Once viewed as a veteran starting pitcher who would help the Red Sox in their pursuit of meaningful late-season baseball, right-hander Walker Buehler won’t be in Boston to see it.
The Red Sox released Buehler eight months after they signed him to a one-year, $21 million deal, the team announced Friday afternoon before opening a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A two-time MLB All-Star, Buehler began the season as the No. 3 starter in Boston’s rotation behind left-handed ace Garrett Crochet and right-hander Tanner Houck. Houck was placed on the injured list with a right flexor pronator strain on May 13, which figured to open the door for Buehler to cement himself as a top-of-rotation complement for the lefty Crochet.
Unfortunately for both the two-time World Series champion and the Red Sox, Buehler failed to deliver on those expectations.
Buehler went 7-7 with a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts for the Red Sox this season. He surpassed six innings pitched in eight of those 22 starts and Boston was 12-10 in those games.
Buehler’s struggles prompted manager Alex Cora to demote him to the bullpen last week. While a change wasn’t unexpected — and was a move Buehler understood — he responded by allowing two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings at Yankee Stadium.
That outing marked his final appearance for the Red Sox, who opted not to use Buehler in any of its four games against the Orioles this week. Boston swept the four-game series with three of those wins coming by one run — situations where Cora notably didn’t use Buehler.
In other roster moves Friday, the Red Sox selected left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle from Triple-A Worcester, recalled infielder/outfielder Nick Sogard and optioned outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia.
Tolle, the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox farm system, will make his MLB debut opposite Pirates ace Paul Skenes at Fenway Park on Friday night.
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits one of his four home runs Thursday in Philadelphia. (Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
Kyle Schwarber's last swing Thursday night was a disappointment. He'd hit four home runs, and in the eighth inning had a chance to become the first player in major league history to hit a fifth. He popped up.
By doing so, however, the Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter averted a certain controversy and cries that his accomplishment was tainted.
Why? Because the pitcher he faced was Atlanta Braves infielder Vidal Bruján, a position player mopping up the last inning of the Phillies' 19-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park.
Bruján lobbed a 57.4 mph pitch over the middle of the plate. Schwarber hit it straight into the air for an infield-fly rule out. Controversy averted.
By going deep in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. Schwarber became the 21st player to hit four home runs in a game, an accomplishment even more rare than a perfect game, 24 of which have been pitched.
Schwarber was only the fourth player to get a chance to hit a fifth homer, joining Mike Cameron (2002), Lou Gehrig (1932) and Bobby Lowe (1894). Everyone else on the list hit their fourth home run in their last at-bat.
"I thought he was going to do it, I really did,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters after the game. “There was no doubt in my mind."
Schwarber was less sure. He has 333 career home runs and an MLB-leading 49 this season, but has zero home runs in 15 plate appearances against position players, against whom he is two for 10 with two walks, two hit-by-pitches and one sacrifice fly.
"I've got a mental block somewhere in my head that I'm not very good against position players,” Schwarber said.
His difficulty is an anomaly. Bruján has an earned-run average of 27.00 in three career pitching appearances, having given up two home runs and nine runs in three innings.
The Dodgers have used two position players to finish games this season. Kiké Hernández has an ERA of 15.10 in 5 1/3 innings and Miguel Rojas has a 12.60 ERA in five innings, including two in a 16-0 loss to the Cubs when he had the dugout laughing by imitating his teammates.
Rojas wore Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s blue glove, wiggled the ball in it and hesitated during his windup. He imitated Clayton Kershaw, raising his glove high above his head going into the stretch. He tried to look like rookie Roki Sasaki, bending his back knee and lifting his front leg uncomfortably high before releasing the pitch.
All of which took a bit of the sting out of the Dodgers' worst shutout loss in franchise history.
“I guess a little bit of levity in a game like that is certainly helpful,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It just shows [Rojas] watches the games. To be able to throw two innings was huge for us, and we needed every bit of that.”
Yet the ERA of position players pitching since 2021 has been about 10.00, according to FanGraphs. Not everybody is laughing.
