Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Posted on

Phillies lose in Toronto but the Mick Abel turnaround might be legit

Phillies lose in Toronto but the Mick Abel turnaround might be legit originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It had been six years since the Phillies used their top pick on a pitcher when they made Mick Abel the first high school arm off the board, 15th overall, in the 2020 draft.

There was Aaron Nola in 2014, Abel in 2020 and then Andrew Painter a year later.

Nola was viewed coming out of LSU as a fast riser with well-above-average command and he lived up to the billing, speeding through the Phillies’ minor-league system and debuting 13 months after his draft date.

Painter was viewed as a potential phenom, a massive right-hander with a classic pitcher’s frame, upper-90s velocity and impressive secondary stuff. After only one full season in the minors, he was the perceived front-runner for the No. 5 spot in the Phillies’ rotation in spring training 2023 before suffering an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery. Painter has been working his way back since and should be up with the Phils shortly after the All-Star break.

Abel’s path to The Show hasn’t been nearly as straightforward. There were years of control problems. There were questions about confidence and overthinking. There were never questions about the quality of his stuff, and he’s shown why in two major-league starts.

After beating the Pirates with six scoreless innings and nine strikeouts on May 18, Abel pitched nearly as well Wednesday night in Toronto, returning to the Phillies’ rotation with 5⅓ innings of one-run ball.

The lone run came in the bottom of the sixth when Abel allowed a one-out single to Andres Gimenez and an RBI triple to Bo Bichette, whose deep fly ball narrowly eluded a diving Brandon Marsh in center field.

It was another walk-free outing. Abel has made two major-league starts and hasn’t walked anyone. Only two of his last 53 minor-league outings were walk-free. Control is the biggest key for him and it’s been a primary factor in his early success. Abel has thrown a first-pitch strike to 29 of the 41 batters he’s faced (71%).

“I think it’s kind’ve clicked for him,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s been around now for a few years and learned a lot. He’s confident in his stuff. He understands now to attack hitters and trust his stuff. That goes a long way.

“He was fantastic. Strike-to-ball ratio, curveball was really good. Poise was outstanding.”

The Phillies really seem to have something here with Abel. Even with side tightness delaying Aaron Nola’s live BP session this week, the Phils’ rotation is an embarrassment of riches — Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo, Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Nola, Abel, Painter soon. Suarez is a free agent after the season but even if he walks, it will be difficult to fit everyone into one rotation, which could make Abel even more important this July.

Thomson lifted Abel with one out in the sixth to let Orion Kerkering face Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Kerkering worked out of the jam and the game remained tied until Alejandro Kirk’s walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.

The loss went to Jordan Romano in his first appearance back at Rogers Centre. The win went to Jeff Hoffman in his first appearance against the Phillies since departing in free agency.

Hoffman faced only two batters, allowing a two-out single to Alec Bohm before ending the top of the ninth with a Nick Castellanos groundout. Romano had Guerrero on second with two outs and was ahead 0-2 on Kirk, who ended a seven-pitch at-bat with a deep drive to center that fell in for the winning run.

The Phillies are 37-24 heading into Thursday afternoon’s rubber match between Luzardo (5-1, 3.58) and Chris Bassitt (5-3, 3.80). J.T. Realmuto exited in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday after taking a foul ball to the nether regions. He was in considerable pain and had trouble walking off the field with a trainer. With a 3:07 p.m. game Thursday he might not have played anyway, but it’s looking more like a Rafael Marchan day.

“He said he’s had worse,” Thomson said, “but we’ll check him out tomorrow.”

Posted on

What we learned as Giants' offense returns in comeback win vs. Padres

What we learned as Giants' offense returns in comeback win vs. Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – The streaks – yes, plural – finally are over for the Giants in all the right ways. 

Fighting back for a 6-5 victory Wednesday night at Oracle Park, the Giants snapped a seven-game losing streak against the San Diego Padres that dated back to last season. They were 0-4 against the Padres this season prior to the win.

They also showed their most life offensively in weeks. The Giants hadn’t scored five or more runs since May 16, and only had scored four in three games since then. But in the final four innings, the Giants scored all six of their runs.

Starting pitcher Kyle Harrison couldn’t get through the fifth inning. Not to worry, the Giants’ bullpen held it down for the young left-hander. A combination of Sean Hjelle, Tyler Rogers, Ryan Walker and Randy Rodriguez kept the Padres scoreless over the final 4 2/3 innings. Rodriguez earned his first save of his young career. 

Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ much-needed win against the Padres.

Harrison’s Tough Outing 

At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Gavin Sheets isn’t built for speed. The 29-year-old first baseman is in his fifth MLB season and on his second team. Wednesday night was his 492nd game in the majors, and he entered with exactly one career triple. 

That number doubled in Sheets’ first at-bat of the night. Sheets roped a hanging slurve off the bricks in Triples Alley to score two runs in the top of the first inning. In the top of the fifth inning, Sheets ended Harrison’s night on an odd sequence. 

With one out and runners on second and third base, Sheets hit a one-hopper up the middle that bounced off Harrison’s left throwing elbow and into right field. The single plated both runners and sent Harrison to the dugout. 

It’s not like the Padres crushed balls left and right off Harrison. He got tough luck on multiple infield hits, making his line of five earned runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings look worse than it really was. However, the nine hits Harrison allowed were his most ever in a Giants jersey. 

Fresh Faces

On a day where the Giants said goodbye to LaMonte Wade Jr. and looked to inject life into a struggling offense, it was the same result the first time two new players stepped to the plate. Both Dominic Smith and Daniel Johnson struck out in the bottom of the second inning. But Smith followed his disappointing debut at-bat with the Giants by flashing some leather to start the top half of the next inning. 

Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez worked an 11-pitch at-bat to lead off the second inning, and looked to continue extending his battle with Harrison. Smith had other plans. The left-hander made an incredible diving back-handed snag down the first-base line.

Smith grounded out softly to third baseman Manny Machado his next time up, though Johnson had much better luck his second crack at starting pitcher Nick Pivetta. Johnson started his own little two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth when he singled to center field, stole second base and then scored on a Patrick Bailey double to right field.

Johnson again singled up the middle to center field in the bottom of the seventh, this time knocking Pivetta out of the game. He finished the night 2-for-4, and Smith was hitless in four at-bats. Both showed out defensively as Johnson tracked down a big-time catch in the right-center gap to preserve the Giants’ lead in the ninth inning.

Bats Wake Up

Through the first four innings, it looked like the Giants’ offense would continue to be stuck in the mud. Bailey’s double got the ball rolling, and just like that, the Giants remembered what it was like seeing runs scored for their side. 

With one swing, the Giants’ deficit was cut in half in the bottom of the sixth inning. Matt Chapman sent a two-run blast to left field that just barely cleared the fence to make it a 5-3 game. Every inch counts. 

The Giants’ first two batters in their lineup, Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee, then did something that has seemed impossible as of late. Ramos’ bases-loaded double off the left-field wall in the seventh inning scored two runs to make it a 5-5 game, hyping the Giants and every fan at the ballpark. Lee followed Ramos by hitting a sacrifice fly to center field, giving the Giants the lead and their most runs in nearly three weeks. 

As a team, the Giants went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and Lee and Johnson each enjoyed a multi-hit game in the win.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Everything Is Reportedly On The Table For Chris Drury and The Rangers This Offseason

The Journal News-Imagn Images

New York Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury is once again open for business. 

During the beginning of the 2024-25 season, Drury was not happy with the way the Rangers were playing, so he sent out a league-wide memo indicating his desire to shake up the roster and make trades. 

Ultimately, the Rangers missed the playoffs and now major change could very well be on the horizon. 

“The Rangers are considering an awful lot of things,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said. “Like after the season they had last year, there are very few things that are off the table. Chris Drury has got a lot out there and he basically wants to know if you want to talk to them about something, just reach out because he’s gotta know everything that's on the table for him.”

Over the course of the 2024-25 campaign, Drury traded away multiple players including Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, and Jimmy Vesey. 

Drury already made a big move to start the offseason by firing Peter Laviolette and hiring Mike Sullivan to be the Rangers’ head coach. 

There are a ton of questions when it comes to how the Rangers’ roster is currently constructed and it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if Drury continued his pursuit of completely re-shaping the team’s core.

Posted on

Posey's first roster shakeup sends message to Giants' slumping lineup

Posey's first roster shakeup sends message to Giants' slumping lineup originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — When LaMonte Wade Jr. made his Giants debut in 2021, Buster Posey was in the dugout. Posey was there for all of the late-game heroics that year, and when Wade won the Willie Mac Award in September, he joined other past winners for the on-field ceremony. Posey considers the two friends, which made their short meeting late Tuesday night a difficult one. 

