Liverpool and Arsenal clash at Anfield on Sunday while a beleaguered Manchester United host Burnley on Saturday
Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Stamford Bridge
Continue reading...Giants' All-Star reliever Randy Rodriguez recommended to have Tommy John surgery
Giants' All-Star reliever Randy Rodriguez recommended to have Tommy John surgery originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
As the Giants make one last playoff push, they sustained a massive blow on Friday.
All-Star reliever Randy Rodriguez has been recommended to have season-ending Tommy John surgery by multiple doctors, the Giants announced a few hours before opening a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Oracle Park.
Rodriguez will decide on the course of treatment this weekend.
The Giants placed Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday due to a right elbow sprain, and now he’s likely to miss the entire 2026 season if he undergoes surgery.
The 25-year-old Rodriguez was in the midst of a breakout season when the elbow injury initially popped up. In 50 2/3 innings in 50 appearances this season, he posted a 1.78 ERA with 67 strikeouts and four saves.
Before the MLB All-Star break, Rodriguez was practically unhittable, posting a 0.86 ERA in 41 games. But things didn’t go well after his first Midsummer Classic nod, as he racked up a 6.00 ERA in just nine games.
The Giants likely will use Ryan Walker as the primary closer with Rodriguez done for the season and Camilo Doval in New York after a trade-deadline deal to the Yankees.
The Rangers' Success This Upcoming Season Could Dictate Artemi Panarin's Future
The New York Rangers’ success during the 2025-26 season could dictate a lot of things for the organization.
Artemi Panarin is entering the final season of a seven-year, $81.5 million contract and is in need of a new contract extension.
Is signing Panarin to a long-term contract extension the direction the Rangers want to go in?
After missing the playoffs last season, the future of the Rangers seems murky. It’s unclear if last season’s performance was just a fluke or if the Blueshirts are heading toward a downward spiral.
If their struggles continue, NHL insider Frank Seravalli believes that Panarin could be on the trade block.
However, if the Rangers are able to bounce back and jump into Stanley Cup contention, Seravalli is under the impression that the Rangers and Panarin will finalize a deal.
“I could for sure see (a trade) happening if the Rangers are out (of playoff contention),” Seravalli said. “But I’m going to tell you this: I don’t think the Rangers are going to be out. I have the Rangers as a playoff team. I have the Rangers as a bounce-back team.
“New coach, new environment, new mood... I think they can reinvent themselves in a pretty big way this upcoming season. I've got the Rangers in, and if the Rangers are in, I would assume at some point that means finding a deal for Artemi Panarin that makes sense on an extension.”
It’s unknown if the Rangers and Panarin’s camp have engaged in any sort of contract discussions.
Regardless, Panarin is a cornerstone piece of the franchise, and if the Rangers are able to get back on track, there’s no doubt the 33-year-old forward should be in New York for the foreseeable future.
Brewers at Blue Jays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, stats for August 29
It's Friday, August 29 and the Brewers (83-52) are in Toronto to take on the Blue Jays (78-56). Freddy Peralta is slated to take the mound for Milwaukee against Shane Bieber for Toronto.
This is the first and only series of the season between Toronto and Milwaukee. Over the last six games, the two are opposites with the Brewers at 2-4 and the Blue Jays at 4-2. Milwaukee has lost or tied its opponent for three straight series after being one of the hottest teams in all of baseball.
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 Brewers at Blue Jays
- Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
- Time: 7:07PM EST
- Site: Rogers Centre
- City: Toronto, ON
- Network/Streaming: FDSNWI, Sportsnet, 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 Brewers at the Blue Jays
The latest odds as of Friday:
- Moneyline: Brewers (+114), Blue Jays (-136)
- Spread: Blue Jays -1.5
- Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Blue Jays
- Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Freddy Peralta vs. Shane Bieber
- Brewers: Freddy Peralta, (15-5, 2.68 ERA)
Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 6 Strikeouts - Blue Jays: Shane Bieber, (1-0, 1.50 ERA)
Last outing: 1.50 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts
- Brewers: Freddy Peralta, (15-5, 2.68 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 Blue Jays
- Toronto is 4-2 over the next 6 games
- Milwaukee is 2-4 over the last 6 games
- In the Blue Jays' last 10 games where they've held a rest advantage over their opponents the Under is 7-3
- The Blue Jays are 1-9 against the Run Line on the last 10 occasions that they've had a rest advantage
- The Brewers have won 4 of their last 5 at American League teams
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Brewers and the Blue Jays
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Brewers and the Blue Jays:
- 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.
