TAMPA, Fla. – When Brandon Marsh stepped to the plate against Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt last Saturday, it had been 2½ weeks since his last major-league at-bat and 34 days since his last hit.
Marsh had gone 0-for-31 from March 31 through April 16 before landing on the injured list with a mild hamstring strain.
He returned over the weekend and in his first at-bat against Pfaadt Saturday, Marsh smoked an RBI double. That hit enabled the Phillies to put up an early crooked number against the Diamondbacks but it wasn’t as big a knock as he delivered Thursday night at Steinbrenner Field, when he hit an RBI double to left-center in the 10th inning that helped the Phillies to a 7-6 win.
“For sure, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t,” Marsh said Thursday when asked if that first double against the D-backs felt like the release he’d been seeking. “But if something else would have happened, it would have happened, that’s baseball. That was a big weight off the shoulders and now we go.”
Marsh is 5-for-11 since returning and the Phillies are finally getting some offensive production out of center field. Johan Rojas, who scored the tying run in the ninth inning Thursday as a pinch-runner for Kyle Schwarber after advancing two bases on an errant pickoff throw, is hitting .299 for the season.
“Personally, it was a big moment, it felt good coming through for the guys,” Marsh said. “But it took all of us tonight. Almost everyone was in the game at one point. That was a huge, huge win for us in the last game of a series.”
The Phillies arrived in Cleveland around 2 a.m. Friday fresh off a sweep of the Rays. They’re 22-15 and one of the hottest teams in baseball, having won nine of 11. They’ve scored at least seven runs in eight of those games.
Manager Rob Thomson plans to split the playing time of Marsh and Rojas during this long run for the Phillies of games against right-handed starting pitchers. They’re three games into a stretch of facing a righty in eight out of nine. Thomson wants to get both back-to-back starts toward the end of those nine games. The arrangement might be Rojas on Friday, Marsh on Saturday and Sunday, then Rojas on Monday against lefty Matthew Liberatore.
Either way, the Phillies are in a better place now in center field than they were in April.
“I don’t know if freer is the word. Maybe a little more light on my feet, feel my normal weight again,” Marsh said with a smile and shimmy.
“… It feels good to contribute and help the boys out a little bit. I just take it day by day, at-bat by at-bat and just ride with my guys here. They’ve all got my back and I’ve got theirs so we’ll just keep stepping that way.”
Gregg Popovich is one of the most successful NBA coaches of all time. Photograph: Steven Senne/AP
Raise a glass to Gregg Popovich, the gruff teddy bear who lifted the San Antonio Spurs into the NBA’s elite. After three decades on the Spurs’ sideline, he is stepping back from coaching to become the team’s president of basketball operations. It’s a back-to-the-future move for the 76-year-old: he was the Spurs’ general manager for eight years before he became the team’s coach. (“I’m no longer the coach, I’m El Jefe,” Popovich jokingly declared this week before unveiling a T-shirt with that Spanish title.) Altogether, Pop won five NBA championships from 1999 through 2014, a run that puts him among the greatest coaches in league history. But when it came to being the NBA’s unflinching statesman, he was in a league all by himself.
Popovich wasn’t just the NBA’s backbone. He was, perhaps, the most fearless truth teller in all of sport. Certainly no one was bolder when it came to taking on Donald Trump – whom Popovich has described as a “soulless coward,” a “pathological liar” and a “deranged idiot”. Popovich told beat reporters he was “sick to my stomach” after Trump’s 2016 presidential election win, a tipping point he likened to the fall of Rome. He slammed Steve Bannon’s appointment as chief White House strategist as a fear-mongering exercise. During the Spurs’ 2017 media day, Popovich launched into a 21-minute condemnation of Trump and the Maga movement after the president attacked NFL players and Nascar’s Bubba Wallace for their national anthem protests. “Our country is an embarrassment to the world,” Popovich said. “This is an individual that when people held arms during games, [he thought] that they were doing it to [dis]honor the flag. That’s delusional. But it’s what we have to live with.”