Why do position players find themselves on the mound? The practice is stomached by managers who want to protect their actual pitchers from overuse. It's a way of throwing in the towel, waving the white flag, wishing for the mercy rule used in youth baseball.
MLB has acknowledged that the prevalence of position players pitching has become a problem, with critics saying the practice makes a mockery of the game and impacts the validity of statistics — a sacred part of baseball.
MLB responded in 2023 by implementing a rule restricting the use of position players pitching to games where a team is trailing by at least eight runs at any point, leading by 10 runs in the ninth inning, or in extra innings.
It hasn't done much to stem the tide. Teams are on pace this season to challenge the 2022 record of 132 pitching appearances by position players. As recently as 2008, there were only three such pitching appearances and in 2006 there were none.
So Schwarber hitting a historic fifth home run off anyone other than a legitimate pitcher would have triggered howls from purists and anyone else who believes crushing a 57.4 mph pitch into the seats is a joke.
As it was, belting four homers was quite a feat. Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to do so, joining Mike Schmidt (1976), Chuck Klein (1936) and Ed Delahanty (1896). He also was the third player to do so this season, joining Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Nick Kurtz of the Athletics.
Others on the short list include the Dodgers' Shawn Green in 2002, who in a 16-3 win over the Brewers also doubled and singled to set a record with 19 total bases.
Schwarber got an early start with a 450-foot solo homer in the first inning and a two-run shot in the third. He added a three-run homer in the fifth and finished with another three-run blast in the seventh inning.
When it looked like he'd get one last at-bat in the eighth, Schwarber yelled out a question while hitting in the underground batting cage adjacent to the dugout.
“I shouldn't have even asked the question, but I was like, 'How many guys have hit five?'” Schwarber said. “And nobody said anything, so I was like, 'Oh, OK, well that answers the question.'"
Thanks to his pop fly against Bruján, the answer remains the same: Nobody.
And thanks to his pop fly against Bruján, nobody can complain that a cherished record was broken in a way that would have raised the ire of many.
It's Friday, August 29 and the Pirates (59-76) are in Boston to take on the Red Sox (75-60). Paul Skenes is slated to take the mound for Pittsburgh against Boston.
The Red Sox have yet to name its starting pitcher but it may not matter. Boston is hot with four straight wins and seven of the past eight as they meet Skenes at Fenway. Over the last eight games, Boston has scored 36 runs.
However, Pittsburgh is heating up too. The Pirates have won six of the past eight games and scored 36 runs in the same span as the Red Sox. Pittsburgh's won three of the last four Skenes' starts, so we will see if that success continues in Boston.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Pirates at Red Sox
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: Fenway Park
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming: SNP, NESN, MLBN
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Odds for the Pirates at the Red Sox
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Pirates (-110), Red Sox (-110)
Spread: Red Sox 1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Pirates at Red Sox
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Paul Skenes vs. TBA
Pirates: Paul Skenes, (8-9, 2.07 ERA) Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
Red Sox: TBA
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Pirates at Red Sox
The Pirates won 4-0 in Skenes' last start
The Pirates are 3-1 in Skenes' last 4 starts
Pittsburgh is 6-2 in the last 8 games
Boston is 7-1 in the last 8 games
Boston is 4-0 in the last 4 games
The Over is 12-7-1 in the Pirates' last 10 road games and the Red Sox's last 10 at home combined
The Pirates have covered the Run Line in 6 straight games
The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against teams with worse records
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Pirates and the Red Sox
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Pirates and the Red Sox:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Boston Red Sox at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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It's Friday, August 29 and the Mariners (72-62) are in Cleveland to take on the Guardians (66-66). George Kirby is slated to take the mound for Seattle against Logan Allen for Cleveland.
The Guardians broke a six-game losing streak with two consecutive victories over the Rays to win that three-game series. Seattle on the other hand has won three of the past four games and won back-to-back series over the Athletics and Padres. The Mariners hosted the Guardians for a three-game set in Seattle earlier this season and the Mariners won all three by 12 combined runs. Can the Guardians stay or get hot and return the favor at home?
