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Athletics at Nationals Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends and stats for August 7

Its Thursday, August 7 and the Athletics (50-66) are in Washington to wrap up their three-game series against the Nationals (45-68).

Jacob Lopez is slated to take the mound for Oakland against Mitchell Parker for Washington.

One night after giving up 24 hits and 16 runs in a 16-7 loss, the Nationals rebounded limiting the Athletics to four hits and just a single run in winning by the score of 2-1 to even the series at one game apiece. Cade Cavalli and four relievers combined on the gem for Washington. The Nats' offense managed just four hits as well but they plated two including Riley Adams' seventh home run of the season.

Lets dive into this afternoon's 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 the 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 Athletics at Nationals

  • Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
  • Time: 12:05PM EST
  • Site: Nationals Park
  • City: Washington, DC
  • Network/Streaming: NBCSCA, MASN, 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 Athletics at the Nationals

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: Athletics (-129), Nationals (+109)
  • Spread:  Athletics -1.5
  • Total: 9.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Athletics at Nationals

  • Pitching matchup for August 7, 2025: Jacob Lopez vs. Mitchell Parker
    • Athletics: Jacob Lopez (4-6, 3.99 ERA)
      Last outing: August 1 vs. Arizona - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts
    • Nationals: Mitchell Parker (7-11, 5.35 ERA)
      Last outing: August 1 vs. Milwaukee - 18.00 ERA, 8 Earned Runs Allowed, 12 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 3 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!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Athletics at Nationals

  • The Athletics have won 5 of their last 6 road games, while the Nationals have lost 6 of 9 at home
  • The Athletics have covered the Run Line in 3 straight road games against the Nationals
  • Mitchell Parker has not struck out more than 4 opposing hitters since the end of June
  • Nick Kurtz has hit in 4 straight games (7-15)

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 Athletics and the Nationals

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 Thursday's game between the Athletics and the Nationals:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Oakland Athletics on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Nationals at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending 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)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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White Sox at Mariners prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends, and stats for August 7

Its Thursday, August 7 and the White Sox (42-72) are in Seattle looking to salvage at least the finale of their three-game series against the Mariners (62-53).

Shane Smith is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Logan Gilbert for Seattle.

Wednesday night saw the Mariners take out the Sox, 8-6. Josh Naylor and Julio Rodriguez each went yard early as Seattle raced out to a 7-1 lead after just two innings against Jonathan Cannon and the Sox. Chicago rallied but the Mariners held them off for the win that pulled them to within two games of Houston in the American League West.

Lets dive into this afternoon's 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 the 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 White Sox at Mariners

  • Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
  • Time: 4:10PM EST
  • Site: T-Mobile Park
  • City: Seattle, WA
  • Network/Streaming: CHSN, RSNW, 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 White Sox at the Mariners

The latest odds as of Thursday:

  • Moneyline: White Sox (+226), Mariners (-281)
  • Spread:  Mariners -1.5
  • Total: 7.0 runs

Probable starting pitchers for White Sox at Mariners

  • Pitching matchup for August 7, 2025: Shane Smith vs. Logan Gilbert
    • White Sox: Shane Smith (3-7, 4.25 ERA)
      Last outing: August 1 at Angels - 4.15 ERA, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
    • Mariners: Logan Gilbert (3-4, 3.45 ERA)
      Last outing: August 1 vs. Texas - 4.50 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 7 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!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of White Sox at Mariners

  • The Mariners have won 5 of their last 6 games at home against American League teams
  • The Mariners' last 4 games against American League teams have gone over the Total
  • Logan Gilbert has struck out at least 7 batters in all but 3 starts this season
  • Julio Rodriguez is 5-12 with 2 HRs over his last three games

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

Expert picks & predictions for today’s game between the White Sox 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 Thursday's game between the White Sox and the Mariners:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Seattle Mariners on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago White Sox 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)
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Damion Lee recalls Steph Curry checking hate tweets at halftime for motivation

Damion Lee recalls Steph Curry checking hate tweets at halftime for motivation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

In some instances, haters are your motivators.

As the NBA world has come to learn over the past two decades, that certainly is the case for Warriors superstar Steph Curry.

As Damion Lee recently recalled during his time with the Warriors, Lee shared that Curry would search his name on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, during halftime and use the hate comments as fuel for the rest of the game.

