The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying Busch died after being hospitalized. No cause of death was given.

Busch’s family said earlier Thursday that he was hospitalized with a “severe illness,” three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch was the younger brother of Kurt Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer.

“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” the statement said. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.

The statement went on to say that “throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series. His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.'”

The news comes 11 days after Busch radioed into his crew near the end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen asking a doctor to give him a “shot” after he finished the race. According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.

Busch finished the race in eighth place.

Busch competed at Dover last weekend and won the Trucks Series race for Richard Childress Racing. He finished 17th at the NASCAR All-Star race.

“Absolute shock. Very hard to process,” veteran NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski posted on social media.

NASCAR driver and former teammate Denny Hamlin posted on social media: “Absolutely cannot comprehend this news. We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB.”

A polarizing figure known as “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” for his post-race fights, regular feuds with other drivers and sometimes outlandish behavior, the multi-talented Busch stormed on the Cup Series scene in 2005 by winning Rookie of the Year.

He went on to win championships in 2015 and 2019 for Joe Gibbs Racing.

From Las Vegas, Busch experienced unrivaled success across NASCAR’s three national series winning a combined 234 Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Trucks Series races. He had 63 Cup victories along with 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 69 Trucks victories — both records.

Kyle Busch was viewed as a racing prodigy.

He was said to be ready to race at NASCAR’s top level at 16, but a cigarette settlement banned his debut and he had to wait until he was a 18. At the time Kurt Busch said “if you think I’m good, wait until you see my brother.”

Busch was fired early in his career by Hendrick Motorsports to make room on the team for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

He moved on to Joe Gibbs Racing where he experienced the vast majority of career success. But Busch was let go when there was no sponsor after the 2022 season and joined RCR, where had struggled to win races.

His lack of success led to a recent spat with former JGR teammate Denny Hamlin, who appeared to criticize Busch on the Actions Detrimental podcast. Hamlin said, “If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to Victory Lane on a regular basis, you are kidding yourselves.”

While Hamlin later said he meant no harm by the comments and was just making an observation, Busch took exception and said he could make Hamlin’s life “hell” on the racetrack.

While several laps down at last month’s race at Kansas, Busch made good on the threat and raced Hamlin hard instead of allowing the race leader to pass. That decision held up Hamlin during a crucial stage of the race and Tyler Reddick wound up winning the race after Hamlin faded late.

After winning the Trucks race at Dover last week and showing an uptick in speed, Busch seemed to make a veiled jab at Hamlin, saying “I guess I just remembered how to drive.”

After earning his win at Dover, Busch was asked how many races he wants to win in his career before he stops racing.

“You take whatever you can get, man,” Busch said. “You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all — trust me.”

The unexpected death is just the latest tragedy to hit NASCAR. Last December, former driver Greg Biffle, his wife and two children and three others died in a plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina.

Busch is survived by wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix.

In a final round where three players had a two-shot lead, McIlroy seized control for good with a bold shot over Rae’s Creek to 7 feet for birdie on the par-3 12th. Then he blistered a 350-yard drive on the par-5 13th that set up another birdie to move three shots ahead.

There were a few dicey moments, including a shot over the par-3 16th green that required him to use the slope to get in close for par, and a wild drive on the 18th that wound up closer to the 10th fairway. He tapped in for bogey and a 1-under 71 for a one-shot victory over Scottie Scheffler.

A year ago, his playoff victory over Justin Rose made McIlroy only the sixth player with the career Grand Slam. With another green jacket, McIlroy joined Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the only repeat winners of the Masters.

“A few guys made a run, but nothing like Justin last year with that 66,” McIlroy said. “Some good play by me and fortunately some guys didn’t come after me this year.”

McIlroy stood tall when he tapped in the final putt to finish at 12-under 276. There was no relief like last year of going 17 years trying to win the Masters. This was pure joy.

It was more heartache for Rose, and frustration for the others who had a chance.

Rose had a two-shot lead that evaporated around Amen Corner with two bogeys and a three-putt par. He couldn’t make up enough ground the rest of the way and had to settle for a third close call at the Masters.

Cameron Young lost his two-shot lead much earlier with a long three-putt bogey on the par-3 sixth and taking bogey on the next hole when he hit wedge from the fairway into a bunker. One shot behind going to the back nine, Young closed with nine straight pars.