Whenever the stakes were highest culturally and politically, Popovich was the coach you could most count on notto stick to sports. During the NBA’s celebration of Black History Month in 2018, Popovich held forth on the subject of systemic racism and acknowledged his own white privilege. “If you were born white, you automatically have a monstrous advantage – educationally, economically, culturally, in this society,” he said. “It’s a tough one because people don’t really want to face it.”
Through it all, he maintained a wry sense of humor. When reporters questioned the Spurs’ losing streak in 2019, Popovich used it as an opportunity to indirectly criticize Trump. “Whoever started the rumor that we’re losing these games, it didn’t happen,” he joked. “It’s a witch-hunt. I see treasonous behavior. I see spies. They’re all sick.”
Popovich follows in a rich NBA coaching tradition of speaking out that started when Boston’s Red Auerbach used his considerable power to knock down barriers for Black players. And when Popovich began speaking out against Trump, he didn’t lack support from his peers. Stan Van Gundy, the former Detroit Pistons coach turned broadcaster, called out Trump’s “misleading” anthem protest attacks in a Time Magazine op-ed. Golden State’s Steve Kerr, a key player on two of Pop’s championship teams, echoes Popovich’s outrage on all things Trump and Trump-adjacent. Mike Budenholzer supported a player-led decision to boycott a 2020 playoff game in protest at the police shooting of Jacob Blake while coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, sparking a wave of walkoffs across US sports.
But where Van Gundy and Budenholzer are respected for their opinions outside the game because of their stature in it, and Kerr – whose father was murdered while serving as president of the American University of Beirut – is blood-bound to rebuke immorality in all its forms, it hits different when Popovich enters the chat because he comes from a background that chimes with many conservatives in America. Popovich played college basketball at the Air Force Academy in the 1960s and was the team’s captain and leading scorer his senior year. After graduating with a degree in Soviet studies and serving his required five years, he considered a career in the CIA before starting his coaching journey as an Air Force assistant in the early 1970s.
When Peter Holt bought the Spurs in 1993, one of his first moves was to bring back Popovich as general manager. (Pop got his NBA start with the Spurs in the late 80s, as the right hand to coaching legend Larry Brown.) Popovich helped realize the NBA’s global ambitions and organized his rosters around Frenchman Tony Parker, Argentina’s Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan – a competitive swimmer from the US Virgin Islands who retired as the game’s greatest power forward.
Popovich’s coaching style wasn’t always appreciated in its heyday, before the current 3-and-D era took hold. Casual fans dismissed the Spurs’ dogmatically unselfish brilliance, the apogee of Brown’s play-the-right-way ethos, as a bore even as San Antonio piled up the victories – first with Naval Academy hero David Robinson, then Duncan, then perennial All-Star swingman Kawhi Leonard. And while Popovich was hard on his players – not least Duncan (who was frequently made an example of for the greater good) and may have cost himself more rings by losing his patience with Leonard (whose frequent injuries and sporadic availability proved frustrating), the coach’s compassion won out more often than not.
Stories abound of Pop’s personal touch. He might scold a reporter, Bill Belichick-style, but he also might help that same reporter land another job if his newspaper suddenly folded, or support another through his cancer fight. (Even a question as simple as How are you doing? might elicit a sincere response from Pop.) He was quick to wisecrack in his own huddle and break the tension on court. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Steph Curry wouldn’t have started the league’s wine obsession without Popovich – the NBA’s king oenophile – breaking out his rare bottles for boozy Team USA dinners. (“He would always come around the table and tell everybody what the wine was that he was serving that evening,” Kerr said in a 2000 interview, recalling the Spurs team dinners. “It became a point of real connection between Pop and the players.”) Popovich liked to joke that the best wines in his collection were older than Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio’s current French phenom.
