Hayden Birdsong tried to send a message early to the Miami Marlins on Thursday, and it couldn’t have aged worse for the Giants starter in a 12-5 loss.
Facing his third batter of the game with two outs and no one on, Birdsong’s 97-mph four-seam fastball hit Marlins second baseman Otto López. Umpires met on the field to discuss the pitch and ultimately gave each team a warning one day after three Giants batters were plunked in an 8-5 loss Wednesday night.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough stormed out of the dugout and expressed his frustrations with the officiating crew, and seconds later, his team responded.
Miami designated hitter Agustin Ramirez doubled to left on the very next pitch from Birdsong. Four pitches later in the following at-bat versus Kyle Stowers, the Marlins outfielder smashed a 440-foot homer to center to give Miami an early 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Despite how quickly things unraveled for Birdsong within the blink of an eye, he downplayed the hit on López while speaking to reporters after the game.
“Things happen,” he said. “You hit guys and you move on.”
That is exactly what Birdsong and the Giants tried to do.
Ramirez’s two-run homer put the Marlins on top 5-0 in the third, but the Giants’ offense rallied in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, scoring five combined runs to tie things up entering the fifth.
But the clean slate didn’t last long for San Francisco, as Birdsong returned to the bump at the top of the fifth and immediately walked the first two batters. Birdsong finally was pulled and replaced by Giants reliever Spencer Bivens, who struck out the first two batters but couldn’t fully overcome the damage Birdsong left as the Marlins scored three more runs.
“I felt great until the fifth, honestly,” Birdsong said. “Don’t know what happened. But it is what it is. It wasn’t good enough. … It’s disappointing.
“Definitely disappointing for me today just coming in here trying to get a win, and obviously didn’t. I could’ve done better. That’s what you take away from it.”
Birdsong allowed seven runs on four hits and four walks while striking out one over four-plus innings to take the loss Thursday. It’s his second consecutive rough outing, as the 23-year-old has allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over his last 8.1 innings and now is at a 4.13 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 56.2 innings over 18 appearances this season.
“Kind of like the last outing, his veto is kind of all over the place,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said postgame of Birdsong. ” … Birdy’s command wasn’t great today. And then kind of blew up right after that for three runs, so regardless of how that went down, we didn’t respond well. And then the first couple of innings we didn’t look too good either and then all of a sudden came back, scored some runs and now we have a tie game.
“Now there’s a lot more energy in the dugout, but we gave up some runs after that. It is what it is. … That’s kind of not who he is, and it’s just not his best game.”
While Melvin knows and expects better of Birdsong, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the frustrations of being swept by the Marlins. And those same sentiments were echoed by Birdsong, who hopes to get back on track as he tentatively is scheduled for a road start against the Arizona Diamondbacks early next week.
It's Thursday, June 26 and the Braves (37-42) are in Queens to take on the Mets (47-34). Grant Holmes is slated to take the mound for Atlanta against Griffin Canning for New York.
The Mets leveled the series after yesterday's 7-3 win. Juan Soto was fantastic. He went 2-4 with two home runs and two RBI.
Yesterday's win was just the second Mets win in the last 10 games.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Odds for the Braves at the Mets
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Braves (-110), Mets (-110)
Spread: Mets 1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Braves at Mets
Pitching matchup for June 26, 2025: Grant Holmes vs. Griffin Canning
Braves: Grant Holmes, (4-6, 3.71 ERA) Last outing (Miami Marlins, 6/21): 5.2 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 5 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Braves at Mets
The Mets have lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with losing records
The Under is 14-8-1 in the Braves' matchups against NL East teams this season
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Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Braves and the Mets
Rotoworld Best Bet
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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 Thursday's game between the Braves and the Mets:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Atlanta Braves on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Mets 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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With the Giants on the verge of being swept by the Miami Marlins on Thursday at Oracle Park, an already tense series finally hit a breaking point in the bottom of the seventh inning.
San Francisco first baseman Wilmer Flores, who normally is easygoing but hasn’t recorded a hit in four games, contributed to his eventual 0-for-5 day with a check-swing strikeout. After he took issue with the call and said something to first base umpire Carlos Torres, Flores then exchanged words with the Marlins’ dugout and had to be held back by home plate umpire Alfonso Márquez before the benches cleared.
Benches cleared in today's Giants-Marlins game after this Wilmer Flores at-bat 😬 pic.twitter.com/4v7Wcw7PPg
It has been a frustrating series for the Giants, and one that has seen its fair share of drama. After the Marlins hit three Giants batters in Wednesday’s game, Thursday’s starting pitcher Hayden Birdsong plunked Miami’s Otto Lopez in the first inning and forced Márquez to issue a warning to both teams. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough was ejected for arguing the decision.
