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Mariners at Tigers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 11

It's Friday, July 11 and the Mariners (48-45) are in Detroit to take on the Tigers (59-35). Luis Castillo is slated to take the mound for Seattle against Tarik Skubal for Detroit.

Seattle is coming off a reverse sweep via the Yankees. The Mariners are outscored 25-14 in those three losses. Detroit is 6-1 in the past seven games, but coming off a 7-3 loss to the Rays on Wednesday.

Detroit is 2-1 versus Seattle this season and beat the Tigers 3-2 in Skubal's start handing him his second loss of the season on April 2. Skubal hasn't earned another loss since then.

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 Mariners at Tigers

  • Date: Friday, July 11, 2025
  • Time: 7:10PM EST
  • Site: Comerica Park
  • City: Detroit, MI
  • Network/Streaming: Apple TV+

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

Odds for the Mariners at the Tigers

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Mariners (+180), Tigers (-219)
  • Spread:  Tigers -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Mariners at Tigers

  • Pitching matchup for July 11, 2025: Luis Castillo vs. Tarik Skubal
    • Mariners: Luis Castillo, (5-5, 3.31 ERA)
      Last outing: 7.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 8 Strikeouts
    • Tigers: Tarik Skubal, (10-2, 2.02 ERA)
      Last outing: 7.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 10 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 Mariners and the Tigers

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 Friday’s game between the Mariners and the Tigers:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Detroit Tigers on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Seattle Mariners at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

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 Mariners at Tigers

  • Detroit is 6-0 in the last six Skubal starts and 14-4 overall
  • Seattle is 3-0 in the last three Castillo starts and 10-8 overall
  • The Tigers have won 4 of their last 5 home games against American League teams
  • 4 of the Mariners' last 5 matchups with the Tigers have stayed under the Total
  • The Tigers are up 3.23 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)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Why Warriors rookie Will Richard ‘perfectly' fits team culture, per Jay Bilas

Why Warriors rookie Will Richard ‘perfectly' fits team culture, per Jay Bilas originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

  • Programming note: The American Century Championship will air Friday, July 11, from 1-3 p.m. PT on Peacock, and again from 5-7 p.m. PT on GOLF Channel. Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, the tournament will air locally on NBC Bay Area (KNTV) from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT.

The Warriors’ culture has proven to be a real thing, and it appears one of their newest additions will fit right in.

At least according to ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, who spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole at the American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe and gave a promising scouting report on Golden State’s second-round draft pick Will Richard.

“He’s a guy that perfectly fits the Warriors’ culture,” Bilas told Poole. “One, he can shoot it. But he’s also a very good defender and a willing defender. He’s a team guy. He can operate without the ball. So he’s a really good catch-and-shoot guy. He can put it on the deck, but he’s an older, experienced player that I think fits the Warriors’ culture because it’s not all about him.

“He’s won a championship, he knows what that’s about. And I think he’s got a chance to be a solid NBA player.”

That certainly is reassuring for the Warriors, who traded up to select the former Florida guard No. 56 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Richard averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the 2025 National Champions, playing a key role in the Gators’ success. The 22-year-old was exceptional in Florida’s National Championship win over Houston, logging a game-high 18 points while shooting 4 of 7 from 3-point range.

“We see him as a two-way player, shoot it and defend it,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said of Richard. “He’s a pretty good on-ball defender, very good off-ball defender, and he’s got good length. And he’s coming from a really good program and system where (he was) well-coached, well-taught through many years in college.

“This is a guy that knows how to play.”

And in his first game as a Warrior during the team’s California Classic finale, Richard showed exactly why Golden State coveted him.

Now, the Warriors — and Richard — hope it carries over into the 2025-26 season.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

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Warriors reportedly among teams that considered another LeBron James trade offer

Warriors reportedly among teams that considered another LeBron James trade offer originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After the initial shockwave that hit the NBA after Luka Dončić was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, the biggest picture became more and more clear. What does that mean for LeBron James’ future in LA?

It was a question that crossed several NBA executives’ minds, including the Warriors.

Golden State was among the handful of teams that considered whether to make an offer for the four-time NBA MVP, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported, citing sources.

