NBA

• Raptors hire Darko Rajakovic as head coach
  • Rajakovic is an accomplished and highly-respected assistant, but that doesn’t make him a better coach than Nick Nurse. Nurse guided Toronto to its only NBA championship in 2019, so swapping him out for a first-time head coach like Rajakovic is an odd move, despite the praise placed upon him around the league. Only time will tell how this move shakes out, but it seems the Raptors are entering a period of transition this summer, with only Scottie Barnes’ place on the roster feeling secure.
    Grade: D+

MLB

• Diamondbacks 5, Tigers 0
  • The Diamondbacks, at 39-25, have staying power, but the question is how much. Arizona, somewhat alarmingly, has a better record on the road than at home, an indicator in all sports to me that a team may not be exactly what it’s record is, for better or worse. Lourdes Gurriel has been important for the upstart Snakes all season, and yesterday was no different. Gurriel homered and drove in three runs in this contest, giving him 38 RBIs for the year.
  • The Tigers were right in the mix of the AL Central race just over a week ago, but losing eight in a row is a nice way to fall out of the hunt. The Tigers’ record (26-36) is becoming more and more of a representation of what Detroit actually is.
• Marlins 5, White Sox 1
  • It’s impressive that Miami’s record (36-29) is what it is after some significant early-season struggles by Sandy Alcantara. 2022’s NL Cy Young winner may have turned the corner in this game, pitching seven innings and allowing just one run.
• Reds 8, Cardinals 4
  • Did anyone have the Reds up three games on the Cardinals on June 11th? Not me, that’s for sure. In fact, I placed a bet in February on St. Louis to win at least 80 games at -600. Don’t place bets at 5:03 AM. Andrew Abbott had a shaky first inning for the Reds yesterday, but he was able to rebound, and still hasn’t given up a run through two starts.
• Twins 9, Blue Jays 4
  • The Twins have received worse than expected production from Carlos Correa, Trevor Larnach, and Max Kepler this season. Fittingly, all three hitters homered in this game — the difference for a Minnesota victory.
• Padres 3, Rockies 2
  • Struggles at the plate, particularly those of Manny Machado, have been a major source for the Padres’ problems this season. Machado is working towards rectifying those, and yesterday was an important step forward. In this game, the third baseman went 3-5. At 31-33, San Diego probably needs Machado to play like an All-Star for the rest of the season in order to make the postseason.
  • Daniel Bard would be at least a decent trade target for any contender seeking a bullpen reinforcement. After tossing a scoreless frame in this game, Bard holds a 0.96 ERA. Back-to-back strong seasons for the 37-year-old.
• Orioles 6, Royals 1
  • Gunnar Henderson is coming alive. The youthful third baseman understandably struggled with contact earlier this season, but he’s starting to figure out MLB pitching. Yesterday, Henderson went 2-5 with a home run. The faster Henderson progresses, the more dangerous the 40-24 Orioles become.
  • Scott Barlow is losing trade value for the Royals. In this game, Barlow allowed two runs, including a homer, raising his ERA to 4.18. Aroldis Chapman is Kansas City’s one key asset out of the pen.
• Dodgers 9, Phillies 0
  • The Dodgers have some important injuries to their pitching staff at the moment, but even when fully healthy, the team’s rotation should include Bobby Miller. Miller was excellent yet again yesterday, allowing zero runs and striking out seven across six innings.
• Mets 5, Pirates 1
  • New York is going to miss Pete Alonso, so the team’s pitching keeping opposing offenses under control could be key to the Mets winning games with their best hitter sidelined. Kodai Senga was effective in limiting the Pirates yesterday, surrendering zero earned runs over seven innings. Senga probably shouldn’t win NL Rookie of the Year, but he deserves some consideration, regardless of how good Corbin Carroll has been.
• Athletics 2, Brewers 1
  • The Brewers need an impact bat. Milwaukee has struggled to score all season long, thanks in part to numerous hitters underperforming. Exhibit A: Willy Adames. The shortstop has been a critical part of the Brewers’ success since 2021, but he hasn’t been great this season. In this game, Adames went 0-4, lowering his OPS to .673.
• Rangers 8, Rays 4
  • Without factoring in games played, a case can be made that Corey Seager has been the best player in baseball this season. Seager went 5-5 with a homer run and four RBIs in this tilt, raising his slash line to .352/.403/.617. Seager has been everything the Rangers hoped he could be when signing him to a 10-year, $325 million contract.
• Braves 6, Nationals 4
  • If Corey Seager hasn’t been MLB’s best player in 2023, it might be Ronald Acuna, instead. Acuna is an all-around force for the Braves, and went 3-4 with a homer and three RBIs yesterday. I wouldn’t think twice about voting for Atlanta’s right fielder as NL MVP right now, as his 28 stolen bases put his game over the top.
• Astros 6, Guardians 4
  • The defending champion Astros will need every bit of help they can get to catch the Rangers in the AL West. Having Jose Abreu turn his season around would be a good start. Abreu smashed a home run in this game — his second in two days.
• Yankees 3, Red Sox 1
  • The 32-33 Red Sox have suffered some bad luck this season due to their geographical location. If Boston were located in the Central Time Zone, the Red Sox would be right in the mix and playing for a division crown. That’s not reality, though, as Boston is fading further and further away from the pennant race by nature of playing in the loaded AL East.
• Cubs 4, Giants 0
  • It would’ve been reasonable to consider Kyle Hendricks a bit washed up due to injuries and an advancing age, but that notion would’ve been incorrect based on the 33-year-old’s performance last night. In this game, Hendricks took a no-hitter deep into the eighth inning, proving he still has the stuff to be a reliable starter for Chicago.