the process. The narrative in the weeks that followed was that McIlroy would be freed up; with the gorilla off his back, he’d go out and pick off even more majors.
That didn’t play out. McIlroy was uncompetitive at the PGA and U.S. Open, and while he placed T7 at The Open Championship, Scheffler ran away with that title, too. McIlroy has since reflected that the Grand Slam was unfulfilling in a way, leaving him searching for meaning after having finally achieved a lifelong goal. But he returned this year with a renewed mindset of the history at stake with each major victory (his sixth tied him with LIV rival Phil Mickelson, which he surely enjoyed).
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The golf has been pristine too, with McIlroy continuing to lead the PGA Tour in strokes gained: ball striking and tee to green, per Data Golf. Off the course, he seems lighter, joking with reporters last week about his wrongly maligned Masters prep. Put it all together, and McIlroy seems primed for a run of contention — and, perhaps, a long-awaited major duel with Scheffler.
What’s going on with the LIV players?
The biggest story in golf since McIlroy’s Masters win has been the breakaway league, which learned in recent weeks that the Saudi Public Investment Fund would be pulling funding after this season, leaving the tour in dire straits. After all, what rational investor would buy in to a golf league? “The math is never gonna work,” one expert told The Athletic.
One of many issues LIV faces is that it doesn’t have many marketable, competitive players. The headliners are Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm — but the former’s contract is up after this season, and he’s publicly threatening a pivot to YouTube, while the latter recently lamented that his deal was so ironclad that he “doesn’t see a way out.”
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And so DeChambeau and Rahm arrive at the PGA with plenty of off-course issues on their minds — not to mention a missed cut and uncompetitive T38, respectively, at The Masters. Both have continued to perform well against weak competition on LIV, but they also know their legacies will be defined four weeks a year, and it’s time to start performing.
Which Canadian has the best shot to win?
It’s now been 23 years since Mike Weir won The Masters, and he remains the most recent Canadian men’s major champion. A foursome of Nick Taylor, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Sudarshan Yellamaraju will try to change that this week.
Conners is typically the best bet at these events, but he hasn’t quite had his stuff this year. Pendrith earned the best major finish of his career with a T5 at last year’s PGA, but he also has struggled of late.
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Taylor, in some ways, has always felt like the best bet to break the Canadian major drought — after all, he did just that at the RBC Canadian Open not long ago, and he’s shown a penchant for pulling out wins. Now, he’s coming off a pair of top-15 finishes.
The breakout Canadian, of course, is Yellamaraju, who burst onto the scene with a T5 at The Players Championship. He only got into the PGA field on Sunday, but after his fearless weekend performance at Sawgrass, it would hardly be a surprise to see him in the mix come Saturday and Sunday.
Will Spieth finally complete the Grand Slam?
Let’s dream a little here, shall we? A fan favourite, Spieth has gone through a Rory-like stretch at majors, where he’s been held out of the winner’s circle since the 2017 Open Championship.
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Ever since, he’s been chasing the career slam at the PGA, but hasn’t really come all that close outside of a T3 in 2019. He missed the cut altogether last year, and his star has dimmed significantly since his memorable 2015 breakout.
But — but! — there are signs of life for Spieth. He recently referred to his season as “whac-a-mole,” explaining he’s had great weeks in each aspect of the game, but just needs to put it all together over a four-day stretch.
Aronimink could be just the place to do it — it’s relatively short, which will mean a lot of driver-wedge holes, and Spieth was second off the tee last week only behind McIlroy. His wedge and short-iron game, meanwhile, has long been a strength. Plus, Aronimink is known for uneven lies, not unlike Augusta, a course Spieth always seems to play well at, as it unlocks his creativity.
The Spieth experience is never an easy one — but the payoff this week could be worthwhile.
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Who are some other contenders?
Cameron Young has two wins including The Players, and always plays well at majors. The Fitzpatrick brothers are on a heater, with Matt having won three times, including once with Alex, who immediately converted his PGA Tour card into a pair of top 10s. Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood both continue to play well as they seek their maiden majors. Also in form, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka will aim to add to their major totals.
Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) throws to first base for an out during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
There’s a good chance the New York Yankees’ lineup will look a bit different a day after they ended a four-game losing streak.
The Yankees wrap up a three-game series against the host Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday afternoon.
The Yankees could have a new look to the middle of their infield for Wednesday’s game with Anthony Volpe available at shortstop after Jose Caballero was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fracture of the middle finger on his right hand.
Volpe was called up from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre and could make his season debut at the major league level after Max Schuemann played shortstop in Tuesday’s 6-2 win.
“I would expect Anthony to play a lot,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
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Volpe is coming off offseason shoulder surgery and then optioned to the minor leagues when his rehab assignment ended.
“He hasn’t gotten a lot of results yet,” Boone said. “He’s had a number of at-bats, a lot of reps, a lot of playing time, kind of more than a full spring training. So hopefully, he’s ready to go and come up here and be a spark for us.”
Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. also wasn’t in New York’s starting lineup Tuesday, but he went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter to drop his batting average to .200.
“Obviously, he’s an outstanding player,” Boone said. “But you sense guys feeling it when you’re a month-plus in and you’re not doing what the back of your baseball card is. Probably pressing a little too much, trying to do a little too much. He’s going to get it going, I have no doubt about that.”
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Wednesday’s game has been rescheduled for an afternoon first pitch, moved up over five hours because of weather-related concerns in the evening.
The Yankees have won five of six 2026 meetings with the Orioles after claiming Tuesday’s decision.
Right-hander Kyle Bradish (1-5, 4.83 ERA) gets the call for the Orioles as he tries to halt a personal three-game losing streak. One of those setbacks came May 2 at New York when the Yankees dinged him for five runs in four innings as he yielded six hits and four walks.
Bradish had a solid bounce-back effort Friday when he struck out a season-high 10 Athletics despite giving up three runs and taking the defeat. It has been more than a month since Bradish’s lone victory on April 8.
In 2025, Bradish faced the Yankees twice at the end of the season, with a pair of no-decisions while allowing three runs in 10 innings combined in those matchups. For his career, he’s 1-2 with a 3.92 ERA in eight starts vs. New York.
The Yankees will have left-hander Max Fried (4-2, 2.91) on the mound. He didn’t have a decision May 3 vs. Baltimore when he went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs in New York’s eventual 11-3 romp. He was touched up for five runs in six innings Friday at Milwaukee.
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Fried is 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA in six all-time starts against the Orioles.
The Orioles dealt with another ailment with outfielder Dylan Beavers removed from Tuesday’s lineup pregame because of right oblique discomfort.
“All I know is he was hitting in the cage before the game to get ready and he felt something in his side and was out of the lineup,” Albernaz said.
Former NFL star Charle Young, who won a Super Bowl title with the San Francisco 49ers, has died, the team said on Tuesday. He was 75.
The team mourned the loss of Young in a post on X.
“The 49ers mourn the passing of former TE Charle Young,” the team wrote. “Our organization sends its deepest condolences to the Young family and friends.”
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Charles Young is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Jim Leclair during Super Bowl XVI in Pontiac, Michigan, on Jan. 24, 1982.(Tony Tomsic/Sports Illustrated)
Young was a standout tight end at USC before he went pro. The school released a statement on his death, highlighting his collegiate and pro football career.
“Fight On Forever, Charles Young,” the school added in a post on X.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Young with the No. 6 overall pick of the 1973 NFL Draft. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in three of his four seasons with Philadelphia before he joined the Los Angeles Rams in 1977. He spent three seasons in Los Angeles.
Alumni Charle Young of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Oct. 29, 2023. The Bengals defeated the 49ers 31-17.(Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Young joined the 49ers in 1980 and was a part of the 1981 Super Bowl-winning season. He had one catch for 14 yards as San Francisco topped the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI. He scored a touchdown in a divisional round game against the New York Giants in the playoffs leading up to the title win.
He had 418 catches for 5,106 yards and 27 touchdowns in 187 NFL games. He was also an All-Pro and the 1973 UPI Rookie of the Year.