As for Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player was in position to shatter the Masters record with the largest 36-hole comeback in history. He was 12 behind going into the weekend. He was two shots behind as he approached the turn. But he ran off 11 straight pars — that wasn’t going to cut it during a final round with accessible pins to create excitement.

Scheffler had to settle for his third runner-up finish in the majors to go along with four titles. His 65-68 weekend made him the first player since 1942 to go bogey-free on the weekend at Augusta.

“I put up a good fight in order to give myself a chance,” Scheffler said.

Rose, at age 45 trying to become the second-oldest Masters champion behind Jack Nicklaus (46) in 1986, made it feel as though this was going to be his time. He made a most improbable birdie with a shot out of the trees to a foot on the seventh. That was the start of three straight birdies to close out the front nine and give him the lead.

But his approach to the 11th was well to the right and he failed to save par. His tee shot on the 12th was long, and his delicate chip didn’t reach the green, leading to another bogey. And then his 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th ran 8 feet by the hole and he missed the birdie putt.

“Chance that got away,” Rose said. “I was by no means free and clear and was nowhere kind of close to having the job done, but I was right in position. … I was really in control. And the mentality was to run through the finish line, not just try and get it done.

“I was playing great, but just momentum shifted for me around the Amen Corner.”

At the end it was a now familiar champion, McIlroy, once tormented by his chase for the green jacket and now a two-time winner whose love for the Masters only deepens.

He was so ecstatic a year ago that he asked the media when it was over, “What are we going to talk about next year?” Now the topic is easy. No one has ever won three in a row.

Garner’s family issued a statement Sunday saying Garner died Saturday after a two-plus-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

“Phil never lost his signature spark of life,” Garner’s son, Ty, said in a statement. “He was so well known for his love for baseball, which was with him until the end.”

Nicknamed “Scrap Iron” for his blue-collar approach to the game, Garner had a 16-year playing career with the Oakland Athletics (1973-76), Pittsburgh Pirates (1977-81), Astros (1981-87), Los Angeles Dodgers (1987) and San Francisco Giants (1988).

He played 150 games and had an .800 OPS for Pittsburgh during the Pirates’ 1979 World Series championship season. He batted .417 in the NL Championship Series sweep of Cincinnati and hit .500 (12 for 24) in the World Series as the Pirates rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Baltimore.

Garner made All-Star teams with Oakland in 1976 and with Pittsburgh in 1980 and 1981.

“Phil Garner was a fierce competitor, a respected leader, and a cherished part of the Pirates family,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “His contributions to the 1979 World Series championship team will forever be part of Pirates history. We always appreciated welcoming Phil back to Pittsburgh, and it was evident how deeply this city, this team, his teammates, and our fans meant to him.

“He will be remembered not only for the grit, passion, and heart he brought to the game, but also for the way he carried himself as a devoted family man and respected member of the baseball community.”

Garner hit .260 with 109 homers, 738 RBIs and 225 steals in 1,860 regular-season games while being versatile enough to make more than 700 starts at both second base and third base.

Garner managed in the majors for 15 years, compiling a 985-1,054 record with Milwaukee (1992-99), Detroit (2000-02) and Houston (2004-07).

“When I got back into managing, he was the first person that I met in Houston and has introduced me to so many of my close friends,” said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who dedicated an 8-2 win over Miami to Garner and his family on Sunday. “When I got the job in Detroit, he reached out and talked to me about the city of Detroit and the fan base. Even though his time here didn’t go great, he was a big advocate for Detroit.”

Garner held the Brewers record for managerial wins until Craig Counsell surpassed him in 2022.

“He was a very highly respected and beloved individual who was known for his caring nature, wisdom and sense of humor,” the Brewers said in a statement.

Garner took over the Astros midway through the 2004 season after the firing of Jimy Williams and led them to a 48-26 record the rest of the way. They finished 92-70, beat Atlanta in the NL Division Series and wasted a 3-2 lead over St. Louis in the NL Championship Series.

Garner got the Astros to the World Series the following year. They bounced back from a 15-30 start to finish 89-73 and beat Atlanta in the NLDS and St. Louis in the NLCS before the Chicago White Sox swept them.

“Phil Garner’s contributions to the Houston Astros, the city of Houston and to the game of baseball will not be forgotten,” Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane said in a statement.

