— Padres 15, Dodgers 11
Teams split their two games in Korea.
Yamamoto’s LA debut: 1 IP, 43 pitches, 5 runs allowed.
Jake Cronenworth was 4-4 with 4 RBI for the Padres.
— Texas Rangers signed P Michael Lorenzen for one year, $4.5M with incentives that could take the contract up to $7M.
— Congrats to Mets P Jose Quintana, who became an American citizen this week.
— Happy 91st birthday to former big league OF George Altman, the only left-handed hitter ever to hit two home runs in a game against Sandy Koufax (two righty hitters did it).
— Oklahoma City Thunder fan banked in a half-court shot during a timeout the other night, and banked a $20,000 check for his efforts.
— Akron’s 6-7 Enrique Freeman was in college on an academic scholarship; he went to an open tryout to play for the Zips’ basketball team, and now he’s their best player.
— Illinois hasn’t been in a Sweet 16 since 2005; if they beat Duquesne Saturday, they’ll end that drought.
— When Duquesne beat BYU Thursday, the best player in Dukes’ history was there. Norm Nixon played 10 years in the NBA, scored over 12,000 points; he was on the last Duquesne team to play in the NCAA’s, back in 1977. He won two NBA championship rings playing for the Lakers.
— Detroit Pistons have used 30 players this year, tied for most players ever used in one season by an NBA team.
— SMU fired basketball coach Rob Lanier, after the Mustangs went 20-13 this year; they did lose six of their last seven games, but 20-13 is pretty good, especially after they went 10-22 last year.
Rich people run things in college sports, and rich people aren’t patient. SMU moves into the ACC next season; am curious to see who’ll they’ll hire as the Mustangs move way up in class.
— Lady on The Price Is Right Thursday was only $900 off on her showcase bid, which is great, but her bid went over, so she lost to a lady whose bid missed by $11,000.
Some 2nd round trends for the NCAA’s:
— Arizona is 5-1 ATS in its last six second round games.
— North Carolina is a #1-seed; last four times they were a #1-seed, they went 3-1 ATS in their second round game (they went 2-4 ATS in last six 2nd round games, when they weren’t a #1-seed).
— Michigan State is 2-3 SU in their last five second round games. Since 2012, Spartans are 2-2 ATS as an underdog in second round games.
— Since 2017, #11-seeds who posted upsets in the first round, are 9-2 ATS in their second round game. Duquesne/Oregon are #11-seeds who play again Saturday.
— Last six years, #1-seeds are 9-13 ATS in second round.
— Last six years, #2-seeds are 8-12 ATS in second round.
— Last six years, #3-seeds are 7-16 ATS in second round.
