Gene Menez revealed his Kentucky Derby 2026 picks for the Run for the Roses on Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs

The Houston Rockets will try to get their season alive against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of the teams first-round playoff series. The Rockets avoided elimination with a 115-96 victory in Game 4. The Lakers hold a 3-1 lead in the series. One more victory and they will advance to the second round to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.How to watch Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles LakersDate: Wednesday, April 29Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PTWhere: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CaliforniaTV Channels: ESPNLive Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo SportsOddsSpread: Los Angeles Lakers -4.5Moneyline: Los Angeles Lakers -185 (61.9%) / Houston Rockets +150 (38.1%)Over/Under: 208.5Series results, schedule (all times Eastern)Game 1:Lakers 107, Rockets 98Game 2:Lakers 101, Rockets 94Game 3:Lakers 112, Rockets 108 (OT)Game 4:Rockets 115, Lakers 96Game 5: Wed., April 29 at Los Angeles (10 p.m., ESPN)Game 6: Fri., May 1 at Houston (TBD)*Game 7: Sun., May 3 at Los Angeles (TBD)*if necessary

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On Wednesday night, 24-year-old American international Johnny Cardoso etched his name into the history books and joined an elite club among USA soccer greats. After seeing just 60 seconds of action in the quarterfinal clincher against Barcelona, Cardoso was a surprise inclusion in the starting XI for the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal. In doing so, the New Jersey-born star became just the third American to ever start a semifinal match of the world's most prestigious club competition. Born in the States but raised in Brazil, the midfielder provided the steel and composure Atltico needed against a high-flying Gunners attack. He joins an ultra-exclusive club of Americans to reach this altitude, trailing only the likes of Christian Pulisic. While Cardoso didnt find the back of the net to match Pulisics famous semifinal goal record, his presence allowed Atltico to claw back into a game that looked to be slipping away in the first half. Griezmann's last dance in Madrid Antoine Griezmann made the most of his final home match with Atltico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday. Griezmann didn't score despite having a few good opportunities, but he led Atltico's attack along with Julian Alvarez and was named the game's most valuable player following the 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the first leg of the semifinals. "It's a shame I couldn't find the net," said Griezmann, who is joining MLS club Orlando City this summer. "But it will happen in the second leg for sure. We all put in a great effort." Griezmann's best chance at the Metropolitano stadium was a second-half shot that hit the crossbar. He also came close with a strike from inside the area. The 35-year-old Griezmann missed a penalty kick in the 2016 Champions League final that Atltico lost to Real Madrid. "We want to reach the final," Griezmann said. "It's my dream. Ive prepared a lot for this match and the one we will have in London, and hopefully we can make it to the final." The France playmaker said Atltico deserved a better result after improving in the second half at the Metropolitano. "The bad minutes we played in the first half hurt a bit," Griezmann said. "We fixed a couple of things tactically for the second half and we were able to pressure better and move better. The fans kept pushing and it also helped." Griezmann is Atlticos all-time leading scorer but his minutes have been managed by coach Diego Simeone this season. He's spent 10 seasons with Atltico. He also played for Real Sociedad and Barcelona. "We all want to make it to the final," Atltico midfielder Koke Resurreccion said, "and hopefully the game in London won't be the last one for Griezmann in this competition." The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener Abhishek Sharma has credited former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh for playing a defining role in shaping his mindset and approach to the game.

Here's how the semifinalists rank after 90 minutes played, and you might be surprised where Arsenal sit

Relief for Cholo: Julin lvarez has no injuryWithout a doubt, the match left Atltico Madrid with mixed feelings. On the one hand, there was the joy of responding after Arsenals goal. But on the other, there was a sense that they deserved more in the second half.That said, one of the main concerns that left a very bitter taste looking ahead to the second leg was Julin lvarezs early substitution after a clash with Eberechi Eze.However, according to Gastn Edul, the player came off as a precaution after twisting his ankle, but it is nothing serious. This gives all Atltico supporters hope ahead of the return leg in London.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in here.

