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Suárez deals, Phillies rack up 21 hits to best Mariners

Suárez deals, Phillies rack up 21 hits to best Mariners originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

If there was ever a time the Phillies needed Ranger Suárez, it was Monday night.

With the Phils playing their 11th straight game and Zack Wheeler’s 2025 status in question, Suárez delivered a dazzling performance against the Mariners – exactly what they needed, en route to a 12-7 victory.

The lefty entered off two of his worst starts of the season, allowing 11 runs over his last 11 2/3 innings, but you wouldn’t have known it from the jump.

The weather may have felt Washington-state like, but Seattle looked far away from home. For M’s starter Logan Gilbert, he carried a 2.22 ERA in 10 home starts but a 4.86 ERA away, and the Phillies wasted little time exposing that split.

After back-to-back hard-hit singles by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the first didn’t cash in a run, the offense broke out in the second. 

Brandon Marsh opened with a 105.5 mph single, Nick Castellanos followed with an opposite-field knock, and Max Kepler blooped one to score Marsh for a 1-0 lead.

Bryson Stott — who hit .296 on the road trip (8-for-27) — then laced an RBI double to bring up Trea Turner.

With runners on the corners and no outs, Turner — sitting on 1,499 career hits — crushed a three-run homer for No. 1,500, his 13th of the season and first at Citizens Bank Park.

The party didn’t stop there. J.T. Realmuto, who had worked a nine-pitch at-bat in the first, battled through 10 more before unloading on a solo homer to left. Randy Arozarena barely moved in pursuit.

The Phillies led 6-0 through two innings for a second straight game — this being the first time in franchise history that they have been able to do so.

Logan Gilbert hit the showers after 65 pitches through two frames.

“Gilbert’s a really good pitcher,” Bryce Harper said. “I thought we jumped on him pretty quickly right there.”

But if Sunday in Washington taught the Phils anything, it’s that no lead is safe. After using five relievers to hold off the Nationals a day earlier, Rob Thomson badly needed length from Suárez — and he got it.

After the Julio Rodríguez double in the first, Suárez retired 17 of his next 19 batters, before Mitch Garver stroked a solo home run to open the scoring for Seattle with two-outs in the seventh.

Suárez finished 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and striking out 10. It was his third career game with double-digit strikeouts, tying his career-high.

“His command was impeccable,” manager Rob Thomson said of his starter. “He had his curveball tonight … he was really good.”

In the sixth, Harper added insurance. Seattle reliever Casey Legumina hung a sweeper and Harper demolished his 20th homer of the season, a 440-foot shot to right.

If you thought the Phillies’ lead was safe, Cole Young proved otherwise. After Thomson pulled Suárez in the seventh, he turned to Jordan Romano with a six-run cushion and a man on. A two-out single followed by Young’s three-run homer made it 7-4 and pushed Romano’s ERA to 7.56.

Romano has allowed six earned runs over his last 1 1/3 innings, adding to what has been a rough first season with the Phils.

The Phillies responded immediately in the eighth. With two outs, Trea Turner lined an RBI double, Schwarber added an RBI single and Harper kept rolling through his power-filled August.

Seattle stuck with Legumina against Harper and paid the price. Harper launched a 448-foot three-run shot — his second homer of the night and the 30th multi-homer game of his career — to make it 11-4. This month, Harper has six homers and a .565 slugging percentage.

It was also the first time in the Statcast era (since 2015) that a Phillies hitter crushed two home runs of 440-plus feet in the same game. Ironically, Harper also accomplished this back on May 6, 2015 with the Nationals.

The Phillies added insurance in the eighth when Turner lined an RBI single, marking his 16th three-hit game of the season.

“He’s having a great year,” Harper said. “He’s doing what Trea Turner does.”

The Mariners scratched across three runs in the ninth against Nolan Hoffman — making his Major League debut — but the rookie settled in to record the final outs and lock up Philadelphia’s 72nd win, extending its NL East lead to 5 1/2 games over the Mets.

Despite the uncertainty of Wheeler’s status, the Phils are optimistic with their current group.

“It’s definitely going to hurt,” Trea Turner said. “It’s a good clubhouse where we don’t have to rely on one person … I think if we all pick up a little bit of slack, I think we can get the job done.”

Looking for another series victory

The Phillies will send Cristopher Sánchez (11-4, 2.45 ERA) to the mound Tuesday night as he continues a dominant 2025 campaign. Seattle counters with veteran right-hander Luis Castillo (8-6, 3.48 ERA).

Schwarber has had the most success against Castillo, going 6-for-20 with four homers. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET.

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What we learned as Robbie Ray deals after Giants' early outburst to beat Padres

What we learned as Robbie Ray deals after Giants' early outburst to beat Padres originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN DIEGO — On paper, this is a week that should end the Giants’ very, very slim playoff hopes. They’ve got four games against a San Diego Padres club that dominated them at Oracle Park last week, followed by three against the Milwaukee Brewers, who seemingly don’t know how to lose.

But there’s still belief in the clubhouse that a run is possible, and on Monday, the group got a daunting road trip off to a strong start. The Giants hit three homers in the first inning at Petco Park and held on from there, winning 4-3 to take a second straight game for the first time in 10 days. 

The lineup has struggled against lefties all season long and didn’t do much against Nestor Cortes last week at Oracle Park, but they hit him so hard in the first that he probably went back to the dugout and tried to figure out if he was tipping. 

Heliot Ramos kicked things off with a solo homer to left, and before the visiting dugout could even finish celebrating, Rafael Devers smoked a solo shot to right-center. They became the first Giants to go back-to-back to start a road game since Chuck Hiller and Duke Snider did it to St. Louis Cardinals legend Bob Gibson in 1964. 

After a Casey Schmitt double, Wilmer Flores lofted a two-run shot into the seats in left, which were busy Monday night. 

The four-run lead held up, as lefty Robbie Ray took a shutout into the seventh. Here are three things to know from a tense night in San Diego …

Road Rallies

At some point in time — either over the next five weeks or at the start of the 2026 MLB season — this group of hitters is going to have to figure out how to more consistently do damage at Oracle Park. But right now, the Giants at least look like a normal offense on the road. 

