NFL

Packers sign DT Kenny Clark to three-year, $64 million contract extension

Clark, 28, is coming off arguably the best season of his career, where he recorded 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Green Bay is wisely rewarding the three-time Pro Bowler here, especially before the rest of its young, well-rounded roster gets expensive. The top of the defensive tackle market is Chris Jones at $31.75 million per year, so the talented Clark comes in far below that.

Grade: B+

Texas sign RB Cam Akers

Houston worked out Akers yesterday, and signed him to, presumably, a cheap one-year deal. Any commitment to the 25-year-old is a mistake, as Akers offers nothing to an NFL team. The Texans are looking for depth behind Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce, but they can do better than Akers. Heck, I’d rather even give Jawhar Jordan a shot.

Grade: D

NCAAF

2025 five-star WR Vernell Brown commits to Florida

The Gators’ 2025 class is small and weak, a far cry from their previous group, which ranked No. 7 in the nation, so Brown will bring a much needed infusion of talent to Gainesville. Florida beat out the other heavy hitters in the state for the wideout, the No. 25 player in the country for 2025. Brown could eventually emerge as the top target for DJ Lagway, who’s expected to be handed the reigns at starting quarterback by the 2025 season, at the latest.

NBA

Celtics sign SF Sam Hauser to four-year, $45 million contract extension

Keeping Hauser will be costly — Boston is deep into the luxury tax and projected to exceed the second apron — but the Celtics have a championship roster and are rightfully doing everything in their power to keep it in tact.

Hauser is an excellent floor spacer — one of the league’s best — that can’t be left open. The forward is a career 42.2 percent shooter from three, and is a snug fit around Boston’s loaded starting five. Due to the current CBA, it would be difficult for the Celtics to replace Hauser next summer if he walked, so keeping him around is smart, even with the daunting luxury tax penalties.

Grade: B

76ers sign PG Jeff Dowtin to two-way contract

I don’t like the idea of using a two-way spot on a 27-year-old, but Dowtin is still getting better, and flashed in limited action a year ago with the 76ers. If that improvement continues, Philadelphia might have itself a decent guard at the back of the roster. Dowtin shot 47.4 percent from long range in 2024.

Grade: B-

MLB

Nationals 5, Reds 2

James Wood needed this game for his confidence. The left fielder has struggled for the last two weeks — to be expected for a rookie early in his career — but Wood turned the page yesterday, going 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. The rookie will have an easy runway to get himself into a groove, as he’s batting seventh for a team just outside the postseason race.

The Reds were a trendy pick to have a strong second half and make noise, but things couldn’t be going worse for Cincinnati since the All-Star break. This loss capped off a series sweep for the Nationals, sending the Reds to a 47-53 record and 4.5 games back of a wild-card spot.

Cardinals 6, Braves 2

The Braves are 10 games over .500, but Atlanta’s season has to be one of the least enjoyable for a team this good. Injuries have surely played a part, as the Braves are without Ronald Acuna, Spencer Strider and various others due to ailments. This contest didn’t improve the situation, either, as Ozzie Albies left the game with a wrist injury.

The road to the World Series will be hard, but not impossible. Just ask the 2021 Braves that finished 88-73 and won the World Series without the aforementioned Acuna.

Blue Jays 5, Tigers 4

It’s probably too late to matter, but George Springer is getting back on track. Finally hitting in his familiar leadoff spot, Springer went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in this contest, just enough for Toronto to edge Detroit.

I wonder if Javier Baez will face the same fate as Jose Abreu. The Astros released Abreu this year, the second of a three-year, $58.5 million deal, because the struggling first baseman could no longer be kept on the roster. Baez won’t be released this season; he’ll rightfully be given a chance to right the ship next season, but if he’s unable to, the Tigers could be left with no choice. Baez went 0-for-4 in this game, lowering his OPS to .451.

Phillies 6, Pirates 0

The Phillies’ rotation is making magic this season. There’s no other way around it. In just his second career start, Tyler Phillips spun a gem yesterday, lasting six scoreless innings. Barring an injury or two, Rob Thomson will have no concerns over his postseason starting rotation. It’ll be on Philadelphia’s bats and bullpen if the Phillies fall short again in October.

