Sports
Astros bid to pick up steam vs. Jacob deGrom, Rangers
May 10, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Since winning the final five games of a season-opening seven-game homestand, the Astros have not won more than two games in a row.
That served as a factor in their inability to gain ground in the American League West despite four of the five teams entering Friday with sub-.500 records.
After squandering an opportunity to close the gap on the Seattle Mariners earlier this week, the Astros rebounded from dropping three contests of that four-game set by defeating the Texas Rangers 2-0 in the opener of that three-game series.
Houston will host Texas in a rematch on Saturday.
The Astros have struggled blending good pitching with quality hitting, and while their bats did little to support the no-hit bid of starter Spencer Arrighetti, a series-opening win was claimed.
“A little more urgency out of both sides of the ball,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “I think it’s important for us to set the tone early. We need to come out and put pressure on this team from the very beginning.
“We just need to get going and keep that fire for weeks.”
Right-hander Kai-Wei Teng (1-3, 3.12 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Saturday. It will mark the third start and 16th appearance for Teng, who is making a bid for a spot in the rotation following a pair of outings as an opener.
Teng allowed three runs on five hits and one walk with one strikeout in three innings in a 5-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. He also worked three innings in a start against the Baltimore Orioles on April 28, and allowed two runs on five hits with two strikeouts in a 5-3 loss. He is 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA as a starter.
Teng will make his first career appearance against the Rangers.
Right-hander Jacob deGrom (3-2, 2.62 ERA) is scheduled to start the middle contest of the three-game series for the Rangers. He has allowed one or zero runs in six of seven starts since April 6, including working seven shutout innings against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, allowing three hits with 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 victory.
deGrom is second in the AL, averaging 11.49 strikeouts per nine innings and third with a 0.92 WHIP.
He is 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA in four career starts against the Astros, all coming last season. In his previous start against the Astros on Sept. 17, deGrom allowed five runs on six hits — including two home runs — and one walk with six strikeouts across five innings in a 5-2 road loss.
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was given the series opener off with another day on the bench likely coming soon. Seager is mired in a 0-for-27 slump with 11 strikeouts across seven games, the longest career hitless spans by both games and at-bats for the three-time Silver Slugger.
“I honestly hope he doesn’t swing a lot,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “I think a lot of the guys we’ve given off days to, they have done it the right way, where they don’t overswing or overwork. It’s more of a sit and observe. Be a really good teammate and watch video and tweak different things.
“The dangerous part of anybody is if they try early (batting practice) and extra work in the cages and try to swing your way out of it with thousands of swings. I know Corey won’t do that, but I think that’s the dangerous part of a lot of guys that get off days.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
S Charles Woodson Jr. to carry on family legacy at Michigan
Oct 4, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines cheerleader run flags down the field before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Charles Woodson Jr., a three-star safety in the Class of 2027 and son of Michigan legend Charles Woodson, will carry on the family name with the Wolverines.
He shared a message announcing his commitment to Michigan on Instagram on Friday.
The younger Woodson plays at Lake Nona High School in Orlando. The 247Sports composite also lists him as the No. 49 player in talent-rich Florida and No. 82 at his position.
He had 21 offers, two-thirds of them from power-conference programs.
247Sports called Woodson an “impact player” at Lake Nona. As a junior in 2025, he made 73 tackles, broke up eight passes and intercepted two, and made one fumble recovery. On special teams, he returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Woodson Jr. has a lot to live up to at Michigan.
His father played in Ann Arbor from 1995-97 after being named Ohio’s Player of the Year as a high school senior.
The starting cornerback in 1995, he had a team-leading five interceptions and was named Big Ten Freshman of the year and first-team All-Big Ten.
As a sophomore, and at the request of head coach Lloyd Carr, he added in some plays at wide receiver but remained known as a cornerback. That season, he set the Michigan record for pass breakups (15) and gained 316 yards receiving and rushing on offense. He earned Associated Press first-team All-America honors.
In 1997, Woodson led Michigan to an undefeated regular season and its first national championship (shared with Nebraska) since the 1948 team — and the last one until Jim Harbaugh’s 2023 team won the College Football Playoff title. Woodson won the Heisman Trophy ahead of Peyton Manning of Tennessee. Until Travis Hunter, a two-way player at Colorado who won the Heisman in 2024, no defender had been honored since Woodson.