The four-run first included blasts to left from Ramos and Flores, who took advantage of a relatively short porch. Devers’ homer was smoked, leaving the yard at 110.4 mph, although in a funny twist it would not have been a homer at Oracle Park, according to Statcast.

All three of the first-inning blasts would not have gone out at Oracle, which is a good example of the conundrum facing the front office this offseason. They probably need to have a more athletic and bat-control-heavy lineup at home. At the same time, this is a group of players who have hit for power in the past and should do well on the road. 

Digging Deep

Manager Bob Melvin said before the game that he didn’t intend to take Ray past 100 pitches since the lefty threw 113 last week, but when Ray finished six scoreless innings at 89 pitches, it was a pretty easy call to let him start the seventh. 

Ray ended up allowing three runs in the inning, but they were all unearned after a play that included two errors from Schmitt. He lowered his ERA to 2.85, which ranks seventh in the National League. 

Ray allowed just one hit through his first six innings, although he probably should have been charged with a solo homer. Xander Bogaerts hit a fly ball that plopped out of Ramos’ glove and dropped over the left field wall, but a long review overturned the call because of fan interference. It was a charitable interpretation, but the Giants certainly won’t complain about any breaks right now.

The Path To 27 Outs

Aside from the lineup, the biggest problem Melvin has every night is how to get from his starter to closer Randy Rodriguez. On Monday, he leaned heavily on right-hander Ryan Walker, who was fresh after missing the weekend series for the birth of his second daughter. 

Walker got Fernando Tatis Jr. to ground out to end the chaotic seventh and then breezed through the top of the order in the eighth. After a Luis Arraez single, he struck out Manny Machado and got Ramon Laureano to bounce into a double play. 

Walker by far is the best candidate to fill the void left by the Tyler Rogers trade, and long term, he’s also the player most likely to be able to set up for Rodriguez next season. The other top candidate, Erik Miller, has been shut down after feeling more discomfort in his elbow. 

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Giants catch break with controversial fan interference on Xander Bogaerts homer

Giants catch break with controversial fan interference on Xander Bogaerts homer originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Replay review worked in the Giants’ favor during their game against the San Diego Padres on Monday at Petco Park.

What initially appeared to be an Xander Bogaerts home run that went in and out of Heliot Ramos’ glove in the second inning was called back and ruled a fly out, after umpires determined a fan reached over the left-field wall and interfered with the play.

While the fan didn’t appear to touch the ball, MLB defines spectator interference as an instance where “a spectator clearly prevents a fielder from catching a fly ball by reaching onto the field of play.”

Since the fan’s arms went into the field of play and presumably into Ramos’ line of sight as he attempted to rob the homer, it can be assumed this play fell into that category in the eyes of umpires at the replay command center in New York.

Padres manager Mike Shildt wasn’t happy with the call and was ejected after exiting San Diego’s dugout to argue with home plate umpire James Hoye.

The overturned call kept Giants pitcher Robbie Ray’s scoreless outing intact, and was a much-needed boost for a struggling Giants team looking for some morale and their second consecutive win.

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Manfred: ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ Deal on Deck, Realignment Likely

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on Sunday night said the league was closing in on a deal to cover the final three years of its legacy TV contract with ESPN.

Manfred dropped in on the Sunday Night Baseball booth during the fourth inning of the Little League Classic matchup between the Mariners and Mets, and during an exchange with ESPN’s Karl Ravech, the MLB boss intimated that a new deal could be announced well before the postseason begins.

“We’re having very detailed conversations with a number of parties, including ESPN,” Manfred said as New York batted with a 3-1 lead over Seattle. “We hope to have it resolved in the next couple of weeks. It’s a little bit like a jigsaw puzzle, but we will have it resolved in the next few weeks.”

In response to Manfred’s update, Ravech said, “I put my hand up for hoping that we stay involved.”

Manfred had hoped to have a deal secured in time to make a formal announcement during last month’s All-Star Game in Atlanta, but the process of finding a possible replacement for ESPN (which triggered its opt-out option on the Sunday night package in February) has been complicated by a flurry of interest from prospective partners, including NBC Sports and Apple. Also up for grabs are the Home Run Derby and the American and National League Wild Card Series.

As for ESPN, while the incumbent wanted out of the latter portion of its original $550/year media deal, chairman Jimmy Pitaro hasn’t been shy about his willingness to assemble some sort of reconfigured arrangement with MLB. To that end, ESPN has been kicking the tires on an opportunity to license the out-of-market MLB.tv package.

Aligning Bristol with a delivery system for local MLB games is consistent with Pitaro’s oft-stated desire to secure a portfolio of the league’s in-market rights. Pitaro first broached the subject last summer during an on-campus ESPN media scrum.

Wherever the ESPN package lands, the deal will expire at the end of the 2028 MLB season—at which point Manfred says he’ll combine the league’s local and national rights into a newly configured package.

During his Sunday night drop-in, Manfred also discussed the potential for a broad realignment of MLB, one that would presumably eliminate the canonical AL and NL in favor of a more travel-friendly geographical clustering.

The hypothetical realignment would coincide with the expansion of MLB to 32 franchises. In one scenario, a four-club “Northeast” division would include near-neighbors the Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Red Sox, while a “Mid-Atlantic” cluster would house the Nationals, Orioles, Pirates and Guardians.

“I think if we expand, it provides us with an opportunity to geographically realign,” Manfred said. “I think we could save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel. And I think our postseason format would be even more appealing for entities like ESPN, because … that 10 o’clock time slot where we sometimes get Boston-Anaheim would now be two West Coast teams. And so that slot, [which has been] a problem for us sometimes, becomes a real opportunity for our West Coast audience.”

Should such a shakeup occur, it would likely happen after Manfred steps down from his post in January 2029, when his term in office expires.

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Yankees to activate INF/OF Amed Rosario off IL ahead of Tuesday's matchup with Rays: report

As the Yankees continue their push for the postseason, the club is getting healthier.

According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, the Yankees are expected to activate infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario off of the injured list ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the Rays in Tampa, the first contest of a quick two-game series.

Rosario, acquired from the Washington Nationals ahead of the trade deadline, appeared in four games with the Yanks before suffering a shoulder injury on Aug. 8 while trying to track down a ball in right field and crashing into the Yankee Stadium wall.

In those four games, the versatile Rosario had three hits in seven at-bats, including a double and one RBI.

