NCAAB

• Oregon transfer C Kel’el Ware commits to Indiana
  • Ware is pretty raw, but he’ll help fill the void in Bloomington left by Trayce Jackson-Davis’ departure. After all, 1.3 blocks in 15.8 minutes per game isn’t too shabby.
• Western Kentucky transfer PG Dayvion McKnight commits to Xavier
  • Western Kentucky was inexplicably pretty bad this past season, but that wasn’t McKnight’s fault. The guard is an all-around threat, and even recorded a triple-double as a sophomore for the Hilltoppers. Xavier is in a good place.

MLB

• White Sox 4, Twins 3
  • At this stage, it seems like Dylan Cease delivers every start. That was the case yesterday afternoon, as Chicago’s ace pitched 5.0 innings, allowing just one earned run.
  • Michael Taylor isn’t a good hitter, but the Twins didn’t exactly acquire the veteran outfielder for free, so I’m sure they’ll be expecting production at the dish at some point. Taylor’s current OPS is just .423.
• Guardians 3, Yankees 2
  • The Guardians win an insane number of close games. It took me a long time to believe in Cleveland last season, but this might just be who the club is. It’s not like the Guardians lack talent — Jose Ramirez, Shane Bieber, and Emmanuel Clase, among others, are all good players for the 7-4 Guardians.
• Orioles 5, Athletics 1
  • It’s going to be a long season in Oakland. At 2-8 with a -49 run differential, these Athletics may end being the worst team I’ve ever seen. Oakland went so long with being competitive, year after year, that this feels a bit like a rarified, unexpected air.
• Astros 8, Pirates 2
  • Yordan Alvarez is awesome. Houston’s best player already has 16 RBIs in 2023 and is basically single-handedly keeping the 5-6 Astros afloat in the absence of Jose Altuve.
• Phillies 15, Marlins 3
  • This was a marvelous offensive showcase by the Phillies against one of baseball’s top pitchers, Sandy Alcantara. There shouldn’t be any regrets in Philadelphia about the Trae Turner signing thus far. The shortstop went 3-4 yesterday, and is hitting .349 on the year with two steals.
  • Luis Arraez is unbelievable. We’re 11 games into Miami’s season, and after a 2-2 day, Arraez is batting .500.
• Mets 5, Padres 0
  • This past October, Max Scherzer didn’t exactly have his best outing versus San Diego. That changed in this game, as the 38-year-old tossed 5.0 scoreless frames. The Mets are 6-5, which is fine, but the team probably hasn’t fared as well as expected to this point.
• Braves 5, Reds 4
  • The top of Atlanta’s lineup is relentless. Even after losing Dansby Swanson, the Braves feature a dominant one through five — Ronald Acuna, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Sean Murphy, and Ozzie Albies. Atlanta is the best team in the NL East.
  • Cincinnati has a few promising young starters to feel good about, but the bullpen is a mess that will prevent the club from eclipsing 75 wins in 2023. Each of the four relievers that entered this game for the Reds exited the diamond with an ERA of 6.75 or higher.
• Cubs 3, Mariners 2
  • Nico Hoerner, at just 25, is already an elite contact hitter. The Cubs’ second baseman knocked a walk-off single in this game, leading Chicago to a 5-4 start, which at this point, will definitely do for the rising ball club.
  • 4-7 start for the Mariners. Not good. Don’t blame Luis Castillo, though. Seattle’s ace holds a 1.02 ERA through three starts. Feel free to blame Kolten Wong, though. The Mariners’ offseason acquisition has just four hits in 29 at-bats, good for a WAR of -0.4.
• Rangers 11, Royals 2
  • I’m sure Zack Greinke loves playing for the Royals — it’s his ninth season with the club, but the signs are there that he needs to be moved. The 39-year-old is already 0-3 on the year, but has a 3.31 ERA. Greinke is capable of being a back end starter on a contender, and we’ll see if that comes to fruition later this season.
• Rockies 7, Cardinals 4
  • Perhaps some frustration is brewing in St. Louis? The Cardinals are just 3-7, and newly added Willson Contreras went 0-4 in this game, and has limped to a .508 OPS out of the gate. St. Louis is in last place.
• Diamondbacks 3, Brewers 0
  • Zac Gallen was uncharacteristically a little roughed up in his first two starts, but he reverted to his typical form last night. Gallen was on the mound for 7.0 innings and allowed zero runs while striking out 11 Brewers. The Diamondbacks are pretty frisky. 80 wins seems plausible.
• Dodgers 9, Giants 1
  • I discussed Max Muncy’s slow start, and boy, did he reverse it in this game. Muncy went 3-3 with two home runs and seven RBIs. The Dodgers may just be 6-5, but they’re probably the best team in the National League.