KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kyle Larson beat Chris Buescher to the line at Kansas Speedway on Sunday in the closest finish in NASCAR history. The official winning margin for the Cup Series race Sunday was a thousandth of a second. A caution flag forced a green-white-checkered finish, and Larson pulled behind Buescher on the backstretch of the final lap, then came around him through the final corner. The two cars banged doors as they headed for the stripe. Martin Truex Jr. finished fourth and Denny Hamlin, who had the lead on the final restart, faded back to fifth. The win was Larson's second of the season.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jonah Heim hit a tying solo home run in the ninth inning and Nathaniel Lowe had a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th, leading the Texas Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals. With one out in the 10th, Corey Seager singled off James McArthur to put runners on first and third. Lowe followed with his third RBI of the series to score Leody Tavares. David Robertson pitched a scoreless 10th that included an intentional walk to Bobby Witt Jr. with two outs to seal the win for the Rangers with his first save of the season. Kirby Yates earned the win by tossing two scoreless innings of relief.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Eloy Jimenez homered and Garrett Crochet tossed six effective innings to help the Chicago White Sox to a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Chicago had lost 14 of its first 16 road games this season, Paul DeJong added a run-scoring double for the White Sox, who won their first road series of the season. DeJong spent seven seasons in St. Louis from 2017-2023. Willson Contreras homered for St. Louis, which has lost four of five. Jimenez hit his fourth of the season off reliever Giovanny Gallegos (2-1) to snap a 1-1 tie leading off the seventh inning. The drive kick-started a four-run outburst.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The NCAA and major college conferences are considering a possible settlement of an antitrust lawsuit that could cost them billions in damages and force schools to share athletics-related revenue with their athletes. But even if college sports leaders create a new, more professional model for collegiate athletics they likely would need help from Congress if athletes are not classified as employees. Two people familiar with settlement discussions related to House vs. the NCAA told AP the association could pay out $2.9 billion in damages over 10 years to resolve the class-action case.
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Former Oregon State and Nebraska coach Mike Riley has been named to the College Football Playoff selection committee. Riley will replace Pat Chun, who stepped down when he became athletic director at Washington in March. Riley coached 48 years at the college and pro levels. He was head coach at Oregon State (1997-98 and 2003-14) and Nebraska (2015-17). He also has coached in five different pro leagues, including in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers (1999-2001). Most recently he was coach of the USFL’s New Jersey Generals (2022-23).
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 39 points, Caris LeVert added 15 and the Cleveland Cavaliers avoided a potentially franchise-shifting loss by rallying for a 106-94 win over the Orlando Magic in Game 7. The Cavs will play Boston in the next round. Cleveland trailed by 18 in the first half and was in danger of being knocked out in the first round for the second year in a row. But Mitchell, who scored 50 in a Game 6 loss, put the Cavs on his back. Evan Mobley grabbed 16 rebounds as Cleveland won its first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993. Paolo Banchero scored 38 and added 16 rebounds to lead the Magic, who grew up in the series but couldn’t figure out how to win in Cleveland as both teams held serve on their floors.
NEW YORK (AP) — Back when the New York Knicks would annually march on in the playoffs, they’d almost always run into the Indiana Pacers. With the teams set to renew their playoff rivalry Monday in the Eastern Conference semifinals, it’s easy to think back to those rough and rugged tussles in the 1990s. But while the matchup may be old school, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are bracing for an opponent who plays a new-age style. Tyrese Haliburton runs the NBA’s highest-scoring offense, with the Pacers scoring 123.3 points per game in the regular season.
DALLAS (AP) — Radek Faksa broke a tie in his return to the Dallas lineup, 20-year-old Wyatt Johnston scored in another Game 7 and the Stars beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 on Sunday night to wrap up the first-round series. After being out with an undisclosed injury since leaving the bench late in Game 2, Faksa scored 44 seconds into the third period with a backhander from the circle to the left of goalie Adin Hill. Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger made 21 saves. Brett Howden scored for Vegas. The Stars, the No. 1 seed in the West, move on to play well-rested Colorado in the second round. Game 1 is Tuesday night in Dallas.
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — There are no shortage of storylines for this Florida-Boston rematch. There’s the Panthers, trying to move another step closer toward a return to the Stanley Cup Final. There’s the Bruins, looking to avenge a shocking upset in a Round 1 series last season. The rested Panthers having just gotten a few days off, the razor-sharp Bruins rolling in after a Game 7 overtime win over Toronto. A second-round series between the Panthers and Bruins starts Monday night in South Florida, the two best teams in the Atlantic Division squaring off with a trip to the NHL’s final four on the line.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown could be absent of 150th Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and other contenders who contributed to the thrilling three-wide photo finish. Mystik Dan trainer Kenny McPeek and ownership were non-committal about sending the colt to Baltimore for the Preakness on May 18 and instead might opt for the relocated Belmont Stakes in June at Saratoga. The Preakness still could feature quality, rested horses, including some by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert as he seeks a follow-up to National Treasure's win last year.
McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Taylor Pendrith took advantage of Ben Kohles’ final-hole meltdown to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title. Kohles overtook Pendrith with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a one-shot lead, then bogeyed the 18th after hitting his second shot into greenside rough. After having to chip twice from the rough and already looking stunned, Kohles missed a 6-foot putt that would have forced a playoff. Pendrith two-putted for birdie on the 18th, holing a 3-footer for a 4-under 67 and 23-under 261 total at the TPC Craig Ranch. The 32-year-old Canadian won in his 74th career PGA Tour start. Playing just north of his birthplace of Dallas, Kohles shot 66 to finish a stroke back. He’s winless on the tour.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Lando Norris needed 110 starts and a mistake by Max Verstappen to earn his first ever Formula 1 race and end Verstappen’s dominance at the Miami Grand Prix. Verstappen started from the pole and was out front when he hit a chicane and knocked a cone out of place on the circuit. It forced the three-time reigning F1 champion to pit and gave Norris the lead. The 24-year-old driver for McLaren then controlled the race to give the organization its first win since a Daniel Ricciardo victory in 2021. It also made him the second British driver in F1 history to be feted on the podium by “God Save the King.”
SUNDAY SCORES
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Final Washington 11 Toronto 8
Final Chicago White Sox 5 St. Louis 1
Final Tampa Bay 7 N.Y. Mets 6
Final Baltimore 11 Cincinnati 1
Final Miami 12 Oakland 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Cleveland 4 L.A. Angels 1
Final N.Y. Yankees 5 Detroit 2
Final Texas 3 Kansas City 2
Final Boston 9 Minnesota 2
Final Seattle 5 Houston 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 5 Colorado 3
Final Chicago Cubs 5 Milwaukee 0
Final L.A. Dodgers 5 Atlanta 1
Final Arizona 11 San Diego 4
Final Philadelphia 5 San Francisco 4
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Cleveland 106 Orlando 94
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final N-Y Rangers 4 Carolina 3