Deadspin | Padres’ winning streak at 8 after sweep of Mariners Apr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates after hitting a two run RBI single during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Fernando Tatis Jr. knocked in two runs Thursday and Walker Buehler pitched into the sixth inning for his first win with the San Diego Padres as they stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 5-2 verdict over the visiting Seattle Mariners. Buehler (1-1) took a 4-0 lead into the sixth before Seattle reached him for three straight hits, the last an RBI single by Cal Raleigh. But he limited the Mariners to two runs on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. Four relievers took care of things from there with closer Mason Miller logging his sixth save by striking out the side in the ninth. That enabled San Diego to sweep the three-game series and finish the homestand with a 7-0 record. Luis Castillo (0-1) absorbed the loss after giving up seven hits and four runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and fanned three. Castillo’s trouble all came in the second, when he allowed four hits and did some damage to himself. His low throw to first on Jake Cronenworth’s comebacker gave the Padres a fourth out, and as they’ve done during their winning streak, they capitalized. Luis Campusano knocked in the first run with an RBI single and Ramon Laureano made it 2-0 with a groundout to first. Tatis followed by lacing a two-run single to left-center, giving San Diego all the offense it needed. Seattle had its chance to change the game’s arc in the sixth. After chasing Buehler, it got within 4-2 when Julio Rodriguez greeted reliever Bradgley Rodriguez with an RBI single. But Adrian Morejon rode in from the bullpen when the Mariners filled the bases with one out and quashed the threat with a strikeout of pinch hitter Connor Joe and a groundout. The Padres tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Manny Machado blooped a single over a drawn-in infield to score Tatis. Machado and Miguel Andujar each collected two of San Diego’s 10 hits. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Padres #winning #streak #sweep #Mariners

Deadspin | Padres’ winning streak at 8 after sweep of Mariners
Deadspin | Padres’ winning streak at 8 after sweep of Mariners Apr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates after hitting a two run RBI single during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Fernando Tatis Jr. knocked in two runs Thursday and Walker Buehler pitched into the sixth inning for his first win with the San Diego Padres as they stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 5-2 verdict over the visiting Seattle Mariners. Buehler (1-1) took a 4-0 lead into the sixth before Seattle reached him for three straight hits, the last an RBI single by Cal Raleigh. But he limited the Mariners to two runs on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. Four relievers took care of things from there with closer Mason Miller logging his sixth save by striking out the side in the ninth. That enabled San Diego to sweep the three-game series and finish the homestand with a 7-0 record. Luis Castillo (0-1) absorbed the loss after giving up seven hits and four runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and fanned three. Castillo’s trouble all came in the second, when he allowed four hits and did some damage to himself. His low throw to first on Jake Cronenworth’s comebacker gave the Padres a fourth out, and as they’ve done during their winning streak, they capitalized. Luis Campusano knocked in the first run with an RBI single and Ramon Laureano made it 2-0 with a groundout to first. Tatis followed by lacing a two-run single to left-center, giving San Diego all the offense it needed. Seattle had its chance to change the game’s arc in the sixth. After chasing Buehler, it got within 4-2 when Julio Rodriguez greeted reliever Bradgley Rodriguez with an RBI single. But Adrian Morejon rode in from the bullpen when the Mariners filled the bases with one out and quashed the threat with a strikeout of pinch hitter Connor Joe and a groundout. The Padres tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Manny Machado blooped a single over a drawn-in infield to score Tatis. Machado and Miguel Andujar each collected two of San Diego’s 10 hits. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Padres #winning #streak #sweep #MarinersApr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates after hitting a two run RBI single during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images

Fernando Tatis Jr. knocked in two runs Thursday and Walker Buehler pitched into the sixth inning for his first win with the San Diego Padres as they stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 5-2 verdict over the visiting Seattle Mariners.

Buehler (1-1) took a 4-0 lead into the sixth before Seattle reached him for three straight hits, the last an RBI single by Cal Raleigh. But he limited the Mariners to two runs on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.

Four relievers took care of things from there with closer Mason Miller logging his sixth save by striking out the side in the ninth. That enabled San Diego to sweep the three-game series and finish the homestand with a 7-0 record.

Luis Castillo (0-1) absorbed the loss after giving up seven hits and four runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and fanned three.


