To put it mildly, the Mets are going through it right now.
It feels like things have blown up in their faces no matter what button manager Carlos Mendoza pushes over the past couple of weeks.
That was again the case on Sunday, as they opened a five-run advantage early against dominant Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester, but were unable to hang on in an ugly walk-off loss.
New York has now been swept in back-to-back series by the Brewers and Guardians.
The team's losing streak is at seven games and they’ve dropped 11 of their last 12.
The Mets have quickly found themselves fading away in the race for the NL East -- now sitting 5.5 games behind the Phillies, who have won seven of their last 10 after adding some big pieces at the deadline.
They do still occupy the final NL Wild Card spot, but even that lead has slipped to just 0.5 game over the Cincinnati Reds, who will face off with the Phillies to open this week.
Things are not looking good for this squad right now, but one of their longest-tenured members has been down this path before, and he still believes they can turn things around heading down the stretch.
“We can go on a run, we’ve still got time here,” Brandon Nimmo said. “It just takes putting it all together and playing some better baseball over the next few weeks of the season, so no, I don’t think the division is slipping away from us, we’ve still got a shot.
"This team specifically has been known for going on runs, so we can easily rattle off a winning streak with the people we’ve got here."
Luckily for the Mets, they will see the Phillies seven more times the rest of the way, with the first three coming later in August at Citi Field.
But first they’ll have to get through the rival Braves, who still sit in fourth place in the division, but are coming off a series in which they took four out of five from the Marlins.
“We just gotta go out and do it,” Carlos Mendoza said. “We have the talent, we have the players, but we have to start playing better baseball and just go out and get the job done. I know it’s frustrating, we’re all frustrated in here, but we just have to keep going because nobody said it was going to be easy.”
It's Monday, August 11 and the Dodgers (68-50) are in Anaheim to take on the Angels (56-62). Yoshinobu Yamamoto is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against José Soriano for Los Angeles.
Both the Angels and Dodgers are coming off series losses and have had their struggles in the second half as both post losing records thus far. This will also be an important series for the Dodgers since the Angels won all three earlier meetings this season and outscored them 23-15.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Dodgers at Angels
Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
Time: 9:38PM EST
Site: Angel Stadium
City: Anaheim, CA
Network/Streaming: SNLA, FDSNW
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 Angels
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Dodgers (-179), Angels (+149)
Spread: Dodgers -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Dodgers at Angels
Pitching matchup for August 11, 2025: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. José Soriano
Angels: José Soriano, (7-9, 4.01 ERA) Last outing: 15.75 ERA, 7 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 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 Dodgers 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 Dodgers and the Angels:
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 Los Angeles Angels at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Dodgers at Angels
The Angels are 3-0 versus the Dodgers this season
The Dodgers are 10-11 in the second half of the season
The Angels are 9-13 in the second half of the season
The Dodgers have a 12-7 record in series openers on the road this season
The Under is 7-3 in the Dodgers' last 10 games
The Angels have covered in their last 4 games 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!
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Its Monday, August 11 and the Twins (56-61) are in the Bronx to begin a three-game series against the Yankees (62-56).
Zebby Matthews is slated to take the mound for Minnesota against Will Warren for New York.
Given up for dead following the trade deadline, the Twins have actually won each of their last two series most recently taking two of three from the Royals in Minneapolis. Yesterday, Luke Keaschall homered in the eleventh inning to walk off a 5-3 win for Minnesota.
The Yankees, meanwhile, could not build on their series win over the Rangers to begin last week as they dropped two of three at home to the Astros over the weekend. Yesterday, they lost 7-1 as Max Fried struggled allowing four runs over five innings. The offense did Fried no favors totaling just three hits against Jason Alexander and three Houston relievers.
