NCAAB

Tennessee State hires Nolan Smith as head coach

Smith has had stints at Duke, Louisville and Memphis as an assistant coach, but he must’ve decided it was time to accept a head coaching position. I’m not sure he chose wisely. Tennessee State is a hard job, so it won’t be a walk in the park for Smith to build a roster that can contend in the OVC. If there’s any silver lining, it’s that the league has regressed in recent years, potentially opening the door for the Tigers.

Smith, 36, is an intriguing long-term bet as head coach, so I like this hire for Tennessee State.

Grade: A

MLB

Cubs 4, Red Sox 1

Seiya Suzuki still hasn’t forgotten his All-Star Game omission. Not invited to the Midsummer Classic despite recording 77 RBIs before the break, the slugger added on yesterday, increasing his total to 80, thanks to a three-run dinger in the first inning. That smash was the difference, enough for the Cubs to cruise to victory.

All good things must come to an end, and the Red Sox’s 10-game winning streak is no exception. Boston rode that run into the All-Star break, but the time off was enough to halt the good times. The 53-46 Red Sox will look to rebound tonight on national television, facing the sensational Shota Imanaga.

White Sox 10, Pirates 1

The White Sox are better than their record indicates, and blowouts like this will only enhance Chicago’s profile. It’s undoubtedly a less-than-stellar resume, but a 33-65 mark doesn’t tell the story of this club, which holds a 38-60 pythagorean record. For the organization, that’s a meaningful statistic, especially given the 121-loss outfit it was a season ago.

It’s past time to come to terms with Ke’Bryan Hayes being a league-worst hitter. Hayes’ 2023 output — a .271 average and 15 home runs — feels like a decade ago, given how much the third baseman has regressed since. Following a 0-for-3 performance in this loss, Hayes holds an OPS of just .571. I don’t know if that’ll play, no matter how good Hayes’ glovework is.