With Dominic Smith on the way, the Giants parted ways with Wade, a breakout star four seasons ago, but one of the worst everyday players in the big leagues this season. But they didn’t stop there. 

Catcher Andrew Knizner, a 30-year-old who was picked up late last month and had just eight games with Triple-A, also was added, taking the spot of Sam Huff, who was DFA’d along with Wade. Outfielder Daniel Johnson was in Mexico at the start of the season. On Wednesday, he swapped roster spots with infielder Christian Koss and started in right field over slumping veteran Mike Yastrzemski.

The Wade move alone would have felt significant given his time with the organization, but this was more than that. It felt like a message being sent by a front office that knows this pitching staff is good enough to reach the MLB playoffs and make some noise there if the offense can just make the modest jump from two to four runs per game. 

“It’s been a rough go the last two and a half weeks,” Posey said Wednesday in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area. “I hope that for however long I end up doing this, I hope it’s never easy to have to tell players that you’re taking a job away from them — whether it’s optioning them or not — it’s not an enjoyable thing to do. But the way we’re going right now, we’ve got to change some things up. We’ve got to hopefully get some different looks from some different hitters and get this thing going.”

As Posey sat in the dugout Wednesday afternoon, he talked of how the only experience he can personally rely on is his time as a player. But he also leans on former Giants general managers Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans, the latter of whom is back with the organization. Current general manager Zack Minasian was part of plenty of roster flurries the last few seasons. 

Farhan Zaidi seemingly would put out a press release like this once a month. But this is new to Posey. He can no longer control a slump with his bat or a few pointed words in a hitters’ meeting. Now, it’s with the transaction wire, which was busy Wednesday after three weeks of historically poor production. 

“For me, the easy thing to point to is early in the year it felt like were doing a really good job of moving runners when we needed to. We were hitting and scoring runs with runners in scoring position, popping a homer here and there,” Posey said. “[Now], it’s a little bit of everything. I’ve been on teams where the offense has struggled. Sometimes it’s one game and you get going, a couple of games when you get going, and we’re talking about how good the offense is in three weeks. I hope next time time I talk to you, that’s what we’re talking about.”

That spark has been missing for weeks, which led to moves that sent a message, and not just to a fan base that has grown appropriately disgruntled. This is a message to the team’s core players, too. Had any of them come through more often in recent weeks, Wednesday’s series of moves might not have gone down the same way. Koss and Huff haven’t jumped off the page, but they seemed to get caught up in a push to make big changes. 

For Wade, this day has been telegraphed for several weeks. He had two rough months, but it goes deeper than that. Since the start of the second half in 2024, he is hitting .188 with just six homers. The Giants would have needed to make a move there even if Smith had not come available over the weekend, although Posey said he wasn’t quite sure what that would have looked like. 

“It’s hard to say. There might have been something else that we were looking at at that point,” he said. “There might have been more at-bats for [Casey] Schmitt or [Jerar] Encarnacion or [Wilmer] Flores, but it’s hard to say.”

Posey is hopeful that Wade gets an opportunity elsewhere, and he will. There’s a lot at stake for the 31-year-old who is about to hit free agency for the first time, but he’s healthy and teams are always looking for change-of-scenery candidates this time of year. The Giants have one of their own now, and on Wednesday, Dominic Smith went right into the lineup at first base, hitting fifth, one spot ahead of slumping shortstop Willy Adames. 

The Giants never imagined being at this point, but there’s also a silver lining as they look forward. They made the moves at a time when they’re just half a game out of a playoff spot, nearly entirely thanks to what might be the deepest pitching staff in baseball. The pitching Posey has seen in recent weeks called for urgency, and on Wednesday, the shakeup finally arrived. It wasn’t hard to view that as a message to the other half of the clubhouse.

“It’s time to go,” Posey said. “I think we all believe we’re better than we’ve been with the bats the last two to three weeks. It’s time to go.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

How DFA'ing Wade, other roster moves impact Giants moving forward

How DFA'ing Wade, other roster moves impact Giants moving forward originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Waiting wasn’t an option. The Giants shook up their roster Wednesday ahead of their game against the San Diego Padres, highlighted by designating first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. for assignment, and new faces immediately were slotted into manager Bob Melvin’s lineup. 