Lets dive into this 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 the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Twins at Yankees
Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
Time: 7:05PM EST
Site: Yankee Stadium
City: Bronx, NY
Network/Streaming: MNNT, YES, 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 Twins at the Yankees
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Twins (+143), Yankees (-171)
Spread: Yankees -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Twins at Yankees
Pitching matchup for August 11, 2025: Zebby Matthews vs. Will Warren
Twins: Zebby Matthews (3-3, 5.17 ERA) Last outing: August 5 at Detroit - 1.80 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
Yankees: Will Warren (6-5, 4.44 ERA) Last outing: August 5 at Texas - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Twins at Yankees
The Yankees are on a 5-game win streak at home to the Twins
The Over is 8-1-1 for the Yankees' last 5 games at home and the Twins' last 5 on the road combined
The Twins have failed to cover in their last 7 games against the Yankees
Zebby Matthews has struck out a minimum of 6 hitters in 3 of his last 4 starts
Aaron Judge is 3-15 since returning from the disabled list
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 Twins and the Yankees
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 Twins and the Yankees:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Yankees on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Minnesota Twins at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
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It's Monday, August 11 and the Tigers (68-51) are in Chicago to take on the White Sox (43-75). Chris Paddack is slated to take the mound for Detroit against Elvis Peguero for Chicago.
After winning four straight to end July, Detroit has gone 5-4 over the next nine games but won one of three series. The Tigers have struggled on the road in the second half with a 2-7 record, but have a opportunity for a sweep in Chicago.
The White Sox are coming off a 6-4 win over the Guardians that snapped a six-game losing streak. Chicago started the second half of the season 10-4 in the first 14 games, but have since gone 1-6 with five losses coming by two or more runs.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Tigers at White Sox
Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
Time: 7:40PM EST
Site: Rate Field
City: Chicago, IL
Network/Streaming: FDSNDT, CHSN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Tigers at the White Sox
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Tigers (-136), White Sox (+114)
Spread: Tigers -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Tigers at White Sox
Pitching matchup for August 11, 2025: Chris Paddack vs. Elvis Peguero
Tigers: Chris Paddack, (4-10, 4.95 ERA) Last outing: 9.00 ERA, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 0 Strikeouts
White Sox: Elvis Peguero, (0-0, 4.91 ERA) Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 1 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 2 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 Tigers and the White Sox
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 Tigers and the White Sox:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Detroit Tigers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago White Sox at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
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 Tigers at White Sox
Detroit is 5-4 in the last 9 games (5-5 in the past 10)
Detroit is 2-7 in the last 9 road games
Chicago is 1-6 in the last 7 games and won its last outing
The Tigers have won 4 of their last 5 games at AL Central teams
The Over is 4-1 in the Tigers' last 5 divisional matchups
The White Sox have covered the Run Line in 4 of their last 5 matchups against the Tigers
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:
Sean Manaea has had a bit of a rough time since returning from the IL.
The big southpaw started things well for the Mets on Sunday afternoon, as he was handed an early lead and worked around baserunners in each of the first two innings.
He pieced together his first real inning of the day in bottom of the third, but then the Brewers were able to get something going against him in the fourth.
As was the case in his last outing, Manaea seemingly ran out of steam late and he begun getting knocked around a bit by the red-hot pesky Brew Crew.
William Contreras led off the inning with a homer, then two hits and a walk loaded the bases with two outs.
Manaea worked his way into a two-strike count, but speedy infielder Joey Ortiz lined his first two out two-run single past a diving Pete Alonso to cut into the large deficit.
The lefty escaped the inning and returned to the mound in the fifth, but was pulled after allowing a leadoff single, which came around to score a few pitches later on Contreras’ second home run of the day.
He ended with a final line of four runs allowed on six hits and a pair of walks while striking out five batters across just four innings of work.
“I think guys just start seeing some things and they were fouling pitches off against me,” he said. “They really made me work that last inning, and then they were able to capitalize on a couple of my mistakes.”
The Mets continue to limit Manaea’s usage after he was shelved through the middle of July due to lingering elbow and oblique injuries.
He tossed a season-high 87 pitches, but failed to work past the fifth for the fifth time in his six outings.
Manaea’s ERA is also now up to a shaky 4.33 mark over that span.
“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I feel like I’m doing everything right and finally heading in the right direction out there, I just need to take that next step.”
The Mets certainly do need both Manaea and Kodai Senga to return to their dominant forms atop the rotation if they hope to shake these recent struggles make some noise in the National League playoff race.
