Reporter Joon Lee provided an example of this dysfunction earlier this week, revealing on NBC Sports Boston’s Arbella Early Editionthat one candidate interviewing for a Red Sox baseball operations job went through five rounds of interviews without speaking to a human being.
“During this interview process, the entire interview was conducted with an AI bot, where you would record the answers to the questions and then the Red Sox would then evaluate them,” Lee said.
“And this wasn’t just one round. It wasn’t just two rounds. It was five rounds of interviews where this person did not talk to another person in the Red Sox organization.”
The Red Sox called Lee’s reporting “unsubstantiated” in a statement Wednesday and insisted they mostly used HireVue — the AI and human resources management company that “conducted” those interviews — to screen a vast number of applications early in the hiring process.
But there’s more evidence that suggests Boston’s HR operation isn’t exactly five-star quality.
The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier spoke to “multiple individuals” who described their interview process with the Red Sox as “discouragingly impersonal,” with “infrequent human interaction relative to other teams.” That impersonality manifested itself in the form of a brutal form letter received by several candidates who didn’t make it to the final stages of interviews.
From Speier:
The sense of the team’s impersonal approach to hiring was amplified last year by the fact that multiple applicants, after completing the problem set and HireVue interview, received the same emailed form letter, with the same unfortunate top-level sentence:
“Thank you for your interest in working for the Boston Red Sox and applying for the {{insert job title}}.”
“I didn’t go further than that line. I kind of laughed and closed out the email,” said one applicant. “That was the part that upset me in the moment. I still look back and laugh on it.”
That’s a tough look for a professional baseball team looking to attract the best front-office talent in the sport.
Speier added that some had better experiences with the Red Sox, with one candidate noting he received a follow-up call from a Boston staffer with feedback about his application. But another candidate described the whole process as “awkward and cold.”
On its face, the Red Sox doing everything they can to leverage AI and analytics isn’t a bad thing. But the reporting of the past week suggests Breslow and his front office have gone too far in embracing data while failing to connect with job candidates — as well as their own staffers and players — on a personal level.
And nothing drives that home like the dreaded form letter typo.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It took seven games over 11 days for the simmer to reach full boil.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres flashed playoff intensity in their long-awaited first two series of the season and went face-to-face, quite literally, after 10 batters were hit during a stretch the Dodgers owned on the scoreboard.
In winning five of the seven games, the Dodgers also hit Fernando Tatis Jr. with pitches three times. The last of those came in the eighth inning of Thursday’s 5-3 Padres victory when the benches finally cleared after Tatis was hit near the right hand.
While the staredown behind home plate was more peacock feathers than fisticuffs, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Padres manager Mike Shildt were ejected following a tense back-and-forth exchange.
Afterward, the Padres’ Manny Machado said his true feelings won’t be known until Tatis gets results from X-rays and a CT scan.
“They gotta pray for (results) to come back negative tomorrow,” Machado said. “They should. Us, too, but they should for sure.”
After Tatis was hit, the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani took a pitch to the back of his right (pitching) shoulder from Robert Suarez. With Dodgers players starting to move over the dugout railing, Ohtani waved back his teammates and took first base.
“Well, I think he knew it was intentional,” Roberts said. “He wasn’t hurt by it, and he didn’t want any more drama, which I respect that a lot.”
Ohtani was hit twice in the series, each a half inning after Tatis was hit. The Dodgers’ Andy Pages also was hit twice in the series.
Roberts said he hoped Tatis does not miss extended time.
“I didn’t feel good about Tatis — great player, good guy — getting hit,” Roberts said. “I didn’t feel good about it. And so as (Shildt) comes out, and he’s yelling at me and staring me down, that bothers me. Because, to be quite frank, that’s the last thing I wanted.”
Shildt said he has respect for the Dodgers but seeing Tatis get hit three times by their pitchers in less than two weeks doesn’t sit right. He has also been hit by the Dodgers six times in his career, the most by any club.