But during the team’s exhibition trip to Paris earlier this year, Wembanyama hosted the boozy team dinner while Popovich stayed back in the US to recover from a stroke that would eventually lead to his stepping down. After suffering another health scare last month, Popovich fully relinquished his coaching duties. As much as it smarts to not see him go for a sixth title with Wembanyama after keeping the Spurs fighting during fallow times, it just means Popovich can finally get to work on what would be his boldest statement yet: installing Becky Hammon as the NBA’s first female head coach.
Hammon, who was on Pop’s staff for seven seasons, has been dodging succession rumors for years. “My heart’s a little heavy for him because I know how much he loves it, but I’m sure he’ll crush this role just as much,” says Hammon, a championship-winning coach with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. “He’s a huge reason why I have this job.” (Don’t hold your breath on Hammon as the Spurs’ next coach, though: she went on to say she is “super happy” in the WNBA, but wouldn’t rule out a return to the NBA down the line.)
History will remember Popovich as one of sport’s all-time winners – the notable coach who beat super-squads built by Phil Jackson and Pat Riley. Meanwhile, the head coaching success of Hammon (two WNBA titles), Kerr (four NBA titles), and Budenholtzer (one, with Milwaukee in 2021) as well as former assistants Ime Udoka (Houston) and Will Hardy (Utah) speaks volumes to Pop’s wider impact in the game as a mentor. But Popovich’s ultimate legacy as a league statesman stands for all time and leaves a void that even Kerr, his chief envoy, will struggle to fill. But then again who knows if Kerr will even have to? While Popovich may be stepping back from the sideline, one expects his voice will still resonate simply because there’s no chance of him simply sticking to sports. Not with the stakes still so high.
Fijian wing Josaia Raisuqe, who won Olympic rugby sevens silver in Paris last year, has died after the 30-year-old’s car was hit by a train on Thursday, his Top 14 club Castres said.
May 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) dribbles the ball past Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) in the first half during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
This was the tall, athletic Timberwolves' defense that overwhelmed the Lakers last series, the defense we saw all season in Minnesota.
This was the Warriors' offense we expected without Stephen Curry, the one that would have been in the bottom three in the league. They didn't score in the first five minutes of the game (and only had 15 in the first quarter).
The result was Minnesota racing out to a 13-0 lead to open the game and never looking back, cruising to a 117-93 win, tying the series at 1-1.
Game 3 is in the Bay Area on Saturday. The Warriors are expected to be without Stephen Curry for that game as he recovers from a strained hamstring (he will be re-evaluated after Game 4).
The only moment of concern for the Timberwolves came in the second quarter, when Anthony Edwards went down with a sprained ankle after Trayce Jackson-Davis stepped on it.
Edwards left the game at that point, but returned and played in the second half. He finished with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting with nine assists, although it was not a strong night of shot selection or ball security for him.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves — particularly stepping up when Edwards was out — and finished with 24 points and 11 assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker broke out of his shooting slump and scored 20 off the bench, while Naz Reid added 11.
The Warriors came out flat, maybe because they were without Curry, maybe because they already had a win on the road in their pocket, or maybe a little of both. Minnesota's strong defense had something to do with that, too.
Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, earning more minutes in the next game. Jimmy Butler had 17 points, but Jaden McDaniels did a good job keeping him in check, while Buddy Hield scored 15 but on 5-of-14 shooting.
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled Thursday in a 5-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving up five runs and six hits. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
It’s much too early to call it 2021 yet.
But, just like the last time the Dodgers tried to defend a World Series title, the National League West isn’t presenting the easiest of paths.
Entering Thursday night, the division was home to the best team in baseball, the 25-win Dodgers. But, based on overall league records, it also included the clubs ranked third (San Diego at 23-13), fifth (San Francisco at 24-14) and 13th (Arizona at 19-18) in the majors, too.
“I think we’re the best division in baseball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t think anyone is gonna run away with it.”
