NBA

Cavaliers sign PF Evan Mobley to five-year, $224 million contract extension

Mobley is the most promising player from the 2021 draft, so it’s only right that he joins classmates Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner in signing max deals. The next step for the former No. 3 overall pick is a more featured role on offense, and that should come with Kenny Atkinson patrolling the sideline in Cleveland. It won’t come easy, though, as the Cavaliers have plenty of mouths to feed on offense. Mobley will need to increase his aggressiveness to up his scoring from 15.7 points per game, his 2024 mark.

Barring a significant roster shakeup, Cleveland will be paying the luxury tax and facing apron-related penalties in the coming years. With a talented and young roster, it’s the right call, but the Cavaliers will need to break through in the playoffs. Growth from Mobley can allow that to happen.

Grade: B

MLB

Rays 9, Yankees 1

Randy Arozarena’s offensive struggles have been synonymous with the Rays’ offensive struggles this season, but both player and team might be breaking through. Yesterday, Tampa Bay’s left fielder exploded, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI. Arozarena’s OPS for the year is now .705, right around league average.

It’s no secret the Yankees are canvassing the market for a DJ LeMahieu upgrade at third base, and the sooner New York strikes, the better. It’s been a nightmare season for the 36-year-old — probably the end of the line — and it continued yesterday, as LeMahieu went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, dropping his average to .177.

Braves 3, Cardinals 2

The Cardinals were due for some close losses in the second half. St. Louis is still 50-47, but sports a -35 run differential, lending to the notion the Cardinals have been fairly lucky this season. In the end, though, luck is irrelevant — you become what your record says you are at some point.

Tigers 7, Blue Jays 3

If you squint just enough, you can spot the Tigers on the periphery of the AL wild-card chase, just 5.5 games back. Detroit has won four straight and eight of 10, trapping opposing lineups with strong pitching. On a bad note, Kenta Maeda’s first bullpen outing didn’t go well, as the struggling 36-year-old allowed all three of the Blue Jays’ runs.

Athletics 8, Angels 2

As a team edges deeper and deeper into a rebuild, it’s bound to uncover a fun young player or two, and Oakland has done that with Lawrence Butler. The right fielder has been hot lately, and his streak carried over to this game (3-for-4 with three RBI). Butler is a keeper — the A’s just need to find a lot more.

Pirates 4, Phillies 1

What Luis Ortiz has been doing lately is getting nowhere near the attention it deserves around baseball. The right-hander opened the year as a reliever for the Pirates, but he’s since been converted to a starter, and he’s been lights out recently. Ortiz limited a potent Phillies lineup to just three hits and zero runs through seven innings yesterday, lowering his ERA to 2.57.

Philadelphia is fading a bit, and all the proclamations crowning this team as the best in baseball should probably come to a halt. The Phillies are still really good — almost every team hits a road bump at some point — but we should just let the schedule play out. After all, the Braves are sitting only 7.5 games back of Philadelphia. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s possible the Phillies get caught. The stretch run will be fun.

Nationals 5, Reds 4

It seems the 46-53 Nationals will be sellers — as they should be — and they’ll have one of the best bullpen pieces on the market to dangle in All-Star Kyle Finnegan. Washington’s closer saved his 27th game yesterday, and could fetch a fortune considering what Hunter Harvey brought the Nats.

The 47-52 Reds are the pseudo Cardinals. Cincinnati has been ravaged by tough luck in one-run games — and injuries — this season, and the club is starting to dig itself a hole in the standings. Cincinnati’s +34 run differential sticks out like a sore thumb when looking up-and-down the ledger.

Orioles 8, Rangers 4

Adolis Garcia was a monster in the 2023 postseason, slashing .323/.382/.726 with eight homers, but that dominance hasn’t transferred at all to this season. After finishing 0-for-4 in this contest, Garcia’s OPS is only .670. A soft sell is probably the right path for the 46-52 Rangers. Texas should recalibrate for 2025, hoping for bounce backs from guys like Garcia.

Royals 6, White Sox 1

When Brady Singer is right — and unfortunately for the Royals, it’s not all the time — he’s one of the best pitchers in the game. Yes, it was versus the putrid White Sox, but Singer was dazzling in this game, tossing seven scoreless frames.