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What we learned as Randy Rodriguez, Giants are sunk by Pirates' walk-off rally

What we learned as Randy Rodriguez, Giants are sunk by Pirates' walk-off rally originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The Pittsburgh Pirates shocked the Giants at Oracle Park last week and led them to sell at the MLB trade deadline. They stunned them again in the ninth inning Monday at PNC Park. 

The Pirates scored two runs off new closer Randy Rodriguez, getting a 5-4 walk-off win. The tying run came on an RBI single by former Giants top prospect Joey Bart, and the winning run came a batter later on a slow roller to first. Jack Suwinski, the runner at first, slid home safely just ahead of the throw.

Rodriguez’s rough outing — and the poor night for the bullpen overall — cost Justin Verlander his 264th win. Verlander looked like a 35-year-old Verlander, but the Giants gave up four runs after he departed. 

Coming off a series win in New York, the Giants initially found a soft landing in Pittsburgh. They were up against right-hander Johan Oviedo, who was making his season debut after missing two years with injuries, including Tommy John surgery. 

Oviedo lasted just one inning, and the Giants left him off the hook. He needed 43 pitches in the first and walked three, but the lineup pushed just two runs across. That was it until the sixth, when Jung Hoo Lee made it a 4-1 game with a two-run triple, but the lead wouldn’t last. 

Turn Back The Clock

The Pirates had Verlander on the ropes in the fourth, with an error putting runners on second and third with one out. A groundout erased the runner on third, and J.P. Martinez came out for a meeting to let Verlander catch his breath. He responded with his most impressive sequence of the season. 

Old friend Joey Bart fell behind in the count and then took a 98.3 mph fastball. On 2-2, Verlander went back to the heater, freezing Bart with a perfect 97.8 mph fastball on the outside corner.

The pitches were the two fastest of the season for Verlander, and the 98.3 mph bolt was his first at 98-plus since Aug. 16, 2022. Not too bad for a 42-year-old. 

Climbing The Charts

With his five innings, Verlander reached 3,510 for his big league career. That moved him past a Giants legend on the all-time leaderboard. 

Verlander passed Juan Marichal (3,507) and moved into 71st in MLB history. Next up is Adonis Terry, who last pitched in 1897 and is four innings ahead of Verlander. (Terry once pitched 476 innings in a season; it truly was an entirely different era.)

Verlander only has thrown 94 1/3 innings this year, but in his prime he was as durable as anyone in the game. He reached 200 innings 12 times and led the majors in innings four times. 

A New Look

Without Tyler Rogers (Mets) and Camilo Doval (New York Yankees), the Giants have to experiment in the late innings. That led to some new faces as they were trying to hold on for Verlander on Monday night. 

Rookie Carson Seymour had a quick sixth, striking out a pair, but manager Bob Melvin sent him out for the seventh and paid for it. Seymour gave up a two-run blast to Suwinski, giving him five homers allowed in 11 innings this year. 

Spencer Bivens got the eighth, which belonged to Rogers for four months. 

Bivens retired a pair and gave up a single to Nick Gonzales. When Rodriguez entered for a four-out save attempt, Gonzales was thrown out trying to steal second on Patrick Bailey. 

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Yankees sign free agent pitcher Kenta Maeda to minor league deal

With the Yankees in need of adding some pitching depth, the club has signed right-hander Kenta Maeda to a minor league contract.

Maeda, 37, was designated for assignment and later released by the Detroit Tigers in early May and had been pitching in the Chicago Cubs organization before being released on Saturday.

In seven games this season with the Tigers, the right-hander pitched to a 7.88 ERA over 8.0 innings.

Maeda has had mixed success during his major league career, finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 and then finishing as the AL runner-up for Cy Young in the shortened 2020 season, when he pitched to a 2.70 ERA.

If Maeda were to sign and make the big-league roster, it’s unclear if the Yankees would use him as a starter or a reliever. He hasn’t started a game this season, but does have 172 career big-league starts.

The Yankees saw Luis Gil make his season debut on Sunday in Miami, but the right-hander looked rusty in his first start following a lat injury. The Yankees also recently released Marcus Stroman, leaving them with a current five-man rotation of Carlos Rodon, Max Fried, Will Warren, Cam Schlittler, and Gil.