It’s been a solid season overall for the former Mets top prospect, who has slashed .277/.315/.432 with five home runs and 19 RBI in 50 combined games between the Nats and Yankees.

While the Yankees have not yet officially activated Rosario, the club did announce that catcher J.C. Escarra has been optioned to Triple-A, which opens up the roster spot for Rosario.

Escarra, 30, has played in 40 games with the Yankees, posting a .629 OPS with two home runs and 11 RBI.

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Assessing Mets with three-quarters of season over: The good, the imperfect, and what's to come

It's impossible to sugarcoat the stretch the Mets are starting to come out of.

After a seven-game winning streak gave them a 62-44 record at the end of play on July 27, New York had a 2-14 stretch, dropping them from first place in the NL East to a spot where they'll need a very hot finish to overtake the Phillies and win the division.

During the aforementioned stretch, the Mets were nearly no-hit, saw lead after lead evaporate, watched their starting pitching struggle badly, and lost all seven of the one-run games they played.

The Mets dealt with a combination of very poor performance with a dash of some really unfortunate events and bad luck mixed in (losing seven one-run games in a row is bonkers). It was the kind of bad run that is hard to believe while it's happening.

Despite all that went wrong over the last few weeks, though, the Mets are still very much in the driver's seat when it comes to reaching the postseason -- up two losses on the Reds for the third Wild Card spot, within striking distance of the Padres for the second spot, and one hot streak from being right back in it for the NL East title.

They started to right the ship this past weekend against the Mariners, taking two of three games from a very hot team as New York rode strong pitching and a revitalized lineup that is starting to click again.

Let's assess how things are going for the 2025 Mets and what's to come...

The good

The Mets are oozing with talent and are relatively healthy as they enter the stretch run. And no one will care about what they did in the first few weeks of August if they wind up back in the postseason, where they would be incredibly dangerous.

As has been the case all year, the success of the offense will likely rise and fall with the performances ofFrancisco Lindor,Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo -- and all four of them started to heat up as the Mets came out of their malaise over the last week.

That's not a coincidence.

New York Mets infielder Francisco Lindor (12) hits a single against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.
New York Mets infielder Francisco Lindor (12) hits a single against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The bottom of the lineup has been better lately, especially with Francisco Alvarez (the Mets are holding their breath about his thumb) being a different hitter since he returned from a stint in the minors. But this team will likely go as far as the top of their lineup will take them.

The starting pitching is also beginning to stabilize after failing to provide much length or effectiveness for most of New York's 2-14 spiral.

Kodai Senga was sharp his last time out, Clay Holmes looked very good on Sunday night against Seattle, and Nolan McLean gave the team a real jolt when he fired 5.1 shutout innings during his big league debut on Saturday at Citi Field -- looking not only like a pitcher with the stuff to succeed at this level, but like someone who has the temperament for it as well.

Then there's Edwin Diaz, who is in the midst of a lights-out campaign. In 48.0 innings over 47 appearances, Diaz has a 1.69 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 70 strikeouts -- a rate of 13.1 per nine. He has been nearly untouchable in 22.2 innings since June 6, with a 0.79 ERA.

Another real bright spot lately has been lefty reliever Gregory Soto, who hasn't allowed an earned run in 8.1 innings since being acquired from the Orioles.

The imperfect

The Mets were coming out of a 1-10 stretch when we did this exercise at the halfway point of the season, which illustrates how streaky they've been.

One cause for concern right now would be the combination of Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley not immediately becoming the dominant 1-2 punch the team hoped would be a bridge to Diaz.

Rogers has a 1.93 ERA in 9.1 appearances, but he has just one strikeout during that span and has been much more hittable with New York than he was for San Francisco. Rogers has given up 13 hits in those 9.1 innings after surrendering just 38 in 50.0 innings earlier this season for the Giants. Meanwhile, Helsley blew back-to-back late leads last Thursday and Friday and has a 7.11 ERA since being acquired from the Cardinals.

Both Rogers and Helsley have stuff that is too good for them to get hit this much, so the expectation should be that they'll stabilize -- and Helsley started to do so with a scoreless inning on Sunday night while striking out a pair.

New York Mets relief pitcher Tyler Rogers (71) pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Citi Field
New York Mets relief pitcher Tyler Rogers (71) pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Citi Field / Brad Penner - Imagn Images

Meanwhile, even with the rotation being better lately, it would still be very helpful if they were able to provide more length. No team can withstand its starters giving as little length as the Mets have, which has caused a serious ripple effect and put the bullpen in a really bad spot.

Holmes, who is miles past his previous innings total, might simply be a five-inning guy for the remainder of this season, and could possibly wind up in the bullpen before the year is over.

David Peterson had been giving 6.0 or more innings regularly until recently, so a bounce back there should be expected. But the Mets need more from Senga and especially Sean Manaea, who has a 4.78 ERA and has pitched past the fifth inning just once since returning from his injury on July 13.

Another big shot in the arm could be provided by Mark Vientos, who possesses game-changing power but has yet to put things together this year. Vientos catching fire and taking over the main designated hitter duties while getting some starts at third base would seriously lengthen the lineup.

What's to come

With the trade deadline in the past, McLean up, and impact position players like Jett Williams and Carson Benge almost certainly not debuting until 2026, the group that the Mets have now will closely resemble the one that will get them to the playoffs or not.

One big exception is the potential debut of Brandon Sproat, who could possibly join McLean in the rotation at some point if New York goes to a six-man staff or if Holmes is eventually shifted to the bullpen for the remainder of the year.

There's also a possibility the Mets use Sproat out of the bullpen if there's a need there.

While Jonah Tong has been the most dominant pitcher in minor league baseball this season, it's hard to envision him getting the call this year unless he's utterly dominant in Triple-A (where he shined in his first start over the weekend) and the Mets wind up dealing with multiple injuries.

As far as the schedule New York will have to navigate to reach the postseason, it isn't easy.

Following a six-game road trip this week against the Nationals and Braves, the Mets play 19 of their final 32 games against teams that are fighting for playoff spots -- including seven games against the Phillies, three against the Tigers in Detroit, three against the Reds in Cincinnati, three against the Cubs in Chicago, and three against the Padres at Citi Field.

The other games aren't cupcakes, either, including seven against the plucky Marlins and a three-game set against a Rangers team that isn't contending but remains dangerous.

The Mets, who made the playoffs in 2022 and 2024, have never had a four-year stretch where they made three postseason appearances. To change that, they'll have to lock in down the stretch and take it.

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Mets' Francisco Lindor named NL Player of the Week

Following a rough July that included a career-worst 0-for-31 skid, Francisco Lindor has gotten things back on track during the month of August, and now the Mets shortstop has been named National League Player of the Week for his efforts.

In six games last week (Aug. 12-17), Lindor went 14-for-25 at the plate, slashing .560/.607/1.040 with three home runs, three doubles, seven RBI and seven runs scored.

Zooming out a bit further, Lindor’s numbers in the month of August are equally as impressive, as the Mets star has slashed .350/.435/.633 with four homers, 12 RBI and 14 runs scored over the course of 15 games. This comes after a month of July in which Lindor hit just .206.

It’s been an up-and-down offensive season for Lindor, who earned his first All-Star appearance as Met thanks to a strong first half in which he posted a .787 OPS with 19 home runs and 54 RBI.

But with Lindor now back in the leadoff spot after getting some chances to hit second and third in the order, it’s clear that he remains a key cog in the Mets’ offense. 

If Lindor continues to play as well as he has since the calendar flipped to August, it could go a long way towards the Mets making a push for the NL East crown, as they currently sit 5.0 games behind the Phillies with seven games remaining between the two clubs.

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MLB Power Rankings: Brewers reign, Tigers climb, Padres fall out of top 10

Greetings baseball enthusiasts. I’m filling in for the legendary D.J. Short in the power rankings this week. I have tried my best to stay true to his general tone and focus of the article without shifting things around too drastically.

Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, Christian Yelich with a magical night to lead an improbable comeback, Kyle Finnegan's dominance with the Tigers, Alejandro Kirk showing off his wheels, Ramon Laureano's powerful contributions to the Padres, Nolan McLean's phenomenal debut and Jung Hoo Lee's outrageous catch against the Cubs.

(Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook)

Let’s get started!

Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, August 18.

1) Milwaukee Brewers

Last week: 1

The Brewers won a jaw-dropping 14 games in a row — many in dramatic fashion — before finally dropping a heartbreaker to the Reds in extra innings on Sunday afternoon.

They're a ridiculous 22-5 since the All-Star break and easily have the best record in baseball at 78-45 and the best run differential at a whopping +161. Anyone who wouldn't have them in the top spot right now is in denial.

One of their most impressive wins during that franchise-record 14-game win streak came on Friday night. The Brewers faced an 8-1 deficit after two innings against the Reds and clawed their way back on the strength of two homers and five RBI from Christian Yelich — doing so while using his customized Bob Uecker bat for player's weekend.

2) Detroit Tigers ⬆️

C'mon, you couldn't expect me to fill in here and not move the Tigers up the board at least a few spots, right? The Motor City Kitties finally got back on track this week, taking two out of three from the White Sox in Chicago and then three out of four from the Twins in Minneapolis over the weekend.

Kyle Finnegan has been an unbelievable addition to the team's bullpen, firing 7 2/3 scoreless innings with a 10/1 K/BB ratio in his first seven appearances. He has converted all four of his save chances and secured a victory with his new club. He and Will Vest give the Tigers a legitimate 1-2 punch at the back of their bullpen that they're going to need in October.

3) Los Angeles Dodgers

Last week: 3

The Dodgers had an interesting week, getting swept by the Angels in the Freeway Series — losing all three games by one run each to start the week. They then rebounded and swept the Padres at home over the weekend to take control of the National League West, getting brilliant starting pitching from Clayton Kershaw, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

We all know that the Dodgers are going to be a major factor in October and now that their rotation is getting healthy, expect them to put some distance between themselves and the Padres in the standings.

4) Toronto Blue Jays

Last week: 4

Another strong week from the Blue Jays, going 4-2 to extend their lead in the American League East to five games over the Red Sox and 5.5 over the Yankees.

It was fun to see them swap roles on the team this week too, as speedster Myles Straw tallied his first career multi-homer game on Saturday and Alejandro Kirk swiped the first base of his major league career on Friday night.

5) Philadelphia Phillies ⬇️

We aren't going to dock the Phillies too much after a tough week, but it's troublesome to witness their lack of offense, scoring three total runs over four losses against the Reds and Nationals this week. Their bats woke up in a big way on Sunday though, finishing the week with an 11-9 victory over the Nats.

They'll also need to overcome the loss of ace right-hander Zack Wheeler who landed on the 15-day IL and will be sidelined indefinitely while dealing with a right upper extremity blood clot. They got Aaron Nola back from the injured list to help absorb the loss, but he was pounded for six runs over 2 1/3 innings against the Nationals in his return and owns a horrifying 6.92 ERA over 52 frames on the season.

6) Chicago Cubs

Last week: 6

The Cubs stay flat in the sixth spot in our rankings this week after going 3-3 against the Jays and the Pirates. They only scored a total of 17 runs over those six games though, which is mildly concerning. They begin an epic five-game series against the Brewers with a doubleheader on Monday and if they have any plans on trying to close the eight-game gap between them in the National League Central, they need to take this series.

7) Seattle Mariners ⬆️

Last week: 8

The way that the Mariners are playing right now, it feels like it's only a matter of time before they overtake the Astros for the lead in the American League West.

Cal Raleigh slugged another pair of home runs this week and is now just one shy of tying Salvador Perez for the MLB record by a catcher in a single season.

8) New York Yankees ⬆️

Last week: 12

Just when you were getting ready to count the Yankees out, they jump right back into the race with a 5-1 week against the Twins and Cardinals. Aaron Judge hit a pair of home runs over the week and looks to be rounding back into form.

They're still 5.5 games behind the Blue Jays in the American League East and will need to continue to win series in order to make the climb. They'll host the Red Sox for a big four-game set beginning on Thursday.

9) Houston Astros ⬇️

Last week: 7

Spencer Arrighetti and Cristian Javier have each been hit hard since rejoining the Astros' rotation. They'll need both to get on track and log quality innings down the stretch if they plan to hold off the charging Mariners.

Losing bullpen ace Josh Hader for the rest of the regular season with a shoulder strain is a devastating blow and one that's going to be very difficult for the Astros to overcome.

10) New York Mets ⬆️

Last week: 11

With a strong finish to the week, we'll move the Mets up one notch in the rankings to the 10th spot. It looked like things were heading in a bad direction after losing three straight from Wednesday-Friday, but a pair of terrific pitching performances from rookie Nolan McLean in his MLB debut on Saturday and Clay Holmes in the Little League Classic on Sunday night seem to have injected life back into the ballclub.

If McLean can consistently give the Mets anything close to what he did against the Mariners on Saturday, then they're certainly in business.

11) San Diego Padres ⬇️

Last week: 9

The Padres were surging into the weekend, holding a one-game lead over the Dodgers in the battle for the National League West crown. They were then swept by the Dodgers over three games in Los Angeles, scoring just six runs in the process.

To make matters worse, Michael King landed back on the injured list due to inflammation in his left knee and is going to miss a couple of weeks. On the plus side, Ramón Laureano has been an impact addition to the team's offense — hitting .339/.403/.679 with four homers and 12 RBI in his first 15 games with the Padres, including two bombs against the Dodgers over the weekend.

12) Boston Red Sox ⬇️

Last week: 10

The Red Sox held serve this week, going 3-3 against the Astros and Marlins. They'll need to kick it in gear this week with four games looming against the Yankees in the Bronx beginning on Thursday.

They picked up Nathaniel Lowe late Sunday after he was cut by the Nationals in an attempt to boost an offense that has been struggling. Ceddanne Rafaela has been one of the primary culprits over the last few weeks, hitting a woeful .132/.214/.184 with zero homers, one RBI and an 11/4 K/BB ratio over 42 plate appearances in his last 11 games.

13) Cincinnati Reds

Last week: 13

The Reds faced a major test this week with three-game sets against the Phillies and Brewers — both at home. After taking two out of three from the Phillies they took an 8-1 lead after two innings against the red-hot Brewers on Friday night, only to collapse and lose 10-8. They also blew a lead and lost in extra innings on Saturday before securing an extra-inning win on Sunday to finish the week 3-3.

As long as they're able to keep pace while Nick Lodolo (blister) is sidelined, they'll be very much in the mix for a Wild Card spot in the National League.

14) Kansas City Royals ⬆️

Last week: 16

The Royals see some movement up the board this week after taking two out of three from the Nationals before sweeping the White Sox over the weekend.

Ryan Bergert has been an impact addition to the Royals' rotation, posting a 2.70 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a 17/5 K/BB ratio over 16 2/3 innings in his first three starts since coming over from the Padres in a deadline deal. They'll need more of that if they're going to jump back into the Wild Card race. They'll enter play on Monday four games out of the final spot.

15) Cleveland Guardians ⬇️

Last week: 14

After storming out of the gate in the second half of the season and taking two out of three from the Marlins to start the week, the Guardians fell flat on their face and were swept at home by the Braves over the weekend, scoring just five runs in the three-game set.

They were probably playing a bit above their heads, but they now find themselves 8.5 games behind the Tigers in the race for the top spot in the American League Central and 3.5 games behind the Yankees for the final Wild Card berth in the American League. They'll head on the road for six games this week against the Diamondbacks and Rangers, needing a winning week to get back on track.

16) Texas Rangers ⬇️

Last week: 15

The Rangers continue to slide down the board as they have lost seven of their last nine ballgames and three consecutive series. We'll know a lot more about their Wild Card chances after this week as they'll play seven games against the Royals and Guardians — the two teams directly ahead of them in the fight for a playoff spot.

Jack Leiter has pitched to a 2.55 ERA and won a couple of games over the past month and he'll take the ball on Monday night hoping to start the Rangers' week off on the right foot.

17) Tampa Bay Rays ⬆️

Last week: 21

The Rays jump up the list a few spots, based on us losing faith in the teams that have fallen down. The Rays are playing good baseball right now though and took two out of three from the Athletics and Giants last week — both on the road while wrapping up a 12-game west coast road trip.

Now they'll head home for a relaxing five-game week against the Yankees and Cardinals. If they can take three out of five and claw a bit closer, they could stick around to make things interesting in September.

18) Arizona Diamondbacks ⬆️

Last week: 19

We have seen the Diamondbacks go on runs late in the season before and make noise once getting to the postseason. They had put themselves in a prime position to make some noise over the weekend after taking two out of three from the Rangers in Arlington and taking the first game from the Rockies at Coors Field. They then dropped three straight to finish out the week, two of them crushing one-run ballgames.

We'll find out a lot about this Diamondbacks' squad this week as they head home for three-game sets against the Guardians and Reds.

19) St. Louis Cardinals ⬇️

Last week: 17

The Cardinals had an actual shot last week to get themselves right back into the mix for a Wild Card spot in the National League. Instead, they dropped two out of three at home against the lowly Rockies and then were swept by the Yankees at home to finish out the week.

Their already dim chances are fading quick, as they'll enter play on Monday 5.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot. If they're going to make a run, they'll need more from their starting pitching. Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas and Andre Pallante each sport ERA's above 5.16 over the past month.

20) San Francisco Giants ⬇️

Last week: 18

The Giants had clawed their way back to respectability at 59-57, putting themselves squarely in the mix for a possible run at the postseason. Then they went out and dropped seven consecutive games against the Nationals, Padres and Rays before beating the Rays on Sunday afternoon to stop the slide.

Their hopes of staying afloat also took a hit this week as Matt Chapman landed on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right hand. The schedule couldn't get much tougher for the Giants this week as they'll play four against the Padres in San Diego before wrapping the week up with three against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

They're already six games out of the Wild Card. Let's see if they can hang on like Jung Hoo Lee did on this spectacular catch on Sunday.

21) Los Angeles Angels ⬆️

Last week: 22

The Angels take a small step forward after sweeping the Dodgers in the Freeway Series to start last week. They then disappointed by losing two out of three against the Athletics over the weekend.

They're still technically in the Wild Card mix, just seven games out of the final spot in the American League. They'll need to turn up the heat to make a run though as they'll host the Reds and Cubs for three games each this coming week.

22) Atlanta Braves ⬆️

Last week: 26

Everyone has already written off the Braves as a colossal disappointment this season. There's no longer any expectation or pressure for them to make the postseason, they're just playing out the string over the final month and a half of the season. Or are they?

After taking four out of five from the Marlins to wrap up last week, the Braves took two out of three from the Mets in New York to start this week before going out and sweeping the Guardians in Cleveland.

Winners of five straight and 10 of their last 12, the Braves have surged to 56-68 which puts them 10 games out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Is that a daunting deficit with six teams to leapfrog? Absolutely. But the Braves' roster is still extremely talented and Chris Sale is expected to rejoin their rotation before the end of the month. Just saying, crazier things have happened.

23) Miami Marlins ⬇️

Last week: 20

The Marlins had another rough week at the wrong time, losing four out of six against the Guardians and Red Sox to fall seven games back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Jakob Marsee continues to impress though, slashing a robust .377/.468/.774 with four homers, 15 RBI and six stolen bases in his first 17 big league games.

24) Baltimore Orioles ⬇️

Last week: 23

At least the main question from last week was answered as Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers were each promoted from Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles aren't going to compete down the stretch, but at least they'll be more interesting to watch.

We also got to see Brandon Young deliver the finest start of his young career last week, flirting with a perfect game until old friend Ramón Urías did this in the eighth inning.

25) Athletics ⬇️

Last week: 24

The A's had a decent week last week, managing to win three out of six games by taking two out of three from the Angels over the weekend. They're 12 games out of a Wild Card spot and aren't going to compete for anything this season, but at least they have some interesting players to watch down the stretch.

Nick Kurtz is putting on a show on his way to Rookie of the Year honors in the American League, slashing .306/.390/.635 with 25 homers, 66 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in his first 84 big league games.

26) Minnesota Twins ⬇️

Last week: 25

After jumping up a couple of spots last week, the Twins move back down a notch after losing five out of seven against the Yankees and Tigers last week.

They did get to have some fun on Sunday at least though, beating up on old friend Chris Paddack as Brooks Lee swatted the team's first grand slam of the entire season.

27) Pittsburgh Pirates

Last week: 27

Another week and still no sign of Bubba Chandler. At this point, he has logged so many innings at the Triple-A level this season that we simply may not see him debut with the Pirates this year which would be a travesty. The Pirates did promote the game's top overall prospect Konnor Griffin to Double-A Altoona though, so that's something.

28) Washington Nationals

Last week: 28

I wanted to move the Nationals ahead of the Pirates in the ranking, but just didn't have the heart to do it. They went 3-4 against the Royals and Phillies last week and will now line up for a tough stretch of three at home against the Mets and three against the Phillies in Philadelphia before taking on the Yankees in New York.

Paul DeJong has been on a tear for them since the calendar flipped to August, hitting .308/.357/.692 with five homers, 11 RBI and a stolen base in 42 plate appearances.

29) Chicago White Sox

Last week: 29

Another week and four more losses for the White Sox, including a three-game sweep at the hand of the Royals in Kansas City over the weekend.

Over their last 12 games, the White Sox' offense has disappeared. Luis Robert Jr. (.225), Brooks Baldwin (.219), Lenyn Sosa (.213), Kyle Teel (.200), Mike Tauchman (.179), Colson Montgomery (.163) and Andrew Benintendi are each hitting .225 or under during that stretch.

30) Colorado Rockies

Last week: 30

The worst team in baseball actually showed signs of life last week, taking two out of three against the Cardinals in St. Louis before coming home to take three out of four from the Diamondbacks over the weekend.

They're going to finish the season as the worst team in the league, there's no avoiding that, but it would be nice to see them finish the season strong and build some momentum toward the 2026 campaign.

They were even able to win on Sunday despite a wild finish in which first baseman Warming Bernabel crashed into right-hander Juan Mejia as he caught a pop up to record the game's final out where the tying and winning runs would have raced around to score had he not been able to hang on.

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Milwaukee’s recent streak calls to mind the Brewers’ 1987 season, which was quite a roller coaster

The Milwaukee Brewers had been the talk of baseball recently because of their 14-game winning streak.

That run also gives us a chance to appreciate a particularly unusual big league season — the Brewers’ super streaky run through 1987.

It was those ‘87 Brewers who won their first 13 games of the season, triggering the same free burger promotion by a local chain that went into effect when this year’s streak hit 12. That 13-0 start — which included Juan Nieves throwing the first no-hitter in team history in win No. 9 — stood as the franchise’s longest winning streak in a season until this year’s Brewers surpassed the feat.

Milwaukee was 20-3 in 1987 before crashing back to earth with alarming quickness. May barely had begun when the team lost 12 in a row. The Brewers snuck in another losing streak of six games before the month was over — only to follow with an immediate six-game winning streak.

It wasn’t just team streaks that made that season notable in Milwaukee. Hall of Famer Paul Molitor produced a 39-game hitting streak that year, a run that hasn’t been matched since.

By the time the season was over, Milwaukee was 91-71, finishing third in the AL East in an era when you had to win your division to make the playoffs.

With Molitor and Robin Yount leading the way — plus a few terrific seasons on the mound by Teddy Higuera — the Brewers of the 1980s never totally lived up to their potential after winning the American League pennant in 1982. In 1983, they went 87-75, which was good for only fifth place in their seven-team division.

Nowadays Milwaukee is in the NL Central, and 87 wins is often good enough for at least a wild card. Of course, this year’s team can set its sights much higher. Even after their winning streak was snapped, the Brewers are 33 games over .500. They need to go just 19-20 the rest of the way to set a franchise record with 97 victories.

Trivia time

The final out of Nieves’ no-hitter came on a spectacular play involving a pair Hall of Famers. Who were they?

Line of the week

In just his second week in the big leagues, Miami’s Jakob Marsee matched a franchise record with seven RBIs in a 13-4 rout of Cleveland. Marsee hit a three-run homer, a two-run homer and a two-run double.

Marsee, who made his debut Aug. 1, has 12 extra-base hits in his first 53 at-bats.

Comeback of the week

Arizona was down by two with two outs and nobody on in the top of the ninth — a 1.1% win probability according to Baseball Savant. James McCann hit a solo homer, and after a hit batter and a walk, Ketel Marte’s three-run homer lifted the Diamondbacks to a 6-4 win over Texas. That was the second straight day Marte put his team ahead with a ninth-inning homer.

Honorable mention: Milwaukee’s 13th straight win came when the Brewers trailed Cincinnati 8-1 after two innings. They had it tied by the end of the fourth and eventually won 10-8.

Trivia answer

Baltimore’s Eddie Murray hit a flyball to right-center field, and Yount saved the no-hitter with a diving catch for the final out.

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Zack Wheeler undergoes procedure, recovery timetable uncertain

Zack Wheeler undergoes procedure, recovery timetable uncertain originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Zack Wheeler underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot in his right shoulder, the Phillies announced Monday.

There is no update yet on Wheeler’s recovery timeline.

“We don’t know until we get further information,” manager Rob Thomson said pregame when asked if Wheeler would pitch again this season.

The 35-year-old ace was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday after the clot was discovered during testing. He had experienced a dip in velocity over his past few starts, including a pushed-back outing on Aug. 6.

Wheeler has been one of the Phillies’ most consistent arms this season. He sports a 10-5 record with a 2.71 ERA across 24 starts in his 11th professional season.

“Zack’s a great pitcher,” Thomson said. “You can always rely on him every fifth day, but at the same time, I have confidence in our entire staff and the bullpen’s much better now.”

A blood clot is nothing to take lightly and the Phillies were fortunate to identify the issue quickly.

It had been reported that the Phillies would use a six-man rotation when Aaron Nola returned, but that plan is no longer in play.

The team will move forward with Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Jesús Luzardo, Nola and Taijuan Walker as their five-man rotation. That group will be tested as the Phillies continue a consecutive-games streak that will extend to 13 after the Seattle series.

For Thomson, Wheeler’s health is bigger than the Phillies’ rotation plans.

“My thoughts are constantly on him and his family, and hopefully, everything works out,” the Phillies skipper said.

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Phillies notes: Bullpen shines, Bohm lifts RISP woes, M's opener ahead

Phillies notes: Bullpen shines, Bohm lifts RISP woes, M's opener ahead originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

On Sunday, the Phils took a commanding 6-0 lead into the third inning — then the Nationals started to mash.

A six-run third off Aaron Nola chased the right-hander earlier than expected in his first start off the injured list. The red-hot Phillies bullpen had to step in.

  • Tanner Banks: scoreless 1 2/3 frames
  • Joe Ross: scoreless 1 2/3 frames
  • Matt Strahm: scoreless 1 1/3 frames

Then, the Nationals’ bats struck again. Paul DeJong blasted a ninth-inning three-run shot off Max Lazar to bring the game back within two.

That set up a save situation and Rob Thomson turned to his newly acquired flamethrower Jhoan Duran — just two days removed from being carted off after a comebacker off the bat of DeJong struck his ankle.

As he had in each of his first four outings with Philadelphia, Duran locked things down in the ninth to seal the club’s 71st victory of the season.

With a shortened rotation and a huge three-game set ahead, the Phillies can’t be thrilled about using five relievers in a game they once led by six. But they have to be pleased with how the bullpen has performed since the start of August — especially after Dave Dombrowski prioritized relief help at the July 31 trade deadline.

Since then, Phillies relievers own the second-lowest ERA in the Majors (2.33) and have held opponents to a league-low .519 OPS.

Reinforcements are on the way, too: left-hander José Alvarado is eligible to return Tuesday from his 80-game PED suspension.

BohmeRISP

Through the first nine games of their 10-in-10 road trip, the Phillies hit just .203 with runners in scoring position (13-for-64).

When they took the field Saturday at Nationals Park, they welcomed back one of their best run producers, Alec Bohm, from the injured list.

Almost immediately, Bohm chopped one past the glove of Nationals third baseman Brady House — scored as an error — to break the scoring seal in the first inning.

Aug 17, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (28) hits a three run home run against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Just an inning later, with the Phillies rallying, Bohm came to the plate with runners on the corners and swatted his ninth home run of the season.

Philadelphia finished the day 7-for-14 with RISP. On the year, Bohm is slashing .302/.343/.458 in those situations, and Thomson must be pleased to insert the sixth-year veteran’s balanced approach back into the heart of the order.

M’s stay in PA, head to CBP

Seattle makes the quick three-hour trip from Williamsport, where the Mariners dropped the finale of their Little League Classic against the Mets.

Ranger Suárez gets the ball Wednesday night for the Phillies, coming off two of his worst starts of the season. In that span (11 2/3 innings), Suárez has allowed 19 hits and 11 earned runs (8.49 ERA), including two homers.

The Mariners’ results against left-handed pitching have been extreme. First-year manager Dan Wilson’s squad leads the American League in both home runs (49) and strikeouts (335) against lefties.

If “Mr. Rager” is going to succeed, he’ll need to keep the ball in the yard — which is not so easy when the league leader in homers, Cal Raleigh, is digging in.

The “Big Dumper” has slugged 47, just one shy of Salvador Perez’s single-season record for a catcher (48 in 2021). Raleigh has punished lefties with 17 long balls and a 1.042 OPS.

The Mariners are 29-10 when Raleigh leaves the yard and 39-47 when he does not.

With Zack Wheeler sidelined, the Phillies need their southpaws — Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Suárez — to hold steady.

Roster Move

The Phillies announced that they have called up right-hander Nolan Hoffman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Hoffman, 28, was traded to the Phils on June 18 from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations.

The former Mariners farmhand has fired 19 innings out of the bullpen for the IronPigs — pitching to a 3.32 ERA — striking out 27 opponents and walking 11.

The corresponding move sent reliever Max Lazar back down to Triple-A. He has a posted 4.78 ERA across 32 innings this season.

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Mariners' Victor Robles ejected from Triple-A game after throwing bat at pitcher

LAS VEGAS — Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles was ejected from a minor league game on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma after he was nearly hit by an inside pitch and tossed his bat at the pitcher.

Las Vegas starter Joey Estes’ first pitch to Robles in the third inning was inside and Robles whacked at it to avoid getting hit. After taking a few steps behind the plate and dropping his bat, Robles picked up the bat and threw it in Estes’ direction and was immediately ejected from the game by home plate umpire Joe McCarthy.

Robles, who has been hit by a pitch three times in his previous four games with Tacoma, took some steps toward the mound while yelling at the pitcher but was held back by McCarthy and Las Vegas players.

