Worldwide Sports News

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Get ready for the weekend with a trio of NRFI/YRFI bets for Friday, May 22!

My top MLB picks call for a low-scoring first frame between the Cleveland Guardians and Philadelphia Phillies, with the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels also blanking the first inning to wrap up my betting card.

Best NRFI/YRFI picks today

Pick	Odds
/ - NRFI	-139
/ - NRFI	-121
/ - NRFI	-127

Guardians at Phillies: NRFI (-139)

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams and Philadelphia Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez have both dazzled in the first inning this season.

Williams has held opposing hitters to a .222 batting average while tossing a scoreless first inning in seven of 10 starts, and it’s been a similar story for Sanchez. The southpaw has pitched a scoreless first in eight of 10 starts with a 2.70 ERA.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSP, CLEG

Mariners at Royals: NRFI (-121)

The Kansas City Royals have scored in the opening inning in just 24% of their games, tied for sixth-lowest in the majors.

Although Seattle Mariners starter Logan Gilbert has been hit for a 1.045 OPS in the first inning, he posted a .645 mark in 2025, making this a great spot for the righty to flip the early script.

Seattle also ranks 29th in wOBA against left-handed starters, and Royals southpaw Noah Cameron has fired a scoreless first inning in six of eight starts.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ROYL, SEAM

Team at Team: Rangers at Angels: NRFI (-127)

While it might be asking a lot to back Los Angeles Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, the Texas Rangers have scored in the first inning at the eighth-lowest rate in baseball this season. Rodriguez also held the Los Angeles Dodgers scoreless in the first inning in his season debut last time out.

Rangers righty Jacob deGrom is also due for some statistical correction in the opening frame. He’s allowed four first-inning home runs with a 1.010 OPS, but considering he’s surrendered just 10 total homers and a .625 OPS overall, those early struggles should start to subside.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ABTV, CW33

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

There’s a potential playoff lookahead as two of the best teams in the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, begin a three-game weekend series on Friday.

With two effective hurlers on the mound in Justin Wrobleski and Logan Henderson, my Dodgers vs. Brewers predictions envision a low-scoring contest.

Read on for my full analysis and MLB picks for Friday, May 22.

Who will win Dodgers vs Brewers today: Dodgers (-106)

Justin Wrobleski has experienced a breakout start, notching two more wins (6) than any other hurler on the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a single loss to show for it. He carries a 2.49 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while avoiding walks (5.9% BB%) and home runs (0.36 HR/9).

The Milwaukee Brewers have struggled to hit southpaws all season, ranking 26th in wRC+ (78) and 27th in wOBA (.283).

That contrasts greatly with L.A.’s numbers against righties — second in both wRC+ (120) and wOBA (.345) — so the edge goes to the Boys in Blue.

COVERS INTEL:Milwaukee’s struggles against LHP are backed up by their poor batted ball metrics. Its lineup hits soft grounders (first in groundball rate, 26th in hard-hit rate) and rarely goes deep (28th in HR/FB).

Dodgers vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-110)

It’ll be cold (56 degrees) and windy (11 mph blowing in toward first base) day at American Family Field, which already has the sixth-lowest Park Factor (97) of any venue.

That’s pitching weather if I’ve ever seen it, and it’ll benefit two effective starters.

Logan Henderson is a budding star, notching a 2.49 ERA across his first nine starts. That’s supported by a 114 Pitching+ and a robust 26.5% K-BB% that would rank second among qualified starters.

These are the top two bullpens in FIP this month (Milwaukee 2.36, LA 2.45), and both are well-rested after Thursday’s off day.

Dodgers vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Los Angeles -103 | Milwaukee -107
• Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+152) | Milwaukee +1.5 (-168)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-103) | Under 8.5 (-107)

Dodgers vs Brewers trend

The Dodgers have cashed the Under in five of Justin Wrobleski’s seven starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Brewers.

How to watch Dodgers vs Brewers and game info

Dodgers vs Brewers latest injuries

Dodgers vs Brewers weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

In the baseball canon, Tommy John’s name gets used with more frequency and gravity than almost any one else’s. Unlike some of the other cemented names in the game’s history, John’s recognition comes largely from reasons outside of his play. Now, this does make sense, given the importance of the surgery that bears his name, but it’s also perhaps a bit unfair, as the left-hander was a very good, and sometimes great, pitcher in the big leagues for the better part of three decades.

A four-time All-Star who enjoyed a run of particular run of excellence in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, John made his mark on and off the field, as a monument of longevity, and of course, providing the name to the procedure that forever changed the game.

Tommy John
Born: May 22, 1943 (Terre Haute, IN)
Yankees Tenure: 1979-82, 1986-89

Born in Indiana in 1943, Thomas Edward John would be pitching in the Major Leagues 46 years later, taking a route that was anything but straightforward.

He made his big league debut back in 1963 with Cleveland, as a spry 20-year-old. The lefty spent two decent-but-brief seasons in Cleveland, before being shipped to the South Side of Chicago in a three-team trade. He had his first great season with the White Sox in ‘68, when he managed a sub-2 ERA and made his first All-Star team.

Prior to the 1972 season, Tommy John was traded to the Dodgers in as high-profile a one-for-one trade as you will see, sent in exchange for Dick Allen. Allen immediately went and won the MVP award in ‘72, but John did his best to match it, entering the best and most significant stretch of his career. His first two seasons in L.A. saw him pitch over 400 combined innings with a neat and tidy 3.00 ERA.

While John had already established himself as a reliable and highly effective starter, his fame would skyrocket for the wrong reasons in the mid-’70s. After an excellent start to the 1974 campaign, the lefty had to leave mid-game in a July start against the Expos. John heard a pop and had significant pain in his throwing elbow; he would not return for the rest of the season. An external doctor told John that it was a career-ending injury, having torn his UCL, though Dodgers’ team doctor Frank Jobe had different plans. He performed the now universally known and eponymous reconstructive surgery, using a tendon from John’s wrist and placing it in his throwing elbow. It was a leap of faith, with the procedure never being done on an athlete, but it was a resounding success. John missed all of the ‘75 season, but ultimately returned, pitching 14 more seasons following the procedure, and of course, paving the way for thousands of other hurlers.

Following the famed procedure, the veteran starter returned for his age-33 season, and was just as good as ever. In fact, it would mark the beginning of the finest stretch of his career. The lefty pitched three more seasons with the Dodgers, working well over 200 innings in each, finishing second in Cy Young voting in ‘77, and making another All-Star team during that stretch. Following another excellent run in 1978, the 15-year veteran hit free agency for the first time, when he signed a three-year deal with the Yankees.

Upon arrival, the impact John had was immediately clear. In 1979, He set a career high with 276.1 innings pitched, doing so at a very high level, managing a sub-3 ERA, notching his first 20-win campaign, and once again finishing second in Cy Young voting. Now several years removed from his revolutionary surgery, the doubt that shadowed him was rightfully subdued.

When the 1980s rolled around, John had entered his late-30s, but he remained near the top of his game. He tossed a whopping 265.1 innings, he won another 22 games, and made his fourth (and third consecutive) All-Star team. In 1981, despite his medical history and 40th birthday beginning to knock on the door, John continued to deal. Although he pitched in just 140.1 innings, thanks to a strike and a frightening medical scare with one of his sons, it was one of his best seasons from a run prevention standpoint, posting a 2.63 ERA in the shortened campaign.

During his initial stretch in New York, he did his part in the postseason as well, particularly in 1981. That year, he was the winning pitcher in Game 1 of the ALCS, stymieing the A’s with six innings of one-run ball. Then in Game 2 of the World Series against the Dodgers that season, John tossed seven shutout frames and did not allow a baserunner to reach until the fifth inning.

Tommy John was traded to the Angels in August of 1982, and despite being 39 at the time, he still had plenty of baseball ahead of him. He pitched in parts of four seasons for the Angels, not quite meeting his standards of performance, but continuing to pitch plenty of innings. After a brief and disappointing finish to the ‘85 season with Oakland, John once again defied the odds and continued to pitch for four more seasons after.

All of this time came in a return to the Yankees. He even posted a sub-3 ERA in over 70 innings in ‘86, and tossed 187.2 innings a year later at the age of 44. Tommy John would pitch his final game at 46-years-old in the 1989 season with New York.

Tommy John’s career and legacy in the baseball world is as significant as some of the biggest names in the game. While that may be primarily for reasons aside from his playing ability, the lefty was a terrific pitcher, and was generally as durable as they come for multiple decades. His eponymous surgery is certainly vital to baseball history, but John should also be remembered as an excellent pitcher, who pitched more than 4,700 Major League innings.

Here’s to a happy 83rd birthday to one of baseball’s biggest names!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

1926
With a single in his first at-bat, Earl Sheely ran his hot streak to 10-of-13, one of just seven such stretches in White Sox history. Of his 10 hits, Sheely had four singles, five doubles and a home run.

1928
Center fielder Johnny Mostil tied former White Sox center fielder Happy Felsch with an AL-record 12 chances in a 4-3 win against Cleveland. Mostil took advantage of a cavernous Comiskey Park center field to grab 10 fly balls (including all three outs in the top of the third) in the game. Mostil also initiated an inning-ending double play in the top of the sixth, snagging a liner off the bat of Luke Sewell.

As if scampering deep to center and into left and right field for fly balls wasn’t enough of a testament to Mostil’s speed and quicks, he also scored the eventual winning run on a wild pitch by George Uhle — from second base!

Mostil had three hits on the day, scoring two runs.

1938
Ted Lyons beat the Senators, 9-2, for his 200th career win. The future Hall-of-Famer would earn 60 more victories before his career was done. Despite this milestone in 1938, other counting stats failed the legend, as his 9-11 record and seemingly-high 3.70 ERA (nope, he had a 134 ERA+) for a putrid, 65-83-1 White Sox club saw Lyons get his $10,000 salary slashed by 10% in 1939!

1977
Richie Zisk became only the second White Sox player in history to hit a home run into the center field bleachers at Comiskey Park, joining Dick Allen (1972). Zisk’s blast off Detroit’s Dave Rozema in the eighth inning didn’t help the Sox win, however — they got beat, 14-3, despite slapping out 12 hits in the game. The blow was the fifth-ever hit into Comiskey’s center field bleachers, over the ballpark’s 67 years.

1982
A 7-3 win against Cleveland raised Chicago’s record to 26-12 — best in all of baseball. The win also moved the White Sox one game up in the AL West race, breaking a tie with California.

The victors struck for four in the bottom of the first inning, and by end the of five frames were ahead, 7-2. Tony Bernazard and Greg Luzinski both rapped out three hits in the game, while Harold Baines went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs. Steve Trout went 5 1/3 innings for the win, while Jerry Koosman worked 2 2/3 for the save.

1990
White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk struck a blow for traditionalists. 

Fisk got into a verbal exchange with Yankees outfielder Deion Sanders after the two-sport star drew a dollar sign in the batter’s box before an at-bat at Yankee Stadium, and then failed to run out a pop-up. Fisk followed Sanders back to the Yankee dugout while shouting, “Run the ball out, you piece of shit.” 

The next time Sanders came up to bat, he said something to Fisk. Carlton started to go after him when home plate umpire John Hirschbeck intervened. 

Fisk was asked after the game what else he said to Sanders: “‘There is a right way and a wrong way to play this game,’” he said. “‘You’re playing it the wrong way. And the rest of us don’t like it. Someday, you’re going to get this game shoved right down your throat.’”  

2019
It was a night of firsts for the White Sox, in a 9-4 win over the Astros. Things started off in the third inning, when Houston had runners on first and second with nobody out. Jake Marisnick hit a shot down to third base. Yoán Moncada fielded it and stepped on third for the out, fired to second baseman Yolmer Sánchez for out No. 2, and Sánchez relayed the ball to first baseman José Abreu just in time to nip Marisnick for a triple play. (One day short of the fourth anniversary of the triple play, Marisnick was designated for assignment off of the White Sox roster.)

Then with the Sox up, 4-3, in the sixth inning, outfielder Charlie Tilson launched a grand slam into the right-field seats. It was Tilson’s first big-league home run, and became the first time in franchise history the Sox had both a grand slam and a triple play in the same game — and only the fourth time in 40 years that had happened in all of baseball!

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Chicago White Sox head to the Bay Area tonight to begin a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants. First pitch is scheduled for 10:15 p.m. ET at Oracle Park. 

With an intriguing pitching matchup, my White Sox vs. Giants predictions see value in the Under. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, May 22. 

Who will win White Sox vs Giants today: White Sox moneyline (-108)

The Chicago White Sox send their ace to the mound tonight in Davis Martin. He's dominated this year, compiling a 1.61 ERA and 6-1 record through nine starts. 

Martin has also been solid on the road, sporting a 1.95 ERA. He's up against a San Francisco Giants team that is 30th in runs scored and has lost three straight. 

Chicago has also won three of the last four meetings against the Giants. The hosts hand Trevor McDonald the ball, and he's allowed six earned runs at home across his last two outings. 

COVERS INTEL: The Giants are 20th in wRC+ in May, sitting at 92. 

White Sox vs Giants Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-125)

While McDonald hasn't been at his best at Oracle Park lately, he does have a very respectable 2.37 ERA overall through three starts.

The right-hander has shown the ability to get outs on a consistent basis, and the White Sox aren't exactly thriving at the dish lately,scoring just six runs across their previous series with the Mariners. 

Martin, meanwhile, can't do much wrong, giving up two earned runs or fewer ever since his season debut on March 30.

He is lights-out, and the Giants have struggled immensely all year to muster up any offense. Also, four of the last five meetings have hit the Under. 

White Sox vs Giants odds

• Moneyline: White Sox -104 | Giants -100
• Run line: White Sox -1.5 (+148) | Giants +1.5 (-192)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-101) | Under 7.5 (-127)

White Sox vs Giants trend

The White Sox have hit the moneyline in 19 of their last 30 games (+10.25 Units / 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Giants.

How to watch White Sox vs Giants and game info

White Sox vs Giants latest injuries

White Sox vs Giants weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.