In 2021, of course, the Dodgers faced a similar test in the NL West. That year, the division wasn’t as deep, the bottom three teams all finishing below .500. But at the top, the Dodgers and Giants duked it out to the end. The Dodgers finished with 106 wins. The Giants topped them with 107. It forced the Dodgers to settle for a wild-card berth in the playoffs, and down an elongated October path that saw them run out of steam in the NL Championship Series.
While this season isn’t even at its quarter-point yet, a similar threat is starting to brew.
In a 5-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night, the Dodgers got their first taste of the challenge that might lie ahead. Over the next several weeks, plenty more intradivision tests loom.
After playing just one division foe over the first six weeks of the season — a three-game sweep of the utterly helpless Colorado Rockies last month — the Dodgers are finally getting into the meat of their division schedule. Starting with this weekend’s four-game set at Chase Field, five of their next 12 series will be against the Diamondbacks, Padres and Giants.
The Diamondbacks were supposed to be the weakest link of that group, starting the season slowly amid a couple of key injuries and repeated late-game collapses from their bullpen.
But on Thursday, they thrilled a lively crowd of 40,319, besting the Dodgers in every phase for a thorough series-opening victory.
While Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt cruised through 6 ⅓ scoreless innings, Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto was knocked around for five runs in five innings; the first four scoring on Gabriel Moreno’s grand slam in the fourth.
Struggling with his command all night, Yamamoto’s fourth-inning jam was largely of his own creation. He walked leadoff batter Pavin Smith. He hit Eugenio Suárez with a 0-and-2 slider to load the bases following an infield single. Then, after falling behind Moreno in a 2-and-0 count, he threw an elevated cutter that the Arizona catcher smashed to right field.
The following inning, Ketel Marte hit a solo home run to an almost identical spot.
Hyeseong Kim, left, reacts to striking out as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno pauses at home plate during the seventh inning Thursday. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
The five runs were tied for the most Yamamoto has allowed in an MLB game, and it doubled his ERA from an MLB-best 0.90 to 1.80 — on a night he was pitching on five days’ rest (as opposed to six) for the first time this season.
“Those are great hitters, so tip my hat to them. However, I allowed the walks and the hit by pitch,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “Overall, my stuff wasn’t too bad. But the grand slam, that cost the game.”
While Shohei Ohtani hit a solo home run with two outs in the ninth, the Dodgers’ best chance to come back was in the eighth.
Max Muncy smoked a ground-rule double for their first run. Andy Pages hit an RBI single that brought the tying run to the plate. But, with one out, Michael Conforto hit a rocket ground ball for an inning-ending double play, finishing his night 0 for three despite hitting the ball hard all three times. Over his last 12 games, he is one for 40.
“I’m definitely frustrated,” Conforto said. “Happy with a couple hard-hit balls today. Frustrated to be in position to keep a rally going and not being able to beat that ball out. It’s frustrating. It makes me sick.”
Thursday, of course, was just one game. There’s a long way to go before any real 2021 deja vu begins setting in.
Ahead of this week’s series, Roberts downplayed concerns that the division race could exhaust his team like it did four years ago, when the Dodgers and Giants went down to the last day.
“You don’t win the World Series, or the division, in May,” Roberts said. “I think it’s still just kind of making sure we stay the course and protect guys and play good baseball. So that’s what is more front of mind for me.”
Still, the longer the Dodgers’ division rivals hang around, the more pressure it will put on their regular-season performance. The last thing they want, in a year they’ve already dealt with an early wave of pitching injuries, is to be grinding through a division race during the stretch run of the season, or be in any danger of falling to a wild-card place. The way the division has played to this point, however, keeps those outcomes as real possibilities.
“I think the records show there’s a lot of great teams in this division,” Conforto said. “It’s going to be competitive right down to the end.”
On Friday, May 9, the Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) and Denver Nuggets (50-32) will square off at Ball Arena in Denver.
After getting upset in game one, the Oklahoma City Thunder responded in a big way. They won game two by 43 points. The Thunder shot 56.2% from the field and 44.4% from three. They forced 20 turnovers in the game as well.