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Mariners at Guardians
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: Progressive Field
City: Cleveland, OH
Network/Streaming: RSNW, CLEG
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Odds for the Mariners at the Guardians
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Mariners (-157), Guardians (+132)
Spread: Mariners -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Mariners at Guardians
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: George Kirby vs. Logan Allen
Mariners: George Kirby, (8-6, 4.05 ERA) Last outing: 1.50 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mariners at Guardians
Seattle is 3-0 versus Cleveland this year
Cleveland is 2-6 in the past 8 games
Seattle is 3-1 in the last 4 games and 4-2 over the past 6 games
Seattle is 4-7 in the past 11 games
Both starting pitchers teams have lost each of their last two games (Kirby, Allen)
The Mariners' last 4 road games at the Guardians have gone over the Total
The Mariners have failed to cover the Run Line in 12 of their last 15 road games
The Mariners have lost 7 of their last 10 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Mariners and the Guardians
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Mariners and the Guardians:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cleveland Guardians at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Jonah Tong will be on the mound for his major league debut. Tong, 22, tore through Double-A and Triple-A this season, posting a 1.43 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while striking out a whopping 179 batters in 113.2 innings over 22 starts
Mark Vientosis slashing .357.404/.881 with six homers, four doubles, and 17 RBI in 47 plate appearances over his last 11 games
Starling Marte is hitting .354/.404/.582 with four homers and six doubles in 79 plate appearances over his last 24 games
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What channel is SNY?
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
How can I stream the game?
The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.
Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”
To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
It's Friday, August 29 and the Diamondbacks (66-69) are in Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers (77-57). Zac Gallen is slated to take the mound for Arizona against Blake Snell for Los Angeles.
Los Angeles is 4-3 versus Arizona this season and rolls into this three-game series with rest advantage, home field advantage, and is the hotter team. The Dodgers have won four straight games all by two or more runs, while the Diamondbacks are 2-3 in the past five but on a two-game winning streak. This three game series is the second to last series of the season between these two teams (9/23-25).
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Time: 10:10PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: ARID, SNLA, MLBN
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Odds for the Diamondbacks at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Diamondbacks (+163), Dodgers (-198)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Zac Gallen vs. Blake Snell
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Diamondbacks at Dodgers
The Dodgers are 4-3 versus the Diamondbacks this year
The Dodgers are 4-0 in the last 4 games
The Diamondbacks are 2-3 in the last 5 games
The Diamondbacks are 6-3 in the last 9 games
5 of the Dodgers' last 7 matchups with the Diamondbacks have stayed under the Total
The Dodgers are 7-3 against the Run Line in their last 10 games with a rest advantage
The Dodgers have won 8 of their last 10 games at home, while the Diamondbacks have lost on 5 straight road trips
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Arizona Diamondbacks at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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Its Friday, August 29 and the Yankees (74-60) are in Chicago to take on the White Sox (48-86) in Game 2 of their weekend series.
Carlos Rodón is slated to take the mound for New York against Yoendrys Gómez for Chicago.
Last night New York punished Chicago pitchers for 12 hits - even Anthony Volpe picked up a couple base knocks - in a 10-4 win. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each went yard for the Yankees.
Lets dive into tonight's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Yankees at White Sox
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Time: 7:40PM EST
Site: Rate Field
City: Chicago, IL
Network/Streaming: YES, CHSN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Yankees at the White Sox
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Yankees (-222), White Sox (+182)
Spread: Yankees -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Yankees at White Sox
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Carlos Rodón vs. Yoendrys Gómez
Yankees: Carlos Rodón (14-7, 3.24 ERA) Last outing: August 24 vs. Boston - 3.18 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 1 Hits Allowed, 5 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
White Sox: Yoendrys Gómez (3-1, 2.70 ERA) Last outing: August 24 vs. Minnesota - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Yankees at White Sox
The Under is 44-30-5 in Yankees' games against American League teams this season
Aaron Judge is hitting .222 (16-72) in August
The Yankees have won 6 of their last 8 games against the White Sox
Cody Bellinger has hit in 4 straight games with multiple hits in each (10-14)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Yankees and the White Sox
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Yankees and the White Sox:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago White Sox at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.