“Whether it was (intentional) or it wasn’t, enough is enough,” Shildt said. “We got a guy who’s getting X-rays right now, is one of the best players in the game, fortunately he’s on our team, and this guy has taken shots, OK?”
While the teams waited more than two months to face each other for the first time this season, there will be another two-month wait until they face off again Aug. 15-17 at Los Angeles and Aug. 22-24 at San Diego.
“It’s going to be a fun ride,” Machado said. “This division’s freaking awesome, and it’s going to be a fun ride going down the road. The Giants got better with (Rafael) Devers, and we know what these guys have on the other side. And what we have on this side. And obviously you can’t count out Arizona. They’ve got a really good team over there. They’re going to be battling. It’s a four-headed monster battling it out, so it’ll be an interesting second half.”
Its Friday, June 20 and the Brewers (40-35) are in Minneapolis to open a weekend series against the Twins (37-37).
Jacob Misiorowski is slated to take the mound for Milwaukee against Joe Ryan for Minnesota.
The Twins salvaged the final game of their three-game set against the Reds with a 12-5 win yesterday. Byron Buxton cracked a couple home runs to pace the attack. Milwaukee split a four-game series against the Cubs. Every player in the Brewers' lineup had at least one hit and the team collected 13 total hits in their 8-7 win yesterday.
Lets dive into the series opener and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Brewers at Twins
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 8:10PM EST
Site: Target Field
City: Minneapolis, MN
Network/Streaming: FDSNWI, MNNT
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Odds for the Brewers at the Twins
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Brewers (+140), Twins (-166)
Spread: Twins -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Twins
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Jacob Misiorowski vs. Joe Ryan
Brewers: Jacob Misiorowski (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Last outing: 6/12 vs. St. Louis - 5IP, 0ER, 0H, 4BB, 5Ks
Twins: Joe Ryan (7-2, 2.93 ERA) Last outing: 6/14 at Houston - 7IP, 2ER, 2H, 2BB, 7Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Twins
The Brewers have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against American League teams
Each of the last 3 matchups between the Brewers and the Twins have stayed under the Total
The Twins have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 2.48 units
Ty France picked up a couple hits yesterday after going hitless in his previous 4 games (0-13)
Jackson Chourio is riding a 9-game hitting streak (12-39)
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Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Brewers and the Twins
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Brewers and the Twins:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Milwaukee Brewers at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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It's Friday, June 20, and the Astros (43-32) are in Anaheim to take on the Angels (36-38). Hunter Brown is slated to take the mound for Houston against Yusei Kikuchi for Los Angeles.
The Astros are coming off a 6-4 loss to the Athletics last night despite a decent effort from Colton Gordon. The Astros' pitcher only gave up two earned runs in 5.0 innings pitched.
With a 7-3 loss, the Los Angeles Angels were unable to sweep the New York Yankees.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. They have made a slight dent in the Astros' lead in the AL West. They are now only 6.5 games behind the division leaders.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on 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.
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Game details & how to watch Astros at Angels
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 9:38PM EST
Site: Angel Stadium
City: Anaheim, CA
Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Home Network, Space City Home Network
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Odds for the Astros at the Angels
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Astros (-184), Angels (+154)
Spread: Astros -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Astros at Angels
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Hunter Brown vs. Yusei Kikuchi
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Astros at Angels
The Astros have won 5 of their last 7 divisional matchups
The Under is 41-30-4 in Astros' games this season
The Astros have covered the Run Line in 5 of their last 6 road games against the Angels
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Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Astros and the Angels
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread, and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information, and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Astros and the Angels:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Houston Astros 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 8.0.
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It's Friday, June 20 and the Royals (37-38) are in San Diego to take on the Padres (40-34). Michael Lorenzen is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Nick Pivetta for San Diego.