“We’re building a new group and we’re trying to change things up a little bit,” Melvin said. “Giving it a little different look is important.” 

The Giants’ plethora of roster moves included DFA’ing Wade and catcher Sam Huff, as well as optioning infielder Christian Koss to Triple-A Sacramento. To fill their spots, the Giants signed veteran first baseman/left fielder Dominic Smith to a one-year major league contract, while also selecting outfielder Daniel Johnson and catcher Andrew Knizner from Sacramento. Both Smith and Johnson are starting Wednesday night in their Giants debuts. 

Smith is playing first base and batting fifth. Johnson will roam right field and bat seventh, and Knizner is expected to be the starting catcher Thursday to conclude a four-game series with San Diego. 

Between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds, Smith had six home runs and a .691 OPS in 93 games last year. He’s yet to play in the big leagues this season, but had eight homers with a .782 OPS for the New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in 45 games prior to his signing. 

Johnson has only played 32 major league games in his career, but had been impressing in Sacramento with five home runs and an .846 OPS.

Adding three players and dropping three will affect multiple players and positions, most notably first base. Smith, a left-handed hitter, is getting the first crack against right-handed starter Nick Pivetta. Smith for his career has shown much more power against righties and should see himself in a platoon situation more than anything else. He’s the Giants’ lone left-handed bat that has experience playing first base.

Melvin still has a handful of right-handed choices. Jerar Encarnación has the ability to play first base, but likely will see most of his action at DH and right field. Casey Schmitt also is an option there as well. Wilmer Flores already has played 60 of the Giants’ 61 games after playing 70 all of last year, and Melvin hopes to get him some more rest. 

“Just gives us a few more options depending on how guys are swinging at the time,” Melvin said. 

Notably, Johnson, a left-handed Vallejo native, is starting in right field and not Mike Yastrzemski. Melvin is going to give Yastrzemski some days off, and Johnson’s long experience playing center field could even spell a breather here and there for Jung Hoo Lee.

“All in all, a little bit more versatility and flexibility, move guys around a little bit and also give some guys some days off who have had extreme workloads,” Melvin said. 

The Giants’ offense has been historically bad as of late, and the team has lost the first two games in their series with San Diego. They’re searching for any kind of spark, and their decision to drop Wade and others will affect plenty of players and positions.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Posted on

Reds place Hunter Greene on 15-day injured list and sign Wade Miley to 1-year contract

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds placed ace pitcher Hunter Greene on the 15-day injured list with a right groin strain and signed veteran left-hander Wade Miley to a one-year contract.

Miley, 38, who had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in May 2024, gets a $2.5 million salary while in the major leagues and $300,000 while in the minors. He would earn a $15,000 performance bonus for each inning pitched from one through 100.

He signed a minor league contract with the Reds on Feb. 4 that included an opt-out clause if he didn’t reach the big leagues by June 1. The 14-year veteran executed that clause but remained in Cincinnati while he pursued potential deals with other clubs, and he stayed in touch with the Reds.

“I was able to spend some time with the family, just being a dad, going to Little League games,” Miley said. “I’m appreciative of the Reds organization and the way they handled it. We always stayed in contact. I feel healthy. I’m really excited to be back. I’m ready to go to work.”

Miley is the third left-hander in the Reds rotation, joining Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott. He made 34 appearances including 32 starts for the Reds in 2020-21, going 12-10 with a 3.55 ERA. He tossed the 17th no-hitter in Reds franchise history, and his first, on May 7, 2021, at Cleveland.

Miley has posted 108 victories for eight different teams in his 14 seasons. Manager Terry Francona said Miley’s veteran presence is a welcome addition for the Reds’ young rotation.

“He and (Reds president of baseball operations) Nick (Krall) talked multiple times,” Francona said. “I know how much he appreciated Nick’s honesty. We were going to have him in the bullpen and then knowing at some point we would probably need him. Well, it happened a little quicker.”

Francona said Miley will be available out of the bullpen for the series finale against the Brewers. If he’s not used, he’ll pitch the first game of the upcoming Cleveland series, then move into the rotation.

“He was in full (uniform) early this morning,” Francona said. “It’s really welcome. We’ve been waiting for him. He’s a bright light. He brings a lot. His ability to compete, he won’t shortchange you.”