Castillo’s trouble all came in the second, when he allowed four hits and did some damage to himself. His low throw to first on Jake Cronenworth’s comebacker gave the Padres a fourth out, and as they’ve done during their winning streak, they capitalized.

Luis Campusano knocked in the first run with an RBI single and Ramon Laureano made it 2-0 with a groundout to first. Tatis followed by lacing a two-run single to left-center, giving San Diego all the offense it needed.

Seattle had its chance to change the game’s arc in the sixth. After chasing Buehler, it got within 4-2 when Julio Rodriguez greeted reliever Bradgley Rodriguez with an RBI single. But Adrian Morejon rode in from the bullpen when the Mariners filled the bases with one out and quashed the threat with a strikeout of pinch hitter Connor Joe and a groundout.

The Padres tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Manny Machado blooped a single over a drawn-in infield to score Tatis.

Machado and Miguel Andujar each collected two of San Diego’s 10 hits.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Padres #winning #streak #sweep #Mariners

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Apr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates after hitting a two run RBI single during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images

Fernando Tatis Jr. knocked in two runs Thursday and Walker Buehler pitched into the sixth inning for his first win with the San Diego Padres as they stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 5-2 verdict over the visiting Seattle Mariners.

Buehler (1-1) took a 4-0 lead into the sixth before Seattle reached him for three straight hits, the last an RBI single by Cal Raleigh. But he limited the Mariners to two runs on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.

Four relievers took care of things from there with closer Mason Miller logging his sixth save by striking out the side in the ninth. That enabled San Diego to sweep the three-game series and finish the homestand with a 7-0 record.

Luis Castillo (0-1) absorbed the loss after giving up seven hits and four runs (one earned) over 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and fanned three.

Castillo’s trouble all came in the second, when he allowed four hits and did some damage to himself. His low throw to first on Jake Cronenworth’s comebacker gave the Padres a fourth out, and as they’ve done during their winning streak, they capitalized.

Luis Campusano knocked in the first run with an RBI single and Ramon Laureano made it 2-0 with a groundout to first. Tatis followed by lacing a two-run single to left-center, giving San Diego all the offense it needed.

Seattle had its chance to change the game’s arc in the sixth. After chasing Buehler, it got within 4-2 when Julio Rodriguez greeted reliever Bradgley Rodriguez with an RBI single. But Adrian Morejon rode in from the bullpen when the Mariners filled the bases with one out and quashed the threat with a strikeout of pinch hitter Connor Joe and a groundout.

The Padres tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Manny Machado blooped a single over a drawn-in infield to score Tatis.

Machado and Miguel Andujar each collected two of San Diego’s 10 hits.