Its Monday, August 11 and the leaders in the National League East, the Philadelphia Phillies (68-49) are in Cincinnati to begin a series against the Reds (62-57).
Taijuan Walker is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against Andrew Abbott for Cincinnati.
The Phillies arrive in Arlington after a weekend sweep of the Rangers in Arlington. Zack Wheeler allowed two, first inning runs but that was it. Philly hurlers allowed just five hits after the first frame. Edmundo Sosa went yard to pace the attack as Philadelphia won for the seventh time in nine games this month. They now lead the NL East by a commanding 5.5 games.
The Reds split a four-game set with the Pirates rallying to take the final two games over the weekend. Yesterday, the Big Red Machine was back for at least a day as Cincy cracked 14 hits and scored 14 runs in a 14-8 win. Noelvi Marte and Spencer Steer led the assault driving in four runs apiece.
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 the first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Phillies at Reds
Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
Time: 6:10PM EST
Site: Great American Ball Park
City: Cincinnati, OH
Network/Streaming: NBCSP, FDSNOH
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 Phillies at the Reds
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Phillies (+107), Reds (-127)
Spread: Reds -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Reds
Pitching matchup for August 11, 2025: Taijuan Walker vs. Andrew Abbott
Phillies: Taijuan Walker (4-5, 3.53 ERA) Last outing: August 5 vs. Baltimore - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
Reds: Andrew Abbott (8-2, 2.34 ERA) Last outing: August 6 at Cubs - 5.40 ERA, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Reds
The Phillies have won 3 straight road games
5 of the Phillies' last 7 games (71%) have stayed under the Total
The Phillies have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 3.36 units
Taijuan Walker has not struck out more than 4 batters in a game since May 30
Nick Castellanos is hitless in his last 3 games (0-13)
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 Phillies and the Reds
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 Phillies and the Reds:
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 Philadelphia Phillies at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
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It's Monday, August 11 and the Nationals (47-70) are in Kansas City to take on the Royals (58-60). Cade Cavalli is slated to take the mound for Washington against Bailey Falter for Kansas City.
The Royals return home after a nine-game home stand that they finished 4-5. Whereas Washington won two straight to edge San Francisco in a three-game series, but that's been about all that's gone right recently. The Nationals lost eight of nine games prior to that for a 3-8 record in the past 11 contests.
Falter will make his second start with the Royals and first at home after a 4.0 inning and 7 earned run road debut in Boston (earned a loss) following his trade from the Pirates. Cavalli makes his second start of the season after 4.1 innings of no run ball versus the Athletics.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Nationals at Royals
Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
Time: 7:40PM EST
Site: Kauffman Stadium
City: Kansas City, MO
Network/Streaming: MASN, 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 Nationals at the Royals
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Nationals (+125), Royals (-150)
Spread: Royals -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Nationals at Royals
Pitching matchup for August 11, 2025: Cade Cavalli vs. Bailey Falter
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 Nationals 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 Monday’s game between the Nationals and the Royals:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Kansas City Royals 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 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 Nationals at Royals
Kansas City is 5-5 in the last 10 games
Washington is 3-8 in the last 11 games
Washington is 5-4 in the last 9 road games
The Royals have won four of their last five home games
The under has cashed in the Nationals' last four games
The Nationals have won their last two games by margins of two runs and eight runs
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:
McLean will have some new teammates this week as fellow top prospects Jonah Tong, Jett Williams, Carson Benge, and Ryan Clifford were all promoted from Binghamton
WATCH: Edwin Diaz, Sean Manaea, Brandon Nimmo discuss Sunday's frustrating loss
It's Monday, August 11 and the Pirates (51-68) are in Milwaukee to take on the Brewers (73-44). Andrew Heaney is slated to take the mound for Pittsburgh against Jose Quintana for Milwaukee.
The Brewers are winners of nine straight after sweeping the Mets, Braves, and Nationals with seven of those wins coming by two-plus runs. Milwaukee is also 6-3 in its second half home games so far.