The Warriors tried to acquire James during the 2023-24 season’s trade deadline in February, and it appears that interest never wavered.

James’ future in the City of Angels became even more blurry after he exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, his agency told ESPN, adding that James wants to compete for a championship next season and closely will be monitoring the Lakers’ moves this summer.

“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career,” Paul said in a statement to ESPN’s Shams Charania on June 30.

“He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”

The Warriors also made calls about James before this year’s trade deadline, Charania reported back in February of Golden State’s aggressive pursuit of another star player, which also included players such as Kevin Durant and Paul George.

They also inquired about Jimmy Butler, whom they wound up trading for on Feb. 6.

Golden State’s interest in teaming up Steph Curry and James in the NBA is well documented. But will it forever remain a fever dream for fans? Only time will tell.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

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Rays at Red Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 11

It's Friday, July 11 and the Rays (50-44) are in Boston to take on the Red Sox (50-45). Drew Rasmussen is slated to take the mound for Tampa Bay against Hunter Dobbins for Boston.

The Red Sox stormed back to steal the opening game of this four-game series against the Rays, 4-3. Boston was able to score three runs on two hits in the seventh inning before the bullpen held tight to extend the winning streak to seven games — a season-long for the Sox.

Tampa Bay is 1-3 in the last four, 2-5 in the past seven, and 3-8 in the previous 11, so the hits just keep coming for the Rays. The season series is Red Sox 5-2, however, the Rays scored 37 runs compared to the Sox's 28 over the seven meetings.

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.

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

Game details & how to watch Rays at Red Sox

  • Date: Friday, July 11, 2025
  • Time: 7:10PM EST
  • Site: Fenway Park
  • City: Boston, MA
  • Network/Streaming: FDSNSUN, 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 Rays at the Red Sox

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Rays (-110), Red Sox (-109)
  • Spread:  Rays -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Rays at Red Sox

  • Pitching matchup for July 11, 2025: Drew Rasmussen vs. Hunter Dobbins
    • Rays: Drew Rasmussen, (7-5, 2.82 ERA)
      Last outing: 2.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Run Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts
    • Red Sox: Hunter Dobbins, (4-1, 4.10 ERA)
      Last outing: 4.0 Innings Pitched, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 5 Walks, and 1 Strikeout

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 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 Friday’s game between the Rays 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 Boston Red Sox at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0.

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

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

  • Tampa Bay is 10-8 when Rasmussen pitches this season
  • Boston is 7-5 when Dobbins pitches this season
  • Boston is on a season-long seven-game winning streak
  • The Red Sox have won 3 straight home games against the Rays
  • 4 of the Red Sox's last 5 matchups with the Rays have stayed under the Total

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)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Phillies at Padres Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 11

It's Friday, July 11 and the Phillies (54-39) are in San Diego to take on the Padres (50-43). Ranger Suárez is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against Ryan Bergert for San Diego.

Philadelphia is coming off a 13-0 smackdown victory over the Giants, and had the day off, while San Diego beat Arizona, 4-3. These teams met at the end of June and to start July.

The Phillies won two of three games against the Padres with another being postponed. Since then, the Phillies are 3-3, while the Padres are 4-3. San Diego has yet to put together a winning streak over 13 games, but has another chance today.

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 Phillies at Padres

  • Date: Friday, July 11, 2025
  • Time: 9:40PM EST
  • Site: Petco Park
  • City: San Diego, CA
  • Network/Streaming: NBCSP, SDPA, 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 Phillies at the Padres

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Phillies (-165), Padres (+139)
  • Spread:  Phillies -1.5
  • Total: 8.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Padres

  • Pitching matchup for July 11, 2025: Ranger Suárez vs. Ryan Bergert
    • Phillies: Ranger Suárez, (7-2, 1.99 ERA)
      Last outing: 5.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
    • Padres: Ryan Bergert, (1-0, 2.67 ERA)
      Last outing: 3.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts

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

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

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 Friday’s game between the Phillies and the Padres:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies 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 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 Phillies at Padres

  • The Padres are 6-3 when Bergert pitches this season
  • The Phillies are 8-4 when Suarez pitches this season
  • The Phillies have won 8 of their last 10 games at the Padres
  • The Over has cashed in each of the Phillies' last 3 games with a rest advantage over their opponents
  • When the Phillies have had a rest advantage over their opponents they have failed to cover the Run Line in their last 6 games

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

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Dodgers at Giants Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 11

It's Friday, July 11 and the Dodgers (56-38) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (51-43). Dustin May is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against Logan Webb for San Francisco.