“I was next to him in the locker room,” Lee shared on the “Straight to Cam” podcast. “He would type his name on Twitter at halftime. It would be like, ‘Stephen Curry this’ or whatever. He would look at it for probably a minute or two and scroll, close his phone, put it down then go crazy in the second half.”

There was a point where it became public knowledge that Curry would frequently check his phone during the midpoint break of games, so people started having fun with it.

As Curry’s sister, Sydel, who is married to Lee, remembered, some Warriors fans began to use that logic to their advantage by purposely writing hate comments to Curry so he could put on a show in the second half.

Even NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke put Curry to the test, writing him on X to do a human airplane gesture after making his first 3-pointer in the second half. He accepted her challenge and did exactly that after knocking down his first trey in the third quarter of that game.

Aside from the halftime hate, Curry has been used to the doubt dating back to early in his basketball career. Despite all his accolades at the highest level, Curry still faces criticism to this day.

But he — and Dub Nation — will take it, as long as the outcome remains the same.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

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Report: Evan Rodrigues won't be traded, considered a 'really important player' by Panthers

There is no denying Florida Panthers are one of, if not the deepest team in the NHL.

As they enter the 2025-26 season, Florida will be looking to become the league’s first back-to-back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions since the New York Islanders in the early 1980s.

Panthers General Manager Bill Zito went to work this summer with the intention of keeping the band together and seeing if this elite squad he’s built has what it takes to become the NHL’s next dynasty.

It was quite remarkable that he was able to retain a trio of high-end unrestricted free agents – Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand – while also extending Tomas Nosek, acquiring Daniil Tarasov and signing Jeff Petry.

But all those moves, along with giving a one-year extension to restricted free agent Mackie Samoskevich, has left the Panthers in a bit of a pickle.

Currently, Florida is over the over the NHL salary cap, which rose to $95.5 million this summer, by $3.725 million, according to PuckPedia.

Matthew Tkachuk, who played through a torn hip abductor and a hernia during Florida’s run to their second straight Stanley Cup, may still end up having surgery, which he said following the playoffs was a 50-50 option.

Now that he’s gotten married and had his day with the Stanley Cup, perhaps that surgery could be forthcoming.

If that’s the case, Tkachuk’s contract carries a $9.5 million average annual value (AAV), all of which would be removed from Florida’s total under the cap if he were to be placed on Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR).

One of the rumors that has floated around in recent weeks was that Evan Rodrigues could be a casualty of Florida’s salary cap situation.

Rodrigues has two years remaining with a $3 million AAV on his deal.

In his latest edition of 32 Thoughts, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman gave some insight into Florida’s roster situation, and specifically the Rodrigues rumors.

“I don’t believe that’s going to be happening,” Friedman said of a potential trade, adding that Florida considers Rodrigues a “really important player.”

Friedman went on to say that Tkachuk is expected to miss the start of the season, but should be back in time for the Winter Olympics in February.

That kind of timeline implies that Tkachuk will be placed on LTIR.

Friedman did not, however, say what Florida will do to get under the salary cap when Tkachuk does come off LTIR.

Eventually, Zito and the Panthers are going to have to address the issue, but it doesn’t sound like Friedman, or anyone else outside the organization, has gotten wind of what Florida’s plan is.

Time will tell.

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Photo caption: Mar 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Florida Panthers center Evan Rodrigues (17) looks on in warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

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Canadiens Steamrolled The Champions

When the curtain fell on the 2024-25 NHL season, the Florida Panthers skated away with the Stanley Cup for a second year running, which consolidated their status as the best team in the league. Still, during the regular season, the Montreal Canadiens played them four times and won every single one, which is no small feat. When Patrik Laine went to the Cup Final and celebrated the Cats’ victory with captain Aleksander Barkov, he was teased about joining them and simply replied he was fine in Montreal, having beaten the Panthers at every turn this season.

The two sides met for the first time at the end of December in Florida, after the Christmas break, and rookie netminder Jakub Dobes had just been called up following Cayden Primeau's demotion. Coach Martin St-Louis wasted no time testing the young netminder and threw him straight in the deep end against the reigning champions. The youngster performed exceptionally well, stopping the 34 shots he received. Meanwhile, Kirby Dach took matters into his own hands and scored Montreal’s first two goals in a 4-0 win.

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In mid-March, the Panthers rolled into town looking for revenge but were denied by Samuel Montembeault, who was named the third star of the game thanks to 21 saves on 22 shots. Meanwhile, the Canadiens scored three goals despite taking only 15 shots on net. This wasn’t Sergei Bobrovsky’s best game of the season, far from it.