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In college, Young helped USC to a national championship in 1972 and was an All-American selection. He had 62 catches for 998 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Trojans.
Quarterback Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass as teammates block during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Dec. 6, 1981. The 49ers won 21-3.(George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Pavel Dorofeyev gave the Vegas Golden Knights quite a scare on Tuesday night when he went down in the second period after taking a slapshot to the inside of his right knee, writhing in pain before gingerly skating to the bench and limping down the tunnel. Concern grew when he missed his next shift, then another, and another, until he re-emerged late in the frame and got back in the game.
Soon after, the star forward gave the Golden Knights quite a celebration, thanks to his overtime winner to give Vegas a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks and a series lead to match.
Dorofeyev’s Game 5 performance was what post-season legacies are made of. Earlier in the game, the 25-year-old scored perhaps his nicest goal of the post-season — a stick-lifting, puck-stripping takeaway to prevent the Ducks from getting out of their zone, followed by a perfect wrist-shot to tie the game 1-1 on the power play.
Then, about 36 minutes of game action after the blocked shot that (temporarily) quieted T-Mobile Arena, and less than eight minutes after Anaheim’s Olen Zellweger tied the game 2-2 to force overtime, Dorofeyev potted a rebound, bar-down, to break the tie and wrench the momentum back in Vegas’ favour.
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The Golden Knights’ 3-2 OT victory in Game 5 gives them a 3-2 series lead against Anaheim, with the chance to oust their second-round opponent Thursday night.
There’s a pattern here. After leading the Golden Knights in regular-season goals, Dorofeyev was slow to light the lamp against the Utah Mammoth in Round 1. After three goalless games to open the playoffs, he stepped up in Game 4 and then really grabbed hold of the series in Game 5 with a hat trick that handed Vegas a crucial 3-2 series lead. Against Anaheim, he was again slow to heat up in the goals department, held without a marker in the first three games before registering one in Game 4 on Sunday and setting himself up for a big, momentum-shifting Game 5 performance with his two-goal night on Tuesday.
Sennecke’s getting a head start on his legacy
Speaking of legacies… Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke is playing like a veteran this post-season. You’d never know, based on his performances, that this is his first taste of playoff hockey. At just 20 years old, the rookie leads the Ducks in goals with five to his name.
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His game-opening power-player marker Tuesday night extended his streak to four straight games with a goal and put him in very rare rookie company. Game 5 also brought his second straight game with a power-play goal — a great sign for a unit that stalled to start the series but appears to be heating up against Vegas’ staunch penalty kill. He leads all rookies in goals and points this spring.
Loss of Poehling looms large for Ducks
Anaheim was forced to adjust its lineup early after centre Ryan Poehling exited the game with an upper-body injury following a late, hard hit into the boards by Vegas defenceman Brayden McNabb. McNabb was issued a five-minute major and a game misconduct upon review for knocking Poehling out of the game, and while McNabb’s ejection led Vegas to make some lineup changes, too, the Ducks could be dealing with a longer absence.
Poehling stayed down after the hit, and while the team did not disclose specifics about his injury, replay showed his head making hard contact with the glass. When he did get up and skate off the ice, it was with the help of trainers and teammates. He was ruled out of a return shortly after.
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His absence is quite a loss for the Ducks. Suiting up on the third line, he’s brought an important dose of depth scoring at big moments — particularly in Round 1 against Edmonton — and also plays a key role on the penalty kill. Should he miss time, that’s a tough slot to fill.
Tomas Hertl finally put an end to his 29-game goalless skid Sunday night, and two days later, he proved that wasn’t a fluke. The forward, whose scoring woes were well-documented through March and April — he scored just once in that two-month span — pounced on a rebound five minutes into the third period to give Vegas a 2-1 lead. That’s back-to-back games with a goal for Hertl, whose enthusiastic celebration Tuesday night certainly conveyed just how significant the marker was, both for himself and his squad.
He’s heating up, and his timing couldn’t be better. With the Golden Knights now one win away from closing out their second-round series, and with the team facing uncertainty when it comes to captain and top-line winger Mark Stone (he was injured in Game 3 and there’s no word yet on his return), the Golden Knights need all their stars to step up. Hertl is, and will continue to be, a huge part of that.