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It's Friday, August 29 and the Cubs (76-58) are in Denver to take on the Rockies (38-96). Cade Horton is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Germán Márquez for Colorado.
Chicago enters on a three-game losing streak suffering a sweep via San Francisco, while it's not looking much better for Colorado who's 1-6 over the past seven games. The Cubs swept the Rockies in Chicago this season, winning all three games by a combined four runs. Chicago has four consecutive wins over Colorado dating back to last season.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Cubs at Rockies
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Time: 8:40PM EST
Site: Coors Field
City: Denver, CO
Network/Streaming: MARQ, COLR
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Odds for the Cubs at the Rockies
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Cubs (-233), Rockies (+190)
Spread: Cubs -1.5
Total: 11.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Rockies
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Cade Horton vs. Germán Márquez
Rockies: Germán Márquez, (3-11, 5.68 ERA) Last outing: 9.00 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Rockies
Cade Horton is the NL Rookie of the Year favorite (-165)
Chicago won 3 games versus Colorado by a combined 4 runs this season
Chicago is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings vs Colorado
Chicago is 0-3 in the last 4 games
Colorado is 1-6 in the last 7 games
The Under has cashed in the Rockies' last 3 games
The Cubs have failed to cover the Run Line in 6 of their last 8 road games
The Cubs have won 10 of their last 12 games against the Rockies
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cubs and the Rockies
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Cubs and the Rockies:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 11.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
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Its Friday, August 29 and the Marlins (63-71) are in Queens to take on the Mets (72-62) in the second game of their weekend series.
Eury Pérez is slated to take the mound for Miami against Jonah Tong for New York. This is Tong's major league debut.
The series opener was handed to the Marlins. Miami won 7-4 thanks in large part to three New York errors that resulted in five unearned runs. Liam Hicks picked up a couple of hits for the Marlins and Pete Alonso homered for the 30th time this season for the Mets.
Lets dive into today's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Marlins at Mets
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: Citi Field
City: Queens, NY
Network/Streaming: FDSNFL, SNY
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Marlins at the Mets
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Marlins (+143), Mets (-172)
Spread: Mets -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Marlins at Mets
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Eury Pérez vs. Jonah Tong
Marlins: Eury Pérez (6-3, 3.44 ERA) Last outing: August 24 vs. Toronto - 3.00 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
Mets: Jonah Tong (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Last outing: This is Tong's major league debut
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Marlins at Mets
6 of the Mets' last 8 home games have gone over the Total
The Mets are showing a profit of 1.37 units on the Run Line in their last 5 games at Citi Field
The Mets have won 4 of their last 5 games against NL East opponents
Francisco Lindor has at least 2 hits in each of his last 3 games (7-13)
Pete Alonso has hit in 4 straight games (8-17)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Marlins and the Mets
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Marlins and the Mets:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Marlins at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page fromNBC
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Its Friday, August 29 and its the day after Kyle Schwarber blasted four home runs in a 19-4 Philadelphia rout of the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies improved to 77-57 with the win while the Braves fell to 61-73.
Bryce Elder is slated to take the mound for Atlanta against Ranger Suárez for Philadelphia.
The Phillies totaled 20 hits including seven home runs. Schwarber's quartet was joined by round trippers from Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Max Kepler. Third baseman Vidal Brujan closed out the game on the mound for the Braves.