It was another setback for Greene who made three starts since a 15-day stint on the injured list last month due to a groin strain he sustained May 7 during a start in Atlanta.

In a 4-2 win over the Brewers, Green threw 85 pitches before leaving the game after five innings when he felt discomfort in his groin. An MRI was scheduled, but Francona said there was no need to wait for the results.

“We talked to him, we talked to trainers, it was kind of an easy decision even without seeing the MRI,” Francona said. “We’ve got to get him healthy.”

Greene — who made his first All-Star appearance last season — is 4-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 11 starts this year.

Posted on

Rockies’ 2nd straight win in Miami ends MLB-record streak of series losses at 22

MIAMI — The woeful Colorado Rockies have ended their ignominious, record-setting MLB streak of 22 consecutive series losses, which dated to last season.

A nervy 3-2 victory at Miami, highlighted by Hunter Goodman’s third home run in two games, gave Colorado two straight victories over the Marlins to ensure the Rockies would leave town with their first series victory since taking two of three games from Arizona in Denver in mid-September.

“That was big-time for the boys, to get that first series win,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Who would’ve known it wouldn’t come until June. But the time is now. I’m happy for them.”

Colorado, a major league-worst 11-50, won consecutive games for just the second time this year after beating Atlanta on April 30 and San Francisco the next day. They now go for a series sweep against the Marlins.

Goodman called the Rockies’ recent form “more encouraging than discouraging.”

“We had some rough games in the first part of the year, and being able to just be in ballgames and have a chance to win is always better than just not being in it,” he said.

Goodman’s teammates seemed unsurprised by his pivotal role in securing the Rockies’ first series win of the season.

“He’s just raking, and when he’s hot, he’s one of the best hitters in the game,” centerfielder Brenton Doyle told Rockies.tv. “I hope he keeps it up. He’s one of my good buddies and that was awesome.”

Rockies reliever Seth Halvorsen earned his third save, but only after Heriberto Hernández drove his 1-1 pitch about 400 feet to left center, where Doyle made a game-ending, running catch at the wall.

“I’m not going to lie; off the bat, I thought that was a homer,” Schaeffer said. “But it wasn’t, so it’s all good. It’s the best having (Doyle) in center field.”

Excluding one-game series, the Rockies are the fourth team since MLB expansion in 1961 to go 18 series before recording their first series win in a season. The 1987 Padres, 1969 Montreal Expos and 1962 Washington Senators all won their first series of those seasons in their 19th series.

Before the Rockies arrived in Miami, they’d gone 3-28 on the road — the worst road mark at that point of season in more than a century — and had not won back-to-back road games since last Sept. 5-6.

“It’s nice to get a couple wins. It’s good to get that first series win,” Schaeffer said. “Now we just move forward.”

Posted on

Padres at Giants Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 4

It's Wednesday, June 4, and the Padres (35-24) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (33-28). Nick Pivetta is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Kyle Harrison for San Francisco.

Jake Cronenworth's go-ahead RBI in the top of the 10th inning lifted the Padres over the Giants, moving them to 2-0 in the series.

Manny Machado was also big for the Padres yesterday. He went 4-4 with two RBIs. None bigger than his RBI single in the top of the 10th inning to tie the game.

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 the how to catch tipoff, 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.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Padres at Giants

  • Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
  • Time: 9:45PM EST
  • Site: Oracle Park
  • City: San Francisco, CA
  • Network/Streaming: NBCS BA, Padres.TV

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 Padres at the Giants

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Padres (-114), Giants (-106)
  • Spread:  Padres -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Giants

  • Pitching matchup for June 4, 2025: Nick Pivetta vs. Kyle Harrison
    • Padres: Nick Pivetta, (6-2, 2.74 ERA)
      Last outing (Pittsburgh Pirates, 5/30): 6.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts
    • Giants: Kyle Harrison, (1-1, 2.51 ERA)
      Last outing (Miami Marlins, 5/30): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 1 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 5 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 Padres at Giants

  • The Giants have won 12 of their last 20 home games
  • The Giants' last 3 games at home versus the Padres have stayed under the Total
  • The Padres have covered in 4 of their last 5 road games but they are profiting 1.62 units

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 Padres and the Giants

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 Wednesday's game between the Padres and the Giants:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Francisco Giants on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Francisco Giants at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Posted on

Cool Jazz back at Yankee Stadium as Chisholm’s homer sparks New York to 3-2 win over Cleveland

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees had been missing their cool Jazz.