The Yanks' interest in the free agent was reported earlier Monday by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

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Mets promoting pitcher Dom Hamel ahead of Monday's game against Guardians

A day after Austin Warren pitched 4.0 scoreless innings in relief during the Mets' blowout loss to the Giants, New York is calling up a fresh arm.

Right-hander Dom Hamel is getting promoted from Triple-A Syracuse, with Warren getting optioned.

Hamel, 26, will be making his major league debut if/when he appears in a game with manager Carlos Mendoza confirming he'll be used out of the bullpen where the one-time starting pitcher has been pitching from lately in the minors.

"Obviously proud of him," Mendoza said. "It’s not easy. This was a guy that as a prospect came up as a starter and then when you get the news that you’re not gonna start, we’re gonna put you in the bullpen – he understood and kept working and put himself in a position when there was a need at the big league level, his name came up and here he is. (He can) provide length, he’s got pitches, (can go) multiple innings so I’m excited to have him."

In 22 games (eight starts) this season for Syracuse, Hamel has a 4.73 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 59 strikeouts in 53.1 innings.

In five minor league seasons, he has a 4.63 ERA and 1.37 WHIP.

With the Mets' bullpen recently bolstered by trades that brought in late-inning arms Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Gregory Soto -- joining Edwin Diaz, Reed Garrett, Brooks Raley, and Ryne Stanek -- the eighth spot in the 'pen has been a revolving door of sorts lately.

Rico Garcia held the spot last week before being DFA'd before Warren was called up.

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Liam Hendriks clarifies apparent cross-up with Red Sox about injury

Liam Hendriks clarifies apparent cross-up with Red Sox about injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

What we’ve got here, is failure to communicate.

Red Sox pitcher Liam Hendricks told reporters today that Alex Cora had a “slip of the tongue” on Sunday when the Sox manager said that the veteran reliever’s season is likely over due to a hip injury.

Hendriks said he’s discussed the matter with Cora and added that he fully expects to pitch again this season.

In the interest of making matters entirely clear, the loquacious Australian issued a rather memorable update of his own on the second opinion he received.

“I saw a different guy and he was like, ‘You’ve got the body of a gorilla but you’ve got the hips of a cheerleader.’ I didn’t like that euphemism as much. I like, ‘Your body is a brick s—house and your door is made out of a sheet,'” Hendriks said, via MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

The 36-year-old righty has missed more than two months with a hip injury, which is the latest in a long run of bad injury luck for the three-time All-Star.

The Red Sox signed Hendriks to a two-year, $10 million contract before the 2024 season while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, with the hope that he could return to the mound late in the season. But he never saw the field in 2024, and was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation just hours before Opening Day back in March.

After he was activated from the IL in April, Hendriks struggled in 14 appearances, posting a 6.59 ERA. He’s been sidelined since late May with the hip injury and was transferred to the 60-day injured list in early July.

Just months after submitting an All-Star season for the White Sox in 2022, Hendriks underwent treatment for stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He returned to the big leagues in May of 2023 and pitched in just five games before suffering the elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery.

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Phillies' bullpen features triple digits (and more coming)

Phillies' bullpen features triple digits (and more coming) originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Following the Phillies’ win over the Detroit Tigers Sunday, catcher J.T. Realmuto was asked if he’d ever caught a pitch as hard as new closer Jhoan Duran. After all, Duran had just finished off the Tigers with consecutive fastballs that were clocked at 103 mph.

“I don’t know,” Realmuto said. “If Alvy has thrown it maybe he’s the hardest thrower I’ve caught. I don’t know if Alvy’s touched that or not, if not then no.”

Realmuto was talking about suspended reliever Jose Alvarado, who will be joining the team in the next couple of weeks after serving his 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. It must be quite intriguing when manager Rob Thomson can think about closing out a game with two guys throwing that hard in the last couple of innings.

“It’s been a long 80 days without him,” Thomson said. “Not only is he talented but he brings so much energy to the field and the clubhouse. It’s really good to have him around. He’s certainly going to bring more energy and he’s going to bring another really, really good arm.”

As for the availability of Duran, fans will be happy to hear what the gameplan is.

“He’s available tonight,” Thomson said before the Phillies faced the Baltimore Orioles. “So he hasn’t gone three days in a row, he’s gone four out of five three or four times this year. I’d be very careful with him going three in a row. It all depends on how he feels and he feels good today, so he can go back in there.”

As for using Duran four times in five games, Thomson said: “I’d feel really comfortable if he tells me he feels good. He’s done it a few times now, so he’s used to it, anyway.”

The entrance and performance of Duran in his two outings and saves have been the talk of the town since he was acquired last Thursday. It doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon.

Getting closer

Sunday and Monday seemed to be very big days in the progression of third baseman Alec Bohm as he amped up his hitting and throwing routines.

“Supposed to be a full day,” Thomson said before Monday of Bohm’s workout schedule. “Hit off the machines, will reevaluate tomorrow. Very good. I talked to him after his workout yesterday and he said it was the best day yet. Really good. In fact, he went in, got some treatment and went back down to the cage after I talked to him and did some more hitting, so that’s a good sign.”

Bohm was on the field throwing Monday and even threw an off-balance, one-footed souvenir high into the stands. That doesn’t seem like something someone with sore ribs would do. Thomson has said that his return time is a play-it-by-ear type of thing.

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Padres at Diamondbacks Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, stats for August 4

It's Monday, August 4 and the Padres (62-50) are in Phoenix to take on the Diamondbacks (53-59). JP Sears is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Brandon Pfaadt for Arizona.

San Diego is one of the hottest teams in the league with seven wins in the last eight games and held eight of the last nine opponents to three or fewer runs scored.

Arizona has won two straight games after losing the past six and are 5-9 over the last 14 contests San Diego is 4-3 against Arizona this season with one series win and one 2-2 split.

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 Padres at Diamondbacks

  • Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
  • Time: 9:40PM EST
  • Site: Chase Field
  • City: Phoenix, AZ
  • Network/Streaming: SDPA, ARID, 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 Padres at the Diamondbacks

The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Moneyline: Padres (-142), Diamondbacks (+120)
  • Spread:  Padres -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Diamondbacks

  • Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: JP Sears vs. Brandon Pfaadt
    • Padres: JP Sears, (7-9, 4.95 ERA)
      Last outing: 4.15 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
    • Diamondbacks: Brandon Pfaadt, (10-7, 5.11 ERA)
      Last outing: 13.50 ERA, 7 Earned Runs Allowed, 11 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

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

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday’s game between the Padres and the Diamondbacks:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Diego Padres on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Arizona Diamondbacks at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

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

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

  • San Diego is 7-1 in the last eight games
  • Arizona is 2-6 in the last eight games
  • The Padres' record in their last 5 games stands at 4-1
  • The Over is 14-11-1 in the Padres' matchups against NL West teams this season
  • The Padres have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 3.53 units

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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Brewers at Braves Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 4

It's Monday, August 4 and the Brewers (67-44) are in Atlanta to take on the Braves (47-63). Quinn Priester is slated to take the mound for Milwaukee against Erick Fedde for Atlanta.

The Brewers are coming off a sweep of the Nationals and are 6-1 in the last nine games as they continue to heat up.

Milwaukee is 8-1in the past nine road games — all since the All-Star break. Atlanta is 5-10 since the break and 3-8 over the last 11.

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 Brewers at Braves

  • Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
  • Time: 7:15PM EST
  • Site: Truist Park
  • City: Atlanta, GA
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNWI, FDSNSO

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 Brewers at the Braves

The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Moneyline: Brewers (-140), Braves (+118)
  • Spread:  Brewers -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Braves

  • Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: Quinn Priester vs. Erick Fedde
    • Brewers: Quinn Priester, (10-2, 3.27 ERA)
      Last outing: 3.18 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
    • Braves: Erick Fedde, (3-11, 5.22 ERA)
      Last outing: 7.71 ERA, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 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!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Brewers and the Braves

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 Brewers and the Braves:

  • 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 Atlanta Braves at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Braves

  • Milwaukee is 6-1 in the past seven games
  • Milwaukee is 8-1 in the last nine road games
  • Atlanta is 5-10 since the All-Star break
  • The Brewers have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against NL East teams
  • The Under is 29-19-4 in the Braves' home games this season
  • The Braves have covered the Run Line in their last 3 games with a rest advantage over their opponents

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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Rays at Angels Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 4

It's Monday, August 4 and the Rays (55-58) are in Anaheim to take on the Angels (54-58). Adrian Houser is slated to take the mound for Tampa Bay against Yusei Kikuchi for Los Angeles.

Tampa Bay enters on a slide, losing six of the past seven and nine of the previous 11. For Los Angeles, while they have dropped three of the past four, their second half has gone a little better than the Rays (7-9 record vs 5-11).

The Rays are 1-6 in the last seven road games, including three straight losses, plus this marks their first west coast trip since April 25-27 when they swept the Padres and took two out of three against the Diamondbacks before that.

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 Rays at Angels

  • Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
  • Time: 9:38PM EST
  • Site: Angel Stadium
  • City: Anaheim, CA
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNSUN, FDSNW, 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 Rays at the Angels

The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Moneyline: Rays (+108), Angels (-128)
  • Spread:  Angels -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Rays at Angels

  • Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: Adrian Houser vs. Yusei Kikuchi
    • Rays: Adrian Houser, (6-2, 2.10 ERA)
      Last outing: 4.05 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
    • Angels: Yusei Kikuchi, (4-7, 3.31 ERA)
      Last outing: 5.06 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 10 Hits Allowed, 0 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!

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

  • 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 Tampa Bay Rays 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 Rays at Angels

  • The Angels won two out of three games in Tampa Bay this season
  • Tampa Bay is 1-5 over the last six games and 5-11 since the All-Star break
  • Los Angeles is 1-3 in the past four games and 7-9 since the All-Star break
  • The Rays have won 4 of their last 5 road series against the Angels
  • The Over is 59-48-5 in Angels' games this season
  • The Angels have covered the Run Line in 7 straight matchups against the Rays

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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Blue Jays at Rockies Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, stats for August 4

It's Monday, August 4 and the Blue Jays (65-48) are in Denver to take on the Rockies (30-81). Eric Lauer is slated to take the mound for Toronto against Tanner Gordon for Colorado.

Toronto enters with a 2-6 mark over the last eight games after going 8-1 to open the second half of the season. The Rockies impressed in a three-game series versus the Pirates with two wins and 30 runs scored. The Rockies are quietly 6-3 in the last nine home games.

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 Blue Jays at Rockies

  • Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
  • Time: 8:40PM EST
  • Site: Coors Field
  • City: Denver, CO
  • Network/Streaming: Sportsnet, COLR

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 Blue Jays at the Rockies

The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Moneyline: Blue Jays (-200), Rockies (+168)
  • Spread:  Blue Jays -1.5
  • Total: 11.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Blue Jays at Rockies

  • Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: Eric Lauer vs. Tanner Gordon
    • Blue Jays: Eric Lauer, (6-2, 2.68 ERA)
      Last outing: 3.60 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
    • Rockies: Tanner Gordon, (2-3, 4.85 ERA)
      Last outing: 18.00 ERA, 6 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 2 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 Blue Jays and the Rockies

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 Blue Jays and the Rockies:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Toronto Blue Jays 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 leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 11.0.

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 Blue Jays at Rockies

  • Toronto is 2-6 in the last eight games
  • Colorado has scored 30 runs in the last two games
  • Colorado is 6-3 in the last nine home games
  • The Blue Jays have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against NL West teams
  • The Rockies' last 3 home games have gone over the Total
  • The Rockies are up 3.03 units on the Run Line in their last 5 at home

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
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Braves lose third baseman Austin Riley to IL for 2nd time in 2 months with abdominal strain

ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time in two months with a strained lower abdominal muscle on Monday.

Riley suffered the injury while tagging out Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz near home plate in the Braves’ 4-2 win on Sunday in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Riley also landed on the IL on July 12 with a strained abdomen. He returned on July 25.

The Braves recalled infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Gwinnett before opening a home series against Milwaukee on Monday night. The team optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.

Riley is hitting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBI.

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Surprise! There’s been quite a bit of parity in the race for baseball’s best record

The 2025 regular season was supposed to be about Dodger dominance.

Instead, the race for baseball’s best record has turned into a free for all.

If there were any concerns about a Los Angeles behemoth running roughshod over the sport, that hasn’t materialized so far. In fact, eight different teams have spent the past three months passing baseball’s best record around like a hot potato.

The race for the top record in the major leagues is in many ways symbolic. Home field advantage in the postseason isn’t quite the prize it is in the NFL or NBA, and there’s no Presidents’ Trophy given for regular-season excellence like in the NHL. But the number of teams that have taken a turn at the top is noteworthy. Since May 1, the Dodgers, Tigers, Padres, Mets, Phillies, Cubs, Brewers and Blue Jays all have held the best record at some point.

Five of those teams have held the top spot in an even more recent span — since July 1.

Since the American League and National League began expanding significantly in 1961, this is only the fifth time at least eight teams have held (or tied for) the best record in baseball through games of May 1 or later, according to Sportrader. One of those seasons was 2020, when the whole 60-game schedule was after that date. The others were 1963 (eight teams), 1982 (eight) and 2021 (nine).

The largest lead any team has been able to open on the rest of the majors — all season — is when Detroit was three games up for a few days shortly before the All-Star break.

Here are the teams (or pairs of teams) that have led the major league standings at the end of each day since the start of May.

May 1-7: Dodgers

May 8-9: Dodgers and Tigers

May 10: Padres

May 11-12: Dodgers

May 13: Mets and Tigers

May 14: Tigers

May 15: Dodgers and Tigers

May 16-22: Tigers

May 23-27: Phillies

May 28-June 10: Tigers

June 11-12: Mets

June 13-24: Tigers

June 25-26: Dodgers and Tigers

June 27: Dodgers

June 28-30: Dodgers and Tigers

July 1-4: Dodgers

July 5: Dodgers and Tigers

July 6-18: Tigers

July 19: Cubs

July 20: Tigers

July 21: Brewers

July 22: Brewers and Cubs

July 23-24: Brewers

July 25-27: Blue Jays

July 28-Aug. 3: Brewers

Trivia time

Seven of baseball’s current franchises have never finished with game’s best regular-season record. Who are they?

LA’s story

For the first few weeks of the season, it looked like the Dodgers might indeed be on their way to well over 100 wins. The defending champs — who had added pitchers Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki in the offseason — won their first eight games, but since then Los Angeles has looked mortal. In early June, the Dodgers had 14 pitchers on the injured list, and although they’re in first place in their division, their current winning percentage of .580 would be their worst since 2018 if that’s where they finish the season.

Line of the week

Pittsburgh’s Liover Peguero hit three home runs in an 8-5 loss to Colorado. It was a tough defeat to swallow for the Pirates, who actually gave ace Paul Skenes some run support, only for him to allow four runs in five-plus innings.

Comeback of the week

On the topic of tough losses to swallow, the Pirates also fell to the Rockies — after scoring nine runs in the top of the first. Pittsburgh led 16-10 before allowing two in the eighth and five in the bottom of the ninth. Brenton Doyle hit a two-run homer to win it 17-16 for Colorado, which had a win probability of 0.5% in the eighth according to Baseball Savant.

The Rockies are the only team this season to win after falling nine runs behind, and they continue to make progress in their effort to avoid matching or breaking the modern record for losses set by the Chicago White Sox last year. Colorado went 3-3 this week and is now 30-81 on the season. The White Sox went 41-121

Trivia answer

Unsurprisingly, the seven are among the majors’ younger franchises — the Rays, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Rockies, Blue Jays, Padres and Rangers.

Of the teams that have finished with the best record in baseball, the one with the longest current drought is the Twins, who last did so in 1965.

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Mets' Edwin Diaz named NL Reliever of the Month for July

Mets closer Edwin Diaz was virtually unhittable in the month of July, and he has now been named NL Reliever of the Month for his efforts.

Diaz appeared in 10 games this past month, pitching 11.0 innings while striking out 18 batters without allowing an earned run. He didn’t allow a hit in six of those outings, and picked up seven saves in the month.

An All-Star this season for the third time, Diaz has been one of the best relievers in the game this year, pitching to a miniscule 1.44 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 43.2 innings. Diaz’s 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings are the most for any NL pitcher who has faced at least 130 batters this season.

Diaz has not allowed an earned run since June 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and hasn’t allowed an earned run in 39 of his 43 appearances this season.

The Mets’ closer also took home the NL Reliever of the Month Award in May, when he tossed 11 scoreless appearances, and he’s likely the favorite to take home the Trevor Hoffman Award as NL Reliever of the Year (which he also won in 2022).

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Royals at Red Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for August 4

Its Monday, August 4 and the Royals (56-56) are in Boston to take on the Red Sox (62-51).

Bailey Falter is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Brayan Bello for Boston.

Both these teams are playing well. The Royals arrive in Beantown having taken two of three over the weekend in Toronto while the Sox swept the Astros in Boston.

Lets dive into the series and specifically tonight's matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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

Game details & how to watch Royals at Red Sox

  • Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
  • Time: 7:10PM EST
  • Site: Fenway Park
  • City: Boston, MA
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNKC, NESN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Royals at the Red Sox

The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Moneyline: Royals (+135), Red Sox (-160)
  • Spread:  Red Sox -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Royals at Red Sox

  • Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: Bailey Falter vs. Brayan Bello
    • Royals: Bailey Falter (7-5, 3.73 ERA)
      Last outing: July 29 at San Francisco - 1.80 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 1 Strikeouts
    • Red Sox: Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19 ERA)
      Last outing: July 30 at Minnesota - 1.29 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Royals at Red Sox

  • The Red Sox have won 16 of their last 20 games at home
  • Each of the Royals' last 5 road games with the Red Sox have stayed under the Total
  • The Red Sox have covered the Run Line in 11 of their last 13 games
  • Brayan Bello has struck out 4 or 5 opposing hitters in each of his last 4 starts
  • Alex Bregman was 2-11 over the weekend against his former team

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Royals and the Red 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 Royals and the Red Sox:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Boston Red Sox 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 leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 9.0.

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

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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A’s find hope in Nick Kurtz and young stars as team eyes Las Vegas in 2028

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Even Athletics veterans walk around the clubhouse wearing “Nick Kurtz goes yard” T-shirts, and they know what he means for the franchise’s future.

Kurtz, who recently had one of the greatest individual performances in big-league history, is the odds-on favorite to be AL Rookie of the Year. He’s hardly the only talented youngster giving A’s fans — wherever they might be — reason to feel optimistic about the team’s on-field direction.

The A’s are in transition in more ways than one. Most notably, the club is playing the first of what’s expected to be three seasons in Sacramento — a temporary, minor league home for the former Oakland franchise until a new stadium is scheduled to be ready in Las Vegas for 2028.

The roster is shaping up to be a dynamic and competitive one when they arrive. Kurtz is the headliner, but teammate Jacob Wilson was the second favorite for top rookie before going on the injured list with a broken left forearm. Lawrence Butler, an electric outfield defender with pop and speed, also looks like a centerpiece for the type of team the A’s want to take to Las Vegas.

The club added 18-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries as part of a multiplayer trade with San Diego that sent out closer Mason Miller and his 101-mph fastball. MLB.com rates De Vries as as baseball’s No. 3 prospect.

Also on the roster — and under contract through at least 2028 — is All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker. Kurtz, Wilson and catcher Shea Langeliers are among the starters who could be under team control with the planned moved to Las Vegas. That core isn’t translating into wins yet — the team is 49-65 this season, worst in the AL West — largely because the team’s pitching lags behind.

“We certainly want to win in present day and ‘26 and ’27 are important to us, but a lot of our internal conversations are about what the team will look like in 2028 when we get to Las Vegas,” A’s general manager David Forst said. “You can see it some of the contracts we signed, starting obviously with the manager (Mark Kotsay), but also with Rooker and Lawrence, making sure that two of our key guys are locked up into our time in Vegas.”

Whether management keeps the team together is a question. The A’s have a history of trading young players on the verge of landing lucrative contracts and keeping their payroll among the lowest in baseball.

Maybe that changes with the anticipated move to Las Vegas, given owner John Fisher might want to bring a competitive team to the market. The A’s, in fact, opened up the wallet this year and signed Rooker to a five-year, $60 million contract and a seven-year, $65.5 million deal with Butler.

“I feel like we’re headed in the right direction,” Butler said. “We’ve got a lot of young players. When a team calls up young players, they might not be ready, but I feel like all our guys are ready. They’ve shown that they can compete at this level.”

