#Deadspin #Nationals #hands #full #Matt #Olson #Braves #Theyre #good">Deadspin | Nationals have hands full with Matt Olson, Braves: ‘They’re really good’
Apr 15, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson (28) reacts as he runs after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Truist Park. All players are wearing number 42 today in honor of Jackie Robinson. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Matt Olson will look to continue his success at Nationals Park when the Atlanta Braves visit the Washington Nationals for the second game of their four-game series Tuesday night.
The Atlanta first baseman smacked a two-run homer to center and added a sacrifice fly in the Braves 9-4 win on Monday night, their sixth in a row. Washington’s James Wood also robbed Olson of a homer at the fence in right field.
“We hit a lot of balls hard tonight,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said Monday. “That wind was blowing in. The fact that that ball Olson hit got out to center was a miracle the way the wind was blowing in. He might have had three homers tonight without any wind.”
Olson’s numbers might be ready for a boost anyway given his history at Nationals Park. Over the course of the 32-year-old’s career, Olson has played 30 games at the stadium. He has 13 homers, 35 RBIs and a batting average of .367.
The 13 home runs are more than he has hit in every stadium except the two parks he has called home — he previously played for the Athletics — and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, where he has parked 15 balls over the outfield wall.
Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna, Jr. left the game in the sixth inning after being hit by a Jake Irvin pitch for the second time in the game, this one on the left hand. Acuna is day-to-day and Weiss said X-rays were negative.
“We feel pretty good about it,” Weiss said. “That’s where we’re at. We don’t have any plans for an MRI.”
Irvin said neither pitch was intentional.
“We’re trying to go in,” he said. “It’s unfortunate.
Atlanta right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (1-0, 2.18) will oppose left-hander Foster Griffin (2-0, 3.05) on Tuesday.
Griffin turned in three strong starts to open the season but struggled the last time out against Pittsburgh on Thursday. He held the Pirates scoreless for the first four innings but ultimately gave up four runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings, striking out seven and walking one. The Nationals pulled off an 8-7 win in 10 innings, but Griffin didn’t figure into the decision.
He has never faced the Braves.
Lopez is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in four career starts against the Nationals.
He gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits in five innings of a no-decision against the Miami Marlins in his April 14 start, won 6-5 by the Braves. It was the first time in four starts that he had given up more than one earned run.
The Nationals took the lead twice on Monday but could not hold it. Daylen Lile homered, but Washington was held to three hits and fell to 2-8 at home on a night that they committed two errors in addition to hitting Acuna.
“We know we have to play really good baseball against this team; they’re really good,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said after the game on Monday. “We made too many mistakes tonight to beat this club. We’ll address it, we’ll fix it and be ready to go tomorrow.”
Lile has hits in 18 of 22 games played this year.
Irvin was perfect through three innings but was later lifted after five innings and 68 pitches. He gave up four runs (three earned).
Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin had two hits, drove in two runs and scored twice. He has 10 multi-hit games this season.
#Deadspin #Raiders #pick #Ohio #State #draft #takeover #begins">Deadspin | Raiders pick No. 1, then Ohio State draft takeover begins
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8), linebacker Sonny Styles (6), safety Caleb Downs (2) and cornerback Davison Igbinosun (1) work out during spring football practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on March 17, 2025.
Ohio State is not the reigning national champion in college football, and the Buckeyes are not expected to produce a fourth No. 1 overall selection when the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off with the Las Vegas Raiders on the clock Thursday night.
But you can bet your most sacred scarlet that the Buckeyes are money in the bank to pad their all-time total — 97 and counting — first-round selections soon after Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is selected by the Raiders.
Anywhere between nine and 13 Ohio State players are projected to be drafted into the NFL this week, and five carry first-round grades one year removed from the 2025 national championship roster that produced four first-rounders: wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (No. 21, Buccaneers), offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (24, Vikings), defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (28, Lions) and offensive tackle Josh Simmons (32, Chiefs).
The 2021 Alabama team and the 2004 Miami squad share the record with six first-round selections in a single draft.
The wait for the Ohio State takeover of the 2026 draft might not be long. In fact, that first selection could come right after Mendoza hears his name called.
Buckeyes linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese are candidates to be selected No. 2 overall by the Jets. Styles put on an epic athletic display at the NFL Scouting Combine in February and Reese, who played a variety of positions in Matt Patricia’s defense, was right there with him. At 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, Reese is being compared to Penn State-era Micah Parsons, the No. 12 pick in the 2021 draft and a three-time NFL All-Pro.
Reese is dripping with upside. He had 6.5 sacks at Ohio State in 2025 but was only a part-time pass rusher.
Only 20, Reese could add significant weight and convert to defensive end or focus on an edge/outside linebacker role. Because of his speed and power, there are also teams that discussed using him inside. The Cleveland native met with the Browns but he might not stick around long enough to stay in Ohio; the Browns have picks No. 6 and 24. He also had multiple meetings with the Arizona Cardinals, who pick third overall.