Sidelined since April 29 by a strained right oblique, Jazz Chisholm Jr. drove Tanner Bibee’s first pitch of the seventh inning toward the right-center stands. He shuffled up the first-base line, holding his bat, convinced it was a tiebreaking home run.

And it was, barely, caught by a fan in the first row, 358 feet from home plate.

“Our hitting coach told me a story about Reggie Jackson,” Chisholm said after the 3-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. “He hit a homer that barely went over the fence. And he was like, `Hey, Reggie, how did you know that was gone?’ And he’s like, `Well, I hit 567 (actually 563) of them.’ So I told my coach, my story is that I’ve hit 1,000 homers in my dreams, so I had to know that one was gone, right?”

Chisholm went 2 for 3, also blooping a fifth-inning single for the Yankees’ first hit and scoring on DJ LeMahieu’s single. Anthony Volpe went deep six pitches after Chisholm, giving New York back-to-back homers for the fifth time this season.

“Honestly, I pictured a 3 for 3, but I’d take a 2 for 3,” Chisholm said.

He returned to third base, his position with the Yankees last year, after making 29 starts at second through April 29, when he got hurt at Baltimore. New York manager Aaron Boone decided to leave LeMahieu at second, where he’s started since coming back from a spring training calf injury on May 13.

Chisholm didn’t complain about the position switch and gushed: “This is my favorite organization I’ve ever been a part of.”

“I just want to win. I want a ring,” Chisholm said. “You got (Aaron) Judge. You got Volpe, and they come and talk to you and when you have such a good relationship with the manager, I mean, you don’t mind doing anything for a guy that you have a good friendship with.”

An All-Star with Miami in 2022, the 27-year-old played middle infield for the Marlins from 2020-22, was moved to center field from 2023-24, then inserted at third when the Yankees acquired him in a trade last July 27.

“Everyone’s really pumped for him and happy for us that he’s back helping us,” Volpe said. “He’s just so smooth and has such a great arm that you can play wherever you want to play with him over there.”

Wearing a baby blue, 11 1/2-inch glove from his own company, Absolutely Ridiculous Innovation for Athletes (ARIA), Chisholm grabbed Ángel Martínez’s grounder down the line in the third and made a strong one-hop throw to first from foul territory for an inning-ending out. The glove is intended to be used for Father’s Day on June 15 and Chisholm started to break it in during three rehab games at Double-A Somerset.

“Sometimes you catch the ball over there at third base and you look at the first baseman and you’re like, wow, he’s pretty far,” Chisholm said.

He is batting just .194 with eight homers and 18 RBIs. But in addition to his bat and glove, Chisholm adds a vivacious personality.

“Really excited to have him back and good to see him have that kind of impact right away,” Boone said.

Devin Williams, back as closer after Luke Weaver strained a hamstring, allowed Carlos Santana’s one-out double and pinch-hitter Daniel Schneemann’s two-out RBI single in the ninth, then retired Bo Naylor on a flyout for his sixth save as AL East-leading New York won for the 11th time in 14 games.

During spring training, Boone and the Yankees talked of Chisholm combining with Volpe, the third-year shortstop, on an exiting double-play combination.

“I really thought I was done at third base,” Chisholm said. “I thought I left my career over there with a good stamp, but I guess we’re back again. We got to shine again. We can’t let that reputation go down at third base.”

Posted on

Red Sox manager Alex Cora proclaims his team ‘not getting better’ following 8th loss in 10 games

BOSTON — Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been proclaiming recently that he didn’t think his team was far from putting good baseball together following a dismal stretch of games.

Those days of optimism appear to be dwindling after Boston’s latest setback.

The Red Sox lost their 17th one-run game of the season, this time falling 4-3 to the Los Angeles Angels in 10 innings filled with missed opportunities, poor execution defensively and another inconsistent night from the bullpen. It was their eighth loss in 10 games. They are now 9-10-1 in series play, including 4-5-1 at Fenway Park.

“We keep making the same mistakes. We’re not getting better,” Cora said after the game. “At one point it has to be on me I guess. I’m the manager. I’ve got to keep pushing them to be better. They’re not getting better. They’re not. We keep making the same mistakes. I’ll be honest about it and very open about it.”