All the chaos still led to another loss for the Giants, who were swept by the Marlins in a 12-5 defeat despite a pair of valiant comebacks in the last two games of the series. Flores made the final out of the game after popping out to Marlins catcher Nick Fortes.
All San Francisco fans can do is hope the fire from Thursday boils over into the Giants’ next series against the White Sox in Chicago.
CINCINNATI — Aaron Boone still has a couple weeks before deciding who will be the American League’s starting pitcher for the All-Star Game.
It could end up being one of his own players.
Max Fried became the first pitcher to reach 10 wins this season in the New York Yankees 7-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
“It’s down the road. We’ll see. He’s making the case though,” Boone said about Fried’s chances to start the midsummer classic on July 15 in Atlanta.
The left-hander allowed one unearned run and four hits while striking out seven to improve to 10-2.
Fried is the third Yankees pitcher since 1962 to be the first in the majors to reach double-digit victories, joining CC Sabathia in 2011 and Tommy John in 1979.
“I guess it’s cool but we’re all here just trying to win games. A lot of it is credit to my teammates. It’s nice, but that’s more of a team stat than an individual one,” said Fried about reaching double digits in wins.
Fried signed a eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees last December and has excelled in his first year in pinstripes. He quickly became the staff’s ace after Gerrit Cole was lost for the season during spring training due to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
Fried has four games this season where he has gone at least seven innings and not allowed an earned run, tied with Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and San Diego’s Nick Pivetta for most in the majors.
He’s second in the majors with a 1.92 ERA and 108 innings.
“Ever since (Cole) went down he’s shown us why they paid him what they paid him and why he’s the guy we thought he was going to be. Especially someone who I played against for four or five years, to play behind him now is amazing,” third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “I always give him his prop and his flowers, but now he can take them any time he wants.”
The 1.92 ERA is the third-lowest by a Yankees’ pitcher is his first 17 starts with the club since earned runs became an official stat in both leagues in 1913.
Fried has allowed two or fewer earned runs in all but two starts. He has been even more dominant after Yankees’ losses, going 8-1 with a 0.93 ERA in 10 starts.
“I mean 10 wins in half a season, it’s not easy to do in any era, especially now. But that’s just a testament to how good and efficient he’s been,” Boone said. “Whether it’s coming off a loss or extending a streak, his consistency has been great.
“I told him again today ‘just watching you more and more, I would not have wanted to hit off you.’ He’s got so many weapons out there and there’s just so much movement to all his pitches, he’s been terrific.”
Fried getting the start in the All-Star Game would carry more importance after he played eight seasons in Atlanta before coming to New York. Fried though knows that decision remains a couple weeks away.
“I’ve got a handful of starts to go before the break. A lot can happen between now and then. Just focused on the next one in five or six days. I will deal with it when it gets here,” he said.
It's Thursday, June 26 and the Marlins (33-45) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (44-36). b is slated to take the mound for Miami against Hayden Birdsong for San Francisco.
Yesterday, the Marlins won game two of the series 8-5. That marks the second straight win over the Giants and their third win in a row.
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 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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Odds for the Marlins at the Giants
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Marlins (+144), Giants (-172)
Spread: Giants -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Marlins at Giants
Pitching matchup for June 26, 2025: Janson Junk vs. Hayden Birdsong
Giants: Hayden Birdsong, (3-1, 3.25 ERA) Last outing (Boston Red Sox, 6/20): 4.1 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Marlins at Giants
The Giants have won eight of their last 10 home games against teams with losing records
The Under is 4-1 in the Marlins' last five matchups against National League teams
The Marlins have covered the Run Line in four straight road games against the Giants
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline, and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Marlins and the Giants
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 Thursday's game between the Marlins and the Giants:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Francisco Giants on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Marlins at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0.
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Miami Marlins center fielder Dane Myers let his frustrations boil over during Thursday’s game against the Giants at Oracle Park.
As his team rallied with two outs in the top of the fifth, Myers struck out after three consecutive swing-and-misses against San Francisco reliever Spencer Bivens — and the outfielder unleashed his anger on his bat after whiffing on an 82 mph sweeper to end the inning.
Though the Marlins held an 8-5 lead over the Giants at that point, the strikeout brought Myers to 0-for-3 on the day after going 0-for-4 in each of Miami’s previous two wins over San Francisco.
