Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

23XI to enter third car at Nashville with Corey Heim

Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing will enter a third car in next month’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Nashville, Tenn., with Corey Heim behind the wheel in his first appearance for the team. It will be the fourth time 23XI has entered a third car. Travis Pastrana finished 11th at the 2023 Daytona 500, while Kamui Kobayashi had a pair of finishes in the back of the pack, including a 29th-place result in March at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

MLB roundup: Padres walk off, halt Dodgers’ win streak

Luis Arraez lined a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night as the San Diego Padres snapped the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers’ seven-game winning streak with a 2-1 decision. Luis Campusano started the inning with his and the team’s second hit of the game, a double into the left field corner off Michael Grove (1-2). After Ha-Seong Kim struck out, Arraez laced a first-pitch fastball into center field and pinch runner Tyler Wade easily beat the throw home. Robert Suarez (2-0) worked a 1-2-3 top of the ninth for the win.

Basketball-No more ‘business as usual’ for WNBA, as Clark and other rookies in spotlight

A star-studded draft class headlined by the record-smashing Caitlin Clark is set to rock the WNBA when the season tips off on Tuesday, amid unprecedented interest in the league. Surging ticket sales saw teams scrambling to move games into larger venues and the league days ago launched a charter flight program for players, pouring in a reported $50 million into the policy over the next two years.

Ex-Illinois star Terrence Shannon Jr. to stand trial for rape

Former Illinois star Terrence Shannon Jr. will stand trial for first-degree felony rape and felony sexual aggravated battery next month, a Kansas judge ruled Friday. The decision came at Shannon’s preliminary hearing in Douglas County, Kansas. Judge Sally Pokorny ruled there was probably cause for the case to go to trial.

Triathlon-Periault, Pearson clinch golds in Yokohama

France’s Leonie Periault won the second World Triathlon Championship Series gold of her career while American Morgan Pearson won his first in the men’s event in Yokohama on Saturday. Periault, 29, will join 22-year-old Emma Lombardi at their home Games after claiming a stunning victory with a winning time of 01:52:28. She finished 36 seconds clear of the U.S.’s Taylor Knibb in second place and 40 seconds ahead of Lombardi, who took bronze.

MLB roundup: Pirates power past Cubs in Paul Skenes’ debut

Paul Skenes struck out seven over four-plus innings in his highly anticipated major league debut and the Pittsburgh Pirates hit five home runs in a 10-9 victory over the visiting Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Skenes threw 17 pitches of 100 mph or more and gave up three runs on six hits and two walks while throwing 84 pitches in all. He was staked to a 6-1 lead before Chicago drew six bases-loaded walks off three Pirates relievers during a wild fifth inning that was interrupted by a rain delay of over two hours.

Broncos first-round QB Bo Nix signs rookie contract

Denver Broncos first-round draft pick Bo Nix signed his four-year rookie contract. The team announced the signing but not the terms for the quarterback, who was selected with the 12th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Multiple reports said the fully guaranteed deal is worth $18.6 million with a signing bonus of $10.36 million and includes the standard team option for a fifth season.

Tennis-Nadal unclear on French Open participation after Rome exit

Rafa Nadal said he was still in two minds about whether he will play in the French Open starting this month after he was eliminated from the Italian Open in straight sets by seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz on Saturday. Poland’s Hurkacz beat Nadal 6-1 6-3 in the second round to end the Spaniard’s run at the tournament he has won a record 10 times, his last title coming in 2021.

Suns hire Mike Budenholzer as head coach

The Phoenix Suns named Mike Budenholzer as their next head coach on Saturday morning. Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Suns, however The Athletic reported that it was a five-year contract worth over $50 million.

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