The loss came a night after Boston also lost by a run to an Angels team that had lost seven of eight and three consecutive series.

The game started out with some promise.

Starting pitcher Brayan Bello pitched a scoreless first to snap a four-game streak of Boston pitchers allowing at least one run in the opening inning.

But then the Angels took a 3-0 lead in the third inning via an RBI single by Zach Neto and a two-run single by Nolan Schanuel.

Boston got one run back during its half of the inning but failed to close the gap more despite having runners on second and third base with no outs.

The Red Sox outhit the Angels for the second straight game. But also also committed three fielding errors.

“You get frustrated, but at one point, OK, what are you going to do? What’s going to change? We keep doing the same thing,” Cora said.

Posted on

Ceddanne Rafaela walks it off vs. Angels with comical homer

Ceddanne Rafaela walks it off vs. Angels with comical homer originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

In Wednesday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, Ceddanne Rafaela saved the day for the Boston Red Sox with a walk-off home run that could only have happened at Fenway Park.

Rafaela laced one over the right-field fence to secure Boston’s 11-9 victory. The ball traveled only 308 feet, making it the third-shortest homer hit at Fenway Park and the shortest walk-off homer altogether in the Statcast era (since 2015). It wouldn’t have made it out of any of the other 29 MLB ballparks.

When you’re hot, you’re hot. Rafaela’s walk-off marked his third consecutive game with a homer, and it prevented Boston from being swept.

Rafaela was one of the few bright spots in a brutal series for Boston. It dropped the first two games of the series 7-6 and 4-3 to bring its record in one-run games this season to 6-17.

The Red Sox’ struggles continued Wednesday as starter Lucas Giolito allowed four runs in the top of the first inning, but the offense answered with five of their own in the bottom of the frame. It was a back-and-forth affair from that point on until Rafaela came through with his miracle homer.

They’ll look to carry their momentum into the Bronx when they begin a three-game series against the first-place New York Yankees on Friday.

Posted on

Mets prospect Jonah Tong strikes out 11 in five hitless innings as Double-A dominance continues

Fast-rising Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong twirled his latest gem on Wednesday afternoon for Double-A Binghamton.

Relying heavily on his fastball while also judiciously mixing in his curve, Vulcan changeup, and developing slider, Tong held the Somerset Patriots (the Yankees' affiliate) hitless during his 5.0 innings of work.

The only trouble Tong got in all day came in the second inning, when he issued three walks (the only free passes of his day). But he escaped the jam by getting back-to-back strikeouts, and proceeded to retire the final 11 batters he faced.

Tong's ERA with Binghamton over 10 starts and 49.0 innings is 2.02.

Wednesday's outing was the second time this season that Tong was untouchable.

He fired 6.2 perfect innings on May 10, with reliever TJ Shook finishing the seven-inning perfect game after Tong reached his pitch count.

Speaking with SNY last week, Tong discussed his ascension and highlighted what he's working on -- including his new slider.

"Right now we’re tinkering with shapes, so I can’t really tell you what exactly is happening," Tong noted about the slider. "We’re tinkering with a few things, but really happy with the progress of that."

The 21-year-old right-hander is also mindful of the need to limit his walks.

"The most obvious one for me is the walks right now," he said. "They’re definitely there. I do think – and I’m really confident -- that they’re not always gonna be there. It’s just more getting my feet wet and getting into the season. Last year happened for me right out of the gate, and this year it’s just a little bit slower when it comes to that.

"It’s just being more consistent, and knowing that when I’m in the zone we’re gonna have a lot of success. And just feeling confident in that. So I think just being in the zone early and often, and having the ability to put away hitters is something I’ve shown I can do – I just need to do it a little more consistently."

Tong will almost certainly get promoted to Triple-A Syracuse at some point this season, at which point he'll be one step away from his ultimate goal.

Posted on

Orioles at Mariners Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 4

It's Wednesday, June 4, and the Orioles (23-36) are in Seattle to take on the Mariners (32-27). Cade Povich is slated to take the mound for Baltimore against Emerson Hancock for Seattle.

Tomoyuki Sugano was great in the Orioles' 5-1 win yesterday. He struck out five batters in 7.0 innings. He walked on batter, and only gave up one run.