Garner was a Tennessee native who starred at the University of Tennessee, which retired his No. 18 in 2009.

“I genuinely appreciated Garner as a manager!!” former Tiger Brandon Inge wrote in a text message. “He really taught us how to play with a chip on our shoulders and not to back down to anyone or anything, no matter the circumstance!!! Thinking of his family, he’ll be missed!”

Brandon Lowe hit a grand slam and a solo homer off Jameson Taillon, and Oneil Cruz homered leading off the game for Pittsburgh, which led 5-0 before third-inning solo homers by Dansby Swanson and Moisés Ballesteros against Bubba Chandler.

Lowe’s fifth-inning homer boosted Pittsburgh’s lead to 6-2 but Chicago closed on Alex Bregman’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half. Swanson scored from third in the seventh on an infield fly by Bregman as Lowe, the second baseman, fell while catching the ball in short right field.

Busch, benched from the starting lineup, pinch hit for Matt Shaw with two outs in the eighth after a pair of walks by Justin Lawrence and looped an opposite-field single into short left that tied the score 6-6.

Pinch-hitter Michael Conforto doubled off Jose Urquidy (0-1) leading off the ninth and, with the bases loaded and one out, Kelly hit a 381-foot drive that landed on the right-center warning track.

Daniel Palencia (1-0) pitched around a walk in the ninth.

Chicago had been 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position before Busch’s single after going 1 of 23 in the previous two losses to Pittsburgh.

Taillon struck out 10, allowing six runs, six hits and two walks in six innings.

Lowe had his second multi-homer game this season.

Chicago placed reliever Hunter Henry on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, with right triceps inflammation, and he became the eighth Cubs pitcher on the IL. Chicago selected the contract of left-hander Charlie Barnes from Triple-A Iowa. He has not appeared in a major league game since 2021.

Up next

Pirates: RHP Paul Skenes (2-1, 5.25) will be on the mound Monday at Pittsburgh, opposed by Washington RHP Cade Cavalli (0-0, 2.51).

Cubs: RHP Javier Assad (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts Monday at Philadelphia, which starts Cristopher Sánchez (1-1, 1.65).

Soriano (4-0) allowed two hits and three walks, throwing 106 pitches and lowering his big league-best ERA to 0.33. He became the first Angels pitcher to win his first four games since Jered Weaver won six straight in 2011.

Los Angeles opened a 9-0 lead in the eighth inning and took two of three for its first series win at the Reds since winning two of three from June 12-14 2007.

Nolan Schanuel had three RBIs, putting the Angels ahead with a wo-run single in the three-run first that included Logan O’Hoppe’s single.

Mike Trout, who scored three runs, had an RBI double in the second and scored on Jorge Soler’s sacrifice fly. Oswald Peraza homered on the first pitch of the fourth.

Andrew Abbott (0-2) allowed seven runs, matching his career high, and seven earned runs for the first time. He gave up eight hits and a pair of walks in three innings.

Elly De La Cruz hit a three-run homer, his fifth home run this season.

Up next

Angels: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-2, 6.75 ERA) starts Monday at the New York Yankees, who go with RHP Will Warren (1-0, 3.07)

Reds: RHP Brady Singer (0-1, 7.71) starts Tuesday at San Francisco as the Giants, who start LHP Robbie Ray (2-1, 2.08).

ATHLETICS 1, YANKEES 0

NEW YORK (AP) — Nick Kurtz hit his first home run this season, sending the Athletics to a 1-0 victory Sunday and a three-game sweep of the slumping New York Mets.

Aaron Civale (2-0) allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings as the Athletics won their fifth straight. They swept the Mets for the first time, immediately after winning a series against the Yankees in New York for the first time since 2016.

The Mets also were shut out in Friday night’s series opener. With slugger Juan Soto on the injured list, they’ve scored nine runs during a five-game skid — all at home.

Kurtz, who had 36 homers last season and was the AL Rookie of the Year, launched a 363-foot shot to right field off Freddy Peralta (1-1) in the third inning.

That ended a drought of 48 at-bats, the longest for Kurtz since he went 58 at-bats without a longball immediately following his four-homer game against Houston last July 25.

Jeff McNeil doubled in the fourth and finished the series 6 for 13 against his former team in his first trip to Citi Field since the Mets traded him to the Athletics in December.

