Blaney gets 1st NASCAR win of year

Ryan Blaney and Team Penske have been fast with his No. 12 Ford Mustang this year only to have races slip away when it mattered most. Not Sunday night. Blaney ran away down the stretch for his first Cup Series victory of the year Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway, then he celebrated with a burnout in front of the roaring fans after what he called a rough year. “I’m ready to go celebrate,” Blaney said. The 2023 Cup champ had been racing well with five top-five finishes over the first half of this season. He finally got to victory lane for his 14th career victory and first since Martinsville in November after leading a race-high 139 laps. “I never gave up hope that’s for sure,” Blaney said. “We’ve had great speed all year. It just hasn’t really been the best year for us as far as good fortune. But (No.) 12 boys are awesome. They stick with it no matter how it goes.” He became the ninth different winner this season and the fifth driver to win in as many races at Nashville. He also gave Team Penske a second straight Cup win at Nashville’s 1.33-mile concrete track. Carson Hocevar finished second, 2.83 seconds back of Blaney. It matched his career-best finish at Atlanta in February after complaining during the race that his No. 77 Chevrolet was undriveable.

Mariners to retire Johnson’s No. 51

Hall of Famer Randy Johnson’s No. 51 will be retired by the Mariners during a pregame ceremony next season, the club announced Monday. Johnson threw the first no-hitter in Mariners’ history on June 2, 1990 and in 1995 became their first Cy Young Award winner. The exact date of the ceremony will be announced after the 2026 schedule is finalized. Johnson, 61, went 130-74 with a 3.42 ERA across 10 seasons with the Mariners. He enjoyed more success with the Diamondbacks, with whom he won four consecutive Cy Youngs in addition to a World Series title in 2001. However, the lanky left-hander nicknamed the “Big Unit” because of his 6-foot-10 frame fondly remembers his Mariners tenure. Johnson was traded to the Astros midway through the 1998 season. He signed with the Diamondbacks as a free agent ahead of the 1999 campaign. Johnson was inducted into the Hall of Fame wearing a Diamondbacks cap. Johnson’s No. 51 will be the fifth number retired in Mariners’ history, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (No. 24), Edgar Martinez (No. 11) and Ichiro Suzuki, who also wore No. 51.

Lions center Ragnow calls it a career

Center Frank Ragnow, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who was key to coach Dan Campbell’s Lions revival, announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday after seven seasons. Ragnow, 29, posted to social media that he has tried to convince himself he’s feeling well enough to play, “but I’m not,” he said. “I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t,” said Ragnow, who was drafted 20th by the Lions in 2018. “I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life.” Ragnow battled through multiple injuries throughout his career. In 2021, following a season in which he played with a fractured throat, GM Brad Holmes and Campbell made him the league’s highest paid center at the time with a four-year, $54 million extension. Ragnow earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2020, 2023 and 2024. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2020, and then made three straight from 2022-24. “... I’ve come to the realization that my football journey is ending,” Ragnow said. “The Lions organization has been absolutely incredible throughout this process and I can’t emphasize this enough how grateful I am for this team and all the fans.” —Associated Press