NFL

• Steelers sign EDGE Markus Golden to one-year contract
  • Dollar amounts for this contract haven’t been made public, but if it’s a cheap deal, this is a win for the Steelers. Golden’s sack total (2.5) last season wasn’t anything to write home about, but he’s a proven veteran that should provide solid depth behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Golden is also known as a high character guy, which is important for a team such as the Steelers that places a premium value on culture.

MLB

• Rangers 3, Pirates 2
  • There was a somewhat justified level of hype surrounding the Rangers prior to last season, but 2022 didn’t go as planned for Texas. Water has found its level this year, though, as a case can be made that the 31-18 Rangers are the best team in the AL West. After all, Texas leads the division, has the best run differential in the sport, and presents danger all throughout the lineup, from Marcus Semien to Leody Taveras. Texas hasn’t made the postseason since 2016, but that’ll change this fall.
  • Speaking of water finding its level, reality is sinking in for the Pirates. The team is now 25-24 — a much better representation of the team’s talent level than its 20-8 start.
• Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 5
  • Trea Turner needed this game. Philadelphia’s shortstop went just 1 for 5, but he smashed a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth. Turner’s struggles in 2023 have been subject to plenty of discussion, particularly his tendency to swing and miss versus fastballs, but perhaps yesterday’s home run will give him a jolt.
• White Sox 6, Guardians 0
  • Back-to-back gems for Michael Kopech. In this contest, Kopech went 7.0 scoreless innings, striking out nine Clevelanders. Talent isn’t the question with Kopech, so if the righty can develop some consistency, Chicago will be feeling better about its rotation.
  • Under 86.5 wins for the Guardians was one of the easier preseason futures to bet on, and with Cleveland sitting at 21-28, it looks as if it’ll come to fruition. Cleveland’s prospects would be boosted if Steven Kwan started hitting like he did as a rookie. Kwan’s batting average has dipped from .298 to .254.
• Twins 7, Giants 1
  • Joe Ryan is so underrated. The pitcher win stat is overrated by the casual fan, but Ryan is 7-1 in 2023 and 21-10 for his career. More importantly, the 26-year-old sports a 2.21 ERA this year — a big help for Minnesota’s strong pitching staff.
• Reds 10, Cardinals 3
  • This game was an excellent boost to the stats of Reds hitters. 18 team hits will do that. Cincinnati recently promoted Matt McLain, one of baseball’s better prospects, and he homered in this affair. McLain is the first of a strong wave of shortstop prospects the Reds are expected to promote at some point before the end of next season.
  • It’s very early, but the Willson Contreras signing for the Cardinals doesn’t look great. Contreras,, who went o for 3 last night, signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract with St. Louis this past winter, but he’s struggled both as a hitter and behind the dish. There’s plenty of time for the three-time All-Star to right the ship, but the biggest concern regarding Contreras is whether or not he’s a suitable option to catch for the Redbirds.
• Rays 7, Blue Jays 3
  • The Rays’ lineup is so deep. In yesterday’s lineup, Christian Bethancourt was the weakest link, yet he has seven home runs and a .770 OPS in 2023. With such a potent lineup, Tampa Bay is tough to beat, especially with Shane McClanahan pitching. In this tilt, McClanahan tossed seven dominant innings.
• Nationals 5, Padres 3
  • When the Juan Soto trade was agreed to last summer between these two clubs, I doubt anyone figured they would have similar records at this point. Following this result, San Diego is just a game better than Washington, a reflection of just how poorly things have gone in 2023 for the Padres.
• Braves 4, Dodgers 3
  • Bryce Elder has been a tremendous success story for Atlanta, a team that seems to find hidden gems left and right. Elder threw six innings of one run ball in this game, lowering his ERA to 2.01. The righty is an artist at inducing ground ball outs.
  • Max Muncy has an odd statline thus far. The slugger is second in the league in home runs with 15, but is hitting just .204 after going 0 for 5 yesterday.
• Cubs 4, Mets 2
  • Marcus Stroman was dazzling in this tilt, pitching eight innings and allowing just two runs. Stroman will likely opt out of his deal with the Cubs after the season, creating an interesting free agency for the 32-year-old. It would behoove the Cubs to bring back Stroman, as he’s still pitching at a high level. How about a three-year, $75 million contract?
• Tigers 6, Royals 4
  • It’s far too early to call Riley Greene a post-hype prospect since he’s just 22, but the center fielder is finding his stride. After going 2 for 4 with a home run in this game, Greene’s average is up to .291, far better than his .253 mark as a rookie. Detroit is surprisingly very much alive in the AL Central at 22-25 and just 2.5 games back of the Twins.
  • It’s time for Kansas City to cut bait with Jackie Bradley. At 33, the outfielder doesn’t have a future with the Royals, and sports an OPS of just .448 after an 0 for 4 performance last night.
• Marlins 10, Rockies 2
  • Sure, the team plays its home games at Coors Field, but Colorado’s pitching is terrible. Karl Kauffmann made the second start of his career in this game and was bombed to the tune of five earned runs over 4.1 innings. Imagine being a highly touted pitcher and getting drafted by the Rockies. That wouldn’t be good.
• Orioles 9, Yankees 6
  • I mentioned the Guardians’ win total as one of the easier futures to bet on during Spring Training. Well, taking the over on 76.5 wins for the Orioles was even easier. Baltimore is now 32-17, and while the club will likely come back down to Earth at some point, the Orioles should be playing into October for the first time since 2016 this fall.
  • The Yankees’ lineup in this game featured a stark contrast between top and bottom. At the top: Gleyber Torres, Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, and DJ Lemahieu. At the bottom: Jake Bauers, Anthony Volpe, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Kyle Higashioka. Aaron Boone’s team will get a lift offensively once Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson return.
• Angels 7, Red Sox 3
  • Baseball fans are going to look back in awe decades from now when discovering that Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani played together. Trout is no longer one of the two best players in MLB, but he’s one of the best players of his generation, while Ohtani is obviously an incredible two-way force. Fittingly, both stars hit their 12th home run of the season in this game.
• Mariners 6, Athletics 1
  • Seattle has something in Bryce Miller. After throwing six scoreless innings last night, the 24-year-old Miller holds a 1.15 ERA.
  • 10-41. The Athletics are obviously horrible, and they’re currently on pace to have far and away the worst record in the modern era. There’s certainly a chance Oakland rights the ship at least a bit, but as of now, only the 1899 Cleveland Spiders and 1890 Pittsburgh Alleghenys posted worse win percentages than Oakland’s current mark of .196. The Athletics struggle to even win one in every five games!