Pittsburgh dropped two straight games and is 4-6 over the last 10 contests. This is only the seventh road game in the second half of the season for the Pirates and they are 4-2 with a sweep over the Giants.
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 Pirates at Brewers
Date: Monday, August 11, 2025
Time: 7:40PM EST
Site: American Family Field
City: Milwaukee, WI
Network/Streaming: SNP, FDSNWI, 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 Pirates at the Brewers
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Pirates (+171), Brewers (-207)
Spread: Brewers -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Pirates at Brewers
Pitching matchup for August 11, 2025: Andrew Heaney vs. Jose Quintana
Pirates: Andrew Heaney, (5-9, 4.77 ERA) Last outing: 1.93 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 1 Strikeouts
Brewers: Jose Quintana, (9-4, 3.57 ERA) Last outing: 4.50 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 7 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 Pirates and the Brewers
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 Pirates and the Brewers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Milwaukee Brewers 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 staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Pirates at Brewers
Milwaukee is 9-0 in the last 9 games
Milwaukee is 9-0 in the last 9 versus NL opponents
Pittsburgh is 4-6 in the past 10 games
Pittsburgh is 4-2 in the past 6 road games
6 of the Brewers' last 7 divisional matchups have gone over the Total
The Brewers have covered the Run Line in 5 of their last 7 home matchups against the Pirates
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:
Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia reacts after giving up a solo home run to Toronto's Ernie Clement in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 5-4 loss Sunday at Dodger Stadium. (Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
A lazy, lovely afternoon at Chavez Ravine was startled awake Sunday by three blue-curdling screams.
The Dodger bullpen had struck again.
Eighth inning, one out, Dodgers leading the Toronto Blue Jays by a run, rusty Blake Treinen on the mound.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., boom, nooooo!
Addison Barger, boom, nooooo!
Ninth inning, game tied, Alex Vesia on the mound acting like a closer because the Dodgers don’t have a healthy closer.
Ernie Clement, boom, not again!
Battered by three home runs in the last two innings Sunday, the Dodgers lost a game they should have won, blew a game they should have had, and planted an ominous message deep into the bowels of sweaty Dodger Stadium.
This is a team trying to win a second consecutive championship without an adequate bullpen.
The 5-4 loss wasted a sterling start by Tyler Glasnow, frittered away 10 hits and 13 walks from a burgeoning offense, ruined a chance to sweep the team with the best record in the American League, and created a trivia question that will be bandied about the league until the last week in October.
What standout reliever did the Dodgers acquire at the trade deadline?
Nobody.
What standout reliever had their critics been begging them to acquire for weeks?
Any of them.
Maybe Andrew Friedman’s previous deadline brilliance convinced everyone into thinking he could pull something off again, and maybe the public pressure was less than usual because of the credits earned by the 2024 title, but here’s guessing much of Dodger nation woke up Monday morning after watching a reliever tagged with the loss in three of the last six games and thought...
What just happened? Is it too late to fix?
Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen watches from the dugout after giving up two home runs in the eighth inning Sunday. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
What happened was the Dodgers' belief in the recovering health of their bullpen. And, um, yeah, unless you want to bring Bobby Miller up from Oklahoma City to close games (not a bad idea, eh?), it’s not getting fixed anytime soon.
Michael Kopech, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates should all be returning from the injured list, and the thought is that the Dodgers can find a closer somewhere in there, but you’ve seen them all and do you agree?
There is also the belief in this weird bit of Dodger closer history — the final inning in their last two championships was worked by a starter.
This is countered by the fact that the last two times Friedman didn’t make a significant pitching upgrade at the deadline they were eliminated in the first round.
So, yes, Friedman hasn’t lost any of his smarts and Dave Roberts hasn’t lost any of his savvy and they can probably piece this mess together for short periods in October.
But between now and then, you need someone to make the big pitch in the clutch situation and save the offense from itself.
You need a closer so you don’t have the eternal optimist Roberts looking oddly despondent late Sunday afternoon.
“This is frustrating because I just felt there is no way we should lose this game today,” he said.
He wasn’t so upset with Vesia and Treinen — both guys have been put in tough spots, especially Treinen, who recently came off the injured list.