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Cardinals at Reds Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 29
It's Friday, August 29 and the Cardinals (66-69) are in Cincinnati to take on the Reds (68-66). Matthew Liberatore is slated to take the mound for St. Louis against Zack Littell for Cincinnati.
The Cardinals are Reds are tied for the season series at four games apiece as they prepare for this three-game series. Both enter on bit of losing skids with St. Louis at 2-4 over the last six games and Cincinnati at 1-6 over the past seven (0-3 in the last three). The Reds are 4.0 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot while the Cardinals are 6.5 back.
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 Cardinals at Reds
- Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
- Time: 6:40PM EST
- Site: Great American Ball Park
- City: Cincinnati, OH
- Network/Streaming: FDSNMW, FDSNOH
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 Cardinals at the Reds
The latest odds as of Friday:
- Moneyline: Cardinals (+106), Reds (-126)
- Spread: Reds -1.5
- Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Cardinals at Reds
- Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Matthew Liberatore vs. Zack Littell
- Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore, (6-11, 4.27 ERA)
Last outing: 8.31 ERA, 4 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts - Reds: Zack Littell, (9-8, 3.58 ERA)
Last outing: 9.00 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 4 Hits Allowed, 3 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts
- Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore, (6-11, 4.27 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 Cardinals at Reds
- The two are tied at 4-4 on the season
- Cincinnati is 0-3 in the last 3 games and 1-6 in the past 7
- St. Louis is 2-4 in the last 6 games
- The Over is 7-2-1 for the Cardinals' and the Reds' last 5 games combined
- The Cardinals have failed to cover the Run Line in 5 of their last 6 games
- The Cardinals have lost their last 3 games against teams with better records
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cardinals and the Reds
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 Cardinals and the Reds:
- 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 St. Louis Cardinals at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over 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.
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)
- Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Blackhawks Ranked 2nd In The Athletic’s New Pipeline Rankings
The Chicago Blackhawks have a ton of great young players in the organization. Some of them have reached the NHL, some are hoping to do that in 2025-26, and some are going to get that opportunity in the years to come.
Where does Chicago's pipeline rank amongst the rest of the NHL? Well, Corey Pronman of The Athletic ranked every one in the league from 1-32. His criteria for players to be eligible are that they are 22 years old or younger as of September 15th, 2025. This basically includes every player selected from the 2021 to 2025 NHL Drafts.
Pronman ranked the Chicago Blackhawks' pipeline second in the league. They only trail the San Jose Sharks. With Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Kevin Korchinski eligible for this list despite their runs in the NHL, it is fitting that the Blackhawks have a high ranking.
His ranking, even though it includes the top guys who aren't necessarily considered true prospects anymore, has guys like Nick Lardis and Ethan del Mastro as honorable mentions, rather than making the top 15. Anything can happen, but the Blackhawks appear to be higher on those guys than Pronman is in his rankings.
Players like Macklin Celebrini, Sam Dickinson, and Michael Misa have San Jose in the same conversation as Chicago, one spot ahead of them. That feeds into the idea that these two teams could be powerhouse Western Conference rivals in the 2030s.
When you think about what the Blackhawks roster is going to look like in 2026-27, a lot of the players on this list are projected to be on it. They currently have veterans on the team, but how many of them are included in the long-term plans? Very few.
Chicago's future success mostly comes down to the play of Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov as the core. How other players like Sacha Boisvert, Oliver Moore, Kevin Korchinski, and other depth players fit in around them could push them back into playoff contention.