Lets dive into today's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Braves at Phillies
Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
Time: 6:45PM EST
Site: Citizens Bank Park
City: Philadelphia, PA
Network/Streaming: AppleTV+
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Braves at the Phillies
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Braves (+149), Phillies (-179)
Spread: Phillies -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Braves at Phillies
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Bryce Elder vs. Ranger Suárez
Braves: Bryce Elder (5-9, 6.12 ERA) Last outing: August 24 vs. Mets - 3.00 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
Phillies: Ranger Suárez (10-6, 3.07 ERA) Last outing: August 24 vs. Washington - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 11 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Braves at Phillies
Ranger Suarez has an ERA of 3.07 and a WHIP of 1.19 when starting on the mound this season
It has been 3 games since the Phillies last covered the Run Line
Betting the Phillies on the Money Line is up 0.61 units with Ranger Suarez as the home opener
Kyle Schwarber now has 49 home runs on the season
Trea Turner has hit safely in 6 straight (7-26) and in 16 of his last 17 games (31-77)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Braves and the Phillies
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Braves and the Phillies:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Atlanta Braves at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.
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SACRAMENTO — When Giants executives have talked about Bryce Eldridge‘s development this summer, they have often brought up his continued effort to get up to speed at first base.
A few weeks ago, Eldridge was standing at his position in the top of the ninth with the Sacramento River Cats trailing by three runs. He knew he was due up third in the bottom of the inning and was confident in the two guys ahead of him.
“These guys are going to get on base and I’m going to tie this game,” he recalled during an interview for the “Giants Talk” Podcast. “I’m just thinking of what I’m going to do and what (the pitcher) is going to throw me. I ended up putting it over (the wall) and we ended up walking it off later in that game. That’s just kind of how I think in those situations.”
Eldridge’s premonition that night proved correct. He came up with runners on the corners and crushed a hanging splitter over the wall in left-center. Five days later, he had a similar moment, hitting a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth to give Sacramento a one-run lead.
Bryce Eldridge has FOUR homers in his last three games 🔥
In July, shortly after returning from a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Eldridge hit a walk-off homer. Last Saturday, he hit a game-tying double off the top of the wall with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth.
Eldridge’s big season — he has 23 homers and a .845 OPS in the minors — has been filled with game-changing swings in big moments, one of many reasons why the Giants are so confident he’ll be a franchise player for years to come. He’s the kind of talent that could lead them back to the postseason consistently, and once he’s there, it’s clear that Eldridge won’t shy away from the moment.
Through Thursday’s game, the 20-year-old is hitting .317 with a 1.147 OPS with runners in scoring position. That latter figure is the highest among Triple-A players with at least 50 at-bats, and Eldridge is tied for second in Triple-A with eight homers with a runner on second or third. It’s when the game is on the line, though, that he really turns it up.
In situations deemed “late and close,” he is 6-for-19 with three homers and 10 RBI. He has a 1.277 OPS in those plate appearances.
“I think that’s just something that I look forward to,” he told NBC Sports Bay Area. “That’s something that I dream about and when I get that opportunity, there’s not a bone in my body, there’s not a thought in my head, telling me that I’m not going to get the big hit in that moment. I think that’s just something that I’ve been blessed with, is wanting that moment.
“It really just starts with the half inning or inning before and preparing myself and telling myself I’m going to get that at-bat in that situation and kind of envisioning in my head what I’m going to do.”
If that translates to the big league level, that could be Eldridge’s biggest contribution to the lineup. The Giants rank 29th in the big leagues in OPS in “late and close” situations, and they’re 23rd in OPS with runners in scoring position.
President of baseball operations Buster Posey is hopeful that drafting and developing more contact-heavy players will help, but the biggest boost could come from a powerful first-rounder left by the previous regime.
Eldridge’s feel for the moment was something that drew the Giants to him in the 2023 MLB draft. While representing Team USA at the Under-18 World Cup, he hit a three-run homer in the gold medal game and then took the mound for a scoreless inning.
“That was pretty cool,” Eldridge said. “That was a moment I’ll never forget.”
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs Thursday night against Atlanta to become the 21st major leaguer and fourth Phillies player to accomplish the feat.
Schwarber was 4 for 6 with a Phillies-record nine RBIs in the 19-4 victory. He took the outright National League homer lead with a career-high 49 and moved within one of Seattle’s Cal Raleigh for the major league lead. Schwarber leads the majors with a career-high 119 RBIs.
“It’s pretty cool,” Schwarber said. “It was a fun night, great atmosphere. Wouldn’t want to do it with a better group of guys than we have here.”