Despite picking up the win against the Texas Rangers, the Royals' struggles continue. They are just 4-6 in their last 10 games and are 10.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central.
The Padres have struggled as well. Even though they won yesterday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, they have won just three of their last 10 and are 5.0 games back from first in the NL West.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Royals at Padres
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 9:40PM EST
Site: Petco Park
City: San Diego, CA
Network/Streaming: Apple TV+
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Odds for the Royals at the Padres
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Royals (+154), Padres (-184)
Spread: Padres -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Royals at Padres
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Michael Lorenzen vs. Nick Pivetta
Royals: Michael Lorenzen, (4-7, 4.91 ERA) Last outing (Athletics, 6/14): 6.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
Padres: Nick Pivetta, (7-2, 3.40 ERA) Last outing (Arizona Diamondbacks, 6/15): 7.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Royals at Padres
The Royals are on a 3-game winning streak
The Under is 21-15-1 in the Royals' road games this season
The Royals have failed to cover the Run Line in 3 straight matchups against the Padres
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Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Royals and the Padres
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Royals and the Padres:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Kansas City Royals at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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“Yeah, that’s not going to happen this weekend,” San Francisco’s manager told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “We haven’t gotten there. … It’s going to take a little bit more time than having him at first base during the Red Sox series.”
Bob Melvin shuts down any possibility of Devers playing first base against the Red Sox:
"Yeah that's not gonna happen this weekend, we haven't gotten there… It's going to take a little bit more time than having him at first base during the Red Sox series."
Devers was moved to designated hitter during the 2025 MLB season after playing third base for the first eight years of his big-league career to make way for Alex Bregman, whom the Red Sox signed to a three-year, $120 million free-agent contract this past offseason. Boston later asked Devers to move to first base after Triston Casas suffered a ruptured left patellar tendon in early May, which Devers refused.
“There’s time for everybody,” Melvin explained to Murphy and Boucher. “I mean, certainly, Raffy’s going to be in there and agreeing to play first base, and we’ll be working on that here for several days before we feel comfortable running him out there. Once he does that, we can get [Wilmer Flores] back into the DH spot, where he’s been so productive.
“In the interim, Flo’s going to play a bit more first – he will tonight [Friday against the Boston Red Sox at Oracle Park] – and we’ll mix [Dominic Smith] in there, too.”
Melvin added that, regardless of who plays where at whatever point, the Giants will have a “real professional hitter on the bench that can pick up a big at-bat” like Flores, who has flourished in key moments repeatedly in 2025 and throughout his six-year San Francisco tenure.
Devers has a ways to go before he can comfortably switch corners at first. And Melvin suggested that the organization and Devers understand that patience is required, especially as the two-time Silver Slugger award winner is attempting to learn a new position mid-season in a new city.
“The hard part is, doing it during the season is difficult,” Melvin told Murphy and Boucher. “You can’t really simulate game stuff. The easy part is going to be fielding grounders and throwing the baseball. The hard part is where do you go for cut-offs, your first time at first base stretching, or bunt plays, other side of the diamond, different spins from lefties …”
The wait for Devers should be well worth it. He is one of baseball’s top bats and already looks comfortable as a Giant, with three hits in three games.
After all, San Francisco’s newfound partnership with Devers — which is scheduled to run through 2033, as part of the 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension he signed with Boston during the 2023 offseason — only will improve as the offensive juggernaut expands his defensive versatility.
“There’s going to be a little bit of a process in getting him ready, but he’s all in,” Melvin told Murphy and Boucher. “And like I said, if you can field the ball and throw the ball at third base – similar to Casey Schmitt, who picked it up quickly over at first – we feel like that transition will happen.”
It would’ve been something to see Devers play first against his old Red Sox, though.
It's Friday, June 20 and the Nationals (31-44) are in Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers (46-30). MacKenzie Gore is slated to take the mound for Washington against Clayton Kershaw for Los Angeles.