Two weeks later, the Canadiens were back in Sunrise and grabbed another win, this one by a score of 4-2. The win was the result of two power play goals and a lot of tenacity. Montreal took the lead twice and let the Panthers come back each time, but when they took their third lead, they held on and shut down the Cats in the third period. Captain Nick Suzuki led the charge with a pair of assists and the game-winning goal.

The fourth and final meeting was the closest one, the Habs skated away with a 3-2 overtime win on April 11th when the Canadiens needed the win to qualify for the postseason, and the Panthers were without a few regulars. Despite only shooting 21 times on Vitek Vanecek, Suzuki (twice) and Josh Anderson found the back of the net. The captain scored the game-winning goal less than 30 seconds into the extra frame.

Throughout the four duels, the Canadiens outscored the Panthers 14-5, and despite not bombarding the Panthers’ net, they found a way to be opportunistic and get the eight points that were up for grabs. A big part of the Habs’ success was being able to contain Florida’s best players; Barkov only got two points in the series, while Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett only had one. Of course, the fact that Bobrovsky had an .838 save percentage, Spencer Knight .840 SV, and Vanecek .833 SV didn’t hurt either.

On the Canadiens’ side, rookie blueliner Lane Hutson was the ringleader with seven points in the series, closely followed by Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, who both had five points. Of course, Montembeault’s .935 SV and Dobes’ shutout were also essential keys to the Canadiens’ success.

Will Montreal be able to replicate the same success against the Florida outfit this season? It’s hard to predict, but one thing’s for sure: Bill Zito did everything he could to keep his championship roster together, and he succeeded. He kept all of his pending free agents, somehow managing to retain Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand. Florida even managed to add some depth on defense, signing former Hab Jeff Petry at a team-friendly price for one year. The 37-year-old veteran wants one last opportunity to win the Stanley Cup, and he believes that Florida might just be able to go for a three-peat, something that hasn’t happened since the New York Islanders won four Championships in a row at the start of the 1980s.

In net, it looks like Bobrovsky will be backed up by free agent signing Daniil Tarasov after the Panthers traded away Spencer Knight last season to add Seth Jones to their already impressive blueline. Tarasov has only 65 games of experience in the NHL, with a 3.44 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage.

If the young Canadiens can replicate their performance against the Champions this upcoming season, it will be another confidence builder for the Habs. They’ll have their work cut out for them, though. Montreal’s penalty kill was exceptionally efficient against the Cats last season, only allowing one goal on eight opportunities, and now that Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak have left, the Canadiens will have to replace them on the special team units.

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

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The NHL preached inclusion. So why has it got into bed with Donald Trump?

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has sent mixed messages on social progress. Photograph: Sam Navarro/USA Today Sports

“Diverse representation within inclusive environments is proven to advance innovation, creativity, and decision-making – all of which are critically important to the growth of the sport and our business,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman wrote in his introduction to the NHL’s first – and only, so far – diversity and inclusion report, which it released in 2022. “Recognizing these facts, we are working to better understand and accelerate our engagement across all layers of diversity – including nationality, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and religion – and their nuances and intersections,” Bettman continued.

Last week, Bettman was named alongside NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, Florida Panthers’ captain Matthew Tkachukx6x and various representatives of other sports as a member of Donald Trump’s sports council. The council will be responsible for – among other things – playing an “important role in restoring tradition to college athletics, including … keeping men out of women’s sports.” Not what you’d call an opportunity for Bettman et al to gain a better understanding of the nuances of gender identity, by the sounds of it.

This is not the first time Bettman has given mixed messages around social issues. In 2023, for example, NHL tried to host a career fair aimed at recruiting a more diverse workforce (its inclusivity report noted that the league’s employees were roughly 84% white and 93% straight). The event, attached to that year’s All Star Game in Florida, quickly caught the attention of the governor’s office, which accused the NHL of discrimination – against white people. The league cancelled the career fair.

A few weeks later, the NHL again had the opportunity to stand for its diversity values when a handful of players refused to wear their team’s Pride-themed warmup jerseys. Instead, the NHL retreated meekly, encouraging “voices and perspectives on social and cultural issues.” That June – Pride month, no less – Bettman cancelled the Pride jerseys altogether, calling the furor around them “a distraction” from the intended message.