–Field Level Media

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Deadspin | Taylor Gray fends off Sheldon Creed, wins eventful race in Kansas Apr 18, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Taylor Gray (54) poses with his team after winning the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The early bird got the victory on Saturday night. The first of the frontrunners to pit during the final 95-lap green-flag run in the Kansas Lottery 300, Taylor Gray grabbed the lead during the cycle and held off charging Sheldon Creed to score the second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of his career. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who won at Kansas with driver David Green in 2003, called Gray into the pits on Lap 143 of 200. Creed and Brandon Jones, running first and second on Lap 146, emerged from pit road after stops on Lap 147 roughly three seconds behind Gray. Jones, winner of the first two stages, had to serve a pass-through penalty for a tire violation during his stop and lost the chance to win. But Creed, with Justin Allgaier behind him in third, began a methodical pursuit of Gray that ultimately came up 0.718 seconds short. “How about Jason Ratcliff?” Gray exclaimed after climbing from his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “That pit call was awesome. We had a car capable of winning. I thought the 20 (Jones) was a little better than us before the green-flag cycle started, but we just had to stay locked in, and we had to be a little bit freer. “Jason made a really good adjustment on the car and a really good pit call and got us in clean air. It’s been a long start to the year, man — not that we’re not bringing speed to the race track. It’s just that things haven’t really gone our way. So it’s nice to finally be able to close one out.” Gray gained three positions to ninth in the series standings. As it turned out, Creed also had plenty of reasons to celebrate. By finishing first among four eligible drivers, he earned a 0,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the first time in his career. It was Creed’s fifth attempt to win the Dash 4 Cash prize money. “It was a great day for us after starting in the back,” said Creed who dropped to the rear of the field at the beginning of the race after his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet failed pre-race inspection. “I kind of knew right away my car was really fast, and I was able to drive to the front, and I just had a lot of fun today… “It’s just really cool to be able to bring a hundred grand back to the Haas Factory Team. I definitely wanted to win and add to it, but the 54 (Gray) did a really good job short-pitting us. He ran a really good last 40 laps there and got through traffic quick and made it where I never really got close enough.” Allgaier came home third, followed by defending series champion Jesse Love and Brent Crews. William Byron, Cole Custer, Jones, Sam Mayer and Ryan Sieg completed the top 10 in a race that featured 11 lead changes among eight drivers. Allgaier finished third in both stages and added one point to his series lead over second-place Creed. The margin is now 131 points. Long before Gray took the checkered flag, there was plenty of action in the first stage. The race wasn’t two laps old when an accident on the backstretch launched the No.1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Carson Kvapil into the air and sent it flipping down the backstretch. Contact from Byron’s Chevy turned Kvapil’s car sideways near the front of the field. Parker Retzlaff piled into Kvapil’s car near the outside wall. The impact knocked the rear of Kvapil’s Camaro airborne, and the car proceeded to barrel-roll down the backstretch, coming to rest on its roof. With the use of tethers and a tow truck, safety workers righted the car, and Kvapil climbed out before a mandatory trip to the infield care center. “Maybe on dirt, I’ve flipped a few of them, but definitely never asphalt racing or a big stock car race,” Kvapil said after being evaluated and released from the care center. “It was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be, once I realized I was going over, but it just sucks.” On Lap 38, Jesse Love crowded Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill down toward the apron as the two raced side-by-side in Turn 4. Hill spun sideways, and as he fought to control his No. 21 Chevrolet, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of William Sawalich plowed into Hill’s car. “I’ll remember this,” Hill promised on his radio, referring to racing from his teammate he thought was unnecessarily close. Hill fell out of the race in 34th place. Corey Day saw his streak of eight straight top 10s end with a 12th-place finish after rallying from an accident on Lap 101 and subsequent flat tire. Gray, Creed, Allgaier and Love qualified for the third Dash 4 Cash race of the season, Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (4 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Kansas Lottery 300 Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas Saturday, April 18, 2026 1. (10) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 200. 2. (4) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200. 3. (3) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200. 4. (9) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 200. 5. (5) Brent Crews #, Toyota, 200. 6. (2) William Byron(i), Chevrolet, 200. 7. (36) Cole Custer(i), Chevrolet, 200. 8. (14) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 200. 9. (19) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200. 10. (12) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200. 11. (22) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 199. 12. (6) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 199. 13. (16) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 199. 14. (24) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 199. 15. (18) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 199. 16. (11) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 199. 17. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 199. 18. (27) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 198. 19. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 198. 20. (7) William Sawalich, Toyota, 198. 21. (13) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 198. 22. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 198. 23. (21) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 198. 24. (32) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 197. 25. (25) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 197. 26. (23) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 196. 27. (33) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 194. 28. (20) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 190. 29. (28) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Engine, 120. 30. (31) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 65. 31. (37) Blake Lothian, Chevrolet, Brakes, 62. 32. (35) Austin Green, Chevrolet, Engine, 61. 33. (34) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, Engine, 51. 34. (15) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 37. 35. (26) Luke Baldwin(i), Ford, Suspension, 4. 36. (8) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 2. 37. (1) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, Accident, 1. Average Speed of Race Winner: 116.946 mph. Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 33 Mins, 55 Secs. Margin of Victory: .718 Seconds. Caution Flags: 7 for 37 laps. Lead Changes: 11 among 8 drivers. Lap Leaders: C. Kvapil 0;C. Day 1-23;B. Jones 24-48;A. Alfredo 49-54;W. Byron(i) 55;B. Jones 56-70;J. Love 71;B. Jones 72-98;S. Creed 99-146;C. Day 147-149;R. Sieg 150-152;T. Gray 153-200. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Brandon Jones 3 times for 67 laps; Sheldon Creed 1 time for 48 laps; Taylor Gray 1 time for 48 laps; Corey Day 2 times for 26 laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 6 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 3 laps; Jesse Love 1 time for 1 lap; William Byron(i) 1 time for 1 lap. Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,17,7,2,96,54,00,19,27,88 Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,00,7,2,17,8,54,24,41,26 –By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media. #Deadspin #Taylor #Gray #fends #Sheldon #Creed #wins #eventful #race #KansasApr 18, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Taylor Gray (54) poses with his team after winning the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The early bird got the victory on Saturday night.

