Thomas Castellanos meant "no disrespect" to the Crimson Tide but still believes what he said about Alabama being unable to stop him.
Twins at Dodgers Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for July 23
Its Wednesday, July 23 and the Twins (49-52) are in Los Angeles to close out their series against the Dodgers (59-43).
Chris Paddack is slated to take the mound for Minnesota against Tyler Glasnow for Los Angeles.
The Twins won a slugfest last night, 10-7, to even the series at one game apiece. Christian Vazquez drove in three runs and Carlos Correa scored four runs to pace the attack. Shohei Ohtani homered for the fourth straight game and Andy Pages for the second consecutive night but it was not enough for the Dodgers.
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.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Twins at Dodgers
- Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2025
- Time: 4:10PM EST
- Site: Dodger Stadium
- City: Los Angeles, CA
- Network/Streaming: MNNT, SNLA, MLBN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Twins at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
- Moneyline: Twins (+197), Dodgers (-240)
- Spread: Dodgers -1.5
- Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Twins at Dodgers
- Pitching matchup for July 23, 2025: Chris Paddack vs. Tyler Glasnow
- Twins: Chris Paddack (3-9, 5.14 ERA)
Last outing: July 18 at Colorado - 9.00 ERA, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts - Dodgers: Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 3.10 ERA)
Last outing: July 18 vs. Milwaukee - 1.50 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts
- Twins: Chris Paddack (3-9, 5.14 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Twins at Dodgers
- The Dodgers have won 4 of their last 5 games against AL Central teams
- The Under is 7-3 in the Twins' last 10 games
- Shohei Ohtani has gone yard in 4 straight games
- Will Smith is 6-17 (.353) in 5 games since the All-Star Break
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 today’s game between the Twins and the Dodgers
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 Wednesday's game between the Twins and the Dodgers:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Los Angeles Dodgers on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Minnesota Twins at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
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)
Florida State QB Thomas Castellanos stands by his Alabama comments at ACC media day
Castellanos said in a summer interview that the Crimson Tide don't 'have Nick Saban to save them' in their Week 1 matchup.
Dutch Winger Leaves NHL, Signs In KHL
Dutch-Canadian winger Daniel Sprong, 28, has signed a one-year contract with CSKA Moscow, the KHL club announced on Wednesday.
Born in the Netherlands, Sprong has lived and played hockey in North America since the age of eight. This is his first professional contract to play hockey in Europe.
Sprong played junior hockey for the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders and was selected in the second round, 46th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Sprong made the Penguins out of training camp as an 18-year-old but, after scoring two goals in 18 games was sent back to junior. Between 2015 and 2025, he recorded 166 points and 68 penalty minutes in 374 NHL regular season games with the Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Washington Capitals, Seattle Kraken, Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils. He also had three points in 14 playoff games with Washington, Seattle and New Jersey.
The 2023-24 season was chaotic for Sprong, who started in Vancouver before being traded back to Seattle, getting sent down to the AHL for 19 games before being traded to New Jersey at the deadline.
Goalie Spencer Martin Signs In KHL
Canadian goaltender Spencer Martin, 30, has signed a two-year
contract with CSKA Moscow, the KHL club announced on Wednesday.
CSKA, colloquially known in North America as the Red Army team, is a perennial powerhouse in Russia but last season finished fifth in the KHL’s Western Conference and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
The club has had a busy off-season trying to improve its roster. In addition to Sprong, the team has also acquired Nikolai Kovalenko, Rhett Gardiner, Denis Zerov and goaltender Spencer Martin this month, with Egor Sokolov being signed and traded away in the process. In addition, it has under contract for 2025-26 ex-NHLers Denis Guryanov, Nikita Nesterov, Nikita Okhotyuk and Vladislav Kamenev.
Photo © Bob Frid-Imagn Images.
Sharks Free Agent Nikolai Kovalenko Signs In KHL
American-born Russian winger Nikolai Kovalenko, 25, has signed a
two-year contract with CSKA Moscow, the KHL
club announced on social media on Saturday. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving discuss what went wrong in Brooklyn
Going into the 2021-22 NBA season, the question was, "Can anybody compete with the Brooklyn Nets?" They had Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden with a solid supporting cast. They were the clear betting favorite going into the season, with no other team in the East particularly close. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Haden had forced his way to Philadelphia, and the 44-38 Nets were seventh in the East, getting swept out of the playoffs in the first round by Boston.
In recent days during public discussions, Durant and Kyrie Irving were re-litigating what went wrong in Brooklyn.