“I played everywhere from inside linebacker to (strong-side) to edge. I was comfortable everywhere,” Reese said, noting NFL teams are complimentary of his versatility. “It changes (with) each team, so it depends on the system and how the defensive coordinator thinks he’ll use me.”
Styles is a second-generation NFL prospect. His dad, Lorenzo Styles, was an NFL linebacker for the St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons for six seasons. Lorenzo Styles Jr. is also part of the 2026 draft class. A Notre Dame transfer, Lorenzo Styles Jr. played safety — and started 11 games — for the Buckeyes last season.
At 6-5, 244, Sonny Styles stole the show at the combine. He ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, had a 43 1/2-inch vertical, broad jumped 11 feet, 2 inches and clocked a 4.26-second 20-yard shuttle. It points to his high school background as a five-star safety recruit.
The top tackler on Ohio State’s dynamic defense, Sonny Styles had only one missed tackle all season — and it came in the College Football Playoff — by the count of Buckeyes’ staff.
“I think the way I can improve the run defense is just being in the middle,” said Styles, a self-described film junkie. “I feel like I had a great feel of what was coming.”
Safety Caleb Downs is listed as a top-10 prospect by many evaluators, and he will be in the draft green room Thursday with his linebacker teammates, wide receiver Carnell Tate and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.
All six could be selected in the opening round. Downs and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren are vying to be the top player picked at the position and Tate is another likely first-round receiver produced by the Buckeyes. He averaged 17.2 yards per reception last season and caught 14 TD passes in three seasons at Ohio State.
McDonald turned 21 last month and was the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2025. He had 65 tackles and nine tackles for loss last season as the thick and powerful roadblock to interior linemen trying to get their hands on Reese and Styles.
#Omar #Cooper #San #Francisco #49ers #pick #Niners #Nation #Nations #community #mock #draft">Omar Cooper Jr. goes to San Francisco 49ers at pick No. 27 thanks to Niners Nation in SB Nation’s community mock draft
Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana
It would make a lot of sense for the 49ers to go offensive line here and plan for the eventual exit of Trent Williams. Defensive line would also be no surprise, but, even after the signing of Mike Evans, wide receiver appears likely to take priority. Cooper can give San Francisco a bona-fide YAC threat who has also the ability to win downfield and who can operate inside and out. He’s an ideal wide receiver for Kyle Shanahan and would quickly become a favourite of Brock Purdy.
#SRH #IPL #Abhishek #runs #riot #Sunrisers #Hyderabad #beats #Delhi #Capitals">SRH vs DC IPL 2026: Abhishek runs riot as Sunrisers Hyderabad beats Delhi Capitals
In Abhishek Sharma’s T20 playbook, the white Kookaburra ball is an object destined to be dispatched into the stands at every available opportunity. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Tuesday, the southpaw (135 n.o., 68b, 10×4, 10×6) flaunted that destructive template with relish, lifting Sunrisers Hyderabad to a daunting 242 for two and setting up a 47-run win against Delhi Capitals in IPL-19. Abhishek was well-supported by Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen.
DC’s response with the bat fell short as it finished on 195 for nine. While Nitish Rana scored a half-century, his 86-run stand with K.L. Rahul lacked the required urgency. When Rana slammed Shivang Kumar for two sixes in a 19-run eighth over, the momentum appeared to shift. But soon enough, SRH struck thrice in the space of four deliveries, with Sakib Hussain getting Rahul caught at deep square leg in the 10th over and Eshan Malinga excising Rana and David Miller in the 11th. Malinga finished with four for 32 while Harsh Dubey scalped three for 12.
The visitor’s effort proved to be no match to Abhishek’s onslaught. After ensconcing himself as a six-hitting phenom in India’s set-up in the two years leading up to the 2026 T20 World Cup, form may have deserted the 25-year-old for much of the marquee event. But he had no trouble in taking down the DC bowlers for his second century of his IPL career.
Considering Abhishek’s recent travails against off-spin, Capitals hoped that the use of Rana in the PowerPlay would make for an ideal match-up. It seemed a sound move when the part-time off-spinner conceded just six runs in the second over. But thereafter, he was treated with utter disdain as figures of 4-0-55-0 illustrate. He also spilled Abhishek on 86 at deep point.
When Head pulled Axar Patel to deep midwicket in the ninth over, it was an altogether brief lull. The onslaught resumed as Abhishek forged a 79-run stand off 35 deliveries with Kishan. That Klaasen also belted an unbeaten 37 off 13 balls was the icing on the cake for a partisan crowd.