The first of the frontrunners to pit during the final 95-lap green-flag run in the Kansas Lottery 300, Taylor Gray grabbed the lead during the cycle and held off charging Sheldon Creed to score the second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of his career.

Crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who won at Kansas with driver David Green in 2003, called Gray into the pits on Lap 143 of 200. Creed and Brandon Jones, running first and second on Lap 146, emerged from pit road after stops on Lap 147 roughly three seconds behind Gray.

Jones, winner of the first two stages, had to serve a pass-through penalty for a tire violation during his stop and lost the chance to win. But Creed, with Justin Allgaier behind him in third, began a methodical pursuit of Gray that ultimately came up 0.718 seconds short.

“How about Jason Ratcliff?” Gray exclaimed after climbing from his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “That pit call was awesome. We had a car capable of winning. I thought the 20 (Jones) was a little better than us before the green-flag cycle started, but we just had to stay locked in, and we had to be a little bit freer.

“Jason made a really good adjustment on the car and a really good pit call and got us in clean air. It’s been a long start to the year, man — not that we’re not bringing speed to the race track. It’s just that things haven’t really gone our way. So it’s nice to finally be able to close one out.”

Gray gained three positions to ninth in the series standings.

As it turned out, Creed also had plenty of reasons to celebrate. By finishing first among four eligible drivers, he earned a $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the first time in his career. It was Creed’s fifth attempt to win the Dash 4 Cash prize money.

“It was a great day for us after starting in the back,” said Creed who dropped to the rear of the field at the beginning of the race after his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet failed pre-race inspection. “I kind of knew right away my car was really fast, and I was able to drive to the front, and I just had a lot of fun today…

“It’s just really cool to be able to bring a hundred grand back to the Haas Factory Team. I definitely wanted to win and add to it, but the 54 (Gray) did a really good job short-pitting us. He ran a really good last 40 laps there and got through traffic quick and made it where I never really got close enough.”

Allgaier came home third, followed by defending series champion Jesse Love and Brent Crews. William Byron, Cole Custer, Jones, Sam Mayer and Ryan Sieg completed the top 10 in a race that featured 11 lead changes among eight drivers.

Allgaier finished third in both stages and added one point to his series lead over second-place Creed. The margin is now 131 points.

Long before Gray took the checkered flag, there was plenty of action in the first stage.

The race wasn’t two laps old when an accident on the backstretch launched the No.1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Carson Kvapil into the air and sent it flipping down the backstretch.

Contact from Byron’s Chevy turned Kvapil’s car sideways near the front of the field. Parker Retzlaff piled into Kvapil’s car near the outside wall. The impact knocked the rear of Kvapil’s Camaro airborne, and the car proceeded to barrel-roll down the backstretch, coming to rest on its roof.

With the use of tethers and a tow truck, safety workers righted the car, and Kvapil climbed out before a mandatory trip to the infield care center.

“Maybe on dirt, I’ve flipped a few of them, but definitely never asphalt racing or a big stock car race,” Kvapil said after being evaluated and released from the care center. “It was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be, once I realized I was going over, but it just sucks.”

On Lap 38, Jesse Love crowded Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill down toward the apron as the two raced side-by-side in Turn 4. Hill spun sideways, and as he fought to control his No. 21 Chevrolet, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of William Sawalich plowed into Hill’s car.

“I’ll remember this,” Hill promised on his radio, referring to racing from his teammate he thought was unnecessarily close.

Hill fell out of the race in 34th place. Corey Day saw his streak of eight straight top 10s end with a 12th-place finish after rallying from an accident on Lap 101 and subsequent flat tire.

Gray, Creed, Allgaier and Love qualified for the third Dash 4 Cash race of the season, Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (4 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Kansas Lottery 300

Kansas Speedway

Kansas City, Kansas

Saturday, April 18, 2026

1. (10) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 200.

2. (4) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200.

3. (3) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200.

4. (9) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 200.

5. (5) Brent Crews #, Toyota, 200.

6. (2) William Byron(i), Chevrolet, 200.

7. (36) Cole Custer(i), Chevrolet, 200.

8. (14) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 200.

9. (19) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200.

