Anthony Rizzo Delivers Yankees’ Knockout Blow

Anthony Rizzo crushed a grand slam to cap off an eight-run frame as the Yankees ran away with a 12-3 win over the Blue Jays in the series opener at Rogers Centre. 

After his walk-off homer Thursday gave the Yankees a 2-1 win over the Rays, Rizzo left no doubt with his round-tripper against the Blue Jays, clobbering it an estimated 435 feet to the facing above the second deck in right field. That gave the Yankees a 10-1 lead in the fifth inning, all but putting their eighth straight win on ice. 

“That’s kind of the knockout blow right there,” manager Aaron Boone said. 

It was Rizzo’s sixth home run in his past 13 games as he continued to mash the ball in June. He drilled nine home runs in his first 20 games, then hit just two over his next 30 games before his latest hot streak. 

Rizzo, who went 2-for-3 with a hit by pitch and walk on the night, has also been hitting the ball well lately, even when he is not homering. Over his past 14 games, he is batting .291 (16-for-55) with a .989 OPS and 18 RBI. 

Warriors Beat Celtics In Game 6 To Win NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions once again, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 for their fourth title in the last eight seasons. 

Stephen Curry scored 34 points for the Warriors, who claimed the franchise’s seventh championship overall. And this one completed a journey like none other, after a run of five consecutive finals, then a plummet to the bottom of the NBA, and now a return to greatness just two  seasons after having the league’s worst record. 

For Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it’s a fourth championship. The first three rings came in 2015, 2017 and 2018, when Golden State was dynastic and made five consecutive trips to the finals. 

Injuries, including ones that sidelined Thompson for 2 1/2 years, and roster changes changed everything. But this season, with Thompson returning around the midway point, the Warriors were finally back. 

Colorado Wins Game One Over Tampa Bay

Andre Burakovsky scored 1:23 into overtime and the Colorado Avalanche opened the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-3 victory over the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Burakovsky ended it after the Avalanche failed to score on a power play that began late in regulation when three-time champ Patrick Maroon put the puck over the glass. Burakovsky is one of only two Avalanche players who have won the Cup.

The game likely wouldn’t have even reached OT if not for big penalty kills by the Avalanche, who were 3 for 3 against Tampa Bay’s potent power play. The final kill featured a crucial save by goaltender Darcy Kuemper and a series of clears by Norris Trophy finalist defenseman Cale Makar.

An earlier kill built momentum for Colorado, which opened the scoring on captain Gabriel Landeskog’s goal 40 seconds after Josh Manson’s penalty expired. Manson — one of general manager Joe Sakic’s expensive trade deadline pickups — more than made up for a holding the stick minor with some big hits.