Elvis Alvarado got Francisco Lindor to ground out with a runner on first to end the eighth. Joel Kuhnel earned his second save with a perfect ninth on four pitches, prompting a chorus of boos from the Citi Field crowd.

Peralta took the loss despite going six innings for the first time this season. He permitted four hits and three walks with six strikeouts.

Up next

The Athletics return home Monday, when RHP Luis Severino (0-1, 4.50 ERA) opposes Texas RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 7.98) in the opener of a four-game series.

The Mets begin a six-game trip Monday, when LHP David Peterson (0-2, 6.14 ERA) faces LHP Justin Wrobleski (1-0, 4.00) and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

RAYS 5, YANKEES 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Drew Rasmussen allowed one hit in six scoreless innings, and the Tampa Bay Rays completed their first three-game sweep of the Yankees since 2021, holding on to beat New York 5-4 on Sunday.

Returning after missing time for the birth of his daughter, Rasmussen (1-0) struck out seven without a walk. The Rays moved above .500 for the first time this season at 8-7 and extended the Yankees’ losing streak to five games.

Aaron Judge hit his fourth homer of the season, a 415-foot, two-run shot with no outs in the ninth against Mason Englert that got New York within one. Englert retired the next two batters, then allowed a double to Amed Rosario. After an intentional walk to Austin Wells, Englert retired Ryan McMahon on a grounder for his first save as the Yankees fell to 0-6 in one-run games this season.

New York’s Cam Schlittler (2-1) allowed three runs on a career-high-tying seven hits over five innings. Schlittler walked his first batter in four starts this season when Yandy Díaz got a free pass in the third.

Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson went 3 for 4, scored twice, stole his seventh base and has reached base in all 15 games this season.

The Rays did their damage early. Simpson and Junior Caminero hit back-to-back singles in the first, and Simpson scored on Díaz’s groundout. In the second, Cedric Mullins tripled and scored on Richie Palacios’ single. Palacios came around on Simpson’s base hit to make it 3-0.

Before a crowd of 20,796 at Tropicana Field, the Yankees rallied against the Rays bullpen.

Ben Rice led off the seventh with a ground-rule double and scored on Cody Bellinger’s single. Giancarlo Stanton’s pinch-hit grounder scored Judge to make it 4-2.

ORIOLES 6, GIANTS 2

BALTIMORE (AP) — Samuel Basallo hit a two-run homer, Pete Alonso also drove in two runs and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Sunday.

Baltimore has won five of six games and moved above .500 for the first time since its opening day victory.

Casey Schmitt homered off the foul pole in left in the ninth inning as part of a three-hit day for the Giants, who dropped two of three to the Orioles.

Baltimore starter Cade Povich (1-0) retired the first 12 batters and yielded one run in 6 2/3 innings on his 26th birthday. The left-hander allowed five hits and no walks and struck out five.

Basallo ripped Adrian Houser’s two-out sinker into the Baltimore bullpen in left-center to score Alonso in the first inning. It was Basallo’s second homer of the season.

Alonso chased Houser (0-2) with a two-run double down the left-field line in the fifth. Houser gave up four runs and struck out three in 4 2/3 innings.

Baltimore’s Coby Mayo had an RBI single in the sixth, and Colton Cowser’s bases-loaded infield single in the seventh made it 6-1.

San Francisco second baseman Luis Arraez sat out after leaving Saturday night’s game with a bruised right wrist.

“I think with a day off tomorrow, it makes sense if we can get through today’s game without using him, you get almost three days of recovery so he can get to feeling great instead of just good enough to play,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said.

Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Jorge Barrosa reaches for a home run hit by Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Philadelphia.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, PHILLIES 3

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jose Fernandez and Adrian Del Castillo hit RBI singles in the eighth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to beat Philadelphia 4-3 on Sunday and send the Phillies to their fourth loss in five games.

James McCann doubled and had two hits, and Taylor Clarke (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win as Arizona won for the fourth time in five games and took two of three from the Phillies.

Trea Turner homered for Philadelphia, which fell to 7-8 overall.

Trailing 3-2 entering the eighth, Arizona went ahead with two runs in the inning against José Alvarado (0-1).

The Phillies threatened in the bottom of the eighth with runners on first and third with no outs. But Kevin Ginkel struck out Bryson Stott. Then, Ryan Thompson got Adolis Garcia to pop out to second base and Arizona doubled off Brandon Marsh, who began running from first base on contact, apparently thinking there were two out.