10. (12) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200.


11. (22) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 199.

12. (6) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 199.

13. (16) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 199.

14. (24) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 199.

15. (18) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 199.

16. (11) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 199.

17. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 199.

18. (27) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 198.

19. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 198.

20. (7) William Sawalich, Toyota, 198.

21. (13) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 198.

22. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 198.

23. (21) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 198.

24. (32) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 197.

25. (25) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 197.

26. (23) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 196.

27. (33) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 194.

28. (20) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 190.

29. (28) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Engine, 120.

30. (31) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 65.

31. (37) Blake Lothian, Chevrolet, Brakes, 62.

32. (35) Austin Green, Chevrolet, Engine, 61.

33. (34) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, Engine, 51.

34. (15) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 37.

35. (26) Luke Baldwin(i), Ford, Suspension, 4.

36. (8) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 2.

37. (1) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, Accident, 1.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 116.946 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 33 Mins, 55 Secs. Margin of Victory: .718 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 7 for 37 laps.

Lead Changes: 11 among 8 drivers.

Lap Leaders: C. Kvapil 0;C. Day 1-23;B. Jones 24-48;A. Alfredo 49-54;W. Byron(i) 55;B. Jones 56-70;J. Love 71;B. Jones 72-98;S. Creed 99-146;C. Day 147-149;R. Sieg 150-152;T. Gray 153-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Brandon Jones 3 times for 67 laps; Sheldon Creed 1 time for 48 laps; Taylor Gray 1 time for 48 laps; Corey Day 2 times for 26 laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 6 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 3 laps; Jesse Love 1 time for 1 lap; William Byron(i) 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,17,7,2,96,54,00,19,27,88

Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,00,7,2,17,8,54,24,41,26

–By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media.

