ST. LOUIS — Bryce Harper hit a grand slam, his first with the Phillies, and Rhys Hoskins added four hits, including a homer, to spark Philadelphia to an 11-1 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

A game-time wind chill of 30 degrees didn’t provide ideal conditions Tuesday night for the Marlins and Cubs, who struck out 11 times against left-hander Caleb Smith.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

CLEVELAND — Tim Anderson chased Trevor Bauer after the All-Star tweeted a playful message to him earlier in the day, Yoán Moncada had a two-run homer and four RBIs, and the Chicago White Sox routed Cleveland Indians 9-1 Monday night to stop a three-game losing streak.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois men’s basketball program picked up its third signee of the Spring recruiting season on Saturday when it signed 6-foot-5 guard Harwin Francois, a transfer from Daytona State.

As a freshman last season, Francois (pronounced Fran-swah) ranked No. 17 in the nation in 3-point shooting in NJCAA Division I at 47.8 percent. He earned First-Team Mid-Florida All-Conference honors, while averaging 9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. Francois will have three years of eligibility at SIU.

“Harwin is all about winning and working hard, and he brings a level of toughness and competitiveness to our program,” said SIU head coach Bryan Mullins. “He’s an extremely talented shooter and someone who can impact the game on both ends of the floor.”

Daytona State finished 25-7 and advanced to the NJCAA Region VIII State Tournament in 2019. Francois was one of three First-Team All-Conference players for the school.

“Playing my freshman year at Daytona State was a good experience for me, because every day in practice I was battling against high-major, mid-major guys,” Francois said. “It showed me what competing is really about.”

As a senior at Cape Coral High School in 2018, Francois averaged 18.0 points and led his team to the Class 7A Final Four. After the team started the season 11-6, Francois was moved to point guard and sparked the Seahawks to win 13 of their last 14 games.

“I give credit to my high school coach, Coach (Brandon) Sensor,” Francois said. “He showed me what could happen if I get everybody else involved and we play team basketball. I feel like I’m an all-around basketball player and whatever needs to be done I can do it.

Francois joins incoming freshman Trent Brown of Pinnacle High School (AZ) and Northwestern transfer Barret Benson, who both signed with SIU during the Spring signing period.

“I was looking for a school with a good coach-player relationship, a school that will help me develop and bring my game to the next level, and a good community where I can just be myself,” Francois said.

ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas marvels when talking about Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

CHICAGO — Cubs closer Pedro Strop lost his control, and then Kyle Ryan had a brain cramp on a comebacker.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois men’s basketball program announced on Friday that Trent Brown, a 6-foot-1 high school guard from Phoenix, Arizona, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Salukis in 2019-20.

Brown, who is the first player to sign with SIU under new head coach Bryan Mullins, set the school record for career 3-pointers at Pinnacle High School and helped lead the program to back-to-back 6A state championships. He teamed with Arizona signee Nico Mannion to form one of the nation’s top backcourts.

“It’s extremely important to fill our locker room with guys who have experienced winning and know what it takes to win,” Mullins said. “Trent brings toughness, a high basketball IQ and the ability to shoot the ball. He represents the characteristics and intangibles of the type of culture we’re trying to build here.”

Brown averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a senior last season and shot 41 percent from 3-point. He scored 42 points in a game against Liberty High School in which he made 10 3-pointers.

“I just want to win,” said Brown. “I’m someone who tries to make the right play, I shoot threes in volume, and I try to make them in volume. I love the challenge of on-ball defending. I try to be a great teammate.”

Playing with Mannion, a consensus 5-star recruit and the No. 10-ranked player in the country according to 247Sports, has helped Brown improve his game. The two were co-captains for Pinnacle last year.

“Trent’s practiced against one of the best guards in the country,” Mullins noted. “He’s played against some of the best players in the country. He is used to winning, and I know that’s what he’ll expect here as well.”

Brown has a 4.0 GPA and comes from a basketball family. His father, Mark Brown, played one season at Michigan State and ranks third all-time in career 3-point shooting at Western Michigan.

“I like the strong community (in Southern Illinois) and people who care about the program and about winning,” Brown said.

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis right-hander Jack Flaherty noticed a trend from the beginning of his outing against the Cincinnati Reds.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Albert Pujols passed Barry Bonds for third place in career RBIs, hitting a go-ahead, two-run double in the first inning to help the Los Angeles Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 Sunday.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

As an Addison Russell decision looms this week for the Cubs, manager Joe Maddon is already dealing with some difficult playing-time decisions.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.