The Dodgers have lost six consecutive games, which is a season-long as they enter this three-game road stand at San Francisco before the All-Star break. Los Angeles has scored 10 runs in six games and one run total in four separate games (outscored 40-10 in six-game losing streak).

On the other hand, the Giants were hot with a 4-1 record over the past five games and 6-2 in the last eight, but San Fran is coming off a 13-0 loss in their previous outing against the Phillies.

Los Angeles is 2-1 versus San Francisco this season and the Dodgers outscored the Giants at home, 18-15 in that three-game series.

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 Dodgers at Giants

  • Date: Friday, July 11, 2025
  • Time: 10:15PM EST
  • Site: Oracle Park
  • City: San Francisco, CA
  • Network/Streaming: SNLA, NBCSBA, 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 Dodgers at the Giants

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Moneyline: Dodgers (+109), Giants (-130)
  • Spread:  Giants -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Dodgers at Giants

  • Pitching matchup for July 11, 2025: Dustin May vs. Logan Webb
    • Dodgers: Dustin May, (5-5, 4.52 ERA)
      Last outing: 7.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 1 Walk, and 9 Strikeouts
    • Giants: Logan Webb, (8-6, 2.62 ERA)
      Last outing: 6.2 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts

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

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Dodgers and the Giants

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 Friday’s game between the Dodgers and the Giants:

  • 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 Los Angeles Dodgers at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.

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

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Dodgers at Giants

  • The Dodgers are 9-7 when May pitches this season
  • The Giants are 10-9 when Webb pitches this season
  • The Dodgers have won 3 straight matchups against NL West teams
  • This season the Giants pitcher Logan Webb has an ERA of 2.62 and a WHIP of 1.17 when opening
  • The Dodgers have failed to cover the Run Line in 7 of their last 8 games

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

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

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Updated Red Sox playoff odds after comeback vs. Rays extends win streak

Updated Red Sox playoff odds after comeback vs. Rays extends win streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox extended their win streak to seven games Thursday night with a comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park, and with a 50-45 record, they’re now five games over .500 for the first time all season.

The Red Sox trailed 3-1 going into the seventh inning and scored three runs. Veteran closer Aroldis Chapman came in for the ninth inning and earned his 16th save of the season to secure a 4-3 victory.

The Red Sox are tied with the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros for the best record in baseball since June 7 at 20-10.

It’s not only one thing driving the Red Sox’ success. They lead the major leagues in runs scored with 172 since June 7, and they also have the best ERA (3.52) during that span. Top prospect Roman Anthony has a seven-game hit streak and the starting rotation is getting more consistently good starts from guys like Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this streak is the Red Sox are doing it without one of their best players in Alex Bregman. The star third baseman hasn’t played since May 23 due to a quad injury, but he’s expected to return in this series against the Rays.

While this win streak has increased the optimism surrounding the Red Sox and their potential for the rest of the season, making the playoffs is still going to be a tough challenge.

The Red Sox entered Friday with a one-game lead over the Seattle Mariners for the third and final wild card playoff spot in the American League.

But according to FanGraphs’ model, the Red Sox still have a less than 50-50 chance to reach the postseason for the first time since 2021.

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Why just a 41.3 percent chance to clinch a playoff berth?

Well, the Red Sox have the toughest remaining schedule of any team, with their opponents having a .519 combined win percentage this season, per Tankathon.

The Red Sox have benefited from an easy schedule the last couple weeks that included back-to-back series vs. the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies.

Boston’s schedule gets a lot tougher as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. The Red Sox have three more games in their current series versus the Rays, and they also have to play the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros through Aug. 3.

This 18-game stretch could easily determine the fate of this Red Sox team as far as its chances of making the playoffs.

One thing the front office can do to bolster the Red Sox’ chances of staying in the playoff race is being buyers at the trade deadline. Adding another impact starting pitcher would be a huge upgrade for the Red Sox.

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Canadiens: Zach Bolduc Speaks To The Media

On Thursday, Zach Bolduc was taking part in a celebrity golf tournament in Levis, and he had some time to speak to the media. Unsurprisingly, the youngster has been very busy since being traded to the Montreal Canadiens.

He explained that the day following the trade, he went to the CN Sports Complex in Brossard and met with Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and Martin St-Louis. While they didn’t have any in-depth conversations, the Habs’ brass did ask him to work on his faceoff skills since they might need him to take some draws.

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The last time he played at center, he was 16 or 17 years old, and he was playing in the QMJHL with the Rimouski Oceanic. he didn’t do it in the later stage of his junior career with the Quebec Remparts. Still, he is receptive to the idea and reached out to Marc Bureau to work on his faceoff skills; he didn’t wait for the Canadiens to organize that for him. He intends to practice a few more times with Bureau until the end of the Summer. It's important to add that Bolduc he's ready to play wherever he's asked to play, on any line at any position, he just wants to help the Tricolore win. 

This is an interesting development. It’s a well-known fact that the Candiens would like to bolster their center line, but both the trade and the free agent market were relatively thin in that respect, and they’ve been unable to address that need so far. Of course, Kirby Dach is still pencilled in as the second-line pivot, but given past results, having a contingency plan would make sense.

Alex Newhook had also played center in the past, and it wasn’t a success either. Last season, he spent the last quarter of the season skating down the middle, and in 21 games, he could only muster five points; that’s hardly the kind of output you want to see from a top-six pivot. With 26 points on the season, there’s room for improvement, and asking Newhook to carry the extra responsibilities centers have isn’t a good idea.

As for why he chose to keep number 76, he explained that there are already 22-23 active players who have numbers, on top of the retired numbers, so it was just the easiest way to go, even though he knows people will talk about P.K. Subban. As for why he originally got the number in St.Louis, it was just the one that was given to him in camp, and he just got used to it and kept it.

While he dreamt of playing for the Canadiens when he was young, he enjoyed his time in St. Louis, but going to Brossard to meet with the Habs’ brass made him realize that it was happening. He adds that even though the Blues drafted him, he still kept on following the Habs from afar, and he’s excited to join such a young and talented team.

Bolduc wasn’t the only hockey player attending the tournament; Philadelphia Flyers alumnus and former Quebec Remparts assistant coach Simon Gagne was asked about his former player.

Gagne appears to be a big Bolduc fan, saying that he believes the youngster could score 30 goals per season for the Habs. However, he adds that he would have to be deployed appropriately to reach that goal, with top-six minutes and power play time, even perhaps first power play minutes. Given the fact that the first man-advantage unit is already somewhat crowded in Montreal, it would be surprising to see Bolduc get a spot on it, but never say never.

Gagne was also asked if he would have been happy to be traded to Montreal when he was 22, and he didn’t rush to say he would have been. Instead, he said that he wondered if Bolduc was when he heard about the trade because he was in a perfect place in St. Louis with top-six minutes and power-play time. He then added that he had at least been traded to a team that was in a bright spot, coming off a rebuild with a talented young roster. He finally added that at 22, he had a lot of experience, and he might have been able to handle a trade to Montreal, but he was happy that he got to stay in Philadelphia, and things went so well that there was no point in changing things.

He also added that Bolduc had the right personality to be able to cope with Montreal, that he was the kind of guy who is accessible to the public and will never turn down an autograph or event request. Furthermore, if he doesn’t score during a few games, Bolduc has more to his game than just goals, and the fact that he brings physicality will mean he’ll get less criticism if he goes through a dry spell.

As for Bolduc himself, he’s not worried about the pressure of the Montreal market, calling it a privilege. There’s pressure because the fans care so much about the game and their team that it’s a privilege to play in that kind of environment.

Photo credit: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images

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Three Confusing NHL Off-Season Choices – And Why They Can Turn Out Well

Not every trade, signing, hiring or firing an NHL team makes will be a no-brainer in the public’s eyes.

Just about every NHL team has made at least a couple of moves – free-agent signings, trades, staff changes or all of the above during the off-season. Some of those moves have us scratching our heads – and then trying to envision how they will ultimately look like great decisions. 

Here are three confusing off-season decisions and why they can turn out well. (For transparency, we had the Toronto Maple Leafs keeping Ryan Reaves on the list before they traded him to the San Jose Sharks Thursday night.)

Seattle Kraken Firing Dan Bylsma

Why It’s Confusing: You give Bylsma one year – one year, for a Stanley Cup-winning coach – before cashing in his chips on him? 

Granted, he didn’t steer the Kraken into a playoff position.  Seattle finished seventh in the relatively weak Pacific Division. That said, we don’t know of a coach who could’ve succeeded with the Kraken’s subpar lineup. Bylsma’s resume should’ve given him at least another year on the job, but that didn’t happen.

Why It Can Turn Out Well: Maybe dismissing Bylsma was the right move, especially considering Jason Botterill has moved in as Seattle’s GM. Every GM usually sticks with his coach, so Botterill choosing Lane Lambert over Bylsma could spark the Kraken. They need to be better defensively, which was Lambert’s specialty as associate coach of the Maple Leafs. In other words, he could be exactly the coach Seattle needs right now.

Marco Rossi (Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)

The Minnesota Wild’s Contractual Saga With Rossi

Why It’s Confusing:The Wild’s buyout costs for former stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are a combined $1,666,666 now instead of nearly $15 million. You’d think Minnesota GM Bill Guerin would happily throw money at center Marco Rossi, who scored 24 goals and 60 points in his second full NHL season. 

The Wild have nearly $10.2 million in cap space to play with, so it should be easy for Guerin to re-sign Rossi, even if he isn’t completely enthralled with his game. Judging by Rossi’s usage in the playoffs – averaging 11:08 of ice time – Wild coach John Hynes isn’t crazy about Rossi’s game, either. He still got three points in six post-season games, though.

Why It Can Turn Out Well: By waiting this long into the off-season, Guerin is essentially telling Rossi and his representative, “Find me a team that will pay you big money, and I’ll think about matching the deal.” The truth is, if Rossi can’t find greener pastures, he’ll have to eventually accept what the Wild are offering him. At that point, Minnesota’s payroll flexibility situation will be better for it. So daring Rossi to sign an offer sheet is the savvy move by Guerin.

Christian Dvorak’s New Contract With Flyers

Why It’s Confusing: Seemingly out of nowhere, the Flyers swooped in and signed Dvorak to a one-year, $5.4 million contract. We understand that the market for centers is thin, but what teams out there were offering the 29-year-old Dvorak – who hasn’t scored more than 12 goals and 33 points in a season since 2019-20 – a big-bucks, short-term deal? 

And why was that team the Flyers? The newly acquired Trevor Zegras can play center, and they also have Sean Couturier and Noah Cates as options down the middle.

Why It Can Turn Out Well: Dvorak has had trouble staying healthy in his nine-year NHL career, but when healthy, he’s able to be a contributor on an up-and-coming team like Philadelphia. 

At his healthiest, he’s a 15-goal, 35-point player, and it could be that the Flyers need some veteran know-how to push them into a fight for a wild-card playoff berth, or at the very least, make life easier for their younger players.

Dvorak also doesn’t have any no-trade or no-move protection, so if he does play well and Philly is out of the playoff picture, they can deal Dvorak on retained salary for younger players or draft picks.

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Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh: All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz tipping pitches against Yankees

NEW YORK — Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh thinks All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz was tipping pitches when he squandered a two-run lead in the ninth inning Thursday night against the New York Yankees.

Muñoz was handed his sixth blown save in 27 opportunities this season after starter Bryan Woo held the Yankees hitless into the eighth.

With the Mariners holding a 5-3 lead, Muñoz entered in the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single to Trent Grisham and a one-out single to Cody Bellinger before Ben Rice came back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk that loaded the bases with two outs.

Standing at second base while Austin Wells batted, Bellinger waved his arms when Muñoz threw his slider. Wells took a changeup perhaps just below the strike zone for ball three, and on the next pitch he lined a full-count fastball into right field for a two-run single that tied it.

“He was tipping every time (with a runner) on second base,” Raleigh said of Muñoz. “Obviously, they weren’t making it very discreet, but it is part of the game. We have to know about that better going into series, and that made it really hard there at the end.

“You try to do the most you can without trying to distract him from what is happening at the plate. So that’s something that’ll we’ll have to figure out the next couple of days, for sure.”

Seattle manager Dan Wilson, however, said he didn’t think Muñoz was giving away pitch selection.

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Wilson said. “Just, I think we got ourselves into some tough counts and they took advantage of it.”

Wells was the sixth hitter in the inning and by that point Muñoz had thrown 23 pitches.

“I had five great at-bats before me to let me get up there and those guys kind of gave me a lot of confidence to trust I was going to get a pitch to hit,” Wells said.

New York capped its improbable comeback from a 5-0 deficit when Anthony Volpe scored the winning run in the 10th with an acrobatic slide on Aaron Judge’s shallow sacrifice fly.

“We couldn’t get much going against Woo, but this team has a lot of fight,” Judge said. “I’m glad Volpe’s fast.”

Helped by Giancarlo Stanton’s first career pinch-hit homer off Matt Brash in the eighth, the Yankees became the first team to win after being no-hit and trailing by five runs through seven innings since the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Montreal Expos on June 24, 1977.

“It was a lot of fun,” Wells said.

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Athletics’ Brent Rooker, Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. join Home Run Derby lineup

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brent Rooker doesn’t plan to change his approach at the plate for the Home Run Derby.

“I mean, look, just about every swing I’ve ever taken in my life I’ve been trying to hit a home run,” the Athletics slugger said. “It’s not like I have to change too much in that regard, but I did get out here early yesterday and got a feel for a 3-minute round to kind of feel the timing of it.”

Rooker and New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. were added Thursday to the list of derby participants, completing the eight-player field. The event will take place Monday night in Atlanta ahead of Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

Rooker will become the first Athletics player in the Home Run Derby since Matt Olson in 2021.

“I think it’s going to be fun,” Rooker said. “I’m looking forward to it. As a kid growing up, that was one of the highlights of the summer was watching the Home Run Derby and seeing the guys participate.”

The 30-year-old Rooker entered Thursday with a .270 batting average, 19 homers and 50 RBIs, putting him on pace for a third straight season of at least 30 homers. He went deep 30 times in 2023 and had 39 homers in 2024.

His 58 homers since the start of the 2024 season rank him third among American League players.

Joe Caruso, Rooker’s longtime youth coach, will pitch to him. A’s manager Mark Kotsay joked with Rooker that he should have asked him, but Rooker said he “respected my manager’s four-day break.”

“You get the opportunity to go compete and show your skillset,” Kotsay said. “We have all watched Rook hit homers, 39 of them last year, so I think it’s deserving that they selected him. It’ll be fun to have something entertaining to watch on Monday night.”

The only A’s players to win the derby were Mark McGwire in 1992 and Yoenis Céspedes in 2013 and 2014.

Chisholm, a 27-year-old two-time All-Star, is making his first appearance in the derby and will become the seventh different Yankees player to participate. Five have won the event; Aaron Judge was the most recent in 2017.

Acquired from the Miami Marlins last July, Chisholm began the day batting .250 with 17 homers and 43 RBIs in 62 games this season. The left-handed hitter homered twice Wednesday night against Seattle and had seven home runs in his last 12 games. He had 10 homers since returning from an oblique injury on June 3.

Chisholm was asked Wednesday night if he would like to participate in the derby.

“I mean, if they call me and ask me, I probably would be interested in doing it,” he said.

The other scheduled participants are Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and Washington’s James Wood.

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How Hugo Gonzalez is already impressing Celtics ahead of Summer League debut

How Hugo Gonzalez is already impressing Celtics ahead of Summer League debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It’s been a whirlwind past two weeks for Hugo Gonzalez. But the Boston Celtics’ first-round pick appears to be taking everything in stride.

Gonzalez spent the last three seasons with the Spanish club team Real Madrid, which plays deep into June in the EuroLeague and didn’t finish its 2024-25 campaign until June 25. In fact, the 19-year-old guard had a game on the same night the Celtics selected him with the No. 28 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and didn’t arrive in Boston until July 1.

Given the quick turnaround, it was unclear whether Gonzalez would join the Celtics’ Summer League squad in Las Vegas less than two weeks after arriving stateside. But not only is the young guard on the Summer League roster, he could see a significant amount of time.

“A lot. I hope he plays a lot,” Celtics assistant and Summer League head coach Matt Reynolds told reporters Thursday of Gonzalez, via CLNS Media.

Gonzalez has a steep learning curve compared to his Summer League teammates; whereas players like Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh are familiar with the Celtics’ system, Gonzalez has had to learn a whole new playbook and new team principles in just two weeks. According to Reynolds, however, the rookie is a quick learner.

“He’s been awesome,” Reynolds said of Gonzalez. “Our staff is very pleased with him, especially having just arrived in the country. We’re throwing our whole playbook at him and all these things that some of our returning players just have a leg up on him with. So, he’s diligent with film, both in the skill side and in the concepts and action side.”

Gonzalez — who’s the youngest player on Boston’s roster — inevitably will make some mistakes in Vegas as he catches up to speed. But Reynolds and the Celtics will live with those mistakes as long as his effort level doesn’t waver.

“The motor that he plays with is something you can’t teach,” Reynolds recently told Celtics team reporter Marc D’Amico. “He plays very hard. … His effort is going to make up for any delay (in learning the playbook).”

Gonzalez’s Celtics teammates already have raved about his hustle, with Walsh calling the rookie a “defensive menace” who “plays really hard … dives on the floor … and attacks the rim with force.” It sounds like Gonzalez is putting similar effort off the court to dive into the Celtics’ playbook and get caught up to speed as quickly as possible.

Gonzalez and the Summer C’s will debut Friday afternoon against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, with tip-off set for 4 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.

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Book excerpt: How Buster Posey foresaw Giants' record-breaking 2021 MLB season

Book excerpt: How Buster Posey foresaw Giants' record-breaking 2021 MLB season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

  • Editor’s Note: Alex Pavlovic’s new book “The Franchise: San Francisco Giants: A Curated History of the Orange and Black,” landed on bookshelves Tuesday, July 8. The following is an excerpt regarding the team’s pursuit of Bryce Harper during the 2018-19 offseason. You can purchase the book HERE.

In the spring of 2020, the Giants opened the doors of their new $50 million spring training headquarters. The stunning 40,000 square foot building has a multi-floor weight room, a clubhouse with 10 TVs and mood lighting, and an event space that doubles as an indoor infield on rainy mornings.

There is a float tank for recovery and the booth that Mike Murphy used to eat at every night at Don & Charlie’s. On the third floor, two decks overlook the playing fields and offer stunning views of Camelback Mountain. A lounge is set up with ping-pong tables and leather couches for team meetings.

It was in that room that Buster Posey reset expectations for the 2021 Giants.

It had been five years since the organization’s last postseason appearance and the Giants finished with a losing record during the shortened 2020 season, which Posey opted out of. With their catcher back to lead a rebuilt starting staff, the Giants were internally optimistic about being in the thick of the Wild Card race.

There was no talk of winning the NL West, which had been taken eight consecutive times by the Dodgers. The new staff took a measured approach as camp kicked off, but Posey, as was so often said when he made a perfect throw down to second base, wasn’t having it. 

As the entire team met in the lounge on the first day of camp, Posey had a sense that expectations needed to change. He stood up and talked about the importance of going game by game, series by series, and he talked passionately about how the lineup should focus on becoming the toughest set of nine outs possible. Then he turned to the big picture.

Posey knew that each season gets broken up into sections and overlooked teams often waited to see how they were faring later in the summer before taking a serious run at a division crown. But he felt the group in front of him had the talent to be pretty good, and he thought it was important to get in front of that from day one.