#Deadspin #Taylor #Gray #fends #Sheldon #Creed #wins #eventful #race #Kansas">Deadspin | Taylor Gray fends off Sheldon Creed, wins eventful race in Kansas Apr 18, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Taylor Gray (54) poses with his team after winning the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The early bird got the victory on Saturday night. The first of the frontrunners to pit during the final 95-lap green-flag run in the Kansas Lottery 300, Taylor Gray grabbed the lead during the cycle and held off charging Sheldon Creed to score the second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of his career. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff, who won at Kansas with driver David Green in 2003, called Gray into the pits on Lap 143 of 200. Creed and Brandon Jones, running first and second on Lap 146, emerged from pit road after stops on Lap 147 roughly three seconds behind Gray. Jones, winner of the first two stages, had to serve a pass-through penalty for a tire violation during his stop and lost the chance to win. But Creed, with Justin Allgaier behind him in third, began a methodical pursuit of Gray that ultimately came up 0.718 seconds short. “How about Jason Ratcliff?” Gray exclaimed after climbing from his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “That pit call was awesome. We had a car capable of winning. I thought the 20 (Jones) was a little better than us before the green-flag cycle started, but we just had to stay locked in, and we had to be a little bit freer. “Jason made a really good adjustment on the car and a really good pit call and got us in clean air. It’s been a long start to the year, man — not that we’re not bringing speed to the race track. It’s just that things haven’t really gone our way. So it’s nice to finally be able to close one out.” Gray gained three positions to ninth in the series standings. As it turned out, Creed also had plenty of reasons to celebrate. By finishing first among four eligible drivers, he earned a 0,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for the first time in his career. It was Creed’s fifth attempt to win the Dash 4 Cash prize money. “It was a great day for us after starting in the back,” said Creed who dropped to the rear of the field at the beginning of the race after his No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet failed pre-race inspection. “I kind of knew right away my car was really fast, and I was able to drive to the front, and I just had a lot of fun today… “It’s just really cool to be able to bring a hundred grand back to the Haas Factory Team. I definitely wanted to win and add to it, but the 54 (Gray) did a really good job short-pitting us. He ran a really good last 40 laps there and got through traffic quick and made it where I never really got close enough.” Allgaier came home third, followed by defending series champion Jesse Love and Brent Crews. William Byron, Cole Custer, Jones, Sam Mayer and Ryan Sieg completed the top 10 in a race that featured 11 lead changes among eight drivers. Allgaier finished third in both stages and added one point to his series lead over second-place Creed. The margin is now 131 points. Long before Gray took the checkered flag, there was plenty of action in the first stage. The race wasn’t two laps old when an accident on the backstretch launched the No.1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Carson Kvapil into the air and sent it flipping down the backstretch. Contact from Byron’s Chevy turned Kvapil’s car sideways near the front of the field. Parker Retzlaff piled into Kvapil’s car near the outside wall. The impact knocked the rear of Kvapil’s Camaro airborne, and the car proceeded to barrel-roll down the backstretch, coming to rest on its roof. With the use of tethers and a tow truck, safety workers righted the car, and Kvapil climbed out before a mandatory trip to the infield care center. “Maybe on dirt, I’ve flipped a few of them, but definitely never asphalt racing or a big stock car race,” Kvapil said after being evaluated and released from the care center. “It was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be, once I realized I was going over, but it just sucks.” On Lap 38, Jesse Love crowded Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill down toward the apron as the two raced side-by-side in Turn 4. Hill spun sideways, and as he fought to control his No. 21 Chevrolet, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of William Sawalich plowed into Hill’s car. “I’ll remember this,” Hill promised on his radio, referring to racing from his teammate he thought was unnecessarily close. Hill fell out of the race in 34th place. Corey Day saw his streak of eight straight top 10s end with a 12th-place finish after rallying from an accident on Lap 101 and subsequent flat tire. Gray, Creed, Allgaier and Love qualified for the third Dash 4 Cash race of the season, Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway (4 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Kansas Lottery 300 Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas Saturday, April 18, 2026 1. (10) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 200. 2. (4) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200. 3. (3) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200. 4. (9) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 200. 5. (5) Brent Crews #, Toyota, 200. 6. (2) William Byron(i), Chevrolet, 200. 7. (36) Cole Custer(i), Chevrolet, 200. 8. (14) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 200. 9. (19) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200. 10. (12) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200. 11. (22) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 199. 12. (6) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 199. 13. (16) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 199. 14. (24) Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 199. 15. (18) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 199. 16. (11) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 199. 17. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 199. 18. (27) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 198. 19. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 198. 20. (7) William Sawalich, Toyota, 198. 21. (13) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 198. 22. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 198. 23. (21) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 198. 24. (32) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 197. 25. (25) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 197. 26. (23) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 196. 27. (33) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 194. 28. (20) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 190. 29. (28) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Engine, 120. 30. (31) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 65. 31. (37) Blake Lothian, Chevrolet, Brakes, 62. 32. (35) Austin Green, Chevrolet, Engine, 61. 33. (34) Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, Engine, 51. 34. (15) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Accident, 37. 35. (26) Luke Baldwin(i), Ford, Suspension, 4. 36. (8) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 2. 37. (1) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, Accident, 1. Average Speed of Race Winner: 116.946 mph. Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 33 Mins, 55 Secs. Margin of Victory: .718 Seconds. Caution Flags: 7 for 37 laps. Lead Changes: 11 among 8 drivers. Lap Leaders: C. Kvapil 0;C. Day 1-23;B. Jones 24-48;A. Alfredo 49-54;W. Byron(i) 55;B. Jones 56-70;J. Love 71;B. Jones 72-98;S. Creed 99-146;C. Day 147-149;R. Sieg 150-152;T. Gray 153-200. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Brandon Jones 3 times for 67 laps; Sheldon Creed 1 time for 48 laps; Taylor Gray 1 time for 48 laps; Corey Day 2 times for 26 laps; Anthony Alfredo 1 time for 6 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 3 laps; Jesse Love 1 time for 1 lap; William Byron(i) 1 time for 1 lap. Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,17,7,2,96,54,00,19,27,88 Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,00,7,2,17,8,54,24,41,26 –By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media. #Deadspin #Taylor #Gray #fends #Sheldon #Creed #wins #eventful #race #Kansas

Manchester City faces Arsenal in a possible title-deciding Premier League 2025-26 fixture on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal leads the standings with 70 points from 32 matches, while City is a close second with 64 points from 31 matches.