Paul Sewald pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.

Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen scattered three hits over five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fifth. Gallen faced five batters without getting an out and exited with the game tied at 3. Turner’s two-run, opposite-field homer and Bryce Harper’s RBI double off the wall in right put the Phillies up 3-2. Gallen gave up eight hits, struck out two and walked one.

Arizona went in front 1-0 against emergency starter Zach Pop, who replaced scheduled starter Andrew Painter, who did not start due to a migraine but entered to start the third. The 23-year-old rookie, making his third MLB start, retired the first nine batters before Ildemaro Vargas led off the sixth with a double and scored on Nolan Arenado’s sacrifice fly.

Painter left after the seventh, allowing one run on three hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in five innings.

TWINS 8, BLUE JAYS 2

TORONTO (AP) — Tristan Gray hit a three-run home run, Kody Clemens added a solo shot and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-2 on Sunday.

Taj Bradley (3-0) allowed one run and five hits in five innings to win his third straight start as the Twins took two of three from Toronto, bouncing back after failing to hold a 4-0 lead in Friday’s opener. Minnesota has won six of seven.

Bradley’s ERA rose from 1.08 to 1.25. He walked four and struck out seven.

Gray homered in the second, his second, and Clemens connected in a five-run third, his second. Victor Caratini had a sacrifice fly and Brooks Lee added a two-run double as the Twins roughed up three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer.

The Twins have homered in 26 consecutive games in Toronto, hitting 55 total homers in that span. Their most recent homerless game in Toronto was Aug. 25, 2017.

Scherzer (1-2) allowed eight runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings, his second straight losing start. He left his previous outing, last Monday against the Dodgers, after two innings because of forearm tendinitis.

The Blue Jays played without leadoff hitter George Springer, who went on the 10-day injured list before the game because of a fractured left big toe. Springer fouled a ball off his foot in Saturday’s 7-4 loss.

Ernie Clement took over in the leadoff spot. He went 3 for 5 and scored twice.

Eloy Jiménez was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo to replace Springer and started at designated hitter. Jiménez went 2 for 4.

TIGERS 8, MARLINS 2

DETROIT (AP) — Tarik Skubal outpitched Sandy Alcántara in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners, Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle and Kerry Carpenter homered and the Detroit Tigers earned a three-game sweep with an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Sunday.

Detroit has bounced back from a stretch of losing nine of 11 with its three-game winning streak.

Skubal retired the first nine batters he faced and the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner had a no-hit bid broken up by Austin Slater’s bloop single with two outs in the sixth.

Skubal (2-2) allowed a run and a season-low two hits with seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

Alcántara (2-1) allowed seven runs and 10 hits after allowing a total of two earned runs and 10 hits over his first three starts of the year.

The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner allowed Dingler’s three-run homer in the first inning.

McGonigle hit his first career homer in the fifth inning to make it 4-0 and Carpenter added a two-run homer run in a three-run sixth inning.

Miami’s Otto Lopez had a sacrifice fly in the seventh to drive in Jakob Marsee and added a solo homer in the ninth.

The Marlins dropped to .500 with their seventh loss in 10 games.

RED SOX 9, CARDINALS 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Willson Contreras homered against his former team and matched a career high with four hits, leading the Boston Red Sox past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-3 on Sunday.

Trevor Story also had four hits for the Red Sox. Contreras launched a two-run shot in the second inning and finished with three RBIs. He was acquired by Boston from St. Louis in a December trade.

Contreras singled in the third, fourth and seventh before popping out to left field in the ninth. It was his eighth career four-hit game and first since June 2023 with the Cardinals against the Chicago Cubs in London.

Brayan Bello (1-1) allowed two runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings in his 100th career start.

Jordan Walker hit his major league-leading seventh home run in the second for St. Louis. Alec Burleson also went deep, but Andre Pallante (1-1) gave up seven runs and 10 hits in five innings.

Jarren Duran lined a three-run double over Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II’s head and later scored in the fourth to put Boston ahead 7-1.

Roman Anthony gave the Red Sox a 3-0 lead in the second when he drove in Trevor Story on a one-out, bases-loaded grounder to shortstop Thomas Saggese, who was forced to throw to first after Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt was tardy covering the bag at second.

Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn missed his second consecutive game with a bruise below his left knee after he was hit by a pitch Friday night.

NATIONALS 8, BREWERS 6

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Keibert Ruiz singled home two runs to break an eighth-inning tie and the Washington Nationals defeated Milwaukee 8-6 on Sunday to complete their first series sweep of the Brewers in 15 years.

Washington’s last sweep of the Brewers came in April 2011. The Nationals hadn’t swept the Brewers in Milwaukee since June 2006.

The Nationals recovered after allowing a tying, three-run homer to Gary Sánchez in the seventh.

Brice Turang hit two solo shots and Jake Bauers also went deep for Milwaukee, which has lost five straight for its longest skid since June 2023.

Washington’s James Wood homered for the fourth time in his last seven games.

After the Nationals scored four runs off Milwaukee relievers Abner Uribe and Angel Zerpa (0-1) to take a 6-3 lead in the seventh, the Brewers quickly responded.

Milwaukee had two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the inning when reliever Ken Waldichuk threw a pitch to Turang and immediately started walking around in discomfort. Waldichuk pointed to his elbow while getting checked by athletic trainers on the mound and then headed to the dugout as Cole Henry came out of the bullpen.

Turang and William Contreras eventually walked. Sánchez then delivered a 400-foot shot into the left-field seats.

Washington bounced back in the eighth.

CJ Abrams and Jacob Young began the inning with singles off Zerpa before both runners advanced on Jorbit Vivas’ sacrifice bunt. Ruiz then greeted Aaron Ashby by grounding a single up the middle through a drawn-in infield.

PJ Poulin (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Gus Varland retired the side in order in the ninth for his first career save.

That is by far the most among conferences, largely because the Big Ten swept the national championships — Michigan won the men’s and UCLA the women’s — and had Illinois advance to the men’s Final Four.

The NCAA, which has multibillion-dollar broadcast deals for the two tournaments, since 1991 has rewarded conferences for their number of tournament bids and how far those teams advance in the men’s tournament. A similar system for the women’s tournament began in 2025.

The dollars are piling up:

— For this year’s tournaments, nine men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from the Big Ten combined to make at least $69.4 million, with $63 million coming from the men’s side.

— The Southeastern Conference, which had 10 teams in each tournament, totaled at least $56.2 million ($50.4 million for men, $5.8 million for women).

— Distributions will total at least $42.9 million for the Big 12, $34.2 million for the Atlantic Coast Conference and $22.2 million for the Big East.

The NCAA sends payments directly to the conferences, which distribute the money among their teams according to their policies. Payments for the 2026 tournament will begin in April 2027.

How the NCAA pays tournament teams is based on ‘units’

Teams in each tournament earn what’s known as a “unit” for making the field of 68 and an additional unit for each round in which it appears. The national champion is awarded an extra unit. The value of a unit increases each year. A portion of revenue from the tournaments’ broadcast agreements are directed to distribution payments, 24% for the men and 41% for the women.

The estimated value of a unit for the 2026 men’s tournament will be about $350,000, an NCAA spokeswoman said, and that amount will be paid annually for six years. So a single unit earned in 2026 would have a total value of at least $2.1 million over those six years and probably more because Division I distribution funds — including the basketball funds — are scheduled to increase each year, typically by 2.9%.

For the women’s tournament, full funding for units earned will be achieved in 2027. Payments for each unit earned will be made for three years rather than six. The unit value was $75,000 for 2026 and will decrease to about $63,000 next year as part of the NCAA’s formula for getting the fund fully up and running. Using $63,000 as an estimate for the 2028 value, a single unit earned in 2026 would be worth at least $201,000 by the time it is paid off over three years.

Breaking down the money from 2026 March Madness

The Big Ten’s nine teams in the men’s tournament appeared in 29 games. Michigan earned $14.7 million for the conference by playing in six games and receiving a seventh unit for winning the championship. Illinois earned five units for making the Final Four ($10.5 million) and Iowa and Purdue four apiece for reaching the Elite Eight ($8.4 million each).

The Big Ten landed 12 teams in the women’s tournament, and they combined to play in 31 games. UCLA earned just over $1.4 million by playing in six games and receiving an extra unit for winning the championship. Michigan’s four games earned $804,000 and Minnesota’s three earned $603,000.