“The bar is not to sneak into a Wild Card spot, the bar for us with the Giants is to go out and win the division. There’s freedom in that, I think. It’s like, ‘All right, here’s the standard,’ and it’s a high bar but I think it also leads to confidence,” Posey said later. “Guys are like, well, shoot, the manager and these players believe we can do this, instead of just thinking we’re going to try to sneak in. I think it kind of rallied the guys early. The first day of camp, it was like, ‘All right, we’ve got to set the bar high.’ ”

The short speech struck the right chord, although there were still plenty who viewed the climb as impossibly steep.

“I’d say probably half the people in the room would admit to taking that with a grain of salt, like, ‘Yeah, but the Dodgers …’ ” said backup catcher Curt Casali.

But Posey had reminded them that it was a challenge worth tackling.

“That was important for us. At that point, nobody had given us a chance for a few years — nobody ever picked us to be first in that division,” Brandon Belt said. “But to hear it out loud from a leader of the team, it gives everybody else a bunch of confidence and gets their head in the right space. He got me in the right frame of mind. We had a few veterans speak up. I think that meeting in spring training was the turning point for us that year.”

It was a message that was particularly powerful coming from a player, but Posey might not have fully grasped how important it was to shift the tone. He had not been in the clubhouse a summer earlier when players started having long conversations about how seemingly everything about the Giants was changing.

The new front office and staff embraced openers, platoons and cutting-edge training and recovery methods. The lingo changed, with manager Gabe Kapler talking of putting his arms in buckets. There were “bulk innings pitchers” but also “sprinters.” The Giants irritated fans by announcing their starting pitchers at the last possible moment and opposing managers rolled their eyes at how late the lineup card would be sent over.

At times it seemed the staff was trying to challenge every tradition and method the game of baseball had, and not always for the better. Early in the 2020 season, a few veterans called a team meeting after a game to make sure that, for the players, at least, the priority was always on winning games.

The next spring, that was made clear from the start. An unlikely goal had been set, and seven months later, when Posey caught a 97 mph fastball to end the regular season, he raised both arms and looked to the sky. It took everything they had, but the Giants had won the NL West, and done so in historic fashion.

They set a franchise record with 107 wins, edging the Dodgers by one game in the first divisional race in which both teams won at least 105 games. It was the closest race in MLB history, with the Giants becoming the first to win 107 games but clinch their division on the final day, and the Dodgers setting a record for wins by a second-place team. After 162 games, the Giants made good on a message that Posey teased publicly shortly after he spoke to teammates. 

“As much as I think the sports world loves to try to predict everything, there’s still some parts of it that can’t be predicted,” Posey told reporters at the start of camp. 

His team ended up becoming the greatest outlier in franchise history. In MLB history, that type of win total is generally preceded by years of postseason performances or tanking to stockpile top picks. But the Giants went 29-31 in 2020 and then came back the next year and spent 125 days with the best record in baseball. They got contributions from every corner of the roster, winning endlessly at the margins, something that president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi preached when ownership hired him in 2018.

If ever there was a time for the Giants to take a full step back and tear it down to the studs, that winter of 2018 had seemed to be it. The Giants had lost 98 games a season earlier and then doubled down with expensive trades, but they seemed allergic to the word “rebuild.”

Larry Baer interviewed 10 candidates to lead the baseball operations department, but Zaidi always was a frontrunner. He built a glowing reputation in Oakland and then Los Angeles, and his vision aligned with what the Giants’ board had always embraced. He had no interest in tearing things down.

“Our ownership group has always been constructed in a way that we want to try to win every year and also develop. That’s probably the hardest thing in sports to do,” Baer said. “Some teams have done that — the [New England] Patriots, the [San Antonio] Spurs, the [New York] Yankees to some extent — and our ownership group is aspirational about trying to do that. Farhan matched those aspirations. That’s really what it came down to.“

Perhaps the Giants should have taken a step back. That might have put them in a better position over the long haul, but with key veterans like Posey and the Brandons still in the lineup, that was never really an option. Over the previous four seasons, the Giants won just 45 percent of their games, with GM Bobby Evans getting dismissed. Over the following three seasons, they went 240-246, a run of mediocrity that cost Zaidi and Kapler their jobs.

But in the middle of it all is a remarkable 162-game season. For six months, just about everything went right.

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