Yesterday the Dodgers dropped game four of the series against the Padres. Depsite the loss they still picked up a 3-1 series lead and have extended their lead in the NL West to 3.5 games.
The Nationals were able to avoid getting swept by the Rockies with a 4-3 win yesterday. That series loss marked five straight series losses.
Lets 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.
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Game details & how to watch Nationals at Dodgers
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 10:10PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: SportsNet LA, MASN 2, MLBN
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Odds for the Nationals at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Nationals (+168), Dodgers (-204)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Nationals at Dodgers
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: MacKenzie Gore vs. Clayton Kershaw
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, (2-0, 3.25 ERA) Last outing (San Francisco Giants, 6/14): 7.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Nationals at Dodgers
The Dodgers have won their last 3 games with Clayton Kershaw as starting pitcher
With Clayton Kershaw as starting pitcher 7 of the Dodgers' last 9 home games have gone over the Total
The Nationals have covered the Run Line in 5 of their last 7 matchups against the Dodgers
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 Nationals and the Dodgers
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Nationals and the Dodgers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Los Angeles Dodgers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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Its Friday, June 20 and the Reds (39-36) are in St. Louis to open a weekend series against the Cardinals (40-35).
Brady Singer is slated to take the mound for Cincinnati against Andre Pallante for St. Louis.
The Reds lost Thursday but did take two of three in their series earlier this week against the Twins. TJ Friedl went 3-5 and scored two runs in Cincy's 12-5 loss yesterday. St. Louis swept a three-game set against the White Sox including an 8-6 win in ten innings yesterday. Nolan Arenado hit his ninth home run of the season to help the cause for the Cards.
Lets dive into the series opener 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.
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Game details & how to watch Reds at Cardinals
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 7:15PM EST
Site: Busch Stadium
City: St. Louis, MO
Network/Streaming: FDSNOH, FDSNMW
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Odds for the Reds at the Cardinals
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Reds (+115), Cardinals (-137)
Spread: Cardinals -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Reds at Cardinals
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Brady Singer vs. Andre Pallante
Reds: Brady Singer (7-4, 4.34 ERA) Last outing: 6/14 at Detroit - 6IP, 1ER, 4H, 3BB, 4Ks
Cardinals: Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.83 ERA) Last outing: 6/14 at Milwaukee - 4.1IP, 3ER, 4H, 2BB, 7Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Reds at Cardinals
The Cardinals have won 4 of their last 5 home games against National League teams
The Under is 4-1 in the Cardinals' last 5 matchups against divisional opponents
The Cardinals have failed to cover the Run Line in 4 straight home games
Willson Contreras was 2-10 in the 3-game series against the White Sox
Gavin Lux was 1-8 in the 3-game series against the Twins
Elly De La Cruz was hitless in the series against the Twins (0-10)
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 Reds and the Cardinals
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Reds 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 Cincinnati Reds at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.
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Its Friday, June 20 and the Rangers (36-39) are in Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates (30-46).
Jacob deGrom is slated to take the mound for Texas against Mike Burrows for Pittsburgh.
The Bucs scratched out an 8-4 win in ten innings yesterday against the Tigers. Paul Skenes started and allowed two runs in six innings and the Pirates cracked three home runs to salvage the last game of this three-game series against Detroit. The Rangers were swept this week at home by the Royals losing the finale Thursday 4-1. Texas managed just three hits (one extra base hit) and six baserunners in the contest while striking out seven times.
Lets 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.