The Thunder are currently 32-8 on the road with a point differential of 13, while the Nuggets have a 4-6 record in their last ten games at home.
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 Thunder vs. Nuggets live today
Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Time: 10:00PM EST
Site: Ball Arena
City: Denver, CO
Network/Streaming: ESPN
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Game odds for Thunder vs. Nuggets
The latest odds as of Friday:
Odds: Thunder (-210), Nuggets (+174)
Spread: Thunder -4.5
Over/Under: 233 points
That gives the Thunder an implied team point total of 118.02, and the Nuggets 115.68.
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Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s Thunder vs. Nuggets game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections 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 today’s Thunder & Nuggets game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Oklahoma City Thunder on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Denver Nuggets at +4.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 233.
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Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Thunder vs. Nuggets on Friday
The Thunder have won 5 straight road games
The Nuggets' last 3 matchups against Western Conference Northwest Division teams have gone over the Total
The Nuggets have covered the Spread in 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog
The Nuggets have covered the Spread in 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog
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The Rangers (18-20) are in Detroit Friday to open a series against the Tigers (23-13).
Patrick Corbin is slated to take the mound for Texas against Tarik Skubal for Detroit.
The Rangers were blanked Thursday in Boston, 5-0. Tucker Barnhart went 3-3 for Texas but the rest of the lineup was just 2-27 against Brayan Bello and three Red Sox relievers.
Detroit enters the weekend series having won five in a row. Thursday, they swept a pair from the Rockies outscoring Colorado 21-3. Casey Mize won his sixth game of the year in the opener allowing just one run over six innings in a 10-2 win. Keider Montero pitched eight innings of five-hit, one run ball in the nightcap, an 11-1 win for the Tigers.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Rangers at Tigers
Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Time: 6:40PM EST
Site: Comerica Park
City: Detroit, MI
Network/Streaming: RSN, FDSNDT
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Odds for the Rangers at the Tigers
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Rangers (+219), Tigers (-270)
Spread: Tigers -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Rangers at Tigers
Pitching matchup for May 9, 2025: Patrick Corbin vs. Tarik Skubal
Rangers: Patrick Corbin (2-1, 3.28 ERA) Last outing: 5/3 vs. Seattle - 5.2IP, 1ER, 5H, 2BB, 2Ks
Tigers: Tarik Skubal (3-2, 2.21 ERA) Last outing: 5/2 at Angels - 6IP, 1ER, 4H, 0BB, 8Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Rangers at Tigers
Detroit is now 27-13 on the Run Line
Game Totals in Texas games are now 26-12 to the UNDER
Spencer Torkelson has 30 hits this season and 21 of them are either doubles (11) or home runs (10)
Only the Pirates (118) and the Rockies (115) have scored fewer runs than the Rangers (123) this season
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 Friday’s game between the Rangers and the Tigers
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Rangers and the Tigers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Detroit Tigers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Texas Rangers at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 7.0.
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One of the more highly anticipated series of the young season begins Friday when the Chicago Cubs (22-16) take on the New York Mets (24-14) at Citi Field.
Jameson Taillon is slated to start for Chicago against Clay Holmes for New York.