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 the how to catch tipoff, 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.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Orioles at Mariners

  • Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
  • Time: 9:40PM EST
  • Site: T-Mobile Park
  • City: Seattle, WA
  • Network/Streaming: ROOTNW, MASN 2, MASN+

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 Orioles at the Mariners

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Orioles (+111), Mariners (-132)
  • Spread:  Mariners -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Orioles at Mariners

  • Pitching matchup for June 4, 2025: Cade Povich vs. Emerson Hancock
    • Orioles: Cade Povich, (1-4, 5.29 ERA)
      Last outing (St. Louis Cardinals, 5/28): 4.2 Innings Pitched, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts
    • Mariners: Emerson Hancock, (2-2, 5.64 ERA)
      Last outing (Washington Nationals, 5/29): 5.1 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 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 Orioles at Mariners

  • After losing the series opener, the Mariners have an 8-3 record in game 2 this season
  • The Orioles' last 5 matchups against American League teams have gone under the Total
  • It has been 6 games since the Mariners last covered the Run Line

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 Orioles and the Mariners

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 Wednesday's game between the Orioles and the Mariners:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Seattle Mariners on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Baltimore Orioles 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 from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Posted on

Royals at Cardinals prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 4

It's Wednesday, June 4, and the Royals (32-29) are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals (33-27). Noah Cameron is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Miles Mikolas for St. Louis.

The Royals won a 10-7 shootout against the Cardinals yesterday. Jonathan India went 3-5 with three runs. Bobby Witt Jr. also had a big game. He went 2-4, with one home run and four RBIs.

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 the how to catch tipoff, 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.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Royals at Cardinals

  • Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
  • Time: 7:45PM EST
  • Site: Busch Stadium
  • City: St. Louis, MO
  • Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City

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 Royals at the Cardinals

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Royals (+110), Cardinals (-131)
  • Spread:  Cardinals -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Royals at Cardinals

  • Pitching matchup for June 4, 2025: Noah Cameron vs. Miles Mikolas
    • Royals: Noah Cameron, (2-1, 1.05 ERA)
      Last outing (Cincinnati Reds, 5/28): 6.1 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts
    • Cardinals: Miles Mikolas, (4-2, 3.90 ERA)
      Last outing (Baltimore Orioles, 5/28): 4.0 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 9 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 3 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 Royals at Cardinals

  • The Cardinals have won their last 4 head-to-heads against the Royals with Miles Mikolas as the opener
  • The Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas has an ERA of 3.32 in his last 5 home starts on the mound
  • With Miles Mikolas starting the Cardinals have covered the Run Line in 7 of their last 8 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 Royals and the Cardinals

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 Wednesday's game between the Royals and the Cardinals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the St. Louis Cardinals on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Kansas City Royals 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 from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Posted on

Rangers at Rays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 4

It's Wednesday, June 4, and the Rangers (29-32) are in Tampa to take on the Rays (31-29). Kumar Rocker is slated to take the mound for Texas against Shane Baz for Tampa Bay.

After winning seven of their last 10 games, the Rays have climbed into second in the AL East.

They picked up the win in the first game of the series yesterday, 5-1. Drew Rasmussen pitched five shutout innings, only gave up one hit, and struck out eight batters.

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 the how to catch tipoff, 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.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Rangers at Rays

  • Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
  • Time: 7:35PM EST
  • Site: George M. Steinbrenner Field
  • City: Tampa, FL
  • Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Sun, Rangers Sports Network, Victory+

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 Rangers at the Rays

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Rangers (+106), Rays (-125)
  • Spread:  Rays -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Rangers at Rays

  • Pitching matchup for June 4, 2025: Kumar Rocker vs. Shane Baz
    • Rangers: Kumar Rocker, (1-3, 8.10 ERA)
      Last outing (Athletics, 4/23): 1.2 Innings Pitched, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts
    • Rays: Shane Baz, (4-3, 4.92 ERA)
      Last outing (Houston Astros, 5/29): 5.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 3 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 Rangers at Rays

  • With Shane Baz toeing the rubber betting the Rays on the Money Line is showing a profit of 2.48 units
  • In his last 5 home starts on the mound the Rays pitcher Shane Baz has an ERA of 7.96
  • With Shane Baz as the opener betting the Rays on the Run Line would have returned a 3.79-unit profit in 2025

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 Rangers and the Rays

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 Wednesday's game between the Rangers and the Rays:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Tampa Bay Rays on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Texas Rangers at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)