NBA

• Knicks sign SG RJ Barrett to four-year, $120M extension
  • This is … a lot, even with a rising salary cap, for an inefficient wing like Barrett, but I wouldn’t expect anything else of the Knicks. Posting a career BPM in the negatives, Barrett’s main driving force is his scoring, but he shot just 41% from the floor last season. Now, New York is stuck with Barrett, Julius Randle, and Jalen Brunson on long-term deals that are all above market value.

MLB

• Blue Jays 5 Cubs 4
  • The Blue Jays are so dangerous because they roster so many guys that can beat you. Enter Danny Jansen, who drove in four runs yesterday. All that is great, but it won’t matter for Toronto if Jose Berrios doesn’t start pitching better.
• Cardinals 13 Reds 4
  • The Cardinals have been a machine lately. At 31-14 over its last 45, St. Louis continues to get contributions out of guys like Brendan Donovan and Corey Dickerson. The NL is stacked with several good teams, but it wouldn’t shock me if the Cardinals won the pennant — the pitching just needs to be a bit better.
• Brewers 7 Pirates 5
  • Ever since the Brewers acquired Willy Adames from the Rays, it’s felt as if the shortstop has been key to countless Milwaukee victories. This game was another instance, as Adames tallied three hits and two runs in a much needed comeback win.
• Angels 4 Yankees 3
  • It’s hard to trust the Yankees at this point. After seemingly righting the ship, New York has lost three straight. Also, moving Anthony Rizzo down to sixth in the order isn’t the answer. Rizzo homered in this game, his 29th of 2022. If things continue to spiral, the Yankees will end up wasting an epic Aaron Judge season, and perhaps lose him via free agency in the process.