Sports
Orioles, Astros desperate for fast start, momentum entering series
Apr 10, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Shane Baz (34) delivers during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images The importance of getting off to a strong start is something the Houston Astros and host Baltimore Orioles are well aware of entering Tuesday night’s series opener.
“It just sets a different tone to your day (when) you score first,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “The momentum, you want to keep that on your side. … When we do that, we put ourselves in a really good spot to win games.”
The Astros have gone 3-7 in their last 10 games, but they beat the visiting New York Yankees 7-4 on Sunday to avoid being swept.
The Orioles have lost three of their last five games, including two in a row to visiting Boston. They fell behind in the last two games and weren’t able to recover.
The Astros and Orioles both had Monday off.
Right-hander Shane Baz (0-2, 5.08 ERA) will head to the mound Tuesday for the Orioles looking for his first victory in a Baltimore uniform in his sixth start. Baz has worked at least five innings in every outing, but he has been tagged for four runs in each of his last two starts.
In two home games, Baz has given up a total of seven runs in 10 1/3 innings. He has faced the Astros three times in his career, going 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA across 18 innings.
An injury-riddled rotation is forcing the Astros to move right-hander Kai-Wai Teng (1-1, 2.16) from the bullpen to start Tuesday’s game as an opener. Teng, who spent the last two seasons with San Francisco and started seven games last season, has thrown 16 2/3 innings over 11 relief appearances, striking out 16 and walking six.
This will be his first appearance against Baltimore.
Christian Walker had a home run and a double for the Astros on Sunday. He has homered in back-to-back games and in three of his last six. By the end, Houston had scored seven runs to match their second-highest total in the last three weeks.
“Really good at-bats from the very beginning,” Espada said.
Baltimore scored a total of four runs in its last two games combined.
“We know we can put up as many runs as the best teams,” Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson said. “I know we’re one of the best teams at doing it. We just got to go out and do it. It’s just a matter of going out there and proving it.”
Henderson has smashed nine home runs this season. Catcher Samuel Basallo has homered in two of the last three games for Baltimore.
The Orioles have lost three of their four last home series, dropping two of three games in each case.
This will be the second consecutive opponent to visit Baltimore holding last place in its respective division. The Astros are 11-18, while Boston was 11-17 when it departed.
By the end of the Boston series, the Orioles had made roster moves that included designating right-hander Albert Suarez, who threw four innings Saturday, for assignment. Baltimore brought back reliever Ryan Helsley from the family emergency medical list.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nets sign C Moritz Wagner to multi-year contract
May 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Orlando Magic forward Moritz Wagner (21) celebrates a three point basket in the first half against the Detroit Pistons during game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images The Brooklyn Nets signed veteran center Moritz Wagner to a multi-year contract on Friday.
Terms were not released, but ESPN reported the deal was for two years and $19 million.
Wagner, 29, spent the past five-plus seasons with the Orlando Magic. The Nets are his fifth NBA team.
The 6-foot-11 Germany native averaged 6.9 points and 3.2 rebounds in 36 games off the Magic bench in 2025-26.
Wagner has career averages of 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 16.2 minutes in 399 games (57 starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers (2018-19), Washington Wizards (2019-21), Boston Celtics (2021) and Magic (2021-26).
He has shot 51.8% from the field and 80.8% from the free-throw line since being drafted by the Lakers in the first round (25th overall) out of Michigan in 2018.
Younger brother Franz Wagner has been with the Magic since they selected him with the No. 8 overall draft pick in 2021.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sam Leavitt Faces Massive Expectations at LSU
Last season was a disaster in Baton Rouge. LSU took a risk by poaching Brian Kelly from Notre Dame in 2021, but he was unable to replicate the success Ed Orgeron had achieved as head coach. It wasn’t all low lights for Kelly, as he did have multiple 10-win seasons and Bowl wins over his Tigers’ career.
Unfortunately, 10 win seasons and bowl game victories don’t do much for the LSU faithful. The Tigers went big game hunting and landed the most coveted coach in the cycle, Lane Kiffin. Whether you love or hate Kiffin, he’s firmly established himself as one of the better coaches and recruiters in the sport — and he was going to need to overhaul what was a very flawed LSU roster.
Kiffin’s biggest move this offseason was bringing in Sam Leavitt, a redshirt junior transfer from Arizona State. Leavitt was the number-one player in the portal this offseason and reportedly signed a $6 million deal to move to Louisiana.
Injuries derailed portions of Leavitt’s 2025 season, and that may have led to some regression last season, but I’m not entirely sure he’s going to be worth the massive deal he signed this offseason.
Leavitt was dealing with foot issues even when he was on the field last year, but I never came away super impressed with him. During his surprise playoff run during the 2024-25 season, it always felt like Cam Skatteboo’s team, not his. When given full control of the Sun Devil’s offense, he struggled at points, like his 10/22, 82-yard, two-interception performance against 5-7 Mississippi State.
The SEC will be a massive step up in talent for Leavitt, but also a massive step up in responsibility. Kiffin’s offenses will heavily rely on Leavitt to be the engineer on offense, and I’m just not sure that’s in his wheelhouse.
I personally see Leavitt as more of a game manager and not a game changer, and I don’t even think a QB whisperer as great as Kiffin can fix that. Most importantly, how healthy is Leavitt going to be heading into the season?
He missed all of the winter and spring recovering from his Lisfranc fracture and is only now getting up to speed. I don’t love my starting quarterback missing that much time, especially when he has to learn a new offense and build chemistry with a brand-new group of receivers.
The SEC doesn’t have the same level of depth as in previous years, but there’s still enough talent at the top to cause issues in year one under Kiffin. I would be shocked to see LSU as a playoff contender right away. I think it’s far more likely that Kiffin’s ex at Ole Miss will be playing in January.
Sports
Pens sign F Tommy Novak to 3-year, $13.95M extension
Mar 8, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak (18) reacts after scoring the game winning goal in overtime against Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Tommy Novak to a three-year, $13.95 million contract extension on Friday.
Novak, 29, posted 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) in 82 games in his first full season with the Penguins in 2025-26.
Acquired in a trade with Nashville in March 2025, Novak has 159 points (65 goals, 94 assists) in 285 career games.
The Predators drafted the St. Paul, Minn., native in the third round in 2015 and he made his NHL debut in 2021.
Novak, who would have been a free agent after the 2026-27 season, will earn an average annual salary of $4.65 million. The extension will run through the 2029-30 season.
–Field Level Media
Nets sign C Moritz Wagner to multi-year contract
Sam Leavitt Faces Massive Expectations at LSU