Perhaps the new bat Myers will have to use during his next plate appearance will help him break out of his slump.
CLEVELAND — Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer pitched five innings and gave up three runs in his first appearance for the Toronto Blue Jays since March.
“That’s a good check-mark sign,” Scherzer said. “Maybe something that you look for as you’re coming back and as you’re ramping back up. So good in that regard. In terms of actually pitching, a little rusty. I could execute better. I pitched good, I didn’t pitch great.”
Scherzer gave up six hits and three walks on 83 pitches with four strikeouts after recovering from an inflamed right thumb that caused him to go on the injured list. The Blue Jays wound up losing 5-4 in 10 innings to the Cleveland Guardians.
The next step will be determined based on how his thumb feels because thumb problems can lead to shoulder issues.
“It’s been frustrating as heck to be dealing with this for really the third straight year,” Scherzer said. “I finally get back out here get pitching again get that adrenaline boost. you just don’t get that in the minor leagues.”
The 40-year-old Scherzer threw his most pitches since last July 25, throwing 55 of 83 pitches for strikes. He gave up a two-out double in the fourth, and a pitch-clock violation led to one of his walks.
“I made a bad pitch, so I’m not going to blame that on the clock,” Scherzer said.
Scherzer finished with a scoreless fifth inning and a 4-3 lead.
He signed a one-year deal, $15.5 million with the Blue Jays in February. He left his Toronto debut against Baltimore on March 29 after three innings because of soreness in his right lat muscle. The next day, Toronto put Scherzer on the injured list because of inflammation in his thumb.
The Blue Jays declared Scherzer ready to return after he threw 30-40 pitches in a bullpen session.
Scherzer gave up two runs, struck out four and walked none over 4 1/3 innings in the second of two rehab starts for Triple-A Buffalo and struck out eight in 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the Bisons in a home start against Worcester before that.
It's Thursday, June 26 and the Dodgers (50-31) are in Denver to take on the Rockies (18-62). Clayton Kershaw is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against Austin Gomber for Colorado.
The Dodgers had another high-scoring game against the Rockies last night. They won 8-1 and have scored at least 8 runs in three straight games.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out six batters in 5.0 scoreless innings. Max Muncy had a massive night at the plate. He went 2-4 with a home run and six RBI.
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 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 Dodgers at Rockies
Date: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Time: 3:10PM EST
Site: Coors Field
City: Denver, CO
Network/Streaming: Rockies.TV, SportsNet LA
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 Dodgers at the Rockies
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Dodgers (-288), Rockies (+230)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5
Total: 12.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Dodgers at Rockies
Pitching matchup for June 26, 2025: Clayton Kershaw vs. Austin Gomber
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Dodgers at Rockies
The Dodgers have won 5 of their last 6 road games, while the Rockies have lost 16 in 20 at home
4 of the Rockies' last 5 games have gone over the Total with Austin Gomber as the opener
The Rockies have failed to cover the Run Line in 7 of their last 9 home 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 Dodgers and the Rockies
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.
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Dodgers and the Rockies:
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 Colorado Rockies at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 12.0.
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Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop charged in a sexual abuse case, was found guilty on Thursday but received a two-year suspended sentence.
Franco, now 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.
Judge Jakayra Veras García said Franco made a bad decision as she addressed him during the ruling.
“Look at us, Wander,” she said. “Do not approach minors for sexual purposes. If you don’t like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time.”
Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl’s mother, who was found guilty and will serve the full term.
“Apparently she was the one who thought she was handling the bat in the big leagues,” Veras said of the mother and her request that Franco pay for her daughter’s schooling and other expenses.
Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, Veras orally reviewed the copious amount of evidence that prosecutors presented during trial, including certain testimony from 31 witnesses.
“This is a somewhat complex process,” Veras said.
More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: “The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.”
As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times.
Franco, who was once the team’s star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time.
In January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
He was placed on that list because he has not been able to report to the team and would need a new U.S. visa to do so.
While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a woman’s attention. He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle.
That case is still pending in court.
After the ruling, Major League Baseball issued a brief statement noting it had collectively bargained a joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy “that reflects our commitment to these issues.”
“We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time,” MLB said.
The Mets' win over the Braves on Wednesday at Citi Field marked the halfway point of the season, and New York remains in strong shape.
With a 47-34 record, the Mets are on pace to finish the year at 94-68.
They trail the Phillies by a half game for first place in the NL East and are holding the top Wild Card spot in the National League.
