Things are going from bad to worse for the Cincinnati Reds.

After starting 20-11 for first place in the NL Central, the Reds have since gone winless in May, including three consecutive walk-off losses to their division rival Chicago Cubs to fall to last place.

Well, the Reds and Cubs were back at Wrigley for an afternoon contest on Thursday when a Reds player had a total brainfart.

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Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs scores a run past Tyler Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on May 7, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Down 2-0 with the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Reds got a gift when Dansby Swanson hit a grounder to third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.

Hayes touched third base for the first out of the inning and then fired home for the double play, and the throw beat Ian Happ by a mile. However, Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson never tagged Happ, instead catching the ball while on the plate.

Once Hayes touched third base, that took away the force at home, meaning Happ now had to be tagged. Instead, he was untouched and ran back into the dugout with the Cubs up, 3-0.

Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ is safe at home plate as Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson stands nearby during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on May 7, 2026. (David Banks/Imagn Images)

REDS CLOSER CARTED OFF FIELD AFTER SUSTAINING LEG INJURY JUST ONE PITCH INTO APPEARANCE

Stephenson apparently forgot that rule, but the Reds broadcasters didn’t.

“It’s a tag play! He’s gotta tag him!” John Sadak said.

“No! No!” said Chris Welsh.

“Oh, this is a middle school mistake right here.”

Chicago then scored four more runs in the inning en route to an 8-3 victory and a four-game sweep of the Reds, who have now lost seven games in a row.

The Reds recently tied an MLB record by walking seven consecutive Pittsburgh Pirates last week, so it’s been quite the whirlwind for Cincinnati.

Michael Conforto celebrates the Chicago Cubs’ win against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on May 7, 2026. (David Banks/Imagn Images)

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The winless road trip is over, though, and the Reds will host the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals over their next six games to try to get back on track.

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Returning to the now, manager Patrick Videira has the club second in Ligue 2 with just one game remaining – and on course for back-to-back promotions.

Consolidation in the second tier was the objective following promotion from the National, an amateur division, the previous summer.

“If, as an objective, you set an obligation to go up, it is the best way to not go quickly and to not reach that objective,” says Gomez.

But Oliveira is clear on the club’s direction of travel: “I would say that our goal in seven years is to consolidate [a place in] Ligue 1, to be one of the top 10 academies in France and to have a brand that is recognisable in global football.”

To grow the “branding and sponsorship” Oliveira has been influenced by Italian side Como, who he considers the benchmark in this domain.

Inspiration, however, will not be drawn from clubs such as Chelsea.

Le Mans have now entered into a multi-club (MCO) model with Coritiba. And while, currently, OutField has no plans to acquire further clubs, such organisations are perceived with scepticism in France.

The anti-BlueCo protests at Strasbourg are a case in point, while, to a lesser degree, there has been opposition to Black Knight Football Club’s (BKFC) full takeover at Lorient earlier this season – Bill Foley’s consortium also owns Bournemouth.

“We don’t like to see ourselves at OutField as the traditional MCO structure. [At BlueCo] you can clearly see that there’s a pyramid and everyone involved is working towards the club on top,” says Oliveira.

“It is the same with City [Group] and with Red Bull. We don’t want to be that and that’s why we’re establishing this horizontal model.”

Gomez speaks about “preserving the club’s identity”, adding: “The investor’s first objective is to understand the club that he invests in, to understand its identity, to remain close to local actors, be it business, supporters, the wider public.”

Growing that fanbase is also on the lengthy list of objectives. In the wider region, there are Rennes, Nantes, Angers, Lorient and Brest to compete with.

Such competition provides sporting challenges – notably regarding youth talent acquisition – and also potentially limits the scope for growing the support.

But the aim is to make Le Mans known for something beyond its 24-hour race, all while harnessing that rich motorsport heritage.

Massa and Magnussen, it is hoped, will help “build a narrative” around the club, whose ground sits in the middle of the famous circuit; it is a sellable one, but to be successful, it must be substantive, too.

In a town famous for its endurance race, Le Mans’ new owners are looking to build a project that will last.

It wasn’t just that young Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski dominated the New York Yankees on Friday night in his team’s 6-0 win. It was how he dominated one of the best offenses in Major League Baseball.

The 24-year-old “Miz” is already famous for his big fastball. Coming into Friday’s series opener in Milwaukee, his four-seamer was averaging 99.3 mph, which put him in the 99th percentile among all MLB pitchers. Against the Yankees, though, he found another gear — a gear previously not known to exist. 

Misiorowski announced himself to the Yankees with one of the most overwhelming first innings ever glimpsed:

That’s not velocity we’re used to seeing from pretty much anyone not named Mason Miller or, in the recent past, Jordan Hicks. Misiorowski, though, is a starting pitcher, and on average, they don’t throw as hard as those short-burst relievers. The Miz, though, acknowledges no such standards. Regard:

The above should be restated for emphasis. The six fastest pitches thrown by starters in the era of velocity measurement were all thrown by Misiorowski on Friday night against the Yankees. Because of the undeniable historical velocity trends in the sport, it’s no great leap to say Misiorowski on May 8 threw the fastest pitches ever to depart the fingers of a starting pitcher. 