One wonders what he will call his own foray directly into the culture wars or, for that matter, how the NHL may characterize this particular moment of self-expression from the commissioner. It’s likely that Bettman’s participation in Trump’s sports council will fall into the “voices and perspectives on social and cultural issues” category the league talked about during the Pride jerseys fiasco. But seeing as the Trump seems fixated on getting trans women out of college sports – even though there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes in college sports, according to the president of the NCAA – this feels like a very specific kind of perspective on a cultural issue, doesn’t it?

What’s so aggravating about repeated allowances for anti-LGBTQ+ perspectives from the NHL under the guise of simply letting all opinions flourish equally, is how it pretends that these views are all morally equivalent when they’re not. Sure, the players who refused to wear a Pride-themed jersey can’t be forced to wear them, but it’s not like it was simply a fashion choice. Fundamentally, those players made that decision based on a worldview that refuses to accept LGBTQ+ people, including their fellow hockey players, as being equal to them and everyone else. It’s not the jerseys that were the problem – but they did a great job highlighting it.

Earlier this spring, Harrison Browne, the first transgender player in professional hockey, wrote that while in the NCAA, he was offered the option to have his own locker room and change his pronouns on the roster. “Looking back, I realize how important it is for trans and non-binary student athletes to have those options, whether or not they take them,” Browne wrote in The Walrus. “These choices provide a baseline of institutional acceptance and acknowledgment for gender-diverse athletes at all levels.” On Monday, Browne told the Guardian via email that “to see [Bettman, Gretzky, and Tkachuk] get behind an administration that is targeting marginalized communities, especially trans people in sports, is deeply disturbing and a huge step backwards in making hockey a more inclusive sport.”

And going backwards really isn’t Bettman’s thing, or it never used to be. When he accepted his job as commissioner in 1992, he told a room full of reporters that “the way a league performs well is by making its product as attractive as it can to the greatest number of fans.” He believed in growth, in other words – even up until 2022. What he risks now is stagnation, regression even. On that same day in 1992, Bettman said that he wanted to make hockey, a sport that at the time was seen as violent and retrograde, more “user-friendly.” And he acknowledged that to do it, he’d need to push some of the older owners into the future. “It may be that we are going to head in new, progressive directions that will make sense to every one immediately,” Bettman said. “For some, it may take a little more time.”

Maybe the diversity and inclusion stuff doesn’t totally make sense to Bettman in 2025 – other North American sports have decided that they don’t have the stomach to fight the culture wars under Trump either, and NFL commission Roger Goodell is also on the White House sports council. But Bettman should give the league’s diversity policies time to grow, rather than deliberately reversing course, hurting hockey’s players and fans, and ultimately jeopardising the future success of the sport for everyone. If that’s too much to ask, at the very least, if he’s invited to join a club created by a hostile and retrograde president, he should by now have the smarts to just say no.

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‘The dog ate my passport’: All Blacks rookie sorts pet’s mess to rescue debut

  • Leroy Carter sorts shock call-up for Rugby Championship

  • Canine chewed passport he needed for Argentina trip

Leroy Carter was still coming to terms with his inclusion in the All Blacks squad to play in Argentina in the opening rounds of the Rugby Championship when he made the shocking discovery. “The dog ate my passport.”

The utility back with the Hamilton-based Chiefs was one of four uncapped players included in Scott Robertson’s Championship squad. The phone call from Robertson informing him of his selection had come as a massive surprise.

Continue reading...
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Fantasy Baseball Closer Report: Yankees continue search for late-inning consistency

In this week's Closer Report, we examine more of the fallout from the trade deadline, including changes in the Yankees' bullpen, Kyle Finnegan stepping up in Detroit, and Phil Maton seizing an opportunity in Texas. That and more as we review the last week in saves.

Fantasy Baseball Closer Rankings

Tier 1

Josh Hader - Houston Astros
Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners
Edwin Díaz - New York Mets

No save chances for Hader this week. He made a pair of scoreless appearances in non-save situations, giving him a 2.13 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and a 76/15 K/BB ratio across 50 2/3 innings while converting 28 saves. Meanwhile, Muñoz is up to 26 saves after converting two this week. He gave up a run before closing out the game against the White Sox on Wednesday. The 26-year-old right-hander holds a 1.43 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and a 56/21 K/BB ratio across 44 innings.