The Cubs come to town after an off-day Thursday. They lost Wednesday, 3-1, in the series finale to San Francisco. Chicago could muster but four hits off of Robbie Ray and the Giants. Nico Hoerner had two of the four hits. The Mets traveled home Thursday following a three-game series in Arizona. Juan Soto blasted two home runs in a 7-1 Mets' win Wednesday.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Cubs at Mets
Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Time: 7:10PM EST
Site: Citi Field
City: Queens, NY
Network/Streaming: MARQ, SNY, MLBN
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Odds for the Cubs at the Mets
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Cubs (+138), Mets (-164)
Spread: Mets -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Mets
Pitching matchup for May 9, 2025: Jameson Taillon vs. Clay Holmes
Cubs: Jameson Taillon (2-1, 3.86 ERA) Last outing: 5/3 at Milwaukee - 6IP, 2ER, 3H, 1BB, 5Ks
Mets: Clay Holmes (4-1, 2.95 ERA) Last outing: 5/2 at St. Louis - 6IP, 3ER, 8H, 0BB, 3Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Mets
The Cubs lead all of baseball with 223 runs scored
Only the Yankees (62) and the Dodgers (59) have more home runs than the Cubs (55)
Juan Soto is 9-26 with 4 HRs in May (7 games)
Pete Alonso is 0-8 over his last 2 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 Friday’s game between the Cubs and the Mets
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 Cubs and the Mets:
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 Chicago Cubs 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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Friday the Yankees (21-16) open a weekend series in Sacramento against the surprising Athletics (20-18).
Will Warren is slated to take the mound for New York against Osvaldo Bido for Oakland.
Each of these teams are off on Thursday. The Yankees are using the day to fly West following a six-game homestand that saw them go 3-3. Wednesday, they ended the homestand with their second straight win over the Padres. J.C. Escarra walked off a 4-3 win for New York with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth inning. Wednesday, the Athletics lost their second in a row to the Mariners. Jacob Wilson went 4-5 for the Athletics but it was not enough in a 6-5 loss.
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 Yankees at Athletics
Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Time: 10:05PM EST
Site: Sutter Health Park
City: Sacramento, CA
Network/Streaming: YES, NBCSCA, 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 Yankees at the Athletics
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Yankees (-142), Athletics (+120)
Spread: Yankees -1.5
Total: 10.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Yankees at Athletics
Pitching matchup for May 9, 2025: Will Warren vs. Osvaldo Bido
Yankees: Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) Last outing: 5/4 vs. Tampa Bay - 4.2IP, 3ER, 7H, 3BB, 8Ks
Athletics: Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71 ERA) Last outing: 5/3 at Miami - 5IP, 4ER, 3H, 2BB, 4Ks
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Yankees at Athletics
Game Totals in Yankees' games are 16-19-2 to the OVER this season
The Athletics are 20-18 on the season overall and are 20-18 on the Run Line as well
Ben Rice is 4-20 (all doubles) through 6 games in May
Wednesday's game was the first that failed to see Aaron Judge reach base for the first time since April 1
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 Friday’s game between the Yankees and the Athletics
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Yankees and the Athletics:
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 New York Yankees -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 10.0.
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The Carolina Hurricanes couldn't pull off yet another third-period comeback, falling 3-1 to the Washington Capitals in Game 2 at Capital One Arena on Thursday.
The game looked like it was going to be following the same blueprint as Game 1: the Canes have a strong first period, then the Caps strike first early in the second, but it didn't end the way that one did.
Instead, the Capitals scored twice before the Hurricanes found their first, and the Canes were then just unable to overcome that deficit with the way Washington was defending (the Caps were credited with 32 blocks once again).
"We certainly weren't great, that's for sure," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "I think you have to give Washington credit. I mean, they played a much better game. We have to be better, that's for sure. We knew it was going to be hard. Having said that, we were still right in the game
The biggest issue for Carolina though is that they just haven't been getting the bounces so far this series (the team hit the frame two more times to put their total up to seven for the series) and Washington's first goal was another prime example of that.
Sean Walker went to flip a puck into the Capitals end from the neutral zone, but it wound up hitting his partner Shayne Gostisbehere in the throat and the puck fell right to Connor McMichael who got loose for a breakaway.
"Obviously it was unfortunate. Just trying to get the puck in their end and then it hits Shayne [Gostisbehere] in the neck, kinds of stuns him there for a sec and then they get a fast break and score," Walker said. "It's part of it. Just move on."
And you could immediately tell that that goal gave Washington some juice as they started to look much more like themselves through the second period.
