Logano wins at Talladega, ends skid
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Joey Logano ended a nearly yearlong losing streak with a victory in the Monster Energy Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Logano's last victory was April 30 of last year at Richmond, but his car failed inspection, the benefits from the victory were stripped, and it cost him a shot in the playoffs.
On Sunday, Logano made sure that losing streak didn't hit a full year. He had one brief challenge from Kurt Busch, who pulled out of line in traffic and tried to catch Logano but had no help from a drafting partner and could not get the lead.
Busch finished second, his career-best finish at Talladega, as Ford drivers went 1-2.
Chase Elliott was third in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, while Kevin Harvick was fourth in a StewartHaas Racing Ford.
In other motor sports news:
• Lewis Hamilton won an incident-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku to take over the Formula One points lead. Sebastian Vettel led for much of the race but was stuck in second behind Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas when a crash between the two Red Bulls brought out the safety car. On the restart, Vettel lunged for the lead but could not keep his car on the racing line at the exit of the next corner and instead lost places. Soon afterward, Bottas' right rear tire picked up a puncture, ending his race and elevating Hamilton to first. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen claimed second place after having dropped to 14th after an early collision.
TENNIS Nadal continues his feats of clay
Rafael Nadal continues to make winning on clay look all too easy.
Nadal extended his dominance on the surface with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over 19-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas to win his 11th Barcelona Open title.
Nadal, who also won his 11th Monte Carlos Masters title last week, never was seriously challenged on his way to a 19th consecutive victory on clay.
The top-ranked Spaniard has won 46 consecutive sets on clay, extending his record.
It was the 77th title overall for Nadal . In other news:
• Karolina Pliskova ended CoCo Vandeweghe's brilliant week with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory in the Stuttgart Open final. The sixth-seeded Czech, who fired 41 aces over four matches on her way to the final, added another 11 against Vandeweghe.
GOLF Horschel, Piercy surge to victory
Billy Horschel and Scott Piercy won the Zurich Classic team event, closing with a bogey-free 5-under-par 67 in alternate-shot play at TPC Louisiana in Avondale.
Horschel and Piercy, who began the day three shots back, surged into the lead with birdies on the 10th and 11th holes. They followed that with seven pars to hold off Jason Dufner and Pat Perez by a stroke. Dufner had a 14-foot putt for the tie on 18 but left it a foot short.
Tournament organizers announced that Zurich Insurance was extending the company's title sponsorship of the PGA Tour event for seven years. The extension begins after next year's Zurich Classic and runs through 2026.
Zurich began its sponsorship of the event in 2005, just months before Hurricane Katrina devastated the area and damaged the host course. In other news:
• Lydia Ko hit a 3wood to within 3 feet for eagle to finish off Minjee Lee on the first hole of a playoff at the LPGA MediHeal Championship at Lake Merced in Daly City, Calif.
Ko won her 15th LPGA Tour title and first since July 2016.
Ko closed with a 1under 71 to match Lee (68) at 12-under 276.
SOCCER Barcelona wins another La Liga
Unbeaten Barcelona captured La Liga for the third time in the last four seasons with a 4-2 road victory over Deportivo La Coruna.
Lionel Messi scored three times, and Philippe Coutinho added a goal to power Barcelona to its 26th win in 34 league matches, which includes eight draws. Four matches remain.
It was Barcelona's seventh league championship in 10 seasons and 25th overall. Real Madrid, last year's champion, leads with 33 Spanish league trophies.
BASEBALL Pitchers step up for Skeeters
Five Skeeters pitchers combined to limit New Britain to only five hits in a 4-0 victory over the Bees in an Atlantic League game at Constellation Field in Sugar Land. It was the Skeeters’ third consecutive win to open the season.
Brett Marshall started and went four innings, striking out five, walking three and allowing two hits. He was followed by Kraig Sitton in the fifth, Konner Wade in the sixth, Dan Runzler in the eighth and Kyle Winkler in the ninth. Sitton earned the decision.