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Game details & how to watch Rangers at Pirates
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: PNC Park
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Network/Streaming: CW33, SNP
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Odds for the Rangers at the Pirates
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Rangers (-188), Pirates (+156)
Spread: Rangers -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rangers at Pirates
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Jacob deGrom vs. Mike Burrows
Rangers: Jacob deGrom (6-2, 2.19 ERA) Last outing: 6/14 vs. White Sox - 6IP, 2ER, 5H, 0BB, 6Ks
Pirates: Mike Burrows (1-1, 4.24 ERA) Last outing: 6/14 at Cubs - 5.1IP, 1ER, 5H, 0BB, 8Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rangers at Pirates
The Rangers are 12-9 against National League teams this season
The Pirates' last 5 against the Rangers have stayed under the Total
With Mike Burrows starting the Pirates have covered in 4 of their last 5 games to return 3.40 units
Andrew McCutcheon is swinging a hot bat with 7 hits in his last 16 ABs
Marcus Semien is rising an 11-game hitting streak (14-43)
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 Pirates
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Rangers and the Pirates:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Texas Rangers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Pittsburgh Pirates at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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Its Friday, June 20 and the Mariners (37-36) are in Chicago to open a weekend series against the Cubs (45-29).
George Kirby is slated to take the mound for Seattle against Matthew Boyd for Chicago.
The Cubs closed out their series with Milwaukee yesterday with an 8-7 loss. Pete Crow-Armstrong smacked his 20th home run in the loss. The Mariners were off yesterday following a series at home against Boston. The Sox took two of three.
Lets dive into the series opener 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.
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Game details & how to watch Mariners at Cubs
Date: Friday, June 20, 2025
Time: 2:20PM EST
Site: Wrigley Field
City: Chicago, IL
Network/Streaming: RSNW, MARQ, MLBN
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Odds for the Mariners at the Cubs
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Mariners (+109), Cubs (-129)
Spread: Cubs -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Mariners at Cubs
Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: George Kirby vs. Matthew Boyd
Mariners: George Kirby (1-3, 5.96 ERA) Last outing: 6/14 vs. Cleveland - 5IP, 2ER, 5H, 3BB, 5Ks
Cubs: Matthew Boyd (6-3, 2.79 ERA) Last outing: 6/14 vs. Pittsburgh - 6IP, 1H, 1ER, 1BB, 3Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mariners at Cubs
The Cubs have won 3 straight home games
The Mariners' last 4 against the Cubs have stayed under the Total
The Mariners have failed to cover the Run Line in 10 of their last 12 road games
Pete Crow-Armstrong has hit safely in 5 of his last 6 games (5-19)
Seiya Suzuki has 1 hit in his last 4 games (1-17)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the Mariners and the Cubs
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Mariners and the Cubs:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Chicago Cubs on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Seattle Mariners at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 9.0.
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And as Rafael Devers’ confidant shared with ESPN’s Jeff Passan, perhaps towards the end of his tenure with the Red Sox, the 28-year-old lacked the connection with the team, leading to drama over his role in Boston.
Earlier this season, the three-time MLB All-Star went from third base to designated hitter before eventually refusing to play first.
“Sometimes it’s not the message,” the person close to Devers told Passan. “It’s how the message is delivered.”
Devers, who sealed a shocking blockbuster move to the Giants on Sunday, hasn’t played in the field yet during the 2025 MLB season after losing his third-base job to Alex Bregman in Boston.
After all, while speaking to the media on Tuesday, Devers admitted he’s willing to do anything manager Bob Melvin asks of him to earn San Francisco crucial wins, including playing first base.
“I can’t wait to start playing [at first base] …,” Devers told reporters through Giants interpreter Erwin Higueros. “I’m eager to go out there and go play and see what I can do.”
There still is no timeline on when he will play first base in a game, but Devers has been taking grounders before each game this week and eventually will transition to the role with San Francisco.
First base is a position that he never has played in his entire professional baseball career, but one he’s willing to do now with the Giants.
They remained silent when he flooded their city with federal agents, chief marketing officer Lon Rosen refusing to comment on the racist kidnapping sweeps terrorizing the very community that helped them break attendance records.
And what did the Dodgers receive in exchange for betraying their fans and sucking up to President Trump?
The Dodgers learned what many Trump voters already learned, which is that Agent Orange doesn't always reward subservience.
