NFL

• Bills sign DT Ed Oliver to four-year, $68 million contract extension
  • Oliver, just 25, is an ascending player, so it’s wise of the Bills to extend him, even at this price. The defensive tackle has accumulated 14.5 sacks over the first four seasons of his career, and should be a big part of Buffalo’s defense for years to come. There’s some risk with this deal, though, since Oliver isn’t one of the league’s best players at his position, but securing a good player for the foreseeable future outweighs most of that risk.
    Grade: B-

MLB

• White Sox 2, Tigers 1
  • This game was a step in the right direction for Dylan Cease. The All-Star talent pitched 5.1 innings and fanned six Tigers. The 25-35 White Sox need this type of effort from Cease basically every time out.
• Rangers 16, Mariners 6
  • Marcus Semien must be an odd year guy. The second baseman is having a great year, slashing .304/.371/.506 — more on par with his 2019 and 2021 seasons than his 2020 and 2022 campaigns. Semien went 4-6 with a home run and three RBIs in this contest.
  • Being 29-29 at this point in the season has to be frustrating for the Mariners. Eugenio Suarez’s struggles are one of the reasons the team has underachieved. Suarez went 0-4 in this game, lowering his batting average to .210.
• Pirates 4, Cardinals 3
  • Well, it seemed as if the Pirates were crashing back down to Earth, but they’ve won four consecutive games now, raising their record to 30-27. Pittsburgh also shockingly holds the NL Central’s best run differential. David Bednar, who gabbed his 12th save yesterday, might be MLB’s best closer.
• Astros 9, Angels 6
  • The Astros have started to look more like the Astros of recent years over the past few weeks, as Houston is now 35-23. Alex Bregman’s bat coming alive has helped jolt Houston. The third baseman, in this tilt, went 1-1 with a home run, four RBIs, and four walks.
• Brewers 10, Reds 8
  • I mentioned David Bednar as potentially being baseball’s top closer. Devin Williams may also have claim to that crown. Williams earned his 10th save yesterday and lowered his ERA to a miniscule 0.46 in the process.
  • Graham Ashcraft is pretty well regarded as a young hurler, but evaluations surrounding the 25-year-old may need to change. Ashcraft’s 2023 ERA is now 6.64 after getting bombed for 10 runs in this affair.
• Marlins 12, Athletics 1
  • Luis Arraez won’t hit .400 for the season, but he’s creeping back up to that lofty mark. The elite contact hitter went 5-5 with five RBIs in this contest, raising his average to .390. Eury Perez, one of the best young pitchers in the game, has been as advertised thus far for Miami. Perez allowed zero runs through five innings yesterday.
  • Why is Tony Kemp’s time as a big leaguer not over? Kemp is surely regarded as a good clubhouse guy, given his MLB career has spanned eight seasons, but he’s batting just .150 on the year after going 0-3 in this game.
• Yankees 6, Dodgers 3
  • Aaron Judge’s ability leaves me in awe sometimes. Judge is obviously special at the dish, as evidenced by his 19 home runs this season, but he’s also elite defensively. Judge’s 6’7″, 285-pound frame makes his prowess in the outfield even more impressive.