He went on to a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Raiders and Packers, playing 18 seasons.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets deliver timely hits, take advantage of Yankees' mistake for win
May 16, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Mark Vientos (27) gestures after hitting a two-run double in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Mark Vientos had three RBIs on Saturday night for the host New York Mets, who received gritty relief work from Luke Weaver in a 6-3 win over the New York Yankees in the second game of the Subway Series.
The Mets improved to 9-5 this month. Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt had RBIs for the Yankees, who have dropped seven of 10.
Vientos was at the plate when the Mets went ahead for good in the third inning, when Carson Benge scored on left-hander Carlos Rodon’s bases-loaded wild pitch. Rodon threw high of catcher Austin Wells trying to nab Benge, which allowed Bo Bichette to score from second on the play.
Brett Baty had an RBI double in the fourth and Vientos ripped a two-run double in the fifth to extend the Mets’ lead to 5-2.
The Yankees loaded the bases with none out in the seventh against Brooks Raley, who allowed a leadoff double to Aaron Judge before Judge scored when right fielder Benge dropped Cody Bellinger’s fly ball. Raley plunked Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed by blooping a bunt in between the pitcher’s mound and second base.
Weaver, who signed with the Mets last December after two-plus seasons with the Yankees, entered and struck out Amed Rosario and Grisham before getting Anthony Volpe to hit into a forceout.
Wells singled off Weaver to open the eighth, but Weaver got Ben Rice to hit into a double play and retired Judge on a flyout to center.
Devin Williams threw a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
David Peterson (2-4) earned the win after allowing two runs on six hits — including the RBI singles by Grisham and Goldschmidt — and three walks while striking out eight over four innings of bulk relief. Opener Huascar Brazoban struck out two in 1 1/3 perfect innings.
Benge went 3-for-4 while Juan Soto had two hits, drew two walks and stole two bases.
Rodon (0-1) gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out six over 3 2/3 innings in his second start since returning from left elbow surgery.
Goldschmidt, Chisholm and Judge had two hits each.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sporting KC upset Austin FC with pair of late goals
May 16, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Sporting Kansas City forward Calvin Harris (11) moves after the ball during the first half against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images Substitutes Stephen Afrifa and Manu Garcia scored goals within three minutes of each other late in the game as visiting Sporting Kansas City rallied to stun Austin FC 2-1 on Saturday in a Western Conference match.
Sporting (3-8-2, 11 points) captured their second game in four days after snapping a seven-game winless streak on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory at home over the LA Galaxy. Kansas City earned points for the first time ever in a match in Austin against the Verde after losing on their first five trips to the capital of Texas.
Garcia, who entered in the 63rd minute, started the rally with a goal on a blistering shot from outside the box in the 79th minute. The goal came on the counterattack and after an assist by Assisted by Shapi Suleymanov.
That set the table for Afrifa. Austin failed to clear its zone after a missed shot by Calvin Harris and Afrifa pounced on the loose ball, uncorking a shot that went over the Verde defense, clanged off the crossbar and bounced down into the net for the deciding tally.
The Verde (3-6-5, 14 points) lost their second game in four days after forging a three-match unbeaten streak (2-0-1) that had included back-to-back shutout wins at home.
Seven players from Sporting were making their third start in an eight-day period. Still, Kansas City dominated the first 45 minutes of play, producing 12 shots, three of them on target and all saved by Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver.
Harris tester Stuver with a weak shot to the lower right corner in the 12th minute that the keeper dove to stop. Capita Capemba’s chance in the 32nd minute was also easily swallowed up by Stuver, keeping the match scoreless.
All that changed on the half’s final shot, which came one minute into stoppage time. The Verde’s Desler waited unchecked at the far post for Guilherme Biro’s high, cross-box pass and made quick work of opportunity, calmly directing the ball into the open net past Kansas City goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland to give Austin a 1-0 lead.
After Afrifa’s go-ahead goal the Verde did not even manage to produce a shot on goal over the final eight minutes and four minutes of added time.
–Field Level Media
S Charles Woodson Jr. to carry on family legacy at Michigan
Mets deliver timely hits, take advantage of Yankees' mistake for win