When you are really high on a list like this, it probably means that there haven't been many wins in recent years, but it could mean that the ship is going to turn around soon. Most evaluators, Pronman included, believe that the Chicago Blackhawks have a bright future.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Jose Alvarado stretchered off floor of FIBA AmeriCup Game, after game says, 'your boy good'
Jose Alvarado had to be stretchered off the court from an AmeriCup game Thursday night in a scary moment for himself and the Pelicans.
Alvarado had led Puerto Rico to overtime against Argentina by scoring 25 points (7-of-12 from 3). In that extra time, Alvarado was battling for a rebound, pulled it free and fell to the floor in the process, landing flat on his back and instantly started grabbing at his lower back in pain.
#AmeriCup2025 Nuestro José Alvarado tiene que salir del partido contra Argentina tras una fuerte caída en el tiempo extra.
— #WAPADeportes (@wapadeportes) August 29, 2025
¡Pronta recuperación, campeón!
Pendientes a https://t.co/pj7ONbpWIu y #WapaDeportes para más detalles. pic.twitter.com/mV5Ia1MpTl
He was down for some time and eventually had to be stretchered off the court back to the locker room. The Pelicans' guard then posted this on his Instagram story.
Jose Alvarado posts on IG after leaving tonight's Puerto Rico game on a stretcher pic.twitter.com/2wj1IPddkG
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) August 29, 2025
Hopefully this does turn out to be nothing, the Pelicans have had enough bad injury luck in recent years and don't need their reserve guard and fan favorite out with a back issue.
Argentina went on to beat Puerto Rico to advance to the AmeriCup semifinals against Canada. In the other semifinal, a USA team led by Javonte Smart, Zachary Auguste and Langston Galloway will face Brazil.
Former Canadiens Player Is Still A Hab At Heart
Josh Gorges had to take the path less travelled to get to the NHL. He went undrafted and worked tirelessly to get an opportunity as a free agent signing, which he obtained with the San Jose Sharks organization. During the 2004-05 lockout, he played with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Barons, and made his NHL debut in 2005-06, skating in 49 games with the big club. The following year, after playing 47 games with the Sharks, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens, along with a first-round pick in the 2007 draft (which would become Max Pacioretty), for Craig Rivet and a 2008 fifth-round pick.
It was in Montreal that he became a regular NHL player and a significant cog in the team’s defense. He was never a big points producer, but he was an effective defensive blueliner, an expert shot-blocker, and the kind of player who doesn’t think twice about sacrificing his body for the team.
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In the eight seasons he played with the Habs, he developed into quite a leader, so much so that when a young Brendan Gallagher joined the team, the veteran agreed to have the rookie move in with his family, a time the Canadiens alternate captain remembers fondly.
Gorges, who went back home to British Columbia after playing four seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, had been coaching his sons in minor hockey and served as an assistant coach with the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL for five years. He was recently appointed as an assistant coach with his hometown Kelowna Rockets in the WHL, and gave The Gazette’s Stu Cowan a phone interview following his nomination.
Cowan reports that Gorges has no regrets about blocking his trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs back in the 2014 offseason. After eight years of bleeding red, white, and blue, he didn’t see himself crossing over to the Canadiens' rivals and was ultimately traded to the Buffalo Sabres instead. He does admit that spending four years losing was not the way he would have liked to end his career, but knowing what he does now, he still wouldn’t have agreed to the trade to Toronto.
Unsurprisingly, he still considers the Canadiens as his team, he wants to be remembered as a Montreal Canadiens player, and they remain the team he roots for. Gorges also added that he’s earned nothing but good things about coach Martin St-Louis from the likes of Shea Weber, Carey Price, and Brendan Gallagher, but he’s clearly not envious of the Habs’ bench boss since he doesn’t aspire to be an NHL coach, at least not for now.
The former blueliner was able to win a Memorial Cup with the Rockets in 2002-03, and now that the team is hosting this year’s tournament, he’s hoping to win another one behind the bench. In Kelowna, he’ll also get to coach Canadiens’ prospect Hayden Paupanekis, a third-round pick at the latest draft.
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Red Sox announce release of right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler
Red Sox announce release of right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Once viewed as a veteran starting pitcher who would help the Red Sox in their pursuit of meaningful late-season baseball, right-hander Walker Buehler won’t be in Boston to see it.
The Red Sox released Buehler eight months after they signed him to a one-year, $21 million deal, the team announced Friday afternoon before opening a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A two-time MLB All-Star, Buehler started the season third in Boston’s rotation behind left-handed ace Garrett Crochet and right-hander Tanner Houck. Houck was placed on the injured list with a right flexor pronator strain on May 13, which figured to open the door for Buehler to cement himself as a top-of-rotation complement for the lefty Crochet.
Unfortunately for both the two-time World Series champion and they Red Sox, Buehler failed to deliver on those expectations.
Buehler went 7-7 with a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts for the Red Sox. Boston was 12-10 in games Buehler started, prompting manager Alex Cora to demote Buehler to the bullpen last week. While a change wasn’t unexpected, and was a move Buehler understood, he gave up two runs on two hits in 2 1/3 innings at Yankee Stadium last Friday.
It marked his final appearance for the Red Sox, who opted not to use Buehler in any of its four games against the Baltimore Orioles. Boston swept the four-game series with three one-run wins at Camden Yards.
Red Sox announce release of right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler
Red Sox announce release of right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Once viewed as a veteran starting pitcher who would help the Red Sox in their pursuit of meaningful late-season baseball, right-hander Walker Buehler won’t be in Boston to see it.
The Red Sox released Buehler eight months after they signed him to a one-year, $21 million deal, the team announced Friday afternoon before opening a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
A two-time MLB All-Star, Buehler began the season as the No. 3 starter in Boston’s rotation behind left-handed ace Garrett Crochet and right-hander Tanner Houck. Houck was placed on the injured list with a right flexor pronator strain on May 13, which figured to open the door for Buehler to cement himself as a top-of-rotation complement for the lefty Crochet.
Unfortunately for both the two-time World Series champion and the Red Sox, Buehler failed to deliver on those expectations.
Buehler went 7-7 with a 5.40 ERA in 22 starts for the Red Sox this season. He surpassed six innings pitched in eight of those 22 starts and Boston was 12-10 in those games.
Buehler’s struggles prompted manager Alex Cora to demote him to the bullpen last week. While a change wasn’t unexpected — and was a move Buehler understood — he responded by allowing two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings at Yankee Stadium.
That outing marked his final appearance for the Red Sox, who opted not to use Buehler in any of its four games against the Orioles this week. Boston swept the four-game series with three of those wins coming by one run — situations where Cora notably didn’t use Buehler.
In other roster moves Friday, the Red Sox selected left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle from Triple-A Worcester, recalled infielder/outfielder Nick Sogard and optioned outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia.
Tolle, the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox farm system, will make his MLB debut opposite Pirates ace Paul Skenes at Fenway Park on Friday night.
Kyle Schwarber's 4-homer game was historic, but his harmless pop-up averted controversy
Kyle Schwarber's last swing Thursday night was a disappointment. He'd hit four home runs, and in the eighth inning had a chance to become the first player in major league history to hit a fifth. He popped up.
By doing so, however, the Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter averted a certain controversy and cries that his accomplishment was tainted.
Why? Because the pitcher he faced was Atlanta Braves infielder Vidal Bruján, a position player mopping up the last inning of the Phillies' 19-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park.
Bruján lobbed a 57.4 mph pitch over the middle of the plate. Schwarber hit it straight into the air for an infield-fly rule out. Controversy averted.
KYLE SCHWARBER FOUR-HOMER GAME
— MLB (@MLB) August 29, 2025
It's the 21st 4-HR game in MLB history! pic.twitter.com/y7EBiykZj7
By going deep in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. Schwarber became the 21st player to hit four home runs in a game, an accomplishment even more rare than a perfect game, 24 of which have been pitched.
Schwarber was only the fourth player to get a chance to hit a fifth homer, joining Mike Cameron (2002), Lou Gehrig (1932) and Bobby Lowe (1894). Everyone else on the list hit their fourth home run in their last at-bat.
"I thought he was going to do it, I really did,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters after the game. “There was no doubt in my mind."
Schwarber was less sure. He has 333 career home runs and an MLB-leading 49 this season, but has zero home runs in 15 plate appearances against position players, against whom he is two for 10 with two walks, two hit-by-pitches and one sacrifice fly.
"I've got a mental block somewhere in my head that I'm not very good against position players,” Schwarber said.
His difficulty is an anomaly. Bruján has an earned-run average of 27.00 in three career pitching appearances, having given up two home runs and nine runs in three innings.
Read more:'Very awkward.' Dodgers wave the white flag historically early in rout to Padres
The Dodgers have used two position players to finish games this season. Kiké Hernández has an ERA of 15.10 in 5 1/3 innings and Miguel Rojas has a 12.60 ERA in five innings, including two in a 16-0 loss to the Cubs when he had the dugout laughing by imitating his teammates.
Rojas wore Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s blue glove, wiggled the ball in it and hesitated during his windup. He imitated Clayton Kershaw, raising his glove high above his head going into the stretch. He tried to look like rookie Roki Sasaki, bending his back knee and lifting his front leg uncomfortably high before releasing the pitch.
All of which took a bit of the sting out of the Dodgers' worst shutout loss in franchise history.
“I guess a little bit of levity in a game like that is certainly helpful,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It just shows [Rojas] watches the games. To be able to throw two innings was huge for us, and we needed every bit of that.”
Yet the ERA of position players pitching since 2021 has been about 10.00, according to FanGraphs. Not everybody is laughing.
Read more:Roki Sasaki takes another step forward, Dodgers' offense regresses in laugher of a loss
Why do position players find themselves on the mound? The practice is stomached by managers who want to protect their actual pitchers from overuse. It's a way of throwing in the towel, waving the white flag, wishing for the mercy rule used in youth baseball.
MLB has acknowledged that the prevalence of position players pitching has become a problem, with critics saying the practice makes a mockery of the game and impacts the validity of statistics — a sacred part of baseball.
As Times assistant sports editor Houston Mitchell wrote, "Might as well bring in the stilts guy from the Savannah Bananas to pitch."
MLB responded in 2023 by implementing a rule restricting the use of position players pitching to games where a team is trailing by at least eight runs at any point, leading by 10 runs in the ninth inning, or in extra innings.
It hasn't done much to stem the tide. Teams are on pace this season to challenge the 2022 record of 132 pitching appearances by position players. As recently as 2008, there were only three such pitching appearances and in 2006 there were none.
So Schwarber hitting a historic fifth home run off anyone other than a legitimate pitcher would have triggered howls from purists and anyone else who believes crushing a 57.4 mph pitch into the seats is a joke.
Read more:Shaikin: How Shohei Ohtani turned the Dodgers into a global entertainment gateway
As it was, belting four homers was quite a feat. Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to do so, joining Mike Schmidt (1976), Chuck Klein (1936) and Ed Delahanty (1896). He also was the third player to do so this season, joining Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Nick Kurtz of the Athletics.
Others on the short list include the Dodgers' Shawn Green in 2002, who in a 16-3 win over the Brewers also doubled and singled to set a record with 19 total bases.
Schwarber got an early start with a 450-foot solo homer in the first inning and a two-run shot in the third. He added a three-run homer in the fifth and finished with another three-run blast in the seventh inning.
When it looked like he'd get one last at-bat in the eighth, Schwarber yelled out a question while hitting in the underground batting cage adjacent to the dugout.
“I shouldn't have even asked the question, but I was like, 'How many guys have hit five?'” Schwarber said. “And nobody said anything, so I was like, 'Oh, OK, well that answers the question.'"
Thanks to his pop fly against Bruján, the answer remains the same: Nobody.
And thanks to his pop fly against Bruján, nobody can complain that a cherished record was broken in a way that would have raised the ire of many.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
New Rangers Defenseman Is Exciting Addition
The New York Rangers have made multiple additions to their roster this off-season. Vladislav Gavrikov was their most significant signing of the summer, but he is not the only new defenseman who Rangers fans should be excited about.
Back in July, the Rangers traded defenseman K'Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in a major swap. One of the main pieces the Rangers got back from the Hurricanes in the trade was prospect defenseman Scott Morrow. He is undoubtedly a Rangers player to watch closely in 2025-26.
By bringing in Morrow, the Rangers have added a right-shot defenseman with plenty of upside. The potential for him to blossom into a top-four defenseman in the future is there, and he has already shown promise at the NHL level early on in his career. In 14 regular-season games this past season with the Hurricanes, he recorded one goal and six points.
Morrow spent the majority of this past season at the American Hockey League (AHL) level with the Chicago Wolves, however. He did well with the AHL squad, posting 13 goals, 26 assists, and 39 points in 52 games. With numbers like these, it is clear that the 2021 second-round pick has the potential to produce offense from the point, and the Rangers will be hoping that he can translate it over to the NHL level.
It is going to be very fascinating to see how much of an impact Morrow can make with the Rangers in 2025-26. The possibility of him breaking out and becoming a nice part of their blueline next season is undoubtedly there.
Blues Exciting Defenseman Named Top Breakout Candidate
The St. Louis Blues are an intriguing team on the rise. A major reason behind it is that they have multiple promising young players with good upside. As a result, it is fair to say that the Blues are heading in the right direction.
When looking at the Blues' roster heading into the 2025-26 campaign, it is clear that they have a few young players who have the potential to hit new levels. In a recent article for NHL.com, Pete Jensen named defenseman Philip Broberg as the club's top fantasy hockey breakout candidate for the 2025-26 season.
When looking at how well Broberg performed for the Blues this past season, it is entirely understandable that Jensen views him as a prime breakout candidate. The 2019 eighth-overall pick cemented himself as a full-time NHL defenseman for St. Louis in 2024-25, as he recorded new career highs with eight goals, 21 assists, 29 points, and a plus-21 rating in 68 games.
Yet, as an impactful Broberg was in 2024-25, it is fair to wonder if he can hit a new level this upcoming season. The left-shot defenseman is still just 24 years old and only has 149 games into his NHL career, so he certainly has the potential to continue to improve. It will be interesting to see if he can take that next step and emerge as a star for the Blues next season from here.
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Continue reading...Pirates at Red Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 29
It's Friday, August 29 and the Pirates (59-76) are in Boston to take on the Red Sox (75-60). Paul Skenes is slated to take the mound for Pittsburgh against Boston.
The Red Sox have yet to name its starting pitcher but it may not matter. Boston is hot with four straight wins and seven of the past eight as they meet Skenes at Fenway. Over the last eight games, Boston has scored 36 runs.
However, Pittsburgh is heating up too. The Pirates have won six of the past eight games and scored 36 runs in the same span as the Red Sox. Pittsburgh's won three of the last four Skenes' starts, so we will see if that success continues in Boston.
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.
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Game details & how to watch Pirates at Red Sox
- Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
- Time: 7:10PM EST
- Site: Fenway Park
- City: Boston, MA
- Network/Streaming: SNP, NESN, 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 Pirates at the Red Sox
The latest odds as of Friday:
- Moneyline: Pirates (-110), Red Sox (-110)
- Spread: Red Sox 1.5
- Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Pirates at Red Sox
Pitching matchup for August 29, 2025: Paul Skenes vs. TBA
- Pirates: Paul Skenes, (8-9, 2.07 ERA)
Last outing: 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts - Red Sox: TBA
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Pirates at Red Sox
- The Pirates won 4-0 in Skenes' last start
- The Pirates are 3-1 in Skenes' last 4 starts
- Pittsburgh is 6-2 in the last 8 games
- Boston is 7-1 in the last 8 games
- Boston is 4-0 in the last 4 games
- The Over is 12-7-1 in the Pirates' last 10 road games and the Red Sox's last 10 at home combined
- The Pirates have covered the Run Line in 6 straight games
- The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 5 matchups against teams with worse records
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Pirates and the Red Sox
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s game between the Pirates and the Red Sox:
- 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 Boston Red Sox at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC.
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- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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