New York has never reached the postseason three times in a four-year span. That would change if they get to the playoffs this year following their run to the NLCS in 2024 and entry as a Wild Card in 2022.
Let's assess how things are going for the 2025 Mets and what's to come...
The good
On May 27, we dissected how things were going for the Mets at the one-third mark of the season. At that point, Juan Sotowas still finding his footing in his first year in Queens. Now, he's again a menace at the plate, looking like the absolute best version of himself.
Over his last 25 games and 109 plate appearances dating back to May 30, Soto is hitting .333/.486/.774 with 11 home runs, 20 RBI, 24 runs scored, and 24 walks. Soto's OPS for the season is up to .899 and he is on pace to finish the season with 38 home runs.
Also catching fire has been Brandon Nimmo, whose OPS was a paltry .676 on May 27. Now, it's up to .770, and Nimmo is in the midst of a 28-game stretch where he's slashing .315/.378/.556 with seven homers and five doubles.
Along with Soto and Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Jeff McNeilhave been huge bright spots for an offense that has very been top-heavy lately (more on that in a bit).
The starting rotation (more on that in a bit as well) is being largely held together right now by Clay Holmes (2.97 ERA) and David Peterson (2.98 ERA), and got a jolt from the returning Frankie Montas earlier this week.
Montas, who had struggled while rehabbing in the minors, fired 5.0 shutout innings against Atlanta, with a lively fastball that sat around 97 mph and topped out at 98.
Jun 24, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Frankie Montas (47) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
As far as the bullpen, while there have been some hiccups -- due in part to the rotation not providing enough length -- it has remained largely strong.
Edwin Diaz(2.05 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) has been dominant, Jose Butto hasn't allowed an earned run since May 27, and Ryne Stanek has been solid since May 2 (3.86 ERA). Reed Garrett had a really rough outing on June 20 against the Phillies, and was twice victimized by the Braves recently when trying to clean up other relievers' messes, but the underlying numbers -- 2.32 ERA, 2.62 FIP, 11.3 strikeouts per nine -- remain very good.
New York's team defense has also been above league average, at 12 DRS (defensive runs saved). The biggest bright spots defensively? Lindor, Brett Baty, Tyrone Taylor, and Luis Torrens.
The imperfect
There's no way to ignore the 1-10 stretch the Mets just went on that exposed their three main issues.
The starting pitching is not going deep enough (and put the team in early holes a lot during their funk), the bullpen has been overworked because of it, and the bottom of the lineup has not done nearly enough.
The Mets were pacing at 99-63 at the one-third mark and are now on pace for 94 wins -- a drop that's notable but not the end of the world. By storming out of the gates, New York built a cushion big enough to withstand the kind of swoon they seem to be starting to come out of.
One of the main culprits behind the aforementioned swoon? A hamstring injury to Kodai Senga(who was leading the majors in ERA when he got hurt), an elbow injury to Tylor Megill, and the struggles of Paul Blackburn -- who has allowed 10 runs (seven earned) in 8.1 innings over two starts while filling in for Senga.
Max Kranick also went down with an elbow injury, further hampering an already-overworked relief corps.
Meanwhile, there has been regression from Huascar Brazoban, who allowed four runs against the Braves on June 19 and almost singlehandedly cost the Mets the game against Atlanta on June 24 when he walked the bases loaded while trying to protect a three-run lead in the sixth inning.
Then there's Francisco Alvarez, who was recently sent down to Triple-A Syracuse due to struggles on both sides of the ball.
The most glaring thing regarding Alvarez was what he was doing behind the plate. There were failures to block pitches in the dirt, game-calling issues, and one egregious situation where he didn't know which base to throw to during a rundown that ultimately cost the Mets a game.
The Mets are about to get some serious reinforcements.
New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) reacts after his solo home run during the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field / Vincent Carchietta - Imagn Images
First to return will be Mark Vientos, who finished his rehab assignment on Wednesday and whose activation from the IL is imminent. Vientos' overall numbers aren't great, but he hit very well from April 17 until going down on June 2, with a .785 OPS to go along with six homers and four doubles over 36 games.
Vientos will help lengthen the lineup, and it will be further fortified when Jesse Winker is back. Winker is set to begin a rehab assignment this weekend.
Sean Manaea, whose rehab was paused for a few days due to a loose body in his elbow, is set to make his final rehab start next week and could possibly be activated when the Mets face the Yankees in early-July at Citi Field. As far as Senga, he is already throwing off the mound and a rehab assignment is on the horizon.