He was mostly upset with the Dodger offense that made the withering bullpen — which has recorded the most innings in baseball — so necessary.
The Dodgers had a 3-2 lead after six innings. The back-to-back dingers in the eighth cost them that lead.
The Dodgers came back to tie it on a bases-loaded walk to Freddie Freeman in the eighth.
Clement’s long ball grabbed the lead again for the Blue Jays in the ninth.
“Yeah, it’s pretty frustrating,” Vesia said.
But equally frustrating was the 16 men the Dodgers left on base, including leaving the bases loaded three times, twice in the last two innings.
“We had them on the ropes numerous times,” Roberts said. “And for us not to win is so frustrating.”
How disappointed was Roberts? When is the last time you’ve heard him criticize Shohei Ohtani’s play? Well, he did it Sunday, twice in a span of a minute.
First, there was Ohtani ending the sixth inning by getting thrown out attempting to steal third base with Freeman at the plate.
“Not a good baseball play,” Roberts said.
Then there was Ohtani striking out with a wild swing on a low and outside full-count pitch from Mason Fluharty — he of the 5.15 ERA — with bases loaded in the ninth.
“We’ve got to come up with one right there,” Roberts said. “Chasing the ball down below ... is something that we can’t have.”
You know what could have prevented all this angst? A deeper bullpen. A more rested bullpen. A fixed bullpen.
Outfielder A.J. Ewing (No. 9) is also going to Binghamton from High-A Brooklyn, Sammon reported.
Tong, 22, allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight over five innings Sunday in Binghamton's 2-0 loss to the Yankees-affiliated Somerset Patriots. He is 8-5 with a 1.59 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 20 starts for Binghamton this season.
The 21-year-old Williams was the Mets' No. 14 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Through 96 games this season for Binghamton, he is slashing .281/.390/.477 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI.
Benge, 22, was New York's first-round pick in 2024 at No. 19 overall. Promoted to Binghamton June 23, Benge has slashed .317/.407/.571 with eight home runs and 23 RBI through 32 Double-A games.
Also 22, Clifford is slashing .243/.355/.493 with 24 home runs and 75 RBI through 105 games this season for Binghamton.
Ewing, meanwhile, is 21 and enjoying a breakout year after getting promoted from Low-A St. Lucie to Brooklyn. Through 78 games for Brooklyn, he is slashing .288/.387/.388 with two home runs and 26 RBI.
The Yankees have lost three straight series and seven of their past nines games after they looked lifeless in Sunday's 7-1 finale against the Houston Astros, but manager Aaron Boone and his players maintain that a run is possible while New York clings to a postseason spot.
"Obviously, we're feeling it and we know we have to be better," Boone said after the Yankees (62-56) totaled three hits in the rubber match with Houston (66-52). "We know we have a much higher standard for ourselves and expectations. At the same time, we're in control of this.
"I wholeheartedly believe we are going to get rolling and turn this thing around. When it does, you start to really build that next layer of confidence where guys are kind of feeding off each other. It's all just talk right now, but that's how I feel about it. We've got to go do it."
The Yankees are 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East Division. Even the second-place Boston Red Sox are 2.5 games ahead while New York holds a half-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians for the third wild card.
"The game is littered with dead and buried teams," Boone said. "We're in a playoff position right now, and we've been through a bad two months where we haven't performed at a level we need to. But look at last year, go back to the year before, year before. You can pick out a number of teams that are sitting in a worse position than we are right now that go on that run. We have the people to do that. No doubt in my mind. But just sitting here, it's talk right now and we haven't been good enough the last two months.
"But this is different than, say, even like '23 where I didn't think we were necessarily capable of that run that we needed to really get hot -- and we were out of position at that point. This is different. We're in a position right now where we're in control of things, we're in a playoff spot, technically, right now, and I believe we have the people to get it done. We've got to play consistent baseball, period."
Not helping the Yankees is the fact that left-hander Max Fried, New York's 2025 ace, has not won a start since July 29. Fried (12-4, 2.94 ERA) allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings of Sunday's 94-pitch, 64-strike start.