So much for all of their front-office genius. So much for staying out of politics.
Federal agents in unmarked vehicles formed a line at Dodger Stadium’s main entrance on Thursday, apparently with the intention of using a section of the parking lot as a processing center for detainees who were picked up during a morning immigration raid.
The Dodgers could look away when ICE was causing havoc in other parts of town, but even the morally compromised have limits. More than 40% of Dodgers fans are Latino. Transforming Dodger Stadium into ground zero for the administration’s war on brown people would be financial suicide for the franchise.
The agents were denied entry, according to the team.
There was speculation in and around the organization about whether the presence of the federal agents was a form of retaliation by a notoriously vindictive administration. Just a day earlier, the Dodgers said they would announce on Thursday plans to assist immigrant communities affected by the recent raids. In the wake of the visit, the announcement was delayed.
Ultimately, what did the Dodgers gain from their silent complicity of Trump?
They further diminished their stature as vehicles of inclusion, a tradition that included the breaking of baseball’s color barrier by Jackie Robinson and the expansion of the sport’s borders with the likes of Fernando Valenzuela, Hideo Nomo and Chan Ho Park.
They broke their sacred bond with the Latino community that was forged over Valenzuela’s career and passed down for multiple generations.
They at least resisted immigration agents’ efforts to annex their parking lot, but how much damage was already done? How much trust was already lost?
Consider this: When photographs of the unmarked vehicles in front of Dodger Stadium started circulating online, the widespread suspicion was that federal agents were permitted by the Dodgers to be there.
That was later revealed to be untrue, but what does that say about how the Dodgers were perceived?
Federal agents stage stand outside Gate E of Dodger Stadium on Thursday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Their announcement about their impending announcement looked like a cynical effort to reverse a recent wave of negative publicity, which started with Rosen refusing to comment on the immigration sweeps.
Asked if the Dodgers regretted visiting the White House, Rosen said, “We’re not going to comment on anything.”
On the day of the “No Kings” demonstrations, a 30-year-old performer named Nezza sang a version of the national anthem in Spanish that was commissioned in 1945 by the U.S. State Department under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Nezza, whose full name is Vanessa Hernández, later posted a video on her TikTok account showing a Dodgers employee directing her to sing in English. She disobeyed the order, explaining that because of what was happening in Los Angeles, “I just felt like I needed to do it.”
In subsequent interviews, Nezza said her agent was called by a Dodgers employee, who said Nezza was to never return to Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers later clarified that Nezza wasn’t banned from the ballpark, but the incident nonetheless struck a chord. Reports of American citizens being detained or harassed have surfaced, creating a feeling the raids are as much about making brown-skinned people feel unwelcome as they are about deporting undocumented migrants. Nezza’s experience symbolized this feeling.
The incident resulted in widespread calls for a Dodgers boycott, which, coincidentally or not, was followed by the Dodgers teasing their announcement of support for immigrants.
The divisive environment created by Trump forced the Dodgers to take a side, however passively. Now, they have to win back angry fans who pledged allegiance to them only to be let down. Now, they have to deal with potential retaliation from the Mad King they pathetically tried to appease.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts yells at San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt after benches clear in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 5-3 loss Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Seven times in the last 10 days, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres have renewed their steadily intensifying divisional rivalry.
And in the last inning of the last one of those games Thursday night, the mounting tensions between the clubs — and their respective managers — finally ignited into a benches-clearing confrontation.
At the end of the Padres’ 5-3 win against the Dodgers, San Diego star Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a Dodgers pitcher for the third time over the two recent series between the National League West foes, and a career-high sixth time by the team in his six years in the majors.
Moments later, Dave Roberts and Mike Shildt were face-to-face on the field, engaged in a shouting match that caused both benches to empty in a heated melee behind home plate.
“I felt that he was trying to make it personal with me,” Roberts said of Shildt. “Which then, I take it personal.”