New York could also see the debut of Nolan McLean this summer, whether it comes in the starting rotation or in the bullpen. McLean has been terrific this season in Double-A and Triple-A. And out of all of the Mets' top pitching prospects, McLean seems to be the one most ready to make an impact at the big league level.
As far as Jonah Tong, who is awaiting what seems at this point to be an overdue promotion to Triple-A, it would be a bit of a surprise if he debuted this season. But if he keeps toying with hitters once he reaches Syracuse, all bets should be off.
It's the trade deadline, though, that could bring the Mets the fortifying pieces they need in advance of a playoff run.
The most obvious targets would be a center fielder (Cedric Mullins?) or a third baseman (Eugenio Suarez?). The Mets should also be seeking back-end bullpen help. And if they determine the rotation has a missing piece, that should be a hole they fill as well.
The Mets have the high-end prospects to strike a blockbuster deal if they so choose, but they also have the kind of prospect depth that should help them pull off a handful of medium-impact trades without having to deal any of their best minor leaguers.
No matter what, the Mets are set up well as they attempt to take the next step (or two) after their magical run to the NLCS last season.
Its Thursday, June 26 and the Mariners (41-38) are in Minneapolis to wrap up their four-game series with the Twins (38-42).
Emerson Hancock is slated to take the mound for Seattle against Simeon WoodsRichardson for Minnesota.
The Twins snapped a 4-game losing streak last night with a 2-0 win over the Mariners. Joe Ryan and three relievers limited Seattle to three hits. Kody Clemens' home run in the seventh inning was one of only four hits for the Twins, but it was enough to propel Minnesota to the win.
Lets dive into the series finale 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 Twins
Date: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Time: 1:10PM EST
Site: Target Field
City: Minneapolis, MN
Network/Streaming: RSNW, MNNT, MLBN
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 Mariners at the Twins
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Mariners (+101), Twins (-121)
Spread: Twins -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Mariners at Twins
Pitching matchup for June 26, 2025: Emerson Hancock vs. Simeon Woods Richardson
Mariners: Emerson Hancock (3-3, 5.43 ERA) Last outing: 6/21 at Cubs - 4IP, 9ER, 6H, 3BB, 5Ks
Twins: Simeon Woods Richardson (2-4, 5.06 ERA) Last outing: 6/21 vs. Milwaukee - 6IP, 3ER, 4H, 3BB, 3Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mariners at Twins
The Twins snapped a 4-game losing streak last night
The Over is 22-16-2 in the Mariners' road games this season
Simeon Woods Richardson has not struck out more than 4 opposing hitters since April 26.
Cal Raleigh saw his 7-game hitting streak snapped last night (0-4)
Julio Rodriguez is 3-11 (.273) in this series
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 Twins
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 Thursday's game between the Mariners 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 Seattle Mariners 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
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The Mets wrap up a four-game series with the Braves at Citi Field on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Juan Soto is hitting .333/.486/.774 with 11 home runs, four doubles, 20 RBI, 24 runs scored, and 24 walks in 109 plate appearances over his last 25 games. His OPS for the season is up to .899 and he is on pace to finish the year with 38 home runs
Brandon Nimmo is hitting .315/.378/.556 with seven home runs, five doubles, 15 RBI, and 18 runs scored in 119 plate appearances over his last 28 games
Jose Butto hasn't allowed an earned run since May 27, tossing 13.1 innings over 10 appearances during that span
BRAVES
METS
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Francisco Lindor, SS
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Brandon Nimmo, DH
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Juan Soto, RF
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Pete Alonso, 1B
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Jeff McNeil, LF
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Tyrone Taylor, CF
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Brett Baty, 3B
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Luis Torrens, C
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Ronny Mauricio, 3B
What channel is SNY?
Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.
How can I stream the game?
The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.
Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices.
Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”
To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.
For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.
BALTIMORE — When Jacob deGrom is at his best, the Texas Rangers believe he’s the best pitcher on the planet.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner certainly is looking like his old self.
DeGrom flirted with a perfect game through six innings and a no-hitter through seven Wednesday night in another dominating performance in his return from Tommy John surgery in June 2023.
He threw 89 pitches, getting pulled after giving up his only hit to Colton Cowser leading off the eighth. The Rangers finished off a 7-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles as deGrom tied his career-best streak of 13 straight starts giving up two or fewer earned runs.
“When you miss that much time, you miss this a lot,” deGrom said. “You got time to really think about what you’ve done in your career. The goal is to try to come back and be as good as I was before the surgery, so constantly trying to work on that and still working on things in between.”