It started with Durant on the Mind the Game podcast with LeBron James and Steve Nash, the latter of whom was the coach of that Nets team.
"I think we didn't get the full Steve Nash like I wanted."@KDTrey5 explains why Brooklyn didn’t workout the way it should’ve and more on Part 2 of a new episode. Watch on our YouTube, @PrimeVideo or listen wherever you get your podcasts https://t.co/n2swVHpna1pic.twitter.com/Xl5Ne4MsAt
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) July 8, 2025
"I feel like we [Durant, Nash] were locked in on the same page and understanding we're trying to do something special here. And I feel like your hands were tied a lot because, as a coach, you had to deal with so much. I think we didn't get the full Steve Nash like I wanted. Like you probably wanted...
"I enjoyed it. I enjoyed Brooklyn a lot. I loved playing for Brooklyn, but it's just so much happened around the guys that were committed to the situation. I felt like we were committed but everybody else wasn't. It was just weird."
Irving, speaking on his Twitch channel, talked about how he waited for Durant to get healthy from his torn Achilles, and that the Nets cared way more about KD than they did Irving — and former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson caught a stray from Irving as well. Here is what Irving said about his relationship with the Nets:
"I wish that we got a chance to get to know them beforehand because they wasn't f***ing with me like that... Kenny Atkinson wasn't f***ing with me like that. The Nets didn't want me like that. They wanted KD."
Irving also said he was surprised by the Harden trade, which Harden himself had pushed for, and that getting Ben Simmons and his back issues as the return ultimately turned out to be a mess. (Harden took a lot of hits in the media and online at the time of that trade, but within a year, the pendulum had swung back and he looked like the guy who saw the writing on the wall and got out while he could.)
Irving, however, added he has no issue with Durant, Nash, or anybody else in Brooklyn.
"Me and KD are not beefing. I'm not beefing with Steve Nash. I'm not beefing with anybody, you guys. Alright? This is not personal against KD, and even when he tweeted back at me and he said he's going to have the noti's on, I appreciate that, you guys. I appreciate the engagement. I just want to tell KD I love him, you know what I'm saying?..
"It wasn't perfect, but I can honestly say I took a chance on winning a championship with my best friend. We had an incredible time. I can honestly take accountability for my actions and say that I wasn't always in the best space mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally... So, let me get that disclaimer out … I've played with a lot of great players, but playing with KD, that was OD. He's one of the best of all time. Obviously we all have our strengths and weaknesses… I'm doing my thing. He's doing his thing. Let's leave it there."
The Brooklyn Nets organization is still climbing out of the hole of that era, starting to try to rebuild something. But that was a deep hole, and it's going to take time.
Eagles’ 2025 undrafted free agents with the best chance to make the 53-man roster
With training camp underway, we're looking at five undrafted free agents with the best chance to make the Philadelphia Eagles' 53-man roster.
Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba to miss 2025 MLS All-Star Game against Liga MX All-Stars
MLS rules state players who miss the event without an injury reason are subject to a 1-game suspension.
Flyers Give Michigan State-Bound Top Prospect Martone Their Blessing
It turns out there won’t be any drama surrounding highly touted right winger Porter Martone at the Philadelphia Flyers’ training camp this fall.
Martone, selected sixth overall in the recent NHL draft, won’t be competing for a Flyers roster spot this year because he committed to Michigan State on Monday.
He has the Flyers’ blessing.
“We are very supportive of the decision made by Porter and excited to see him developing into a Flyer very soon,” GM Danny Briere said on Tuesday night.
“Very soon” means he could sign an entry-level deal with the Flyers before the upcoming NHL season ends.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Martone, 18, spent one year at Michigan State and then joined the Flyers.
At Michigan State, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Martone will be teammates with Flyers prospect Shane Vansaghi – another plus for the Flyers because they could be on the same line and develop some chemistry that might have a carryover effect down the road.
Vansaghi, a 6-foot-3, 212-pound winger called ‘The Truck,’ was drafted by the Flyers in the second round (48th overall) last month.
In any event, Martone changed plans after the Flyers’ recent development camp, when he said his goal was to play a “full season” in the NHL in 2025-26. He said at the time if Flyers management thinks differently, he would talk with his agent.
He will now bypass the Flyers’ training camp and be at Michigan State.
Flyers assistant GM Brent Flahr, who heads the Flyers’ draft room, loves Martone’s maturity as a player and his ability to make plays but recently said “the pace of his game is going to have to pick up.”
An Ontario native, Martone’s learning curve will progress in the NCAA, where he will play against bigger and stronger competition than he faced in juniors.
With Brampton in the OHL this past season, Martone had 98 points (37 goals, 61 assists) and 74 penalty minutes in 57 games with the Steelheads.
Michigan State won its second consecutive Big Ten championship last season but was eliminated by Cornell in the first round of the NCAA men’s hockey tournament.
The Spartans are loaded with NHL prospects and are expected to be a contender for the national title next season, with Martone in the middle of things.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
Logan Hensler Reflects On Ottawa Senators Prospect Pipeline Flowing Through Wisconsin
When it comes to developing good young Ottawa Senators prospects, it would appear that the University of Wisconsin has become the new North Dakota.
The Fighting Hawks of North Dakota had four future Senators on their 2020–21 club – first-rounders Jake Sanderson and Jacob Bernard-Docker, and second-rounders Shane Pinto and Tyler Kleven. Remarkably, all four made it to the show and became NHL teammates, something that's rarely happened in NHL history, if ever.
Three of the four remain important players in Ottawa, but Bernard-Docker was displaced this year with the arrival of Nick Jensen and the emergence of Nik Matinpalo. After recovering from a leg injury at practice early in the season, JBD couldn't get back into the lineup, and with free agency looming, the Senators dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the Josh Norris–Dylan Cozens trade in March.
"Hello, Wisconsin!"
Now, five years after North Dakota became an Ottawa prospect factory, there will once again be four Senator prospects all playing for the same school. But this foursome will be battling for the University of Wisconsin at the Kohl Center in Madison, the second-biggest rink in the NCAA (15,359).
Logan Hensler, the 23rd overall pick at last month's NHL Draft, and Tyson Dyck, a 7th-rounder from 2022, were Badger teammates last season.
Now they'll be joined by forward Blake Montgomery, a 2024 4th-round pick fresh off a Memorial Cup title with the London Knights, and Croatian forward Bruno Idzan, a sixth-round pick last month.
Idzan joined the USHL's Lincoln Stars in mid-season, but started the year playing against men in the Alps Pro Hockey League. He destroyed it with 21 goals in 19 games, then came to North America and put up 44 points in 36 games in the USHL.
Montgomery returned to play in Lincoln (USHL) for another year last season, but things weren't working out, so he left for London and scored 50 points in 51 games.
Hensler is seen as the best prospect of the bunch and appeared on the Locked On Senators podcast, published on Wednesday. Hensler spoke about his two new incoming teammates and said he was impressed with Montgomery when they faced off in the 2023-24 USHL season.
"A hundred percent," Hensler said. "I remember playing him when he was in Lincoln. Just the speed on him, the hands, it's the hockey sense overall. He's a great player. I'm excited he's on our team and to get to know him. So it's going to be fun."
As for Idzan, he joined the USHL's Lincoln Stars last season right around the time Montgomery left for London. Hensler was surprised Idzan didn't get picked until the sixth round, especially after he recently got to see his game up close for the first time.
"Crazy, yeah. Coming from Croatia, too. We've had some skates this summer. He's legit. So, I'm excited to see what he can do for us this year."
For Hensler, the expectation for the "WisconSens" is pretty simple, but it certainly won't be easy.
"I think the expectation is always a national championship, right? But I think this year the Big Ten is going to be pretty tough. So I think we'll fit in nicely with that. I'm just excited to see how the CHL players fit in and just how the Big Ten grows. So it's going to be pretty cool."
Select University of Wisconsin hockey games are expected to be streamed again this season on TSN+, and some games will also be shown on the Big Ten's streaming service B1G+ along with the NCAA website. We pass that along for Senators fans who like to keep an eye on prospects for the future – a future that keeps looking better by the day.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Image credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
More Sens Headlines:
Former Ottawa Senator Returns To NHL After Three-Year KHL Stint
Sens Captain Brady Tkachuk Celebrates Hard at Brother Matthew's Wedding
Can The Senators Count On Dylan Cozens To Consistently Produce?
Senators Re-Sign 2021 First-Round Pick To One-Year Deal
An Early Glance At The Senators’ 2026 Free Agent Class
Why Mason McTavish Isn’t Coming Home To The Senators
Brewers at Mariners prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 23
Its Wednesday, July 23 and the Brewers (60-41) are in Seattle to take on the Mariners (54-47) in the finale of their three-game series.
Quinn Priester is slated to take the mound for Milwaukee against Luis Castillo for Seattle.
Cal Raleigh's 39th home run in the bottom of the sixth inning last night was the decisive blow as the Mariners snapped the Brewer's 11-game win streak by the score of 1-0. Raleigh's bomb was one of only four hits for Seattle on the night, but it was enough thanks in large part to Logan Gilbert's 6.1 innings of two-hit, 10K shutout ball.
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.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Brewers at Mariners
- Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2025
- Time: 3:40PM EST
- Site: T-Mobile Park
- City: Seattle, WA
- Network/Streaming: FDSNWI, RSNW
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Brewers at the Mariners
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
- Moneyline: Brewers (+113), Mariners (-133)
- Spread: Mariners -1.5
- Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Mariners
- Pitching matchup for July 23, 2025: Quinn Priester vs. Luis Castillo
- Brewers: Quinn Priester (8-2, 3.33 ERA)
Last outing: July 18 at Dodgers - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 10 Strikeouts - Mariners: Luis Castillo (7-5, 3.21 ERA)
Last outing: July 18 vs. Houston - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts
- Brewers: Quinn Priester (8-2, 3.33 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Mariners
- The Brewers have won 7 of their last 10 road games
- In his last 5 home starts, Mariners' pitcher Luis Castillo has an ERA of 1.44
- The Mariners have covered the Run Line in 5 of Luis Castillo's last 7 starts
- Cal Raleigh has hit safely in 4 of 5 starts (4-20) since the All-Star Break
- Jackson Chourio's hitting streak has reached 16 games (23-62)
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 today’s game between the Brewers and the Mariners
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 Wednesday's game between the Brewers and the Mariners:
- 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 Milwaukee Brewers 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
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)
Former Winnipeg Defenceman Announces Retirement At Young Age
Former Jets defenceman Nathan Beaulieu announced his retirement after only being 32 years old.
Former Winnipeg Jets defenceman Nathan Beaulieu has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey, bringing an end to an 11-year NHL career that saw him play for four teams and make a lasting impression as a reliable, stay-at-home defenseman.
Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) on XCongratulations on a great career, and all the best in your retirement Beau!The 32-year-old from Strathroy, Ontario, was drafted 17th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2011 and made his NHL debut during the 2012–13 season. Over the course of his career, Beaulieu skated in 471 regular season games and recorded 12 goals and 86 assists for a total of 98 points. He also added five assists in 21 playoff appearances.
Beaulieu spent time with the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks. His most productive season came in 2016–17 with Montreal when he registered 28 points in 74 games.
But for Jets fans, Beaulieu’s name will always be tied to his gritty, physical play and steady defensive presence during his four seasons in Winnipeg. Acquired in a trade from Buffalo in 2019, Beaulieu played 124 games with the Jets and was often leaned on for his defensive play and penalty killing. He scored five points in 18 games during his first run with Winnipeg and remained a dependable depth option through the 2021–22 season.
After leaving the NHL, Beaulieu extended his professional career with stints in Switzerland and the KHL before deciding to hang up his skates. While he never became the offensive threat once projected of a first-round pick, Beaulieu carved out a long and respectable NHL career defined by toughness, work ethic and quiet consistency. His retirement marks the close of a steady, team-first chapter in modern NHL blue line history.
Could Winnipeg Target Florida's Niko Mikkola?Florida's loaded cap space make back-to-back champion Niko Mikkola a possible cap causality next summer
Fenway Park Workers Give Aramark 48-Hour Strike Deadline
Concession workers at Fenway Park could walk off the job during the Boston Red Sox’s upcoming series against the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Unite Here Local 26 has given food and beverage provider Aramark until 12 p.m. ET on Friday to offer the stadium’s hospitality staffers a new contract. Should Aramark miss the deadline, the unionized workers will walk off the job during the three-game set this weekend.
More from Sportico.com
The union, which represents concession employees at the stadium as well as other hospitality workers throughout Boston, on June 15 authorized a strike that could be called at any point during the MLB season. At the time, Aramark said it had contingency plans in place should the normal staffers walk off the job.
The Red Sox forwarded a request for comment to Aramark, which said it intends “to keep working with the union toward a settlement that works for everyone. In the event of a strike, we have contingency plans in place to ensure that services are not interrupted.”
The most recent bargaining talks took place last Tuesday, though the two sides remain far apart on key issues.
In addition to a desire for higher wages, one of the biggest worries for Local 26 is the use of self-service machines that Aramark implemented at Fenway back in 2023. Aramark installed six machines created by Mashgin—two self-checkout units that dispense beer and four self-checkout popcorn stations. Employees are concerned that the machines could make them expendable by minimizing the human interaction they say adds to the experience of making Fenway “America’s most beloved ballpark.”
Mashgin’s machines are deployed at 20 of the 30 MLB ballparks in addition to at least 120 more sports venues, at least 100 hospitals and more than 3,000 convenience stores. In April, the company said that during the 2024 season, it “delivered a median transaction time of under 15 seconds across over 3.6 million transactions and $88 million in concession sales.”
In a union Zoom call with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) last week, the former presidential candidate highlighted that interaction when talking about a visit to Fenway last year when the Red Sox were taking on the Dodgers. He followed up that Zoom invite with a scathing letter to Aramark CEO John J. Zillmer and Red Sox owner John Henry, calling out the valuations of both the company and team and expressing concern over the AI-powered self-checkout units.
“If Aramark can afford to pay you $18.7 million in compensation and provide nearly $100 million in dividends for your wealthy shareholders,” the senator wrote to Zillmer, “it can afford to pay all of your workers a living wage and not threaten to take away their jobs and their income with faceless Mashgin touchscreen computers.”
Sanders cited the team’s valuation, saying that it has gone up by over $4 billion since Henry bought the team in 2002 for $380 million. The Red Sox rank third in Sportico’sMLB franchise valuations at $6.03 billion, with a $5.22 billion valuation for the team itself and $810 million for team-related business and real estate, including Fenway Park.
Local 26 also appealed to Henry in an open letter emailed to Fenway Sports Group, the Red Sox’s holding company, on Tuesday evening, asking for him and leadership at FSG to intervene. “Mr. Henry, Fenway Park is your house,” the letter said. “We’re asking you … to intervene. We’re asking you to tell Aramark to bring reasonable proposals to the table that recognize our value and our role in making Fenway thrive.”
Because concession work at Fenway is seasonal, the union said a sustained indefinite strike would have presented too many obstacles for members who are part-time workers at the ballpark. There are no definitive dates for the next potential strike if union members are off for the full Dodgers series.
The Red Sox have a scheduled off day on Thursday before the Dodgers series opens on Friday. The team will be on the road for a three-game set in Minnesota before opening the month of August with a six-game homestand against Houston and Kansas City.
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Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez shows he has come a long way with complete-game victory
PHILADELPHIA — As recently as two years ago, Cristopher Sánchez was a pitcher in transition, earning some major league time yet frequently shuttling between the Phillies and their Triple-A affiliate in the Lehigh Valley.
He was also trying to establish himself, at both levels, as a starting pitcher, one who has now not only has shown an affinity for pitching for length, but pitching as effectively as anyone in baseball.
The 28-yeaer-old Sánchez showed his stuff again Tuesday night, pitching a four-hitter in a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. In the course of a 106-pitch gem, he allowed a fourth-inning home run to Rob Refsnyder and also struck out 12 and induced 13 ground-ball outs.
While only becoming a regular starter late in the 2023 season, Sánchez wiped away his early career inconsistency and became an All-Star last season, and probably should have been one this season. He is 9-2 with a 2.40 ERA, has gone six innings or more over his last nine consecutive outings.
“That just tells me that the work we’ve been doing since the offseason is working,” Sánchez said of his consistency. “And that’s something I take a lot of pride in.”
With a vulnerable bullpen and usual second-starter Aaron Nola suffering a bad season start before going down with an injury, Sánchez’s growth is something the Phillies desperately needed. He has responded with a cool demeanor and an arsenal that includes a high-90s fastball often tempered with a killer change-up.
“He has electric stuff,” Bryce Harper said of Sanchez after the Phillies improved to 58-43. “He’s done a great job for us. Just throws strikes. He’s kind of evolved into an ace for us.”
Sánchez also has an understanding with manager Rob Thomson ... he isn’t usually a pitcher who asks to come out of a game. Hence, when Sanchez kicked into an unusual celebration after striking out Refsnyder for the second time in the game to end the eighth inning, it turned out this show still had an inning to go.
“No, I always wait for the manager to tell me I’m done,” Sánchez said. “I wait for him to come to me.”
Thomson went to his second ace starter after the eighth, “just to see if he was OK.
“He said, ‘No, I’m not tired, I’d tell you if I was tired,’” Thomson said. “So we sent him back out.”
It took only 10 pitches in the ninth for Sánchez to finish out his third career complete game. With it will come yet more recognition that this guy is on the list of potential National League Cy Young Award candidates.
That’s a long way from the hopeful pitcher splitting time between the minors and majors just a few seasons ago.
“That was very hard, but I never gave up,” Sánchez said. “I was staying strong, both mentally and physically, and I was always ready for the opportunity whenever it came.”
Rich Hill becomes oldest player in majors with start against Cubs
CHICAGO — Kansas City’s Rich Hill seemed a bit rusty in his return to the majors as baseball’s oldest active player on Tuesday night.
His Royals teammates didn’t make the 45-year-old left-hander’s start against the Cubs any easier.
Hill gave up three runs and six hits over five innings in his first major league appearance since last September with Boston. He threw 90 pitches (55 strikes), walking two and striking out one before Jonathan Bowlan took over for the sixth with Chicago leading 3-0.
The Cubs went on to win 6-0 with Hill taking the loss.
Hill labored in the second inning when he threw 31 pitches and allowed two unearned runs as the Royals let him down defensively and Chicago took a 2-0 lead.
“He battled his butt off out there,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “It was tough work out there early.
“He had a couple of walks in there, but he made a lot of competitive pitches. Some of them didn’t go his way, but we didn’t play tight enough behind him to keep it where it was. Otherwise he’s probably looking at one, maybe no runs.”
After Dansby Swanson led off second with a single, third baseman Nick Loftin dropped Ian Happ’s sharp grounder on a potential double-play ball. First baseman Salvador Perez then thew out Happ at second on Justin Turner’s grounder, but bobbled Jonathan India’s return throw on what should have been a double play.
Matt Shaw had a run-scoring infield single and Nico Hoerner drove in one on a fielder’s choice.
“You know, the second inning was a little bit of a grind to get through,” Hill said. “But overall, I felt like the ball came out of my hand pretty much the way I wanted to.”
Hill settled in for his final three innings. He retired eight of nine before Carson Kelly singled with two outs in the fifth and Pete Crow-Armstrong lined an RBI double over right-fielder Jac Caglianone.
The Cubs also stole four bases off Hill, including a double steal by Turner and Shaw in the second.
Hill was selected from Triple-A Omaha before the game. In corresponding moves, the Royals optioned right-hander Andrew Hoffman to Omaha and designated outfielder Tyler Gentry for assignment.
Hill’s start at Wrigley Field marked the debut of his 21st season in the majors and his first with Kansas City. The Royals are his 14th major league team, matching Edwin Jackson’s record.
Hill became the oldest player to start a major league game since May 27, 2012, when lefty Jamie Moyer tossed his final game with Colorado at age 49.
Hill is filling a spot in the Royals rotation for Michael Lorenzen, out with a left oblique strain. Quatraro didn’t say when he might pitch next.
And Hill clearly wants to.
“It’s easy to say that you love it, but when you know you have more to give, it’s tough to walk away,” Hill said.
At 45 years and 133 days, Hill became the oldest player in Royals history, passing Hall-of-Fame right-hander Gaylord Perry, who appeared in two games with Kansas City in 1983 after he turned 45.
The 6-foot-5 Hill began his career with the Cubs, making his big-league debut with a one-inning relief appearance against the Florida Marlins on June 15, 2005. He gave up two runs and three hits.
Hill had been at Omaha after signing a minor-league free-agent deal with the Royals in May. He was 4-4 with a 5.36 ERA in nine starts at Omaha.
A Boston native, Hill appeared in four games last season for the Red Sox. Without spring training, he started his preparation at home in Massachusetts.
“You know going into this season, is knowing there was something left and knowing I could contribute to a ball club,” Hill said
He made 11 postseason starts during his four years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, including two World Series starts in 2017 and another in 2018. He went 11-5 during the latter regular season.
Hill entered 90-74 with a 4.01 ERA in 368 career MLB games.
Mets activating reliever José Buttó ahead of Wednesday's Angels series finale
The Mets received a nice boost to their bullpen ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Angels, as right-hander José Buttó was reinstated off the 15-day IL.
Manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed the move, adding that reliever Justin Garza was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the roster.
Buttó was placed on the IL on July 4 (retroactive to July 1) with an illness.
"He’s good to go," Mendoza said when asked if there were any restrictions on Buttó, who often pitches multiple innings during his relief appearances.
The 27-year-old has proven himself as a weapon out of the ‘pen for the Mets, pitching to a 2.47 ERA this season while striking out 39 batters and walking 20 across 43.2 innings (31 games).
"He’s been a big part of our bullpen, and we felt it when he went down," Mendoza said. "I’m glad that he’s back and feeling good."