"That's just the way I've felt since I've come into the big leagues," Fried said of expecting to win. "I work hard and I only get to play once a week -- once every five, six games. So, when I take the ball, I want to go out there and I expect to win."
The Yankees are 1-4 in Fried's past four starts.
"Obviously, we're aware of it," Fried said. "We know that we're not performing to where we want to be or where we know that we can. We have a lot of really talented guys in here and we expect to win every day.
"So, when we come out and we lose, we're obviously frustrated and want to be able to be able to show that the talent and results can match up."
A quick turnaround follows New York's 1-2 weekend with the Minnesota Twins coming to town for a three-game series that completes a six-game homestand.
"We've got a great team in this room," said Yankees captain Aaron Judge, who was 0-for-3 with a walk in Sunday's loss to the Astros. "Got a lot of great players, guys that have had their backs up against the wall before and in tough situations. So, every year you play here, you're going to have your back up against the wall.
"So, guys have been there and done that and just got to step up and do it on the field. We can sit here and talk about it. You can ask me how everything's going. But it's about what we do on the field."
New York is 20-31 since starting 42-25 through June 12.
"Yeah, it's tough, but there's no excuses," said Judge, who is slashing .337/.446/.691 with 37 home runs and 86 RBI through 108 games. "We've got to go out there and perform at our best, go out there and win baseball games. Fans are still packing out and showing support for us, and we've got to show out for them and just go out there and do our job. That's what it comes down to. It's we're not doing our job. We're not doing the little things to put ourselves in a good position to go out there and win baseball games.
"So, it's going to take all of us. It's going to take everybody in this room -- every reliever, every infield-outfield guy. So, we've just go to step up. That's what it comes down to. I wouldn't say the confidence has really changed. We have a lot of confident guys in this room, and we've just got to focus on what we can control and go out there and do it."
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts after striking out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
The Toronto Blue Jays did everything possible to hand the Dodgers a victory Sunday.
Their pitchers gave up 10 hits, including two home runs. They walked 13, a season-high for the Dodgers, twice loading the bases on free passes in the final two innings. At the plate, Toronto struck out 14 times.
The Dodgers, however, refused to accept the gift, giving up an eighth-inning lead in a 5-4 loss that dropped their lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West to two games. The Padres trailed by six games less than three weeks ago.
“This is frustrating because I just felt there's no way we should lose this game today,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We had them on the ropes numerous times. And for us not to win is so frustrating.”
How frustrating? The Dodgers were one for 10 with runners in scoring position. They left a season-high 16 men on base — six in the last two innings.
Every Dodgers starter reached base at least once. Yet they still lost.
Afterward, third baseman Max Muncy insisted the black cloud had a silver lining, even if no one else could see it.
“We were creating opportunities. So, you know, we were doing the first part of it,” he said. “We just weren't cashing in today. The positive you take out of it is we found a way to create a lot of opportunities.
“You just have to finish the job.”
That goes double for the Dodger relievers. Starter Tyler Glasnow was brilliant, striking out eight and allowing just two runs over 5⅔ innings, turning a 3-2 lead over to a bullpen that had to get 10 outs. Once again they couldn’t do it, with Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia giving up three solo home runs in the span of six batters.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the Blue Jays in the first inning Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
“You give good hitters pitches right down the middle, they’re going to do damage,” said Treinen, who came on in the eighth with a one-run lead and left five batters later trailing after back-to-back home runs by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger.
“Sometimes we get away with making bad locations turn into outs. They made me pay for it and it cost us a game.”
He’s not the only one who had to pay. Because after Freddie Freeman walked with the bases loaded for the second time to tie the game in the eighth, Vesia came on to start the ninth with the score even again. Ernie Clement unevened it on Vesia’s first pitch, driving an 85-mph slider over the wall in left field to put Toronto ahead. It was the 65th homer Dodgers relievers have allowed this season; only two bullpens in the majors have given up more.
But the Blue Jays’ generosity knew no end, so Toronto tried to give the win back when reliever Jeff Hoffman loaded the bases with one out for Shohei Ohtani.