Indeed, as soon as Tatis got plunked on the hand by a 93 mph fastball from debuting Dodgers rookie Jack Little, Shildt came storming out of the dugout, walking over to check on Tatis while barking in Roberts’ direction.
Whatever Shildt said, Roberts took exception. Suddenly, he was charging onto the field, bumping into Shildt as the two jawed back and forth and their two teams swarmed around them.
The benches clear as Padres batter Fernando Tatis Jr. is assisted by a team trainer after being hit on the hand by a pitch from Dodgers reliever Jack Little. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“I didn’t feel good about Tatis — great player, good guy — getting hit,” Roberts said, insisting the pitch from Little, who had been activated before the game and was laboring through a two-inning outing, was unintentional.
“And so as he comes out, and he’s yelling at me and staring me down, that bothers me. Because, to be quite frank, that’s the last thing I wanted. I’m taking starters out of the game. Trying to get this game over with and get this kid a couple innings. And so that’s why I took that personal. Because I understand the game, and I understand that it doesn’t feel good to get hit. But understand again, intent versus clearly no intent.”
Shildt didn’t seem to care about that last point.
“After a while, enough’s enough,” he said. “Intentional, unintentional, the fact of the matter is we took exception with it. I responded.”
Padres and Dodgers players stand on the field after the benches clear in the ninth inning. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The scuffle didn’t get overly physical, with some light shoving between the clubs pushing the pile into the screen behind home plate. But emotions were running hot. Roberts and Shildt had to be separated from one another. Umpires ejected both men.
“Teams I manage don’t take anything,” Shildt said. “And after a while, I’m not gonna take it. And I’m not gonna take it on behalf of Tati, I’m not gonna take it on behalf of the team, intentional or unintentional. It’s really that simple. That’s how this game is played. And if you wanna call that old school, then yeah, we’ll play old-school baseball.”
Shildt’s latter point was proven in the bottom half of the inning.
After the Dodgers scored twice to generate some late life, Shohei Ohtani was hit by Padres closer Robert Suarez in a 3-and-0 count on a 100 mph fastball off his shoulder.
Roberts, watching from his office, said he believed “clearly there was intent behind it,” marking the second time in this series he felt the Padres threw at Ohtani to retaliate for Tatis getting hit.
“I don’t really care what they say,” Shildt said. “I really don’t.”
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts after being hit by a pitch from Padres pitcher Robert Suarez in the ninth inning. Suarez was ejected. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Did Roberts feel the Padres crossed a line?
“That’s their decision,” he said, “and Major League Baseball is gonna have to look at that.”
The plot only thickened from there.
This time, the benches stayed put — in part, it appeared, because Ohtani waved for his team to remain in the dugout as he walked up the first base line.
But because dugout warnings had been issued after Tatis’ hit-by-pitch, Suarez was ejected (along with Padres bench coach Brian Esposito). That forced the Padres to summon left-hander Yuki Matsui to close things out.
And for a brief moment, it looked like he might blow it.
With two runners on, the Dodgers (46-30) were supposed to have the heart of their order up. However, Roberts had already pinch-hit for Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman an inning earlier, deciding to get his stars off their feet while facing a five-run deficit.
“We're at a stretch here of a lot of games, and I felt that that was the right time,” Roberts said.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up seven hits, three earned runs and struck out five over 6⅓ innings Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Rojas drew a walk to load the bases. Then Matsui spiked a sweeper that bounced under the chest protector of catcher Martín Maldonado, plating a run and moving the Dodgers’ other baserunners into scoring position.
Alas, Rushing struck out in a full count to end the game — denying the Dodgers the chance for a four-game sweep, but still leaving them 17-12 at the end of a daunting 29-game stretch against playoff-contending teams.
“It just shows we're deep,” Betts said of the Dodgers’ performance over the last month, which vaulted them to a 3½-game lead in the division and five-game advantage over the Padres (40-34).