It wasn't the best week for Mets relievers, as Díaz, Ryan Helsley, and Tyler Rogers all took a loss. Díaz had given up an unearned run in the tenth inning against the Giants on Friday before bouncing back with a scoreless inning against the Guardians on Monday. The 31-year-old right-hander has posted a 1.41 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and a 67/17 K/BB ratio across 44 2/3 innings.

Tier 2

Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox
Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies
Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers
Robert Suarez - San Diego Padres

Chapman continues his stellar season with two more saves this week, giving him 21 to go with a 1.21 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and a 65/13 K/BB ratio across 44 2/3 innings. In Philadelphia, Duran made two perfect appearances to convert a pair of saves for his new team to give him 18 on the year. With Duran giving the Phillies a lockdown closer, Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm shift to setup roles.

Megill made two appearances this week, picking up a pair of saves against the Braves. Shelby Miller, acquired from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline, struck out the side in his first rehab outing and should slot into a setup role next to Abner Uribe once he's activated from the injured list.

Suarez continues to work as the Padres' closer following their acquisition of Mason Miller from the Athletics at the trade deadline. Suarez made three scoreless appearances, picking up two saves and a win this week. Meanwhile, Miller has slotted into a setup role behind Suarez. He was charged with a blown save on Tuesday, giving up a game-tying homer in the eighth inning against the Diamondbacks. Still, he remains the clear next in line. Suarez got the day off Wednesday after pitching in three of the last five days. Miller stepped in against Arizona, bouncing back with three strikeouts for the save.

Tier 3

Daniel Palencia - Chicago Cubs
Emilio Pagán - Cincinnati Reds
Randy Rodríguez - San Francisco Giants
Kenley Jansen - Los Angeles Angels
Pete Fairbanks - Tampa Bay Rays
Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians
Jeff Hoffman - Toronto Blue Jays
David Bednar/Camilo Doval/Devin Williams - New York Yankees
Kyle Finnegan - Detroit Tigers
Carlos Estévez - Kansas City Royals
Jojo Romero - St. Louis Cardinals
Dennis Santana - Pittsburgh Pirates

Palencia converted a save with a scoreless inning against the Orioles on Friday. He then gave up a run to blow a save chance against Baltimore on Sunday before falling in line for a win, breaking a 12-outing scoreless streak. The 25-year-old right-hander is up to 15 saves with a 1.73 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a 44/11 K/BB ratio across 41 1/3 innings.

Elsewhere in the NL Central, Pagán gave up two runs before holding on for a save Friday against the Braves, then struck out two batters in a clean inning against the Cubs on Monday for his 24th save of the season to go with a 2.98 ERA over 48 1/3 frames.

After picking up his first save as the Giants' primary closer on Friday against the Mets, Rodríguez blew a save and took the loss against the Pirates on Monday. He bounced back with a clean inning on Wednesday for his third save. The 25-year-old right-hander should be a steady saves option with upside through the rest of the season with a 1.51 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and a 64/11 K/BB ratio across 47 2/3 innings.

Jansen picked up a win with a scoreless inning against the White Sox on Sunday before tossing a scoreless inning in a non-save situation against the Rays. Meanwhile, Fairbanks struck out six batters over three perfect innings of work this week, picking up his 19th save against the Angels on Wednesday. Griffin Jax allowed one run on a walk and a hit in his first outing with the Rays before recording holds with scoreless appearances on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Smith had an excellent week at the top of the Cleveland bullpen, picking up two wins and a save with three scoreless appearances. The 26-year-old right-hander has converted four saves on the season with a 2.86 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 70/18 K/BB ratio across 50 1/3 innings. With Smith unavailable on Wednesday, Hunter Gaddis stepped in for a save against the Mets.

Hoffman struck out two batters in a clean inning against the Royals on Saturday for a save before pitching a scoreless inning in a non-save situation on Sunday. The 32-year-old right-hander has posted a 4.56 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 64/11 K/BB ratio across 47 1/3 innings. However, his underlying skills suggest he's pitched much better than his surface stats indicate, with a 3.56 xERA.

It's been another rough stretch for Williams in New York. He's given up runs in each of his last four outings that include two blown saves. Manager Aaron Boone has indicated that he'll likely cycle through relievers in the ninth inning, opting for a committee approach for now. Had Williams been able to get one more out in the eighth inning on Tuesday, Boone stated he'd have likely gone to Bednar to attempt a four-out save. Instead, Bednar was used for a five-out save Wednesday against the Rangers. He worked around two walks and a hit, striking out five for his 18th save. The 30-year-old right-hander has had the most success of anyone the Yankees can deploy for saves, posting a 2.55 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and a 59/12 K/BB ratio across 42 1/3 innings.

