Dodgers Smith has rounded into a star this year
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1. Dodgers’ Smith has rounded into a star this year
Dodgers catcher Will Smith has shown how far he has come and how long he is expected to be a part of the process this season, writes The Sporting Tribune's Doug Padilla.
Baseball embraces its numbers, especially the round ones that signal you have arrived, all by adding a zero.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith has added some significant goose eggs this season that have both signaled how far he has come and how long he is expected to be a part of the process.
In March, the number of the moment was a 10, marking the length of years in his $140-million contract extension. Smith still had one more season of arbitration eligibility and was set to make $8.5 million in 2024, but the willingness to commit bumped his season salary to nearly double that at $16.6 million.
And to make sure he is offering value with his generous raise, Smith entered this weekend’s series against the Colorado Rockies with a .296 batting average, nine home runs and 36 RBIs.
Among MLB catchers, he entered the weekend with the third best OPS at .876, the third best on-base percentage at .360, the fourth most RBIs at 36 and the fifth most home runs with nine. He is right on pace with his best home-run season of 25 in 2021.
He has not hit less than 19 home runs in his previous three seasons.
2. Rams center Steve Avila teaches future linemen at camp
The Sporting Tribune’s Shaniece Nicole writes about the Rams hosting a series of position-specific football camps for high school athletes.
Los Angeles Rams second-year offensive lineman Steve Avila hosted his first offensive line position camp for high school students in Grades 9-12. The camp took place at the Rams’ practice facility at California Lutheran University.
Throughout camp, Avila, the TCU alum who started all 17 games for the Rams during his rookie season, would glide from station to station, delivering hands-on and vocal teaching to each student. Avila made it clear that he wanted to make the day to be memorable for everyone involved. This was demonstrated by his infectious smile and excitement, which never left his face during the duration of the camp.
3. Angels execute clutch offense in win over Padres
The Angels score the go-ahead run in the eighth and snap a five-game losing streak, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Michael Huntley.
For much of the season, the Angels have struggled in close games due to a lack of situational hitting.
The Angels reversed their fortune Monday and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 and snap a five-game losing streak.
Jo Adell, who had been named American League Defensive Player of the Month by Sports Info Solutions earlier in the day, hit a double off the right field wall to lead off the eighth inning with the score tied at one.
Adell advanced to third base on a sacrifice fly by Zach Neto and scored on a pinch hit sacrifice fly by Luis Guillorme to give the Angels a 2-1 lead.
“The situational hitting, especially late in a clutch game has been kind of our kryptonite a little bit,” Adell said. “Especially for me, getting through a little bit of this funk and being able to go the other way and get a pitch to drive.”
4. NBA Finals betting guide provides preview, predictions
The stage is set for an entertaining showdown in the NBA Finals. The Sporting Tribune’s Danny Burke previews the matchup from the betting angles.
Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown versus Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving: Who’s your NBA Finals pick?
Several sportsbooks opened the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics as a -210 favorite, with the Western Conference titleist Dallas Mavericks listed at +180.
Let’s take a look at how these organizations reached this point, their previous encounters and playoff history.
5. Trick Williams discusses his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
WWE NXT champion Trick Williams speaks with The Sporting Tribune's Fredo Cervantes as he gets ready for NXT Battleground in Las Vegas on Sunday.
The WWE NXT Champion Trick Williams is rising through the ranks, marking the beginning of a promising career.
At NXT Spring Breakin, Williams defeated Ilja Dragunov to become the new NXT Champion. Williams is prepared to defend his title at NXT Battleground this upcoming Sunday in Las Vegas. However, the WWE has not yet announced his opponent.
6. Journey for the youngest NFL agent has only just begun
He knew he wanted to pave a new road early and now, Deen Agustin is the youngest NFL agent with a client drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Paul Brecht.
Even before he could legally operate a car alone, Deen Agustin was ready to take a road that had not been traveled before.
A longtime football fan, Agustin remembers the journey to the present day beginning at 16 years old. With college rapidly approaching, he needed to sit down and think about what he wanted the future to look like in his career. A self-admitted “people person” with a desire to enter the world of professional football, Agustin turned to the business side of a league he was passionate about, finding that his strengths could be complemented through player representation.
With a target locked onto, Agustin designed a seven-year plan at 16 years old to pursue and achieve the goal of becoming an NFLPA certified agent. One problem for the young man of Native Hawaiian decent?
“Growing up, there wasn’t really anyone who I could look up to because there really is no other Pacific Islander or Asian American agents out there,” Agustin said. “So, I figured why not be the first one, or one of the first at least.”
7. Video of the Day
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8. Ticket Time
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:
6:30 p.m. – Padres at Angels – $16
9. On the Air
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:
3:40 p.m. – Dodgers at Pirates – SportsNet LA
6:30 p.m. – Padres at Angels – Bally Sports West
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher. You can also watch every Friday on BLEAV on FuboTV.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you tomorrow!
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