NBA

76ers 105, Heat 104

Watching this game, it felt like the 76ers thought, at least for awhile, this win would come to them easily. That’s not life against the Heat, though. No Philadelphia starter performed above their usual standard last night, but Nic Batum’s exploits off the bench (20 points, five rebounds, and stingy defense) were enough to carry the day for the 76ers. A tricky first round matchup versus the Knicks awaits Nick Nurse’s team, but if Joel Embiid puts forth his fourth quarter performance from this contest, Philadelphia has a solid chance to upset New York.

Heartbreaker for the Heat. Sure, Miami will still have an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth on Friday, but blowing a 14-point lead in a game in which the Heat had a solid grasp on hurts. At the end of the first quarter, Jimmy Butler was hurt, and while Miami’s star was able to return, he didn’t play well the rest of the night, scoring just 19 points on 18 shots. Tyler Herro missing 18 shots didn’t help matters either. On Friday night, Miami needs more from Bam Adebayo on offense, where he totaled just 10 points and one assist yesterday.

MLB

Giants 3, Marlins 1

Plenty of people expected Miami to take a step back this season, but a 4-15 start wasn’t predicted by many. For the Marlins to this point, the issue is as simple as the bats not getting the job done. Miami has scored just 70 runs through 19 games, and struggles by Jesus Sanchez and Tim Anderson stick out in particular.

Orioles 4, Twins 2

The AL East, yet again, is a bloodbath, but I think the 12-6 Orioles are the division’s top team. Baltimore doesn’t have many weaknesses, and its outlook will be even better once Jackson Holliday starts hitting. The rookie phenom went 0-for-4 in this game and is batting just .040 since being promoted.

Like the Orioles in the AL East, I still think Minnesota is the AL Central’s best team, but a 6-11 start isn’t ideal for the Twins. Byron Buxton isn’t hitting yet, and the rangy centerfielder went 0-for-4 yesterday with two strikeouts. Minnesota should be fine — I don’t see Cleveland, Kansas City, or Detroit running away with the division.

Mets 9, Pirates 1

It’s amazing how quickly a team’s outlook can swing around throughout April. New York slipped to a disappointing 0-5 start, but the Mets have rallied off a 10-2 record since then. The Braves should have the NL East sealed up by the end of August, but the Mets are good enough to grab a wild-card spot.

As the Mets have risen, the 11-8 Pirates have fallen back to Earth, again. It feels like an annual tradition of late that Pittsburgh gets off to an unsustainably hot start and then folds, and that’s probably happening or going to happen again this season. An unexpected occurrence for the Pirates thus far is David Bednar’s massive struggles. The reliever allowed three more earned runs yesterday, raising his ERA to 13.50.

Brewers 1, Padres 0

San Diego wasted a gem out of Michael King. The converted starter tossed 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball, while striking out 10 Brewers, but that wasn’t enough. Xander Bogaerts’ hitting this season hasn’t been enough either, as the highly-paid second baseman is slashing just .200/.273/.263. Padres fans might start counting down to 2034, when Bogaerts’ contract expires.

Braves 5, Astros 4

Orlando Arcia’s 2023 felt like a fluke, but the shortstop has picked right back where he left off with a torrid start to this season. After going 2-for-4 with a double yesterday, Arcia is slashing .377/.412/.557.