NEW YORK Sitting on a gray couch in the Citi Field visitors clubhouse, James Wood studied a 64-square checkerboard. This was the 23-year-old outfielders second game of chess of the afternoon. Moments before, Wood had just said the magic word checkmate to shortstop CJ Abrams, defeating his Washington Nationals teammate before moving on to his next victim. Wood was looking for another win against another teammate, hours before the real competition on the field. It was a somewhat intense battle of minds. Wood was leaning forward, focused on the board and ignoring the outside world. The clubhouse was mostly quiet, besides some soft music playing from a floor speaker placed on one side of the room. Abrams sat next to Wood, silently playing Sudoku on a printed sheet of paper. All of this might seem boring, but playing chess is an essential challenge for Wood. Embracing obstacles as part of his daily routine is how the young power hitter likes to begin his game days. "It's just more competition," Wood told me on the field during batting practice Tuesday. "Just trying to break the cycle, have some fun. It's a different way of thinking." Wood, a gentle giant at 6-foot-7, is a man of few words. While the third-year big leaguer is a low-key guy, his bat is one of the loudest in the major leagues. He enters Wednesday tied for the National League lead in home runs with 10. He leads the NL in walks with 29. Not only that, but he ranks ninth among all MLB hitters with a .953 OPS. Across the board, these are all career-best numbers for Wood, who is fast emerging as a bonafide star in the league. Wood is hitting the ball harder than everyone. His 97 mph average exit velocity is tied with Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz for the best in MLB. Woods 116.3 maximum exit velocity is tied with Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton for fifth-best among all hitters. Its an eye-popping number thats faster than reigning MVP's Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. "Honestly, what is most impressive about [Wood] is how fast he freaking hits the ball," Nationals general manager Paul Toboni told me at Citi Field on Tuesday. "He's kind of a unicorn in that respect." Wood is coming off his first-career All-Star season in 2025, which was also his first full major-league season. To follow that up, he hasnt wasted any time showing off his raw power and top-tier bat speed through the first month of action. Hes helping a rebuilding Nationals team stay afloat in a tough NL East. Washington (13-17) is neck-and-neck with the Miami Marlins, fighting for second place in the division. With Wood driving the teams offense, the Nationals are ranked fourth in MLB in runs scored, behind only the Braves, Dodgers, and Cubs. Its apparent why Wood, whos under team control through 2030, is the centerpiece of the clubs long-term plans. Earlier this month, Wood won his first NL Player of the Week honor after batting .545 (12-for-22) with three home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, eight runs scored, six walks and two stolen bases amid a six-game hitting streak. He posted a .655 on-base percentage, a 1.091 slugging percentage and a 1.746 OPS in that stretch. Woods elite dominance is turning heads around the league. But, ask him about his hot start to the season and his rising status as a big-league star, and he doesnt think anything of it. "It's kind of just a title," Wood said. "I just try to be myself. And if that's how people see me, that's great. But, if not, I'm just going to be myself regardless." Woods ability to be so grounded at such a young age has stood out to people in the Nationals organization. Even though hes only 23, he carries himself like a veteran leader who understands what it takes to produce at the highest level. But none of this happened overnight for Wood. Even though hes always been excellent at staying down-to-earth, hes had to work on remaining disciplined. Last year, in his first full-season in the majors, Wood found it somewhat difficult to stay locked in over the course of the long, 162-game schedule. After posting a .903 OPS in April, 1.014 in May, and .897 in June, Woods production dropped to a .564 OPS in July, .724 in August, and .785 in September. Young hitters often struggle with concentration over the lengthy season, dealing with mental fatigue, a build-up of the physical grind, and inexperience with daily adjustments. When I asked him if hes feeling more confident at the plate this year, Wood said: "Its the same as last year. I just gotta find a way to bring it every day." This season, Wood has tried to focus on finding a new challenge every day, whether thats in-game or in the locker room, like playing chess with his teammates. Wood has learned that "baseball has its own way of keeping things interesting." Now, in his second full-season in the big leagues, with nearly 1,200 plate appearances under his belt, Wood has a better idea of what to expect. The game has slowed down for him, and hes more comfortable. "The sky's the limit for this guy," Toboni said. "And I just think it's up to us, and the coaching staff, to continue to find ways to challenge him, because being good and having a boring routine and being good at that boring routine oftentimes is really important. And James, I think, is really good at owning that. The season's really long. And staying disciplined throughout the course of the season, I think, is really important to James." Woods relationship with discipline also extends to the batters box. His 221 strikeouts led the majors last season, and hes once again pacing the league with 46 whiffs through 30 games this year. Striking out so frequently is the main reason his production plummeted in the second half of last year. The Nationals would like to see him cut down on his strikeouts, which would lead to a more consistent offensive output. Still, Toboni has been impressed by the consistency of Woods at-bats so far this season. Even if the result of his plate appearance is an out, the quality of his at-bats has improved, Toboni said. Compared to last year, Wood is seeing slightly more pitches per plate appearance this season, and his strikeout percentage is also marginally diminished. The most encouraging improvement for Wood is the jump in his walk rate, escalating from 12.3% last year to 20% this year. Still, Wood needs to ameliorate his defensive limitations after posting a -7 OAA (Outs Above Average) in left field last season. But look closely, and hes making strides with his glove this year. Earlier this month against the Cardinals, Wood made a jumping catch in right field to take a home run away from Norman Gorman. Woods OAA has improved to -3 so far this season. "He'd probably kill me if he heard me say this," Toboni said, laughing. "But when you watch him, you don't really think he's moving because his limbs are so long. He's 6-7. But he's moving. I know there are advantages to having really long arms and being able to reach for balls that other players aren't able to." Its so easy to overlook how young Wood still is, particularly given the elite company hes keeping at the plate and, of course, his mature disposition. Plenty of young players spend their free time scrolling on their phones or overworking themselves in the batting cage. But Wood? Hes staring at rooks, bishops and knights. Building a routine and slowing things down has helped Wood block out the noise, even when that attention is positive. Even though his name is being mentioned more and more, with his highlights routinely popping up on MLB Network, Wood doesnt view himself as a budding superstar. That's not a bad thing. The young Nationals phenom can be reserved off the field, as long as he stays ruthless at the plate. "I don't think I ever doubted I would be here," Wood said. "But it's cool to be here and just take it in every day. I'm just super grateful to be where I'm at. So I'm taking one day at a time." "From The Dugout" is where we provide an insider's view on the biggest and best storylines surrounding MLB's top players and teams. ___ Deesha Thosarcovers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at@DeeshaThosar.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) opener and World No.1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma has spoken about the influence of his teammate Travis Head on his batting approach.