“But we still got a couple months to go, and just have to keep playing good Dodger baseball."
Over those final couple months, there will still be six games to play against the Padres — all of which will come over another two-week stretch in mid-August.
When Roberts was asked whether the emotions of these past couple series might linger until then, he offered a diplomatic response.
"I don't know,” he said. “We're honestly trying to win baseball games, and that's our only goal.”
But in the visiting clubhouse, where initial X-rays on Tatis’ hand were inconclusive about the severity of his injury, the Padres didn’t seem ready to turn down the dial.
“They need to set a little candle up for Tati,” third baseman Manny Machado said of the Dodgers, “and hope that everything comes back negative.”
The Mets’ starting pitching was incredible to start the season.
Despite coming into the year viewed as one of their biggest weaknesses, it’s shined.
But with the depth being put to the test of late, things have began to falter off.
While it’s not completely to blame, the Mets’ shorthanded and suddenly struggling rotation has ended up being one of the biggest catalysts behind their current season-high six-game losing streak.
“It starts on the mound,” Carlos Mendoza said. “The starting pitching, they’ve been so good the whole year pretty much carrying us to this point, you lose guys who have been consistently throwing the ball well and get some bad outings -- it happens, we're going through a rough stretch right now.”
They received another one of those bad outings on Thursday night in Atlanta, as Clay Holmes battled through some struggles with his command and issued a career-high six free passes over just 4.2 innings of work.
The last of those came to Drake Baldwin with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth.
“The walks hurt us, especially that last inning,” Holmes said. “You walk that many eventually it’s hard to avoid the big inning -- the leadoff walk hurt, then [Ronald] Acuna got on and [Austin] Riley hit a good sinker. It forced me to throw more pitches, and it’s tough to overcome that many walks.”
Prior to Thursday’s showing Holmes had been a relatively steady presence in New York’s rotation -- that marked just the second time he’d failed to complete five innings since his second start of the season.
The 32-year-old has by-far passed the most frames he’s thrown in a big-league season.
While there’s always some concern about him eventually hitting a wall in his first year transitioning from the bullpen to the starting rotation -- Holmes insists he continues feeling strong out there.
“I feel like my stuff was some of the best it’s been all year today,” he said. “The ball was coming out well and I was moving really fast, so not really -- I feel good physically and pitch-wise, it’s just a matter of executing a little better.”
Jun 19, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; A group of Tampa Bay Rays players look as pitcher Hunter Bigge (43) gets medical attention after getting hit in the face by a foul ball in the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was carted off the field in a frightening scene and taken to a hospital after getting struck in the face by a foul ball lined into the Tampa Bay dugout Thursday night.
Bigge was placed on a backboard and gave a thumbs up before being driven by ambulance to a nearby hospital for tests. He never lost consciousness and was able to converse with first responders, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
In the top of the seventh inning, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman sharply pulled a pitch into the Tampa Bay dugout on the first base side and the ball hit Bigge, a 27-year-old right-hander currently on the injured list.
Emergency medical personnel quickly arrived to attend to Bigge. After several quiet minutes, as visibly concerned Rays players knelt in the field, Bigge was loaded onto a stretcher and carted off.
After the game, Cash said Bigge was struck in the face. The ball left Rutschman’s bat at 105 mph, according to Statcast.
Bigge, on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain, received a standing ovation from the Steinbrenner Field crowd as he was loaded onto a cart. The game resumed after an eight-minute delay, and Baltimore held on for a 4-1 victory.
Bigge was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 12th round of the 2019 amateur draft from Harvard and made his major league debut for them on July 9 last year. He was traded 19 days later to Tampa Bay along with Christopher Morel and minor leaguer Ty Johnson for All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes.
In 32 career appearances, including one start, Bigge has a 2.51 ERA and one save. This season, he has a 2.40 ERA in 13 relief outings covering 15 innings.