May 12, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile (4) hits a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Washington outfielder Daylen Lile looks to continue his successful homecoming when the Nationals continue their series against the host Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.
Lile, who grew up in nearby Louisville, Ky., made his Great American Ballpark debut on a Tuesday night to remember. With a contingent of about 70 friends and family on hand, Lile hit a three-run homer, a two-run shot and a single in Washington’s 10-4 win.
“It means so much,” Lile said postgame. “I just feel so loved and cared (for) from my hometown and the people that along the way have watched me grow into the person I am. It’s just awesome.”
Luis Garcia Jr. hit two solo home runs, and James Wood and Brady House also homered for the Nationals, who have won four of six. It was the 12th six-homer game in Nationals history (2005-present).
Washington right-hander Jake Irvin (1-4, 5.22 ERA) opposes Cincinnati left-hander Nick Lodolo (0-1, 6.75) on Wednesday in the middle game of the series.
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On May 7 against the Twins, Irvin allowed four runs on eight hits over five innings of a no-decision in his second sub-par outing in a row.
Irvin is 0-1 with a 5.54 ERA in five career starts against the Reds.
In Lodolo’s first start of the season after dealing with a blister issue, he gave up four runs on five hits (two of them home runs) and a walk over 5 1/3 innings in a 10-0 loss to the Houston Astros on May 8, striking out two.
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“Obviously, the two home run pitches you’d like to have back,” Lodolo said. “But overall, I thought I threw the ball better than what I feel like I probably did, just because those two definitely stand out. Two two-run homers is going to definitely put you in a tough spot. So overall, though, just move on in the next one.”
Lodolo is 1-0 with a 4.23 ERA in four starts versus Washington.
He will try to tame a Washington lineup that pounded out 13 hits on Tuesday.
Lile is now 9 for his last 25 with three doubles and two homers. Garcia, who recently missed time with a minor right wrist sprain, is 8-for-15 with two homers, a double and a triple since his return.
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“It’s pretty awesome,” Lile said of Washington’s Tuesday offensive explosion. “Just to see everybody capitalize and pass it down the line. Our pitchers do what they need to and our defense backing them up, just team baseball. It was great.”
Sal Stewart had three hits, and JJ Bleday had two hits and two RBIs for the Reds. Elly De La Cruz also had two hits to extend his hitting streak to five games. During that span, he is 10-for-22 (.455).
The Reds appeared to catch some luck when starting pitcher Brady Singer was hit on the right foot by a scalding grounder off the bat of Lile in the second inning Tuesday. He stayed in the game but left in the fourth.
“He was hurting, and he’ll never say a word, but I know he was feeling it,” manager Terry Francona said. “That was the (right) foot he drives off of. You can see his velocity dip a little bit right after that happened. … We’ll keep an eye on him.”
Rory McIlroy defied underwhelming pre-Masters form to clinch back-to-back green jackets at Augusta and his bid to climb up the list of all-time major winners continues. The Northern Irishman’s sixth major triumph drew him level with Nick Faldo and adding a third US PGA Championship crown would make him the most successful European of the modern era, drawing level with the great Arnold Palmer, among others, on seven majors. World number one Scottie Scheffler is out to defend his title.
Where is this year’s championship?
The 108th edition of the PGA Championship takes place at Aronimink Golf Club in south west Philadelphia. It will be the second time the course has hosted the event, the first in 1962 when Gary Player clinched the third of his nine majors. Justin Rose won the AT&T National at the course in 2010 and Keegan Bradley the BMW Championship in 2018.
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What is the course like?
Aronimink is characterised by its long par-threes and the way it forces players to pull off tough approach shots and think their way around the course. A number of players in the build-up have picked out the greens as Aronimink’s “greatest defence”. McIlroy said: “The greens seem to be the big talking point of the golf course. They can really tuck the pins away with some of these slopes.”
Three of the four par-threes are over 200 yards. Testing rough will catch out errant tee shots, while the vast, undulating greens will make approach play and putting key elements of the championship.