In all, the 62 fastest pitches thrown in this game belonged to Misiorowski. The 57 fastballs he threw to the Yankees averaged 101.1 mph. His 94th and penultimate pitch of the night checked in at 102.7 mph

Against that mighty fastball, the Yankees whiffed 11 times and watched another 13 land for called strikes. That all set up Misiorowski’s gem of a night: 

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Of his 95 pitches, 66 went for strikes, and he earned 16 whiffs on 46 swings. With the sparkling effort, Misirowski lowered his ERA for the season to 2.45 with 70 strikeouts and 17 walks in 44 innings. 

The win pushed Misirowski’s Brewers to 20-16 on the season, and they’ve won seven of their last 10. While Milwaukee is presently in playoff position, they have definite designs on catching the Chicago Cubs and winning the National League Central title for a fourth straight year. 

Given the offseason trade of Freddy Peralta and the shoulder woes of Brandon Woodruff, the Brewers needed ace results from Misiorowski in his second MLB season. So far, he’s given them just that, and Friday night’s legendary performance against the Yankees suggests he still hasn’t reached his ceiling. 

Adamson ace Shaina Nitura is officially named UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball MVP at Mall of Asia Arena before Game 2 of the UAAP Finals between the La Salle Lady Spikers and NU Lady Bulldogs.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — As if there’s any doubt about Adamson being a force to reckon with in the coming seasons, Shaina Nitura and Fhei Sagaysay winning the MVP and Best Setter, respectively, was a testament to the Lady Falcons’ bright future.

“I’m grateful that God gave this to me. Of course, I’m happy and thankful, but this isn’t where my career—or our journey—stops. We’re still focused on pushing for the Finals,” said Nitura in Filipino.

READ: UAAP: Adamson star Shaina Nitura set to be named Season 88 MVP

MVP Shaina Nitura and Best Setter Fhei Sagaysay talk about their individual success and Adamson’s return to the semis this #UAAPSeason88 @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/6FCN5pK8R7

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) May 9, 2026

“Actually, this just proves that we’re capable of reaching the Finals because we have Fhei and a lot of other players who can continue leading the team in the coming seasons,” she added.

Nitura, who had a record-breaking rookie season last year, became Adamson’s first-ever UAAP women’s volleyball MVP with 98.511 statistical points (SP), while also leading  Adamson to its first semifinal appearance since Season 85.

The Lady Falcons actually clinched the third seed, but got swept by a more experienced University of Santo Tomas side in the stepladder semis.

The 21-year-old Best Outside Hitter, who also received special awards worth Php 100,000, expressed gratitude to her school for her and Sagaysay’s individual honors.

READ: UAAP: Shaina Nitura leads but team effort books Adamson’ Final Four return

UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball Best Setter Fhei Sagaysay of the Adamson Lady Falcons during the awarding ceremony.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“I’m very honored to give back the trust, positivity, and support that Adamson gave me, us, and the whole team. They gave us more than just financial support, a dorm, or education—they taught us to play with heart and to fight for Adamson and the Adamson community. It’s bigger than whatever we have now,” said Nitura.

“I think a big factor is the relationship and environment we create for the players, especially within the team. We know how hard it is to grow in a negative environment. Sooner or later, we’ll be seniors, so one thing we really focus on is making sure the younger players feel valued. It’s not just the coaching staff’s job—we, as players, captains, and leaders, also want to provide a positive but still competitive environment,” she added.

The Alas Pilipinas star tallied 284 points on 248 attacks, 24 blocks, and 12 aces, while ranking third in spiking efficiency at 38.15% and seventh in service aces with an average of 0.26 per set.

On the defensive end, Nitura finished fourth in receptions with a 44.48% efficiency and eighth in digs with 2.11 excellent digs per set. and also topped her position with 303 ranking points.

Ravichandran Ashwin picks his top 4 for IPL 2026 Playoffs (Image: ANI)

Ravichandran Ashwin has shared his IPL 2026 playoff predictions and laid out the difficult qualification path facing Chennai Super Kings after another dramatic shift in the points table following Kolkata Knight Riders’ emphatic win over Delhi Capitals.KKR kept their playoff hopes alive with a dominant victory while chasing 143. Despite early wickets, Finn Allen and Cameron Green steadied the innings brilliantly, with Allen smashing his maiden IPL century to guide Kolkata to a comfortable win. The result tightened an already congested playoff race. At the top of the table, Sunrisers Hyderabad continue to lead with 14 points from 11 matches, while Punjab Kings sit second with 13 points from 10 games. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals occupy the third and fourth spots respectively with 12 points each. Gujarat Titans also remain firmly in contention with 12 points, though their negative net run rate could become a major concern later in the tournament. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings sit sixth with 10 points from 10 matches and still have work to do to stay alive in the race.