#Deadspin #Coach #grandson #charged #fatal #DWI #involving #teen">Deadspin | Coach K’s grandson charged in fatal DWI involving teen
Feb 14, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Former Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski (left) and wife Mickie watch the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Duke Blue Devils warmup at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
A grandson of former Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski stands charged with driving while impaired in an incident that killed a 15-year-old bicyclist in Durham, N.C.
Joseph Savarino, 26, was the driver of a Ford Explorer that hit the teen, who was riding an e-bike just prior to 9 p.m. on Saturday, according to a police report.
He was taken to Durham County Detention Center and released Monday on a $100,000 secured bond. He also was ordered to hand over his driver’s license.
He currently is charged only with a misdemeanor count of DWI.
According to the records, Savarino’s blood-alcohol content measured 0.11 on a breathalyzer test performed nearly four hours after the boy was hit.
Allison O’Shea of Durham, in a Facebook post late Sunday night, identified her son, Jack, as the victim. She described his activities on Saturday, saying he capped his day with his “usual afternoon bike ride with friends.
“As he was coming back into our neighborhood, he was involved in an accident and was hit by a car. Jesus took him immediately.”
Savarino’s brother, Michael, also was charged with DWI in 2022 and sentenced to 12 months of probation. Michael played at Duke as a walk-on from 2019-22, appearing in 13 games.
The mother of Joseph and Michael is Debbie Savarino, one of Krzyzewski’s three daughters.
#Bangladesh #squad #T20I #Zealand #Allrounder #Abdul #Saqlain #maiden #callup">Bangladesh squad for first two T20I vs New Zealand: All-rounder Abdul Saqlain gets maiden call-up
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday announced a 15-member squad for the first two T20Is of the side’s three-match series against New Zealand.
The Litton Das-led side includes Ripon Mandal, who last played for Bangladesh in the Asian Games in 2023. Pace-bowling all-rounder Abdul Gaffar Saqlain was handed a maiden call-up.
The first two games will be played in Chattogram while the third will be played in Dhaka. This will be the first T20I games for the side since opting out of the T20 World Cup in India due to security concerns.
Full Squad
Litton Kumer Das (c), Mohammed Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan, Mohammed Saif Hassan (vc), Shamim Hossain, Tawhid Hridoy, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Ripon Mondol, Shaif Uddin, Abdul Gaffar Saqlain.
#Deadspin #Billy #Donovan #opts #coach #Bulls">Deadspin | Billy Donovan opts out as head coach of Bulls
Apr 10, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan leaves the court after the game against the Orlando Magic at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Billy Donovan decided not to stick around for the latest rebuild of the Chicago Bulls.
Donovan was 226-256 in six seasons with the Bulls, who added the coaching vacancy to the list of openings at the top of the organization. Chicago was in the midst of a search for a new president of basketball operations and general manager.
“After a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization, I have decided to step away as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls to allow the search process to unfold,” Donovan said in a statement Tuesday. “I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit.”
The Bulls said last week they wanted Donovan to return. With an option in his existing contract, Donovan decided not to exercise the clause for the 2026-27 season.
Donovan, 60, expressed no public interest in moving to a front-office role and there were no indications a move was proposed by the Bulls.
The Bulls were expected to interview agent Austin Brown, co-head of CAA’s basketball division, and five other known candidates first reported by ESPN: Minnesota Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd, Detroit Pistons senior vice president Dennis Lindsey, Atlanta Hawks senior VP Bryson Graham, Cleveland Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey and San Antonio Spurs assistant GM Dave Telep.
On April 6, the Bulls parted ways with executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley after six seasons and just one playoff appearance.
Coming off a 31-51 campaign, the Bulls are hoping to hire a new decision-maker prior to the May 10-17 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
Donovan thanked owner Jerry Reinsdorf and chairman Michael Reinsdorf “for giving me this opportunity” and appears to be exiting on good terms.
“Billy Donovan is one of the finest people and coaches I have had the privilege of knowing and working with,” Jerry Reinsdorf said in a press release. “He brought class and genuine care to this organization that made a real impact on people. We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach. That was never in question. But through honest conversations, we all agreed that giving our new head of basketball operations the right to build out his staff was the most important thing for the future of the franchise. That’s the kind of person Billy is — he put the Bulls first.”
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Billy #Donovan #opts #coach #Bulls
Apr 10, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan leaves the court…
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – APRIL 19: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons plays against the Orlando Magic during game one of the first round of the eastern conference playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on April 19, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Getty Images
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – APRIL 19: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons plays against the Orlando Magic during game one of the first round of the eastern conference playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on April 19, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Getty Images
#PistonsMagic #Game #preview #Detroit #desperately #Jalen #Duren #step">Pistons-Magic Game 2 preview: Detroit desperately needs Jalen Duren to step up
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – APRIL 19: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons plays against the Orlando Magic during game one of the first round of the eastern conference playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on April 19, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Getty Images