"That [first] goal was a tough one just because of the way it happened," Brind'Amour said. "Nothing going on and then all of a sudden, it's a breakaway because we banged it off of our own guy. Then that got them going for sure.
The Canes struggled to muster a lot in that middle frame and when they did get their looks, they were either passing up looks, double clutching or shooting off the mark.
But despite the struggles, they were still only down by one heading to the final frame.
That was until Brent Burns turned the puck over in the neutral zone, and wound up taking a hooking penalty less than two minutes into the third.
On that man advantage, Washington's third crack on the power play in Game 2, the Capitals finally broke Carolina's perfect penalty kill as John Carlson snuck in from the blueline and slammed home a pretty pass by Tom Wilson.
"I thought our first was good and then the second period was just no good," said Jordan Staal. "Even the first half of our third was not great. We were playing in our end a little too much and just turning over one too many pucks and not really getting through the neutral zone and getting on them and all the stuff that we do. Took a penalty and obviously the PK would love to have the kill. Obviously our 5v5 game wasn't great and it kind of trended toward them getting an extra goal."
The Canes were in a 2-0 hole, but they were finally able to break through on the power play not too long after themselves as Gostisbehere answered back, putting home a rebound from the wing.
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) May 9, 2025
The Hurricanes were back in it, and they definitely pushed hard that period, but the team just couldn't find that extra gear and second goal.
"When we're playing our game, I think we really controlled the momentum of the game and had a lot more time in their zone and created a lot more, for sure,." Walker said. "We'll look at it tomorrow, but I think we know we got away from our game there a little bit and they capitalized and took away from our momentum. We'll look at it and move on."
Wilson, who was far and away the best player on the ice in Game 2 with his physicality, offensive impact and defensive blocks, sealed the game with the empty netter.
Despite the loss, the Canes are in a good position as they now head back to Raleigh with a 1-1 series split and a chance to take a strong lead in the series if they can stay hot at home.
"Always nice to be in front of our fans and we're going to have to take that momentum back and use our fans to do it," Staal said. "We'd love to be up two, but it's a good team and we're going to have to start fresh at home here and take it to them again.
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BOSTON — Rafael Devers is the Boston Red Sox's designated hitter.
And he's not interested in another position switch.
Speaking with reporters for the first time since Triston Casas was ruled out for the season after rupturing his left knee tendon and undergoing surgery, Devers said on Thursday that Red Sox management approached him about the idea of filling in as Boston’s first baseman.
The three-time All-Star doesn’t see it in his best interest to make another position switch after being asked to move from third base to DH during spring training after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to play third.
“They came to me and talked to me about it,” Devers said after homering and driving in two in Boston’s 5-0 win over Texas.
“I know I’m a ballplayer, but at the same time, they can’t expect me to play every single position out there. In spring training, they talked to me and basically told me to put away my glove. I wasn’t going to play another position other than DH. Right now, I don’t think it would be an appropriate decision by them to ask me to play another position.”
Devers said he spoke with Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow about the prospect of playing first in Casas’ absence.
For now, Boston is filling the first base spot with a platoon featuring Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro.
“He (Breslow) played ball. I would like to think that he knows that changing positions isn’t easy,” Devers said through Red Sox interpreter Daveson Perez.
“They put me in this situation. They told me they didn’t want me to play any other positions."
Devers offered a suggestion to Breslow, who pitched 12 major league seasons and was a key member of Boston’s bullpen when the team won the World Series in 2013. Breslow is in his second season leading the Red Sox baseball operations department.
“Now, they should do their jobs essentially and hit the market and look for another player. I’m not sure why they want me to be an in-between,” Devers said. “Next thing you know, someone in the outfield gets hurt and they want me to play in the outfield. I know the kind of player that I am and that’s where I stand.”
Asked about changing his mind in the event the Red Sox receive little production from the current group of first basemen, Devers reiterated that he’s a full-time DH.
He also stated that he was upset that Boston would consider him taking over a position where he’s logged zero innings as a big leaguer.
