| A year ago, Rafael Montero was a reliable setup man in a deep Astros relief corps. His 2022 ended with a ride in a World Series championship parade and a new three-year, $34 million contract, quite the payday for a middle reliever. There's still plenty of time for a verdict to be rendered on that contract, but in the short term, Montero's recent struggles have become something hard to ignore on the Astros' current road trip. Monday night in Anaheim marked the second time in three games that he gave up multiple runs in the eighth inning. A leadoff walk, an RBI triple by Brandon Drury one out later and then a Matt Thaiss sacrifice fly sent Houston to a 6-4 loss, the Astros' third straight. The Astros will turn to their new ace, Framber Valdez, in Tuesday's game, which will feature a star-filled matchup against Shohei Ohtani. The Texans have their rookie mini camp on Friday and Saturday. As the team gathered for its annual charity golf tournament, coach DeMeco Ryans and CEO Cal McNair said again that the team won't rush C.J. Stroud to the starting job at quarterback. Among some of the other highlights on Monday, more talk about Houston's new uniforms, a big-money putt from GM Nick Caserio and some fun schedule talk from McNair. The Rockets' two first-round picks last season were honored by the NBA on Monday. Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason were named to the NBA's All-Rookie team as second-team selections. Our countdown of the top prospects for the NBA draft continues ahead of next week's lottery. Today, Jonathan Feigen looks at Ausar Thompson. On the college basketball scene, UH is raising prices on season tickets by an average of 50 percent ahead of the move to the Big 12. Given the team's recent success, it's hard to complain. In Austin, the Longhorns are playing the transition game on their roster among the transfer portal, recruits changing their minds and potential NBA draft entries. And in college football, Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher was in town to meet with Aggie faithful and explain why he likes to have four quarterbacks on his roster. Stat of the day: 25-5-5. LeBron James has had 146 playoff games with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists after his performance in Game 4 against the Warriors on Monday. The next closes? Michael Jordan at 73. | 
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