NFL

Rams sign S John Johnson to one-year contract

Contract details weren’t released, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnson signed for the minimum. The safety is no longer the player he was during his first stint with the Rams, but he can bring familiarity and depth to Los Angeles. The Rams drafted Kamren Kinchens in the third round, so perhaps Johnson can serve as a mentor to the hard-hitting rookie.

Grade: B-

NCAAF

2025 five-star WR Dakorien Moore commits to Oregon

I’ve seen a few pompous commitment announcements through the years, starting with Isaiah Crowell on National Signing Day in 2011, but Moore’s ego-driven 25-minute question-and-answer session on Instagram might top them all. Congrats, Dakorien, on captivating us all.

Moore, the No. 3 recruit for 2025, moves the needle significantly for the Ducks, who have been on an absolute heater on the trail. It’s fair to assume that NIL is playing a huge factor in gathering big-time commitments, but Oregon is going to be a problem in the Big Ten for years to come.

NBA

Warriors sign SG Buddy Hield to two-year, $21 million contract

This pact allows for Hield to potentially remain with the Warriors for four seasons, but in all essence, it’s a two-year deal. Hield fell out favor with Nick Nurse and the 76ers last season during the playoffs, but the 31-year-old is an accomplished shooter that can help fill the long-range shooting void left by Klay Thompson. In fact, Hield has connected on more three-pointers than Thompson over the last five seasons, although the newest Warrior has been granted better health than the former Warrior.

Grade: B

MLB

Nationals 1, Mets 0

I love the yearly 11:05 a.m. start for the Nationals on the Fourth of July. Washington has quietly been accumulating some nice young pieces, and Jake Irvin definitely qualifies as one. The big right-hander has taken a sizeable step forward this season, posting a 2.80 ERA. Eight shutout innings for Irvin yesterday.

Reds 8, Yankees 4

Trailing in the wild-card chase, Cincinnati needed some momentum, and a sweep of the Yankees helps with that. Jonathan India lost some value in 2022 and 2023 due to play below his standards, but he’s starting to look more like the player he was as a rookie. The second baseman now has a .798 OPS, and went 3-for-5 with a home run in this contest.

If any club needs to make a move at the trade deadline, it’s the 54-35 Yankees. New York has been sputtering for several weeks now, and could use some lineup help to supplement the team’s stars.

Astros 5, Blue Jays 3

It’s getting late (somewhat) early for the 39-48 Blue Jays. I’m against trading Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — he’s too meaningful to the organization and it would be better to do everything possible to sign the first baseman to a long-term deal — but everyone else should be on the table for Toronto.

Red Sox , Marlins 5

Tyler O’Neill is a tremendous turnaround story. Despite recording 6.3 WAR and 34 homers in 2021, the outfielder fell out of favor in St. Louis due to a couple of pedestrian seasons that followed. Now, O’Neill is raking again, and may even be able to secure a big payday this winter, his first foray into free agency. O’Neill finished 3-for-5 with two RBI yesterday.

Miami jumped the market by sending Luis Arraez to San Diego, and it should probably do the same with Tanner Scott. The 29-year-old would surely attract plenty of interest on the trade block, as evidenced by his 1.46 ERA. Scott struck out the side in the ninth inning of this game.

Guardians 8, White Sox 4

Chicago has a lot of players that aren’t MLB-caliber, and the light-hitting Nicky Lopez is one of them. Lopez went 0-for-4 yesterday and now holds a .574 OPS with zero home runs.

Twins 12, Tigers 3

Jose Miranda’s breakout season continues. In this tilt, the first baseman went 5-for-5 with three RBI and four runs. The Twins’ offense has been explosive lately, and that trend will likely continue if Miranda’s success is for real.

Unlike Jose Miranda, Kenta Maeda is not having a career year, and it only got worse for the righty yesterday. Pitching for a fading Detroit club, Maeda was chased for nine earned runs across just 3 2/3 innings. The Tigers, yet again, need to look ahead to next season.

Cubs 10, Phillies 2

The scuffling Cubs REALLY needed a reason to celebrate, and Ian Happ delivered some joy. The left fielder excelled yesterday, going 4-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI. Barring a hot streak, Chicago is still going to be a seller later this month.

Padres 3, Rangers 1

The Padres got off to a bit of a slow start — San Diego was 22-24 at one point — but now it feels like the Friars will cruise to the postseason. San Diego has ample talent, and is now backing it up by winning games consistently. Jurickson Profar’s monster campaign has been instrumental for the Padres’ success. 2-for-3 with a homer for Profar yesterday.

Like the Padres, the Rangers started slow, but they haven’t righted the ship, and at 39-48, it’s starting to feel like they never will this year. Lost seasons happen, but it’s fairly abnormal for one to occur following a World Series championship.

Athletics 5, Angels 0

After this three-game sweep, maybe Oakland — just three games back of the Angels — catches Los Angeles. Who knows. That’s really all I have on these bad teams for today.

Mariners 7, Orioles 3

I don’t know how 48-41 Seattle is winning all these games — pitching, I guess — but the Mariners’ winning ways probably won’t keep up if the team doesn’t start hitting better, this game aside. Seattle has scored just 340 runs this season. Only Chicago and Oakland in the American League have less. Houston is the best team in the AL West. Mariners fans know it, too.