Dave Roberts addresses the media following the Dodgers' 5-4 defeat to the Blue Jays in the series finale. pic.twitter.com/dyKYMGrKML
But after fouling off two tough full-count pitches from Mason Fluharty, a left-hander with a 5.15 earned-run average and Toronto’s eighth pitcher of the day, Ohtani waved at a sweeper outside the zone to strike out.
“The last thing I was thinking was he was going to strike out. ... We’ve got to come up with one right there," Roberts said. "Chasing the ball down below is something we can't have happen."
Mookie Betts followed by grounding into a force out to end the game.
Three innings earlier Ohtani, who had two hits, including his 41st homer of the season to run his hitting streak to a season-best nine games, was thrown out trying to steal third with two outs and Freeman at the plate, ending another Dodger threat.
“That was his decision,” Roberts said. “Not a good baseball play.”
Now the Dodgers head to Anaheim for a three-game series with the Angels before returning home to face the Padres, likely with the division lead at stake.
The Dodgers have been faltering since July 1, going 15-18. San Diego has been on fire, going 21-13 over the same span. Among NL teams, only the Milwaukee Brewers have been better.
While San Diego has the most saves (39) and the best bullpen ERA in baseball (3.04), Dodgers relievers rank 21st (4.24).
And while the Padres got better at last month’s trade deadline, making five trades that netted them reliever Mason Miller and left-hander JP Sears from Oakland, first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and left fielder Ramón Laureano from the Orioles and catcher Freddy Fermin from the Royals, the Dodgers barely tinkered around the edges. Their major acquisition, reliever Brock Stewart, has given up six hits and two runs in 3⅔ innings.
SAN FRANCISCO — CJ Abrams homered and the Nationals spoiled a milestone achievement by San Francisco’s Justin Verlander on Sunday as Washington beat the Giants 8-0.
Josh Bell and Paul DeJong had three hits apiece to highlight a 17-hit day for Washington. James Wood had a pair of two-run doubles as the Nationals won a series at Oracle Park for the fourth straight season.
Verlander (1-9), the three-time Cy Young Award winner who has struggled in his first season with the Giants, struck out the side in the first inning and became the 10th pitcher in MLB history with 3,500 strikeouts.
The milestone mark was the lone bright spot for the 42-year-old Verlander, who was unbeaten in five career starts against the Nationals before Sunday. He allowed 11 hits and five runs with six strikeouts and a walk.
MacKenzie Gore (5-12) had 10 strikeouts and pitched six scoreless innings for his first win since July 9. Cole Henry, PJ Poulin and Clayton Beeter each retired three batters to complete the three-hit shutout.
Abrams started Washington’s offensive onslaught in the second inning with a two-out home run off Verlander that hit the foul pole in right. That came three pitches after Wood doubled in a pair of runs.
Wood also connected for a two-run double off Spencer Bivens in the seventh.
Key moment
The Nationals seized the momentum with three consecutive hits with two outs that led to four runs in the second inning.
Key stat
Three of the hits allowed by Verlander had an exit velocity of 103.9 mph or faster.
Up Next
Giants ace RHP Logan Webb (10-8, 3.24 ERA) faces the Padres in San Diego on Monday.
Nationals RHP Cade Cavalli (0-0, 0.00) pitches against Royals LHP Bailey Falter (7-6, 4.14) on Monday in his second start since 2022.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) The Philadelphia Phillies are finally going back to facing their own league.
Philadelphia wrapped up an MLB record of 21 consecutive interleague games with a 4-2 win Sunday against the Texas Rangers to complete a three-game series sweep. The Phillies finished 13-8 in that span, and are 24-15 overall against American League opponents this season.
According to the Phillies, the previous MLB record was 15 in a row “done by hundreds of times by other clubs.”
Their game Monday night at Cincinnati will be the first for the Phillies against a fellow National League team since a 2-1 win at San Diego on July 13, the last game before the four-day All-Star break.
All seven of the Phillies' series since the All-Star break have been against AL opponents, accounting for nearly half of the 48 interleague games they will play all season. They have three more interleague series, all at home, against Seattle, Kansas City and then Minnesota to wrap up the regular season.