He walked Jackson Holliday starting the seventh. Then he struck out Jordan Westburg and got Gunnar Henderson to fly out. DeGrom walked Ryan O’Hearn, putting two on and causing a mound visit, then got Gary Sánchez to ground into an inning-ending forceout.
Texas removed deGrom after he faced 24 batters. He had thrown 59 of 89 pitches for strikes.
Manager Bruce Bochy said deGrom was throwing well and he planned to give him a chance to finish a no-hit bid. The Rangers have been limiting deGrom to around 80 pitches per game.
“First guy that got a hit that was far enough,” Bochy said. “We had a nice lead, and he’s so fun to watch. He really is. I’ve said this. I’m a fan when he’s pitching.”
Rangers catcher Jonah Heim said deGrom was throwing all four pitches for strikes, and all he had to do was call the pitches.
“That’s the best I’ve ever seen him since he came over here,” Heim said. “So really encouraging to see really proud of him for all the work he’s put in to get here.”
The Rangers certainly are getting the best of deGrom in his third season in Texas since of a $185 millionm five-year deal. He’s off to an 8-2 start and has started 16 games after being limited to three in 2024 and six in 2023.
Yes, deGrom wanted to finish off a no-hitter until a fastball wound up in the wrong spot for the only hit he allowed.
If you want to dominate on the baseball diamond, you first must master the sticks.
At least that’s the case for Athletics standout rookie Jacob Wilson.
The 23-year-old shortstop, who is batting .347/.388/.487 with nine home runs, 40 RBI and five stolen bases in 76 games, recently spoke with ESPN’s Jeff Passan about his rookie-season success and shared what he believes to be the secret key to his breakout at the plate.
“Kids are going to love this one. Parents are going to hate me,” Wilson told Passan. “I am a big believer in video games. It’s fast decision-making strategy. I think that gets me ready for the game, because when you’re in the box, you have to process a lot. So there’s some days where I’ll wake up and I’ll play video games and then I’ll go to the field, and I’ll have a good day. Some days I won’t play and don’t see the ball well. I think it really helps me train kind of the decision-making that I have to make six, seven hours later at the baseball field.”
Wilson shared with Passan that he frequently plays “Fortnite,” the third-person battle royale shooter game that exploded in popularity in 2018 and has maintained a steady player base since.
Fellow A’s rookie Max Muncy, who plays “Fortnite” with Wilson, knows first-hand how good his teammate is.
“If we play a game with me and him and guys we know and you kill him once, you’re like, ‘That’s a good day,’ ” Muncy told Passan. “You could play 50 rounds. Just once is good.”
Wilson’s father, Jack, a former MLB shortstop, seemingly supports his son’s hypothesis.
“I do believe in the hand-eye coordination that video games give — as long as you do your homework,” Jack told Passan. “Kids, if you’re reading, do your homework.”
Well put.
However, once the homework is done, it’s time to drop Tilted.
It's Thursday, June 26 and the Rays (45-35) are in Kansas City to take on the Royals (38-42). Shane Baz is slated to take the mound for Tampa Bay against Michael Lorenzen for Kansas City.
Tampa Bay took game two of the series, 3-0, after winning 5-1 on Tuesday. The Rays are 4-1 in the last five games and looking to either tie or win their fifth-straight series as they're rocking a 9-3 mark in the last 12 games.
Kansas City has lost four consecutive games and is 4-4 in the last eight outings, but 4-10 in the previous 14. The Royals are in a bad stretch as the offense has mustered four total runs in the last four games.
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 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 Rays at Royals
Date: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Time: 2:10PM EST
Site: Kauffman Stadium
City: Kansas City, MO
Network/Streaming: FDSNSUN, FDSNKC
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 Rays at the Royals
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Rays (-124), Royals (+104)
Spread: Rays -1.5
Total: 10.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rays at Royals
Pitching matchup for June 26, 2025: Shane Baz vs. Michael Lorenzen
Royals: Michael Lorenzen, (4-7, 4.81 ERA) Last outing: 5.1 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Rays and the Royals
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 Thursday’s game between the Rays and the Royals:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Tampa Bay Rays on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Kansas City Royals at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 10.0.
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 Rays at Royals
The Rays have won 6 of their last 8 on the road, while the Royals have lost 9 straight home games
5 of the Royals' last 6 home games stayed under the Total
The Rays have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 2.83 units
Tampa Bay is 9-3 in the last 12 games
Kansas City is 0-4 in the past four 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:
