Its Friday, May 23 and the Padres (27-21) are in Atlanta to take on the Braves (24-25). Nick Pivetta is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Chris Sale for Atlanta.
The Braves welcome the Padres with both teams on losing streaks. The Braves lost back-to-back games against the Nationals, and the Padres have lost six straight and a back-to-back series.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Odds for the Padres at the Braves
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Padres (+120), Braves (-142)
Spread: Braves -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Braves
Pitching matchup for May 23, 2025: Nick Pivetta vs. Chris Sale
Padres: Nick Pivetta, (5-2, 2.86 ERA) Last outing (Seattle Mariners, 5/17): 6.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
Braves: Chris Sale, (2-3, 3.62 ERA) Last outing (Boston Red Sox, 5/16): 7.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 8 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 Padres at Braves
The Braves have won 4 of their last 5 games at home against National League teams
6 of the Padres' last 8 road games have gone over the Total
The Padres have failed to cover the Run Line in 6 straight games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Braves
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Padres and the Braves:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Atlanta Braves on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Diego Padres at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.
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While most of the NHL's awards are voted on right after the regular season, the league's GMs and a panel of executives, print and broadcast media voted for the Jim Gregory Award after the second round of the playoffs.
Two of these GMs are still in the playoffs, while the other led his squad to the Presidents' Trophy.
In fact, Cheveldayoff's Jets not only finished atop the regular-season standings for the first time in franchise history, but they had their best regular season record as well, with a 56-22-4 record and 116 points.
Cheveldayoff followed up on a fourth-place finish and first-round exit last year by promoting coach Scott Arniel to replace Rick Bowness as bench boss. Arniel is a Jack Adams finalist.
The GM also acquired left winger Brandon Tanev and defenseman Luke Schenn at the NHL trade deadline. Schenn had 59 hits and one point in the playoffs, while Tanev had 44 hits.
Nill's Stars eliminated the Jets in six games during the second round and are back in the Western Conference final for the third straight season. Nill also has a chance at winning the Jim Gregory Award for the third straight time as well after earning the honor in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Nill brought on Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci in February. Granlund has nine points in the playoffs so far, and Ceci has three.
But the biggest move of the trade deadline brought Mikko Rantanen to the Stars from the Carolina Hurricanes, and Nill signed the superstar to an eight-year contract extension. Rantanen now leads the NHL in playoff scoring, with 20 points in 14 games.
Zito and the Panthers won the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history last season. Although they lost Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony Stolarz in free agency, he brought in depth players Nate Schmidt, A.J. Greer, Tomas Nosek and Jesper Boqvist while later acquiring star defenseman Seth Jones and former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand around the trade deadline.
Zito is a finalist for the GM of the Year award for the third straight time and trails only Nill for most finalist berths since the award was introduced in 2009-10.
The NBA Draft is always important for every team. But the 2025 draft, in particular, is a very important one for the Boston Celtics given their current situation.
The Celtics have one of the most expensive rosters in the league as a team in the second apron of the luxury tax. They might have to make a few moves in the offseason to shed salary and get below that threshold.
“The Celtics are already committed to $228 million in contracts next season. They are nearly $20 million over the second apron, and that’s before addressing a pair of free-agents-to-be in Al Horford and Luke Kornet. The team is currently projected to have a $238 million luxury tax bill, which would push the team closer to a half billion total spend if the roster was maintained. The big question now isn’t how Boston keeps as much of its title core as possible, but instead, how does the team shed the necessary salary that will allow it to best compete when Tatum is healthy again?“
If the Celtics decide to move an important player or two in the offseason, replacing them with young, talented players on team-friendly contracts would be the ideal outcome. And the best way to find players who fit that description is through the draft.
The Celtics have the No. 28 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, and they also own the second pick (No. 32 overall) in the second round. The hit rate on picks this low in the draft isn’t sensational, but there are always good players to be found.
And to the Celtics’ credit, they have done a good job finding value late in the first round in recent years.
Here are some of the best examples:
2018, Rob Williams (pick No. 27): Starting-caliber center who emerged into an elite defensive player.
2019, Grant Williams (pick No. 22): Reliable, versatile player off the bench who could shoot well from the outside.
2024, Baylor Scheierman (pick No. 30): Remains to be seen if he will be a regular part of the rotation, but he showed flashes of impressive 3-point shooting as a rookie.
Most drafts include players picked near the end of the first round, or early second round, who make a genuine impact as part of their team’s rotation not long into their careers.
In 2020 it was Jaden McDaniels. He was the No. 28 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers and was subsequently traded twice, ultimately landing with the Minnesota Timberwolves for his rookie campaign. McDaniels started all 82 games for the T-Wolves this season and averaged a career-high 12.2 points per game. He was selected to the All-Defensive second team last season.
Quentin Grimes has averaged 10.4 points per game in his career since being drafted No. 25 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2021. He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2024-25 season and averaged 21.9 points per game over 28 appearances.
Herb Jones was taken at No. 35 overall in the second round of the same draft. He’s one of the best defensive wings in basketball and made All-Defensive first team last season.
The Denver Nuggets drafted Christian Braun out of Kansas with the No. 21 pick in 2022. Braun made an instant impact on the Nuggets’ 2023 title team as a rookie and has since developed into one of their best players. He averaged a career-high 15.4 points per game on 39.7 percent 3-point shooting this season.
The Pacers got a starting guard in Andrew Nembhard with the first pick (No. 31 overall) in the second round in 2022. Nembhard has made a lot of clutch plays for the Pacers in their back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference finals. He’s also shooting 49.5 percent from 3-point range in his playoff career.
The Jazz took Brice Sensabaugh at pick No. 28 in 2023, and he averaged a career-high 10.9 points per game on 42.2 percent 3-point shooting this past season.
It’s still pretty early to analyze the 2024 draft, but two early second-round picks — Kyle Filipowski (No. 32, Utah) and Jaylen Wells (No. 39, Memphis) — both made a good impact as rookies. Filipowski averaged 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, while Wells averaged 10.4 points per game and made 74 starts for a 48-win playoff team.
Almost all of these players came from established programs that consistently send players to the NBA, such as Duke, Kansas, Gonzaga, Houston, Alabama and Ohio State. Many of these players had NCAA Tournament experience, too.
It’s going to be tough for the Celtics to make trades and sign free agents as a team in the first or second apron. So if they’re going to build the roster depth required to be a title contender again soon, they must hit on their draft picks. It is absolutely essential for long-term success.
And as noted above, good players consistently fall to the end of the first round and early second round. Are these players superstars? Very rarely. But they can fill important roles on playoff-caliber teams.
The Celtics built a championship roster by drafting Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. For the C’s to extend their title window, the draft is where they must shine again.
Isaac del Toro finishes third and extends overall lead
Denmark’s Pedersen proves too strong on gruelling finish
Mads Pedersen won his fourth stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia when he sprinted to victory on Friday’s stage 13, beating Wout van Aert to the line while Isaac del Toro maintained his overall lead to retain the maglia rosa.
As the riders neared the finish of the 180km ride from Rovigo to Vicenza, Pedersen was fourth when he launched his bid for victory on the uphill sprint as Van Aert stayed close on his wheel. Del Toro had done well to earn bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint but the 21-year-old did not have the legs to challenge the sprint heavyweights as he settled for third, leaving Pedersen and Van Aert to battle it out for victory.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman removed himself from Friday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles after suffering an injury in the fifth inning.
Bregman laced a single to left field and pulled up awkwardly after rounding first base. He immediately exited to the dugout, and Abraham Toro replaced him at first as a pinch runner. Nick Sogard moved from first base to take Bregman’s spot at third.
Alex Bregman left today's game after rounding first base and asking for the trainer once he got back to the bag
That should bring a sigh of relief, because losing the prized offseason addition for an extended period would be catastrophic. The 31-year-old entered Friday as Boston’s best hitter, slashing .297/.381/.554 with 11 homers and 35 RBI through 50 games while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at third.
After struggling to find a first baseman in the wake of Triston Casas’ season-ending injury, manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow may now need to search for a replacement at third base. Longtime third baseman Rafael Devers is an obvious choice, though he was moved to designated hitter before Opening Day and didn’t take kindly to being asked to move to first.
Sogard, a super utility player throughout his minor league career, is also a candidate for the role. However, he has played first since Casas’ injury, so Boston would revert to being short-handed at that spot.
A stint on the injured list for Bregman could open the door for top infield prospect Marcelo Mayer to be called up to the big-league club. Mayer has played second base recently at Triple-A Worcester and has some minor-league experience at third.
— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 23, 2025
But exactly how and when did that rodent-related celebration become a tradition? Here’s what to know:
Why do Florida Panthers fans throw rats onto the ice?
The rat-throwing tradition dates back to the Panthers’ third season as an NHL franchise. Ahead of Florida’s home opener in 1995-96, forward Scott Mellanby spotted a rat running through the team’s locker room. Mellanby then took his stick and slapped the rat, sending it flying into a wall and killing it.
Later that night, Mellanby scored two goals as Florida defeated the Calgary Flames 4-3 for the team’s first win of the season. And following the victory, goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck told reporters that Mellanby had recorded a “rat trick.”
But some Panthers players became upset when they learned that one of the team’s equipment managers, Scott Tinkler, had gotten rid of the dead rat, according to NHL.com.
“They asked if I kept it,” Tinkler recounted to NHL.com. “No! It’s a huge dead rat! I picked it up with a stick and threw it away. Some of the guys wanted to take it to a taxidermist or something.”
So, when Tinkler was at a mall a few days later, he spotted a rubber rat in a Halloween store, purchased it and placed it in the locker room where the actual rat had died, per NHL.com. Once the rat shrine became public knowledge, Panthers fans began throwing fake rats onto the ice — at first only when Mellanby scored and eventually after every Panthers goal.
The Panthers’ 1995-96 campaign would ultimately become known as the “Year of the Rat.” After two losing seasons, the team made a run all the way to the 1996 Cup Final. (The Year of the Rat on the Chinese Zodiac calendar was also 1996).
Following Florida’s 1996 Cup Final loss, the NHL banned the throwing of rats after goals, citing the extended delay to clear the ice it can cause.
But to this day, rats will still come raining down onto the ice following Panthers wins. The tradition isn’t limited to just home games, either, as the rats have made appearances following Panthers road victories, as well.
What is the Florida Panthers’ mascot?
The Panthers even have a rat mascot — the aptly-named Viktor E. Ratt was introduced in 2014. Stanley C. Panther, the team’s other mascot, has been around since the franchise’s inaugural season.
Florida Panthers mascot Viktor E. Ratt celebrates a win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 15, 2022, in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
Editor’s note: This story was first published in 2024.
Reid-Foley, 29, pitched in 15 games for Triple-A Syracuse this season, owning an 8.36 ERA over 14.0 IP with 24 strikeouts.
The right-hander joined the Mets in 2021 after three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, but pitched in just 50 games over four seasons with New York.
He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022, pitched in eight games in 2023, and then appeared in 23 contests last season. The reliever owned a 1.66 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 25 strikeouts across 21.2 innings in 2024, but shoulder issues ended his season early, with him last pitching on June 19.
Reid-Foley pitched in one spring training game with New York this season, allowing one hit and one walk over 0.2 innings on March 1.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, center, walks with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, center left, through an airport terminal after the team arrived for its 2024 season-opening series in South Korea. During the ensuing postseason run, the Dodgers began using two planes to travel, which they've carried over into this season. (Ahn Young-joon / Associated Press)
In the interest of doing things differently last October, the Dodgers made a subtle, but profound, change in their travel plans.
In previous postseasons — many of which ended with disappointing early eliminations — the Dodgers would use one wide-body plane to shuttle players, coaches, executives, staff, broadcasters and other members of their bloated playoff traveling party from city to city.
Last year, they opted for a different flight pattern.
Everyone else, meanwhile, flew on a second, separate chartered commercial jet.
“I think it's just [a way for us to make sure] more of the time we spend is together,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said during last year’s postseason. “Making sure we stayed together as a group.”
Given the results, the Dodgers decided to keep the change in place for this season.
What started as a one-month experiment then has become a permanent routine for the defending champions now.
This year, in a significant shift to the way they travel, the Dodgers are using two planes on a full-time basis for their regular-season road trips: One for players, just like they did last October; and another for everyone else, from manager Dave Roberts and the rest of his coaching staff to the dozens of other team personnel that make up each trip.
“It was driven by them,” Roberts said of the players, noting their interest in continuing the two-plane itinerary this year. “And we facilitated it.”
“It’s reimagining team travel,” added Scott Akasaki, who as the Dodgers’ senior director of travel has overseen the transition. “It’ll be interesting to see what the positive things that come out of it are.”
Indeed, as club officials looked ahead to their 2025 title defense this winter, they quickly warmed to the idea of making the two-plane system permanent.
Already, they had bought into the positive impacts it had on team chemistry during the playoffs, believing it to be a contributing factor to the heightened level of camaraderie players cited as a driving force behind their 2024 championship.
But as they mapped out ways to ease the burdens of a grueling 162-game season, they recognized other logistical benefits that could result from the added travel investment.
“Our ownership was incredibly supportive of the idea,” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “And yeah, it seems like it’s gone well so far.”
For starters, players now have more comfortable seating arrangements on flights, able to spread out on an aircraft that includes only a handful of additional clubhouse support staff.
“It’s providing an environment where our players are more apt to get rest and recovery, with just less people on the plane and more room to move around,” Akasaki said.
And after the team experienced several lengthy travel-day delays last year because of mechanical problems with their charter, they now have a “fail-safe” contingency plan, as Gomes described it; always having a second plane available to transport team members to their next city as scheduled.
“In theory, the players and critical staff can hop on the working plane and go,” Akasaki echoed, “while the remaining folks stay behind until the mechanical problem gets resolved.”
Four road trips into this year, however, no trickle-down effect has been as lauded as the changes the Dodgers have made to their actual travel schedule.
In the days of traditional single-plane travel, the Dodgers would typically wait to fly out of Los Angeles if they had an off day between the end of a homestand and the start of a road trip. It meant one extra night at home, but a later arrival into cities on the eve of an away series.
“When you’re spending your off day on the plane,” veteran third baseman Max Muncy said, “you don’t ever feel like you’re as recovered.”
Using two planes for road trips has allowed the Dodgers players to leave right after the final game of a homestand, which so far this season has been followed by an off day. "When you're spending your off day on the plane," veteran third baseman Max Muncy said, "you don't ever feel like you're as recovered." (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
With the benefit of a second plane, the Dodgers can do things differently now.
Though each of the team’s first four homestands this year have been followed by an open date, the players’ plane has departed immediately after all four getaway-day games, getting them into road cities the same night (or, in the case of Wednesday's flight to New York this week, early the next morning) before the rest of the traveling party arrives the following afternoon.
“I think it’s better,” Freeman said. “It gives us actually a whole day off.”
“It’s nice to just have the off day [without having to fly],” Muncy added. “You’re tired on the off day, but then you can get a full night’s sleep to rest and recover. That felt pretty good.”
Sometimes, that extra day affords players with rare additional personal time — giving someone like Muncy, a Dallas-area native, a full afternoon to see family before last month’s Easter weekend series in Texas.
But even for other guys, Muncy added, “it was, let me go lay out by the pool, or let me go grab some lunch somewhere, and then we’ll go get a nice dinner. It just gives you the whole day to kind of recover. I think it’ll be a better change for us.”
Accounting for a second plane, of course, does add complexities to the planning of each road trip. The truckloads of equipment the Dodgers travel with has to be specifically sorted and loaded onto the correct flight. The team has to coordinate between two airline partners, chartering a Boeing 757 from Delta and a Boeing 737-800 from United, to handle travel parties of sometimes more than 100 in all. Akasaki now even has a bigger team of people who help with the planning process, too.
“From Andrew [Friedman, president of baseball operations] on down, it was like, ‘Hey, this is a big thing, and it’s a lot for one person to handle,” Akasaki said. “So [they asked], ‘What do you need to keep this all organized?’ That’s been very helpful.”
The team also had to account for potential other negatives. There were considerations made over the environmental impact of using a second plane, according to one person involved in the process but not authorized to speak publicly. There were more simple day-to-day changes to the rhythm of the team’s season as well.
“Like, you can’t have that organic conversation in the back of the plane between a staff member and a player like you used to,” Akasaki noted.
But, in the end, the pros outweighed the cons.
“You can still have that [conversation] in the clubhouse,” Akasaki noted.
Plus, for an organization that has long tried to maximize its monstrous financial resources to become a premier destination for star talent in baseball, being able to pitch prospective free agents on the luxury of using two planes certainly “doesn’t hurt” either, Gomes quipped.
With the Dodgers’ new travel system believed to be unique among MLB clubs, Roberts noted that “there’s a lot of other teams already asking about the two planes.”
And to this point, players said, the reviews have been positive.
“It’s still early,” Muncy noted. “I’ve only ever done it the one way since I’ve been here, so I don’t know what the other way is like” over the course of a full season.
But, Freeman joked with a grin, “I haven’t heard one complaint about it.”
HOUSTON — Seattle’s George Kirby didn’t get the results he wanted in his season debut against the Houston Astros. The right-hander was still encouraged in his return to the mound after a lengthy absence.
“I felt great to be back out there,” he said. “My body feels good; just didn’t go the way I wanted to tonight. But it’s a great step just being back with the boys, being with the team. And yeah, just got to do my job next time.”
Kirby allowed six hits and five runs with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings of a 9-2 loss after sitting out all season with inflammation in his throwing shoulder.
“The velo was good and he was attacking,” manager Dan Wilson said. “They were able to get some baserunners, he did break a couple bats in the process, but seeing George out there and him attacking with his stuff is what you love to see and definitely something to build on.”
It was tied with two outs in the fourth when Jake Meyers singled off Kirby before Cam Smith walked. Mauricio Dubón’s single on a grounder to right field scored Meyers to put Houston on top 3-2.
Jeremy Peña then sent two more home with his triple off the wall in left-center to make it 5-2 and chase Kirby.
“My heater felt awesome,” Kirby said. “I think just kind of execution, certain situations with two strikes, two outs, just got to put guys away.”
Kirby started 33 games last season to tie for the major league lead. He was 14-11 with a 3.53 ERA with 179 strikeouts and 23 walks in 191 innings.
He was an AL All-Star in 2023, when he made 31 starts and went 13-10 with a 3.35 ERA in 190 2/3 innings.
Following his injury diagnosis, Kirby made only one appearance in spring training this year. He followed with three rehab starts at Triple-A Tacoma.
He believes he can build on his start.
“I could take some things to learn from today,” he said. “Obviously didn’t go the way I wanted to, but I was trying to take a couple of things from today and, most importantly, I felt good, so kind of just take that for the next start.”
The conversation will continue to be a trending topic as Kuminga is set to enter restricted free agency this NBA offseason.
After a report from The Ringer’s Logan Murdock recently circulated that Kerr and several Warriors assistant coaches were becoming increasingly “irked” with Kuminga and how he would “wave off” Steph Curry to create his own offense, Kerr clarified how the Warriors want Kuminga to play and how that contrasts to the role Kuminga is comfortable playing.
“I don’t think there’s a disagreement. I think that there is a different view from his perspective and what he’s comfortable doing,” Kerr said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs.” “Obviously, he’s a natural scorer. You saw that in the Minnesota series when he got his opportunity. He scored really well. And that’s what he’s most comfortable doing.
“But with our team and the way we’re built, with Steph and Jimmy [Butler], they’re going to dominate the ball. [So] what we need from that spot is rebounding, passing, the connection, and yes, we need the scoring, but it has to come within the context of what we’re really good at and what we’re great at over the last two months with Jimmy and Steph.”
Kerr added that he understands it takes some time for young players such as Kuminga, 22, to figure out who they are and the type of player they want to be in the league, and he recognizes that it’s not easy.
The coach also noted he sees plenty of growth ahead for Kuminga.
Kerr then was asked if what the Warriors are asking of Kuminga is a matter of something the young forward can’t do — or won’t do. Kerr said what he’s asking of Kuminga are things the coach believes the former first-round pick can do, but he further explained how it’s become a complicated matter.
“You go down a path and you try to get certain habits that are built and you want them to be consistent. So in Year 4, you would hope that those things are coming. And I would say they have been inconsistent,” Kerr confessed. “I’m talking about the rebounding front, and taking care of the ball. I’ve tried to explain this to the fans and to you guys over the course of the years.
“The way the team is built, we got two guys in Jimmy and Steph who are two of the best in the league and they’re going to have the ball in their hands. We have two guys in Steph and Draymond who are going to turn the ball over quite a bit. It’s just kind of the nature of their games. So the fit with Jonathan, and I’ve been very open with him about this as well, the fit is a little tricky when he’s a guy who needs the ball and he’s a guy who turns the ball over a lot. So you throw all that stuff together and as a coach, you just say, “Alright, what’s the best way for us to win? How does the puzzle fit together?’
“That’s why we ended up in the situation we did, where he fell out of the loop a little bit. Not his fault, young player, we’re trying to win. We went down the path that we felt gave us the best chance to do that.”
That’s a lot to soak in, Dub Nation.
And this is just the beginning of the unknown surrounding Kuminga and his future in Golden State.
It's Friday, May 23, and the Blue Jays (25-24) are in Tampa to take on the Rays (23-26). Eric Lauer is slated to take the mound for Toronto against Drew Rasmussen for Tampa Bay.
The Blue Jays are coming off a series sweep against the San Diego Padres. Now 5.0 games back from first in the AL East, they hope to continue their excellent play with a series win over the struggling Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays have been on the cusp of breaking .500, but have struggled at the plate this season. They are just 25th in slugging this season, and will need a big day on the mound from Rasmussen and the pen to remain competitive in this game.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Blue Jays at Rays
Date: Friday, May 23, 2025
Time: 7:05PM EST
Site: George M. Steinbrenner Field
City: Tampa, FL
Network/Streaming:
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 Rays
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Blue Jays (+128), Rays (-152)
Spread: Rays -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Blue Jays at Rays
Pitching matchup for May 23, 2025: Eric Lauer vs. Drew Rasmussen
Blue Jays: Eric Lauer, (1-0, 2.25 ERA) Last outing (Detroit Tigers, 5/17): 3.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Blue Jays at Rays
The Blue Jays have won 4 straight road games
Each of the Rays' last 3 home games against the Blue Jays have stayed under the Total
The Blue Jays have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 2.11 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!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Blue Jays and the Rays
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Blue Jays and the Rays:
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 Toronto Blue Jays at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.
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Its Friday, May 23 and the Giants (29-21) are in Washington to take on the Nationals (23-27). Landen Roupp is slated to take the mound for San Francisco against MacKenzie Gore for Washington.
The Giants had the night off, but will be looking to bounce back from their 8-4 loss at the hands of the Royals.
The Nationals had a mini-sweep against the Braves yesterday after an 8-7 win where Robert Hassell III scored off a walk-off single from Amed Rosario.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Giants at Nationals
Date: Friday, May 23, 2025
Time: 6:45PM EST
Site: Nationals Park
City: Washington, DC
Network/Streaming: MASN2, NBCS BA
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Odds for the Giants at the Nationals
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Giants (-110), Nationals (-109)
Spread: Giants -1.5
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Giants at Nationals
Pitching matchup for May 23, 2025: Landen Roupp vs. MacKenzie Gore
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Giants at Nationals
The Giants have won 7 of their last 10 away games against teams with losing records
Each of the last 3 matchups between the Giants and the Nationals have gone over the Total
The Nationals have failed to cover the Run Line in 4 of their last 5 matchups against the Giants
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Giants and the Nationals
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Giants and the Nationals:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the San Francisco Giants on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals 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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Brenton Doyle of the Colorado Rockies walks back to the dugout after striking out in the sixth inning as catcher Rafael Marchan of the Philadelphia Phillies throws the ball around the horn at Coors Field on Thursday.Photograph: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies dropped to 8-42 on Thursday following a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, cementing the worst 50-game start to a season in Major League Baseball’s modern era.
Not since the 1895 Louisville Colonels, who began 7-43, has a team opened a season this poorly. The Rockies are now on pace to lose 136 games, which would surpass the all-time record of 134 defeats set by the 1899 Cleveland Spiders. The 2024 Chicago White Sox set the modern-era mark last season with 121 losses.
Thursday’s defeat capped a four-game sweep at Coors Field and gave the Phillies their first-ever season sweep of at least seven games against Colorado. Philadelphia outscored the Rockies 27-12 over the series and has now won seven straight games and 11 of its last 12 on the road.
In a rare pitcher’s duel at altitude, Ranger Suárez and Germán Márquez traded zeroes deep into the game. Suárez (3-0) scattered six hits over six and two-thirds innings, walking three and striking out six. He exited after allowing a two-out double to Jordan Beck and a walk to Ezequiel Tovar in the seventh, but reliever Orion Kerkering ended the threat on a single pitch.
Jordan Romano worked the ninth for his sixth save.
Márquez (1-7) allowed two runs – only one earned – on four hits across seven innings, striking out five and walking two. Both runs came on RBI doubles: Bryce Harper drove in Bryson Stott in the fourth inning after a Tovar error, and Max Kepler plated Kyle Schwarber in the seventh.
The Rockies had several chances to score but went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Brenton Doyle tripled with one out in the second inning, but Colorado stranded him after two quick outs. The Rockies also left runners on first and third in the seventh.
It was Colorado’s eighth shutout of the season and fifth straight loss overall. They are 5-20 at home and have committed 45 errors – most in MLB through 50 games since the 2019 Seattle Mariners.
The Phillies improved to 32-18, the best 50-game record in the National League, and have now won four straight road series. They’ll continue their road trip Friday with a three-game set against the Oakland Athletics at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California.
The Rockies, who have not announced a starter for Friday’s opener against the visiting New York Yankees, will attempt to avoid further deepening their historic slide.
Former MLB first baseman and outfielder Darin Ruf, who played nine big-league seasons between 2012 and 2023, sued the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, claiming the team is negligent under Ohio law for his bloody collision with a tarp roller two years ago at Great American Ball Park.
Ruf was playing first base for the Milwaukee Brewers against the Reds on June 2, 2023, when in the bottom of the third inning, he collided with a tarp roller while chasing a ball into foul territory and left the game injured. Ruf, now 38, hasn’t played in any games since.
In a complaint filed by attorneys Tad Thomas and Christopher W. Goode in the Hamilton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, Ruf contends the tarp roller was a dangerous and hidden condition that imperiled players’ safety.
The tarp roller, Ruf points out, was made of sharp metal and lacked any protective cushioning or cap. Ruf says the end of the roller wasn’t visible because it was “obscured from view by an advertisement cover for Gorilla Glue.” Ruf blames the Reds grounds crew for failing to maintain safe conditions and allowing “a state of disrepair.”
Players suing over injuries caused or worsened by field conditions are rare but not unprecedented.
In 2018, a St. Louis jury awarded Reggie Bush $12.5 million in damages for an ACL tear he sustained after slipping on an uncovered concrete surface in the Edward Jones Dome during a game in 2015. The surface bordered the playing field, and Bush was running at full speed and couldn’t stop. The jury concluded the condition was unsafe and that Bush’s injury was caused by the negligence of the Los Angeles Rams, who were the St. Louis Rams when Bush was hurt.
The Reds did not respond to a request for comment, but their attorneys will answer Ruf’s complaint in the weeks ahead. Expect the team to offer several defenses.
One likely defense is preemption, which is a major reason why pro athletes in leagues with collective bargaining agreements typically don’t sue over injuries. Section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA)—a federal law that regulates the relationship between unionized workers and management—contains language that preempts state law claims when those claims are based on rights contained in a CBA.
MLB’s CBA with the MLBPA features language regarding player injuries. Article XIII is particularly relevant. It governs safety and health and details a joint MLB-MLBPA advisory committee charged with addressing “emergency safety and health problems as they arise.” The committee also “attempts to find solutions” that ensure “safe and healthful working conditions for players.” The Reds will likely argue the duty to maintain safe field conditions is a collectively bargained term and thus LMRA preempted.
That type of legal argument doesn’t always work. In 2018, a federal judge in Illinois rejected it when raised by the Chicago White Sox and other parties were sued by former New York Yankees outfielder Dustin Fowler.
In 2017, Fowler made his MLB debut in a game at Guaranteed Rate Field (now called Rate Field) in Chicago. In the first inning he chased down a line drive and ran full speed into an unpadded metal electrical box positioned between a railing and a half wall. The collision caused the patella tendon in Fowler’s knee to rupture. He sued and a judge rejected the preemption defense on grounds that the CBA didn’t diminish the White Sox’s duty of care, including when the subject of state law claims. According to court records, the parties reached a settlement in 2022.
Fowler recovered from the injury and was notably involved in a blockbuster 2017 midseason trade that sent him to the Oakland A’s as part of the deal that netted the Yankees pitcher Sonny Gray. But the outfielder, once the No. 88 prospect in baseball according to Baseball America, never managed to deliver upon his promise in an MLB career that petered out in 2021.
The Reds could also argue that even if Ruf’s claims aren’t preempted, the field conditions were sufficiently safe. The Reds would strengthen that defense if they could show the tarp roller was placed in a manner consistent with industry standards in MLB. In other words, the more ordinary the condition of the roller, the better for the Reds. But if tarp rollers are supposed to have cushioning or caps when used on MLB fields, that could be a problem for the Reds. Expert testimony by former groundskeepers and others with relevant expertise could prove influential.
Assumption of risk is also a relevant legal concept. Athletes assume all sorts of health risks by playing a sport. MLB teams place tarps and players, especially ones with as much experience as Ruf, arguably should be aware of tarp-related hazards. Ruf’s complaint anticipates this defense by depicting the tarp roller as hidden and unexpected.
The Reds also don’t own Great American Ball Park. It is a public facility of Hamilton County, Ohio. Public entities have an added legal defense known as sovereign immunity, which generally permits the government to be sued only when it agrees to be sued. However, there are a bevy of exceptions to sovereign immunity, and sometimes they involve personal injury claims. Also, even if the Reds don’t own the field, they operate it for Reds games.
Ruf v. Reds could settle at any time, but if it advances past a motion to dismiss, the parties will need to provide testimony and share evidence related to the incident. The extent to which the tarp roller was unusually dangerous and the extent to which a veteran like Ruf should have been on the lookout would be key topics in pretrial discovery.
The Giants might have an unexpected member of their fan base.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard and 2025 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sported a plaid baseball cap with an orange San Francisco logo on it after Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander, known for his unique fashion sense highlighted by eye-popping game day fits, paired the Giants hat with a nude-colored vest and white tank top with nude pants and, of course, a blinged-out chain necklace.
The 26-year-old finished Thursday night’s contest with a game-high 38 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field, three rebounds, eight assists and three steals in 42 minutes in Oklahoma City’s 118-103 win to take a commanding 2-0 series victory over Minnesota.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in points during the 2024-25 regular season, averaging 32.7 points on 51.9 percent shooting, with 5.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 76 games while lifting the Thunder to a league-best 68-14 record.
Now, the MVP’s choice of apparel might have been different had the Warriors defeated the Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals and advanced to face Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder.