What are the key holes?
Hole one: A daunting opener, the 434-yard par four plunges down into a valley before rising to a green surrounded by bunkers.
Hole eight: The longest of the par-threes, standing at around a challenging 242 yards, downhill, for the 2026 championship. Club selection will be key and this is a hole which will test accuracy.
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Hole nine: Aronimink makes you wait for its first par-five and it is a whopper at over 600 yards. The longer hitters will be licking their lips as they take aim with a second shot to a generous green. Eagle and birdie opportunity.
Hole 10: The turn for home begins with a serious challenge. The tee shot will need to flirt with the fairway bunkers before attacking a sloping green guarded by thick rough and water.
Hole 17: Could be where the trophy is won and lost. A long, downhill, par-three set up to create drama with a pond front and left of the green and a tricky surface which makes two-putting far from certain.
The standout tee times
11.45am – Alex Fitzpatrick, Branden Shattuck, Ben Griffin (hole one) (all times BST).1.18pm – Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Aberg, Rickie Fowler (hole 10).1.29pm – Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Tyrell Hatton (hole 10)1.40pm – Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth (hole 10).6.43pm – Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, Chris Gotterup (hole one).7.05pm – Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose (hole one).
For the first time in the history of IPL, a bowling pair bowled in the entire powerplay – five games in a row during the GT vs SRH fixture at Ahmedabad on Tuesday. This shows how deadly, and lethal Mohammad Siraj and Kagiso Rabada have been in IPL 2026 dominated by the top-order batters. The pair have evolved into the league’s most prolific new-ball bowling pair, with GT claiming 25 wickets during the powerplay. They have struck every 17.2 balls in the first 6 overs; Rabada’s 16 wickets in this phase are the joint second-most by a bowler in an IPL season.
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IPL 2026: Sai Kishore on GT’s winning formula under Ashish Nehra, Shubman Gill
In a wicket tailor-made for the tall fast bowlers in Ahmedabad, Rabada and Siraj consistently hit the hard lengths and ripped through the SRH batting lineup. At the end of the powerplay, their score was 34 for 4 with Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Ishan Kishan back in the dugout early. GT bowlers have bowled on good and back-of-length areas 84.3% of the time in the powerplay, which is the league’s highest among all the teams. And against the destructive SRH top-order, the same skillset reaped the rewards. Siraj opened the first over with one swinging away, then another from the good-length, and on the 4th ball, he swung one into the pads of Head, who could only manage a top-edge into the hands of Nishant Sindhu at deep backward point. A wicket maiden from Siraj set the tone, and also the template for Kagiso Rabada to test Abhishek Sharma from the same length in the second over. Rabada pitched the first delivery up front, and Sharma lofted him for a six over long-off. But in the second, the South African returned to his usual length, and off the 4th delivery, Abhishek was cramped for room off a back of length delivery despite moving from the stumps and dragged the ball into the wicket. Rabada then went on to pluck out Ishan Kishan in his next over from yet another hard-length delivery that, after pitching, moved away from the SRH’s wicketkeeper-batter, who could only manage to chase it and edge to Jos Buttler behind the stumps. At the end of the powerplay overs, SRH were reeling with 4 wickets down in the chase of 169 courtesy Siraj and Rabada’s stellar spell up front. GT’s success this season has been completely driven by their bowling attack. In eight wins, their bowlers have claimed the Player-of-the-match award seven times. The common thread is simple: bowlers capable of relentlessly hitting the much talked about ‘test-match length’, essentially hitting the good and back of length areas – which is extremely tough to do in a T20 environment. Rabada and Siraj, with their skills and high pace, persisted with their plans and proved good ol’ Test match bowling in T20s can get you wickets. In the seven matches that GT has won, the pair has taken 21 wickets at an average of 14.85.GT has been one of the few sides, who built their identity around the bowlers even after the impact player rule. With the bowlers driving Gujarat Titans’ surge in the second half of the season, it has not only taken them to the top spot in the IPL 2026 Points Table, but has put them firmly on course for a top-two finish as well.
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