The championships in men’s and women’s basketball continued what’s been a banner 2025-26 for the Big Ten. Indiana won the conference’s third straight College Football Playoff, and other national championships have been won in men’s wrestling (Penn State), women’s ice hockey (Wisconsin), men’s water polo (UCLA), men’s soccer (Washington) and field hockey (Northwestern). Wisconsin also reached Saturday’s men’s hockey championship game, where the Badgers will face Denver, a winner over Michigan.

The unveiling of Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki’s statue had an unforced error on Friday — a broken bat.

As broadcaster Rick Rizzs declared “we’re going to count down from 51!” — a nod to the jersey number retired by the Seattle Mariners for their beloved Suzuki — the curtain covering the bronze statue was pulled down, and so too went the bat.

A snapping noise could be heard as the bronze bat flopped down and confetti sprouted up.

“Here it is! The statue of one of the greatest players in the history of the game!” Rizzs declared as the curtain was pulled and a celebratory tune rang outside of T-Mobile Park.

The statue depicts Suzuki in his famed batting stance. He appeared to find the mishap to be hilarious, and joked through an interpreter that New York Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera got the best of him again.

“I didn’t think Mariano would come out here,” Suzuki said with a smile through the interpreter, “and break the bat.”

It did not take long for the Mariners to fix the statue; Suzuki’s bat was soon turned upright and reconnected at the handle. Suzuki, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last summer, became only the third Mariners player to have his number retired by the franchise last year, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (No. 24) and Edgar Martinez (No. 11).

Griffey and Martinez also have statues outside of the park. They joined Suzuki at the ceremony, and all three pulled the curtain off the statue together. Suzuki made history last summer as the first Japanese-born player inducted into the Hall of Fame, earning a near-unanimous 99.7% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The way a jovial Suzuki saw it, his statue having an imperfection was only fitting.

“In the Hall of Fame, I was short one vote,” Suzuki said. “Today, the bat was broke. It kind of lets me know that I’m still not there, that I still need to keep going. So, this is a good example of that.”

Notre Dame announced on Wednesday that Holtz died in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by his family. Spokeswoman Katy Lonergan said a cause of death was not provided by the family.

Holtz became the first and so far only coach to lead six different teams to bowl games during a career in which he compiled a record of 249-132-7. He still ranks 10th all-time in career victories by a Football Bowl Subdivision coach, eighth all-time with 388 games coached.

At Notre Dame, he went 100-30-2 in 11 seasons producing both the third-highest win total in school history and the second-highest loss total.

Holtz won at every stop — except for a brief stint in the NFL.

He didn’t just win games, either. The diminutive coach captivated fans with his occasionally fiery sideline demeanor, his self-deprecating wit and folksy phrases all while demanding excellence, on and off the field, from his much larger players.

Holtz became such a popular personality that after coaching his last game, in 2004 with South Carolina, he parlayed that into a broadcasting career and motivational speaking.

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AP Sports Writer Michael Marot contributed to this report.

Forward Matthew Tkachuk posted pictures on social media of members of the team celebrating on what appears to be a U.S. government plane and a group shot of them deplaning.

The U.S. beat Canada 2-1 in overtime on Sunday at the Milan Cortina Olympics. It was the Americans’ first gold medal in men’s hockey since the “Miracle on Ice” group won in Lake Placid, New York, in 1980.

The team received a State of the Union invitation from Trump following the game. A video that circulated on social media appeared to show Trump inviting the team on a phone call in the locker room, as he joked that he’d also have to invite the women’s team, which also won gold over Canada.

The women declined, citing scheduling issues.

The men took a chartered plane to Miami on Monday night before traveling to the nation’s capital in the morning.

Videos and photos of the team’s White House visit were shared on social media by Trump administration aides. Team members posed for a photograph in front of the South Portico after they arrived. They also walked along the West Wing colonnade where Trump has posted portraits of every U.S. president just steps away from the Oval Office, where they were welcomed by Trump.

As they approached the Oval Office, some of the players popped into the press office’s open door to flash their medals. Staffers applauded and shouted, “We love you!”

“I recognize every one of you. I know every one of you,” Trump said as the players entered the Oval Office, which he has redecorated with numerous flourishes of gold that matched the players’ medals.

“Big guys,” he said, standing near his desk and shaking hands with the players, who wore dark tops with “USA,” the American flag and the Olympic rings on the front and light colored pants.

Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled Drake Maye, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl.

Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner, Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards and Jason Myers set a Super Bowl record by making all five of his field-goal tries.

Walker became the first running back to win the Super Bowl MVP award since Terrell Davis 28 years ago.

Uchenna Nwosu punctuated a punishing defensive performance by snagging Maye’s pass in the air after Witherspoon hit his arm and ran it back 45 yards for a pick-6.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling, bro,” Witherspoon said. “You talk about a group of guys who battle every day, who believe in each other and believe in their coach, you can’t describe this group no better. It’s just a one-of-a-kind feeling. I was just so happy to battle with these guys. We went through a lot, but we believed. All of you all doubters out there who said all that other stuff, you all don’t know what’s going on in this building. We’re one of one over here.”

Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense helped Darnold become the first quarterback in the 2018 draft class to win a Super Bowl, ahead of Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson.

“To do this with this team, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Darnold said. “So proud of our guys, our defense. I mean, I can’t say enough great things about our defense, our special teams.”

Labeled a bust, dumped by two teams and considered expendable by two others, Darnold proved his doubters wrong while helping the Seahawks go 17-3.

After leading the NFL with 20 turnovers in the regular season, Darnold didn’t have any in three playoff games. He wasn’t particularly sharp against a solid Patriots defense but protected the ball and made enough plays, finishing 19 of 38 for 202 yards.

“I know we won the Super Bowl, but we could have been a little bit better on offense, but I don’t care about that right now,” Darnold said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, man. I’m just so happy for the guys in the locker room and the coaches that put in so much effort throughout the whole season.”

The Seahawks sacked Maye six times, including two apiece by Hall and Murphy. Hall’s strip-sack late in the third quarter set up a short field and Darnold connected with Barner on 16-yard scoring toss to make it 19-0.

Julian Love’s interception set up another field goal that made it 22-7 with 5:35 left.

The Patriots (17-4) punted on the first eight drives, excluding a kneel-down to end the first half.

“We had a really good year, one that I’m proud of,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “But this game wasn’t a reflection of that. We were outcoached and outplayed.”

Down 19-0, Maye and the Patriots’ offense finally got going. He hit Mack Hollins over the middle in traffic for 24 yards and then lofted a perfect 35-yard TD pass to Hollins down the left side to cut the deficit to 19-7.

Tom Brady once led Bill Belichick’s Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, when New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit against Atlanta for a 34-28 overtime victory.

But Maye, who was runner-up to Matthew Stafford for the AP NFL MVP award in the closest race in two decades, didn’t come close. He had a chance to get it closer, but his ill-advised pass into triple coverage was picked by Love and the Patriots trailed by 15 when they got the ball back with 5:35 left.

Then came Nwosu’s touchdown, a fitting way to cap an overwhelming effort by the NFL’s stingiest defense.

“Definitely hurts. They played better than us tonight,” Maye said.

Maye’s 7-yard TD pass to Rhamondre Stevenson late in the game only made the margin smaller.

The Seahawks took a 3-0 lead on Myers’ 33-yard field goal on the game’s opening drive. Myers connected from 39 and 41 yards to extend the lead to 9-0 at halftime. He was good from 41 on Seattle’s first drive of the third quarter to make it 12-0.

Patriots player of the game

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez made two outstanding plays to prevent potential touchdowns in the second quarter. He raced back and leaped in the air to slap away a deep pass to Rashid Shaheed that could have been a 76-yard TD.

On Seattle’s last drive in the first half, Gonzalez knocked down a pass to All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba that would have been a 23-yard TD.

Mills gets a two-for-one sack

Rylie Mills pushed left guard Jared Wilson into Maye and took both of them down on one of Seattle’s sacks.

Bad Bunny shines at halftime

Bad Bunny headlined a visually stunning halftime performance that also featured appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. The Grammy-winning Puerto Rican artist entirely in Spanish.

Patriots denied a record 7th title

The Patriots failed to win the franchise’s seventh Super Bowl, which would have set an NFL record. They’re tied with the Steelers with six championships.

Vrabel, the AP NFL Coach of the Year, was aiming to become the fifth person to win a Super Bowl as a player and head coach and the first to do both with the same team.

The 23-year-old Maye was trying to become the youngest QB to win a Lombardi Trophy. Ben Roethlisberger still holds that mark.