After going into the dugout, Robles threw a box of snacks toward the field before heading to the clubhouse.

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Cal Raleigh hits 47th homer, closing in on Salvador Perez’s catcher record

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Cal Raleigh autographed a toilet seat for one fan, along with the scores of baseballs and other paraphernalia “The Big Dumper” signed for shrieking Little Leaguers.

Raleigh gave the kids a real treat hours later.

The Seattle Mariners slugger socked his 47th homer of the season to boost his major league lead and put him within striking distance of the season homer record for catchers set by Kansas City’s Salvador Perez.

“He continues to swing a really hot bat,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.”

Raleigh’s two-run shot in the seventh inning sent hundreds of Little Leaguers from around the globe cheering in delight to see one of the brightest stars in the MLB Little League Classic go deep.

It didn’t help the Mariners much in defeat. The New York Mets beat the Mariners 7-3 and won the last two games of the three-game set.

The Mariners are still in the thick of the AL wild-card race and hope to gain ground when they head to Philadelphia for the start of a three-game series.

Raleigh could make catching history in Philly. Perez hit 48 homers for the Royals in 2021.

“I think it’s been an incredible season for him,” Wilson said. “But I think we knew what’s in there. He’s done a great job of bringing it out.”

Raleigh put more than his prodigious power on display in the home of youth baseball’s biggest weeks of the summer. Raleigh’s chest protector featured a baseball card design of Mariners players and coaches from when they were kids. He breezed through the pregame clubhouse in a “Little Dumper” T-shirt gifted by some of the Little Leaguers.

“You grow up wanting to come here as a kid. Get to do it as an adult now,” Raleigh told MLB Network before the game. “It’s really fun. Excited to meet the kids and hang out.”

Raleigh's power always was evident. He hit 27 homers in 2022, 30 in 2023 and 34 last season. Now he’s on pace to easily top 50 homers and maybe more. There are only five other players in big league history who have hit at least 40 homers while primarily playing catcher: Perez, Johnny Bench (twice), Roy Campanella, Todd Hundley and Mike Piazza (twice). Bench, Campanella and Piazza are Hall of Famers.

“He’s a guy that we knew all along coming up in the minor leagues that he had a pretty high ceiling,” Wilson said. “What he does behind the plate and what he does now at the plate has been unbelievable. He’s carried the weight of both of those things and has done it very well.”

A first-time All-Star at age 28, Raleigh burst through on the national scene when he won the All-Star Home Run Derby. He became the first switch-hitter and first catcher to win the title. He’s the second Mariners player to take the title after three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr.

Raleigh’s homer also gave him 102 RBIs this season. He’s the first catcher to record back-to-back 100 RBI seasons since Piazza and and the first American League catcher to reach that feat since Thurman Munson.

Even more milestones await. Maybe even a playoff berth.

“He’s just become a better hitter,” Wilson said.

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Guardians at Diamondbacks Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends for August 18

It's Monday, August 18 and the Guardians (63-60) are in Phoenix to take on the Diamondbacks (60-65). Gavin Williams is slated to take the mound for Cleveland against Zac Gallen for Arizona.

Both the Guardians and Diamondbacks are coming off being swept in three-game series. Cleveland was swept by Atlanta whereas Arizona was downed by Colorado. This three-game series is the only meeting of the season between Cleveland and Arizona.

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.

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

Game details & how to watch Guardians at Diamondbacks

  • Date: Monday, August 18, 2025
  • Time: 9:40PM EST
  • Site: Chase Field
  • City: Phoenix, AZ
  • Network/Streaming: CLEG, ARID

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 Guardians at the Diamondbacks

The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Moneyline: Guardians (-102), Diamondbacks (-116)
  • Spread:  Diamondbacks 1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Guardians at Diamondbacks

  • Pitching matchup for August 18, 2025: Gavin Williams vs. Zac Gallen
    • Guardians: Gavin Williams, (7-4, 3.38 ERA)
      Last outing: 12.00 ERA, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
    • Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen, (9-12, 5.31 ERA)
      Last outing: 5.40 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 1 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!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Guardians and the Diamondbacks

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 Monday’s game between the Guardians and the Diamondbacks:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Arizona Diamondbacks 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 leaning towards a play on the under 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.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Guardians at Diamondbacks

  • Cleveland is 0-3 in the last 3 games and 2-4 in the past 6
  • Arizona is 0-3 in the last 3 games and 3-3 in the past 6
  • The Diamondbacks have won 3 straight matchups against the Guardians with Zac Gallen opening
  • This season the Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen has an ERA of 5.31
  • With Zac Gallen as the starter the Diamondbacks have covered in 3 straight 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!

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)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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Reds at Angels Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for August 18

It's Monday, August 18 and the Reds (65-60) are in Anaheim to take on the Angels (60-64). Brady Singer is slated to take the mound for Cincinnati against Victor Mederos for Los Angeles.

The Angels followed up a sweep over the Dodgers with two losses out of three contests to the Athletics. The Reds are coming off a win over the Brewers, which snapped a 15-game winning streak for Milwaukee. The Reds are 3-2 in the last five games and 5-3 in the past eight.

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 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.

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

Game details & how to watch Reds at Angels

  • Date: Monday, August 18, 2025
  • Time: 9:38PM EST
  • Site: Angel Stadium
  • City: Anaheim, CA
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNOH, FDSNW, FS1

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 Reds at the Angels

The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Moneyline: Reds (-111), Angels (-108)
  • Spread:  Reds -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Angels

  • Pitching matchup for August 18, 2025: Brady Singer vs. Victor Mederos
    • Reds: Brady Singer, (10-9, 4.31 ERA)
      Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
    • Angels: Victor Mederos, (0-0, 5.63 ERA)
      Last outing: 6.75 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 3 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!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Reds and the Angels

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 Monday’s game between the Reds and the Angels:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Cincinnati Reds on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Los Angeles Angels at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over 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.

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Reds at Angels

  • The Angels are 4-2 in the last 6 games
  • The Angels are 3-0 in the last 3 home games
  • The Reds are 5-3 in the last 8 games
  • The Reds have won three straight games at the Angels
  • The Angels' last three home games have gone over the expected total
  • The Angels are up 2.48 units on the run line to level stakes in their last five at home

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!

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)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)