Padres 2, Guardians 1

No baseball fan would doubt San Diego’s talent. For the Padres, the issue for years has been consistency and performing up to standards. This weekend was an illustration of the club’s ability, as it went to Cleveland and took two of three from a good Guardians team. San Diego is now 52-50 and lurking in a tight NL wild-card race.

Royals 4, White Sox 1

Where in the world would the Royals be without Bobby Witt Jr. and Seth Lugo? The duo has been dominant all season for Kansas City, lifting the club to a 55-45 mark. Witt Jr.’s excellence is completely expected. The all-around force is an AL MVP candidate, and went 3-for-4 in this game. Lugo, on the other hand, has had a strong career, but at 34, is putting together far and away the best season of his career. Lugo tossed a complete game yesterday, improving his record to 12-4.

The 27-74 White Sox don’t have much to offer — Chicago can’t hit or pitch — but Chris Getz has a few players to dangle this month in trade discussions. One of those is Tommy Pham. The 36-year-old won’t command a significant return, but he can still serve as a bit piece for a contender. Pham collected two hits and one RBI in this tilt.

Cubs 2, Diamondbacks 1

Shota Imanaga had a rocky June, which culminated in a 5.67 ERA for the month. For a rookie, even a 30-year-old one like Imanaga, that could’ve led to a tailspin. To his credit, Imanaga didn’t allow that to happen, as he’s been outstanding in July, including a yesterday, when the lefty tossed seven wonderful innings, striking out 10 Diamondbacks. Imanaga’s ERA is now 2.86.

Brewers 8, Twins 7

Jackson Chourio isn’t generating a ton of buzz as a rookie because he isn’t lighting the world on fire like Paul Skenes or Shota Imanaga, but the right fielder has been awesome for his age (20). The ever-improving Chourio is starting to figure it out, and that was on display yesterday in a 2-for-4, one home run and three RBI performance. The Brewers would love if Chourio could be what Evan Carter was to the Rangers last postseason.

Can the Twins keep pace without Carlos Correa? That’s the most pressing question for Minnesota at the moment, as the three-time All-Star was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday. Even in defeat, this offensive performance was encouraging, led by two Byron Buxton long balls.

Rays 6, Yankees 4

The Yankees lead MLB in runs scored this season (499), but strangely enough, there’s a lot of room for improvement in New York’s lineup. This game was a perfect illustration, as the Yankees’ two stars, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, combined to go 5-for-9 with a home run and four RBI. The rest of New York’s lineup? Four hits and zero RBI combined. Brian Cashman, it’s time to get to work.

Marlins 4, Mets 2

It remains to be seen if Jazz Chisholm’s days in Miami are numbered, but if they are, he’ll be a commodity at the trade deadline. I wouldn’t go as far as hot commodity, but the exciting Chisholm will be a commodity. In discussions with rival clubs, the Marlins can point to this game as proof of the 26-year-old’s value, as he went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. A big selloff is, or at least should be, coming for the 35-64 Marlins.

Rangers 3, Orioles 2

Jonah Heim was one of MLB’s better catchers in 2022 and 2023, but he’s fallen off some this year. This decline can be pointed to as one of many reasons Texas is 47-52, but perhaps the catcher and his team will revert to their previous form. The positive changes, at least hopefully for the Rangers, started in this win, as Heim finished 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.

Giants 3, Rockies 2

San Francisco might have found its successor to Brandon Crawford. 26-year-old Tyler Fitzgerald, in limited action, has fared well for the Giants, a club that needs talented, controllable position players, this season. Hitting on Fitzgerald would be a win for Farhan Zaidi and San Francisco’s player development system. Fitzgerald homered yesterday and is slashing .298/.359/.524 through 37 games.

Mariners 6, Astros 4

Getting swept by the Astros would’ve been bad for morale in Seattle, so I bet the Mariners are relieved to have escaped with a victory. To edge Houston for the AL West title over the season’s final 60 or so games, Seattle needs to lean on its starting pitching. One of those starters, Bryan Woo, continued his solid campaign yesterday, throwing 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball. Woo’s ERA is now 2.54.

Angels 8, Athletics 5

I wonder if the Angels will dangle closer Carlos Estevez in trade talks. They should — relievers are the most commonly traded position close to the deadline, and Estevez would be one of the top ones available. The right-hander nabbed his 18th save in this affair and would help most contenders in a setup or middle relief role.