Butler, 25, is part of a clubhouse filled with promising 20-somethings.

“In this locker room, I am kind of the old man,” the 30-year-old Rooker said. “I don’t know if I take them under my wing. These guys are better players than I am. They don’t need the help.”

Kurtz and Wilson were battling it out for the AL’s top first-year player award, and maybe that competition will continue if and when Wilson — the first fan-elected rookie shortstop to the All-Star Game — returns to the lineup.

Kurtz has done his best to make it a one-man race. He became the first rookie to hit four home runs in a game and tied the major-league record with 19 total bases by going 6 for 6 with eight RBIs on July 25 at Houston.

That performance gave Kurtz consecutive AL player of the week honors. He led the majors in multiple categories in July, including batting average (.395), on-base percentage (.480) and slugging percentage (.953). The 22-year-old already has shown a knack for delivering in key moments with seven game-winning RBIs and five go-ahead homers.

“It’s the moment you dream about as a kid,” Kurtz said. “You’re in a spot where you can end the game with a walk-off or take the lead. Baseball’s so hard. You’re supposed to get out. I come through here, it’s freakin’ awesome. I think I just aim to be calm and I trust my process.”

Kotsay said before the trade deadline that for all the young hitting talent, the A’s could use help with their pitching.

The A’s then added three pitching prospects in the Miller trade and another in right-hander Kenya Huggins when Miguel Andujar was sent to Cincinnati. They have 25-year-old Jack Perkins, called up Luis Morales and have Gage Jump in their minor-league system. The A’s also selected Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold 11th overall in this year’s draft.

“Where we’ve struggled this year is pitching, both rotation and bullpen,” Forst said. “When we’ve had success on the mound, that’s when we’ve put some good little stretches together.”

Outside of a horrendous stint when the A’s lost 20 of 21 games, they have been largely competitive. That includes a current run of seven wins in 10 games.

“In terms of our vision, in terms of putting a group together that we can win with, I think that talent especially on the players position side is just showing itself,” Kotsay said recently. "(They are) continuing to make improvements and continuing to show what our priorities are, which is playing the game at an elite level and becoming a team that goes out and competes every night.”

The A’s signed Kotsay to an extension in February that takes him through 2028 with an option for 2029. He has had to navigate a club that experienced the fan anger in Oakland toward management for its impending move and now playing in Sacramento.

“I think (Kotsay’s) got one of the tougher jobs in baseball right now in the sense of trying to get the buy-in from the players,” Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s so much uncertainty with the ballpark and where they’re going to be. I think he’s done a fantastic job. He’s a lifelong A, so he understands the culture of the organization. ... He’s the perfect guy for that organization.”

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Guardians at Mets prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 4

Its Monday, August 4 and the Guardians (56-55) are in Queens to open a series against the Mets (63-49).

Slade Cecconi is slated to take the mound for Cleveland against Sean Manaea for New York.

The Mets lost a series at home over the weekend to San Francisco. Rafael Devers and the Giants ripped Frankie Montas and New York Sunday afternoon, 12-4.

The Guardians lost to Minnesota yesterday, 5-4 but did take two of three against the Twins over the weekend.

Lets dive into today's matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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

Game details & how to watch Guardians at Mets

  • Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
  • Time: 7:10PM EST
  • Site: Citi Field
  • City: Queens, NY
  • Network/Streaming: CLEG, SNY

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Guardians at the Mets

The latest odds as of Monday:

  • Moneyline: Guardians (+148), Mets (-179)
  • Spread:  Mets -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Guardians at Mets

  • Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: Slade Cecconi vs. Sean Manaea
    • Guardians: Slade Cecconi (5-4, 3.77 ERA)
      Last outing: July 28 vs. Colorado - 3.86 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
    • Mets: Sean Manaea (1-1, 2.08 ERA)
      Last outing: July 29 at San Diego - 1.80 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

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

  • The Mets have won 4 of their last 5 home games against American League teams
  • Sean Manaea has allowed one run in each of his 4 starts since returning from the disabled list
  • Francisco Lindor is enjoying a modest 3-game hitting streak (5-11)
  • The Guardians have covered the Run Line in 3 straight road games against the Mets

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 Guardians and the Mets

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Guardians and the Mets:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Mets on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cleveland Guardians at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.

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

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

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