Bald Eagles Or Horses? IndyCar Drivers Pitch Freedom 250 Prizes

With Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix roaring through Washington, D.C., all eyes are on the victory circle. Winning in the nation's capital is a monumental moment for any driver, but doing so during the United States’ 250th anniversary elevates the stakes. It has sparked endless creativity around what prize the winning driver will take home. IndyCar drivers Josef Newgarden and Kyle Kirkwood appeared on First Things First on Monday afternoon with Danny Parkins and Greg Jennings to discuss Sunday’s race. However, the conversation took a turn when the group tried to figure out what the prize should be. Parkins made his pitch to the IndyCar drivers, jokingly suggesting that the winner should receive a bald eagle. "It should be something very American," Newgarden said in response. "Maybe there’s a bald eagle statue or something that you receive. I don’t know…I was thinking like you should get a horse or something just like a famous American horse like ‘great job, you won the race.’" Sunday’s race carries far more weight than a typical IndyCar weekend. For American drivers like Newgarden and Kirkwood, there’s extra motivation in racing past historic landmarks like the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. Newgarden is focused on honoring his country, well aware that a race of this magnitude is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. "Oh, totally," Newgarden responded when asked if there’s extra motivation. "I don’t think this will happen again. When are we going to be allowed to drive Indy cars in our nation's capital again? It’s going to be an unbelievable opportunity." Kirkwood felt much the same way about what was driving him this weekend. For him, it isn't just about winning a race, but it's more about making sure an American driver comes out on top on such a historic stage for the country's 250th anniversary. "As a fellow American, I think for America’s 250, we want to see one of us win," Kirkwood said. "There’s a few other Americans in the series, but we’re a diverse group right? We want to see an American win on the 250, so that’s a big deal for us too." While the winner might not walk away with a bald eagle, the stakes are plenty high when Sunday’s race kicks off. All eyes will be on Newgarden and Kirkwood to see if either can come away with a win. djcc.club

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his first career walk-off homer, a two-run shot in the 10th inning, and the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 7-5 win over the crosstown White Sox Monday night at Wrigley Field. The All-Star outfielder and MVP contender hit his fifth lead off homer of the season to start the game. Then he ended it when he led off the 10th by driving a 2-1 slider from Hagen Smith (2-1) deep into the right-field patio area. It was the 30th homer of the season for Crow-Armstrong, one short of his career best from last year. With 31 stolen bases this year, he also has back-to-back 30-30 seasons. Crow-Amstrong took his left hand off the bat after he connected and pointed it skyward as he began walking down the first-base line. He turned toward the dugout and celebrated before starting his slow, exuberant home run trot. Seiya Suzuki also homered for the Cubs and Jacob Webb (5-2) left the bases loaded in the top of the 10th to set the stage for Crow-Armstrong, who drove in automatic runner Carson Kelly. The Cubs' leadoff batter finished 4 for 5 with a walk. The Cubs snapped a two-game skid and ended the White Sox's three-game winning streak. Randal Grichuk and Andrew Benintendi homered for the White Sox, who had won six of eight and took two of three from the Cubs on the South side earlier this season. Reporting by the Associated Press.

Shohei Ohtani homered twice to help spark a slumping Dodgers offense, Blake Snell struck out five over six innings, and Los Angeles beat the Colorado Rockies 11-5 on Monday night. Max Muncy added a three-run homer as the Dodgers found the perfect way to break out of their recent funk — playing at hitter friendly Coors Field. They entered Monday averaging 3.4 runs per game over a stretch that saw them lose 11 of 16. The 11 runs were the most by LA since a 12-7 win over San Diego on July 2. Snell (1-1) allowed two hits and one run in his second start since returning from elbow surgery that sidelined him for three months. The lefty ran his scoreless innings streak against the Rockies to 27 before allowing a run in the third. Colorado scored on three walks and a fielder's choice. Muncy extended the lead to 5-0 in the third with a homer that went an estimated distance of 461 feet. Ohtani had a solo shot in the fifth and a two-run homer in the sixth. He finished 4 for 5. Ohtani has now hit safely in 21 straight games at Coors Field. Over the streak, he has nine homers and 24 RBIs while hitting .413. Tomoyuki Sugano (12-6) lasted five innings and allowed six runs. The righty continues to struggle against his fellow countryman Ohtani, who went 2 for 3 against Sugano with a homer. He's now 7 for 11 with four homers when facing Sugano. Infielder/outfielder Troy Johnston pitched a scoreless ninth that included a walk and hitting Tommy Edman. Dodgers reliever Edwin Diaz gave up three runs in the ninth. Reporting by The Associated Press.