“They told me that I’m a little hard-headed, but they already asked me to change (positions) once. This time, I don’t think I can be as flexible,” Devers said. “I don’t feel they stayed true to their word. They told me I was going to play this position, DH. Now they’re going back on that.”
As the 2025 minor league season continues, here's a look at what Mets prospects are doing in all levels of the organization....
Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies
The Rumble Ponies were down 4-1 to Reading heading into the eighth inning when Ryan Clifford -- the Mets' No. 4 prospect according to Joe DeMayo -- drove a pitch from RHP Jack Dallas over the center field wall, a three-run shot to tie the game at 4-4.
It was Clifford's fifth home run this season and was the second hit of his evening. The slugger finished 2-for-5 with two strikeouts. He was the only one on Binghamton with a multi-hit game.
Binghamton would pick up the win in walk-off fashion thanks to Jett Williams, the Mets' top no-pitching prospect. The shortstop kept the ninth inning going with a walk that loaded the bases. With two out, Nick Lorusso reached on a fielding error that allowed the Rumble Ponies to push across a run and win 6-5.
Williams went 1-for-3 with two walks, a run scored and a strikeout.
Triple-A Syracuse Mets
Up with the Triple-A team, runs were hard to come by for the Mets, who went up against rehabbing Miami Marlins youngster Ryan Weathers. Syracuse fell to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, 3-1, on Thursday night.
Dom Hamel struggled in his start, allowing three runs on five hits, three walks across three innings pitched. He did strike out five batters, but his ERA rose to 5.00 after Thursday's performance. The three runs came on three hits in the second inning.
In five starts this season, Hamel is now 1-3 with a 1.33 WHIP. He is striking out plenty of batters, picking up 22 across 18.0 innings pitched.
Welcome to The Hockey News Playoff Frenzy Live, streaming nightly during the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs.
After the big game of the night, our experts go live to react to the match that was, break down the key moments and storylines and read your opinions.
On tonight's show, Katie Gaus, Emma Lingan and Michael Augello react to the Washington Capitals beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 to tie the second-round series at 1-1.
This year’s Canadian team for the 2025 men’s World Championship is star-studded.
There are many name-brand, Grade-A talents on Team Canada, which will play in Stockholm, Sweden.
Hockey Canada officially announced the addition of Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon and star Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. That said, the team also added St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, Blues captain Brayden Schenn and Los Angeles Kings center Philip Danault.
Compare that lineup to last year’s Canadian lineup, where Tampa Bay Lightning left winger Brandon Hagel and Washington Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois were among the top players. With due respect, those players aren’t on the same level as this year’s Canadian group. The common factor in the change in roster quality is the superstar we haven’t mentioned yet: Pittsburgh Penguins icon Sidney Crosby.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Crosby effect attracted more star power to the tournament. It’s not like he went to the Worlds the last two years the Penguins missed the playoffs. And many of the same NHL teams that were out of the playoffs by last year’s Worlds are out again.
NHL players are no different than we are when appreciating top talent. It’s one thing to encounter Crosby as an opponent in hockey’s top league or watch him from afar, but knowing he’s playing with you – well, that’s a very rare thing you should take advantage of.
We might also be seeing more talented players at the World Championship in part because there’s a higher overall quality of the NHL teams. Even some teams eliminated in the first round have some good and great players, such as MacKinnon, Schenn, Danault and Binnington.
We don’t blame any elite player for not choosing to play in the Worlds. They have a long and taxing season, and rest and recuperation must be used for their body’s benefit.
But there’s no question Crosby makes the Worlds a must-see event. He’s now 37 years old, reuniting with his longtime teammate in Fleury, and preparing for what could be his final Olympics in 2026. Being part of that squad is a no-brainer for some star Canadian players.
The Hockey News' Remy Mastey is in Stockholm to cover the World Championshipfrom May 9 to 25. Also check out Derek O'Brien's coverage on The Hockey News' international hockey site at THN.com/international.