Mike Schmidt was the last Philadelphia player to hit four homers in a game, doing at the Chicago Cubs in April 1976. Schwarber had the third four-homer game of the season, following Eugenio Suárez and Nick Kurtz.
“It just cooperated,” Schwarber said. “You can do everything right and get out, and you can do everything wrong and get a hit. Got some pitches and put some good swings on it.”
The Philadelphia star started the power surge with a solo shot in the first off Cal Quantrill, sending a 2-1, curveball into the seats in right field. Schwarber hit a flyout to center in the second.
After Quantrill was lifted with one out and two runners on base in the fourth, Schwarber greeted lefty Austin Cox by sending a 3-2 curveball over the wall in right for his fourth multi-homer game of the season.
With “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants ringing down from Phillies fans in the fifth, Schwarber launched a three-run, opposite-field drive off Cox to put Philadelphia ahead 15-3. In the seventh, Schwarber hit a three-run shot to right off Wander Suero to make it 18-4.
Schwarber popped out in the eighth.
“I stink against position players,” Schwarber joked. “All you’re trying to do is get a good pitch. I got the pitch. Just popped it up.”
The 32-year-old Schwarber has 333 homers in 11 seasons in the majors with the Cubs and the Phillies. His previous career high was 47 in 2023 for Philadelphia.
Anthony Volpe was mired in the worst slump of his career and one of the worst in Yankees history.
The young shortstop entered Thursday's series opener against the White Sox 1 for his last 37. That .027 OBP (one hit, no walks) over his last 11 games was the lowest by a Yankee non-pitcher ever (minimum 30 plate appearances). That stretch led to him being benched in consecutive games for the first time in his career, but the Yankees are trying to get Volpe right, and starting him seems to be their solution.
"Hopefully, it’s something that will get him going," manager Aaron Boone said after the game.
But Thursday's performance wasn't always pretty for Volpe. His first at-bat saw him reach on a fielding error, but he stole second -- his first stolen base since Aug. 6 -- and scored on a Ben Rice single. He then finally got a knock, lacing a double down the left-field line in his second at-bat before singling through the right side in his third AB. Thursday was Volpe's first multi-hit game since Aug. 1.
Boone was asked if Volpe had changed anything at the plate and the Yankees skipper said he didn't because he noticed there were good at-bats being had during his slump.
"Going back the last four games, there’s been an at-bat in each game where he hasn’t got rewarded where he squared it up," Boone said. "But in and around that, he’s had some at-bats that haven’t gone well. Little more consistent, little more disciplined tonight and good to see him get results."
"Nothing [has changed]," Volpe said of his approach at the plate. "Sticking to my approach and staying on the pitches."
Volpe said mentally, he's kept his perspective during his recent rough stretch. He's felt the frustrations of his performance but felt that he was close to breaking through.
"It’s a balance. It’s obviously frustrating. At the end of the day, you want to get results and help the team. When you’re not doing that, it’s frustrating," he said. "At the same time, I felt like I was close and taking good swings, putting together some good at-bats. Just a balance."
He added, "I was barreling up the ball and getting pitches I can drive. There’s some bad at-bats in there, but I felt good."
Any major leaguer can explain that the last thing a struggling hitter can do is take their offensive woes to the field with them. Volpe has often done that season, and it happened in Thursday's game. In the second inning, Volpe booted a grounder right at him, and it resulted in four unearned runs. It's Volpe's 18th error of the season, tied for the MLB lead.
To Volpe's credit, he didn't let it affect his defense for the rest of the game or at the plate. He picked up his two hits and even produced a sac fly to tack on a run in the later innings.
"After the error there in the second inning, I thought he made three stellar plays. Good to see him bounce back from that," Boone said. "We need to get him going. He’s such an important part of what we do. Hopefully, this is something he can build on."
Boone says that it's hard for a young player to push past making an error in the majors but knows Volpe has that makeup, which is what helps him stand out.