Manchester City vs Arsenal head-to-head record

Matches played: 213

Manchester City wins: 64

Draws: 48

Arsenal wins: 101

Last meeting: Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 on March 22, 2026 in League Cup

Manchester City vs Arsenal head-to-head record in Premier League

Matches played: 57

Manchester City wins: 19

Draws: 13

Arsenal wins: 25

Last meeting: Manchester City drew with Arsenal 1-1 on September 21, 2025

Published on Apr 19, 2026

#Manchester #City #Arsenal #headtohead #record #stats #results #Premier #League #match">Manchester City vs Arsenal head-to-head record: Overall stats, results before Premier League match Manchester City faces Arsenal in a possible title-deciding Premier League 2025-26 fixture on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium.Arsenal leads the standings with 70 points from 32 matches, while City is a close second with 64 points from 31 matches.Manchester City vs Arsenal head-to-head record Matches played: 213 Manchester City wins: 64 Draws: 48 Arsenal wins: 101 Last meeting: Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 on March 22, 2026 in League Cup Manchester City vs Arsenal head-to-head record in Premier League Matches played: 57 Manchester City wins: 19 Draws: 13 Arsenal wins: 25 Last meeting: Manchester City drew with Arsenal 1-1 on September 21, 2025 Published on Apr 19, 2026 #Manchester #City #Arsenal #headtohead #record #stats #results #Premier #League #match

Deadspin | NBA roundup: Luke Kennard’s 27 sparks Lakers past Rockets in Game 1 Apr 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) dribbles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Luke Kennard scored 27 points and LeBron James added 19 points with 13 assists as the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers earned a 107-98 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets on Saturday in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series. Deandre Ayton scored 19 points with 11 rebounds and Marcus Smart added 15 points with eight assists as the fourth-seeded Lakers won with leading scorers Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) watching from the bench. In just his seventh start since joining the Lakers from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, Kennard went 9 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 5 from 3-point range while delivering a season high in points to fill the scoring void at guard. Alperen Sengun scored 19 points while Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard each added 17 for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who were playing without leading scorer Kevin Durant (knee). Jabari Smith Jr. scored 16 points with 12 rebounds and Tari Eason also had 16 points for Houston, which has lost three consecutive road games to Los Angeles since the middle of March. Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105 Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, Jamal Murray scored a game-high 30 points and host Denver beat Minnesota to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series. Murray was perfect from the line, hitting a career-high 16 free throws. Aaron Gordon finished with 17 points, nearly half of which came during the Nuggets’ 14-0 third-quarter run which broke a deadlock and put them in control of the game after a slow start. Anthony Edwards, who was questionable after missing 11 of the Timberwolves’ final 14 regular-season games with right knee issues, led Minnesota with 22 points. Rudy Gobert produced 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter. Knicks 113, Hawks 102 Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start the decisive third-quarter run for host New York, which pulled away for a win over Atlanta in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Jalen Brunson scored 19 of his game-high 28 points in the first quarter for the third-seeded Knicks, who reached the Eastern Conference finals last year for the first time since 2000. Towns finished with 25 points and was 10 of 10 from the free throw line while Anunoby collected 18 points. CJ McCollum scored 26 points for the Hawks, who earned the sixth seed in their first trip to the playoffs since 2023. Jalen Johnson had 23 points while Onyeka Okongwu (19) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17) each scored in double figures. Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113 Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points and James Harden added 22 points and 10 assists, powering Cleveland to a victory over visiting Toronto in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Max Strus had 24 points off the bench and Evan Mobley scored 17 for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who have won 11 straight playoff games over the Raptors. Game 2 is Monday in Cleveland, where Toronto is 0-8 all-time in the postseason. RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes contributed 21 points and seven assists for the fifth-seeded Raptors. Brandon Ingram added 17 points and Jamal Shead had 17 points in his playoff debut, starting for injured guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain). –Field Level Media #Deadspin #NBA #roundup #Luke #Kennards #sparks #Lakers #Rockets #GameApr 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) dribbles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Luke Kennard scored 27 points and LeBron James added 19 points with 13 assists as the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers earned a 107-98 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets on Saturday in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Deandre Ayton scored 19 points with 11 rebounds and Marcus Smart added 15 points with eight assists as the fourth-seeded Lakers won with leading scorers Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) watching from the bench.

In just his seventh start since joining the Lakers from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, Kennard went 9 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 5 from 3-point range while delivering a season high in points to fill the scoring void at guard.

Alperen Sengun scored 19 points while Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard each added 17 for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who were playing without leading scorer Kevin Durant (knee).

Jabari Smith Jr. scored 16 points with 12 rebounds and Tari Eason also had 16 points for Houston, which has lost three consecutive road games to Los Angeles since the middle of March.

Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105

Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, Jamal Murray scored a game-high 30 points and host Denver beat Minnesota to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Murray was perfect from the line, hitting a career-high 16 free throws. Aaron Gordon finished with 17 points, nearly half of which came during the Nuggets’ 14-0 third-quarter run which broke a deadlock and put them in control of the game after a slow start.


Anthony Edwards, who was questionable after missing 11 of the Timberwolves’ final 14 regular-season games with right knee issues, led Minnesota with 22 points. Rudy Gobert produced 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter.

Knicks 113, Hawks 102

Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start the decisive third-quarter run for host New York, which pulled away for a win over Atlanta in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Jalen Brunson scored 19 of his game-high 28 points in the first quarter for the third-seeded Knicks, who reached the Eastern Conference finals last year for the first time since 2000. Towns finished with 25 points and was 10 of 10 from the free throw line while Anunoby collected 18 points.

CJ McCollum scored 26 points for the Hawks, who earned the sixth seed in their first trip to the playoffs since 2023. Jalen Johnson had 23 points while Onyeka Okongwu (19) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17) each scored in double figures.

Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113

Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points and James Harden added 22 points and 10 assists, powering Cleveland to a victory over visiting Toronto in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Max Strus had 24 points off the bench and Evan Mobley scored 17 for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who have won 11 straight playoff games over the Raptors. Game 2 is Monday in Cleveland, where Toronto is 0-8 all-time in the postseason.

RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes contributed 21 points and seven assists for the fifth-seeded Raptors. Brandon Ingram added 17 points and Jamal Shead had 17 points in his playoff debut, starting for injured guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain).


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #NBA #roundup #Luke #Kennards #sparks #Lakers #Rockets #Game">Deadspin | NBA roundup: Luke Kennard’s 27 sparks Lakers past Rockets in Game 1 Apr 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) dribbles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Luke Kennard scored 27 points and LeBron James added 19 points with 13 assists as the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers earned a 107-98 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets on Saturday in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series. Deandre Ayton scored 19 points with 11 rebounds and Marcus Smart added 15 points with eight assists as the fourth-seeded Lakers won with leading scorers Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) watching from the bench. In just his seventh start since joining the Lakers from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, Kennard went 9 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 5 from 3-point range while delivering a season high in points to fill the scoring void at guard. Alperen Sengun scored 19 points while Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard each added 17 for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who were playing without leading scorer Kevin Durant (knee). Jabari Smith Jr. scored 16 points with 12 rebounds and Tari Eason also had 16 points for Houston, which has lost three consecutive road games to Los Angeles since the middle of March. Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105 Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, Jamal Murray scored a game-high 30 points and host Denver beat Minnesota to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series. Murray was perfect from the line, hitting a career-high 16 free throws. Aaron Gordon finished with 17 points, nearly half of which came during the Nuggets’ 14-0 third-quarter run which broke a deadlock and put them in control of the game after a slow start. Anthony Edwards, who was questionable after missing 11 of the Timberwolves’ final 14 regular-season games with right knee issues, led Minnesota with 22 points. Rudy Gobert produced 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who led by as many as 12 points in the first quarter. Knicks 113, Hawks 102 Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start the decisive third-quarter run for host New York, which pulled away for a win over Atlanta in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Jalen Brunson scored 19 of his game-high 28 points in the first quarter for the third-seeded Knicks, who reached the Eastern Conference finals last year for the first time since 2000. Towns finished with 25 points and was 10 of 10 from the free throw line while Anunoby collected 18 points. CJ McCollum scored 26 points for the Hawks, who earned the sixth seed in their first trip to the playoffs since 2023. Jalen Johnson had 23 points while Onyeka Okongwu (19) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17) each scored in double figures. Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113 Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points and James Harden added 22 points and 10 assists, powering Cleveland to a victory over visiting Toronto in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Max Strus had 24 points off the bench and Evan Mobley scored 17 for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who have won 11 straight playoff games over the Raptors. Game 2 is Monday in Cleveland, where Toronto is 0-8 all-time in the postseason. RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes contributed 21 points and seven assists for the fifth-seeded Raptors. Brandon Ingram added 17 points and Jamal Shead had 17 points in his playoff debut, starting for injured guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain). –Field Level Media #Deadspin #NBA #roundup #Luke #Kennards #sparks #Lakers #Rockets #Game

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