"Wiring-wise, he’s made for it. Gotta keep playing. I feel like he’s always kinda done that," he said. "I think it’s an important trait to have in our business. You better be able to get past some failures or mistakes, or this game will sink ya."
"Just part of the game. There’s no other alternative," Volpe said of burying a mistake.
It's been a tough season for Volpe. Although his numbers this year are close to what he did in his rookie campaign, three seasons in and the team, fans and Volpe himself expect more out of him. In 132 games, he's slashing .207/.271/.397 with an OPS of .668 to go along with 18 homers and 66 RBI. And that includes his defensive errors and miscues that have cost the Yankees games this year.
But as the team gets ready for a postseason push, perhaps Thursday's game can unlock something in Volpe for the stretch run.
Cody Bellinger, who had three hits, including a homer on Thursday, can attest to what a little confidence boost can do for a player.
"Confidence is huge," he told YES Network's Meredit Marakovits on the field after the win. "A lot of balls right at people lately. That’s tough when things aren’t going your way. Credit to him, honestly. He stays locked in, stays positive. He’s a great baseball player. It’s exciting for him, especially today."
With three more games in Chicago, the Yankees and their fans will see if Volpe can indeed build off of this.
The Mets, riding high after a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, had the chance to capitalize with the lowly, youthful Miami Marlins in town. But on Thursday night at Citi Field, the team pushing for the postseason played like the team that played nine rookies.
“We didn’t execute, we didn’t play a clean game, and they made us pay for it,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after the 7-4 defeat. “Didn’t do the little things, fundamentally, some routine plays there gave them some extra outs, some extra bases, and cost us a game.”
The tale of the tape: three Mets errors resulting in five unearned runs, including three unearned in the seventh to put the visitors ahead for good.
“Game got away from us there,” said Pete Alonso, who committed the first error of the seventh and was involved in another. “We gave the Marlins an opportunity, and they capitalized on every opportunity we gave them."
Mendoza dismissed the notion that this game was a bit of a hangover effort following the three-game sweep of the Phillies.
“I thought today the guys were in a good spot, prepared, just didn’t execute,” the skipper said. “Take the lead, we put pressure right away that first inning, and then it kinda gets away from us. We give up three runs in that third inning; we didn’t make routine plays.”
Playing with a 2-1 lead in the third, the Marlins had a runner on third and one out, and Jeff McNeil fielded a slow roller, and rather than taking the sure out at first, he fired home even though he had no chance to get the runner at the plate. The extra out came back to haunt them, as with two outs in the inning, Alonso fielded a grounder and threw to Clay Holmes covering first, but the starter had the ball pop out of his glove to score another run.
“I felt like I was in position to make the catch. It just kinda hit the part of my glove where it just jumped out of it,” Holmes said. “Goes in the pocket, it's probably an out, an easy catch. Kinda just stabbed at it, hit a part of the glove that was a little stiffer, and it just hopped out.
“A routine play that I should make 10 out of 10 times, but I didn’t make it there.”
Holmes, who allowed a third run to score in the inning with a single to put Miami ahead 4-2, said he wasn’t expecting it to be an underhanded toss from Alonso, who threw the ball overhand and on a line.
“We didn’t make plays behind him,” Mendoza said of the starter’s five-inning outing. “He’s a ground ball pitcher, he’s gonna rely on the defense, and today we didn’t execute.”
In the seventh, after Alonso tied the game with a two-run home run, his 30th of the year, the sloppiness returned. After a leadoff single, Alonso fielded a grounder cleanly, but lost the ball as he went to transfer it to start a double play. A single to left should have loaded the bases, but Brandon Nimmo bobbled the ball, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
A passed ball from catcher Hayden Senger put two runners in scoring position, setting up a one-out grounder to McNeil, and again with the infield in, another run scored as Liam Hicks' head-first dive just beat the tag. A sac fly plated the third run of the inning.
With 28 games left to play, dwelling on the loss isn’t in the plan ahead of three more against the Marlins over the weekend.
“Good thing is we got another game tomorrow,” Alonso, who went 2-for-4 at the plate, said. “Learn from it, flush it, and full speed ahead.”