Finnegan has locked down two saves for the Tigers since he was acquired from the Nationals at the trade deadline. It appears Detroit is going with the 33-year-old veteran right-hander for most save opportunities, shifting Will Vest to a high-leverage setup role. Vest does have the better skills and could still get occasional save chances, but it makes sense to give Finnegan clean innings to work with.

Estévez gave up two runs in a non-save situation against the Blue Jays on Sunday, then tossed a clean inning against the Red Sox on Wednesday. The 32-year-old right-hander has converted 28 saves with a 2.59 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 40/17 K/BB ratio across 48 2/3 innings. While he's gotten the job done, it's come with scary underlying numbers, including a 3.77 FIP and 4.99 xFIP.

Romero locked down his first two saves of the season, taking a hold of the closer role in St. Louis following the trade of Ryan Helsley to the Mets. The 28-year-old left-hander may not get every save opportunity, as he pitched the eighth and earned a win on Wednesday. Still, he should lead the team in save chances over the final stretch. Romero has been solid all season, posting a 2.09 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 37/17 K/BB ratio across 38 2/3 innings.

Santana's first week without Bednar in town did not go great. He surrendered five runs to blow the lead and take the loss in the ninth inning against the Rockies on Friday, then blew a save and took the loss with two runs allowed against the Giants on Wednesday. The 29-year-old right-hander should still have some leash on the closer role given his overall success this season, but keep an eye on setup man Isaac Mattson down the stretch.

Tier 4

Raisel Iglesias - Atlanta Braves
Phil Maton/Robert Garcia - Texas Rangers
Blake Treinen/Alex Vesia/Ben Casparius - Los Angeles Dodgers
Ronny Henriquez/Calvin Faucher - Miami Marlins

Iglesias made two scoreless appearances against the Reds, picking up two saves to bring his total to 14 to go with a 4.53 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and a 50/10 K/BB ratio across 45 2/3 innings.

We may be seeing a change in Texas. Garcia was charged with two blown saves this week, then surrendered the lead to the Yankees in the seventh inning on Wednesday. Maton, acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline, stepped in for a save on Tuesday against New York and may be the best man for the job through the rest of the season. The 32-year-old right-hander is having an outstanding year, posting a 2.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 51/16 K/BB ratio across 41 1/3 innings.

Tanner Scott threw a bullpen session on Tuesday as he's progressing through his rehab process from an elbow injury. His next step may soon be a minor league rehab assignment. Meanwhile, the Dodgers continue to utilize a committee approach in the ninth inning, with Ben Casparius picking up a save this week.

It's been a committee pretty much all season in Miami. Faucher picked up his team-leading 11th save on Saturday against the Yankees. Henriquez has had the best season in the Marlins bullpen, converting six saves with a 2.85 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and a 74/22 K/BB ratio across 53 2/3 innings.

Tier 5

Justin Topa/Cole Sands - Minnesota Twins
Kendall Graveman/Kyle Backhus - Arizona Diamondbacks
Corbin Martin/Keegan Akin - Baltimore Orioles
Sean Newcomb - Athletics
Jose Ferrer - Washington Nationals
Grant Taylor - Chicago White Sox
Victor Vodnik - Colorado Rockies

Sands was a popular add last week as the speculative closer in Minnesota following the trade deadline. However, it was always unlikely the Twins would hand the job to one reliever through the rest of the season. It was Topa who got the team's first save chance on Tuesday against the Tigers. And in Arizona, yet another closer goes down as Kevin Ginkel hit the 15-day injured list with a sprained right shoulder. Like with most situations in this tier, saves just aren't worth chasing here.

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Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Announce 2025 Preseason Schedule

The Pittsburgh Penguins have their training camp and preseason coming up, and so does their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. 

The baby Penguins announced their preseason schedule on Monday and it consists of two games. They will play the Hershey Bears on October 3 at 10:30 a.m. ET as part of their school day game and STEM workbook giveaway before playing the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on October 4 at 7:05 p.m. ET. 

Schools in the Northeast Pennsylvania area are invited to the game, marking the fourth consecutive year the WBS Penguins host a school day game. They have won the previous three and will try to make it four in a row. 

They will start the regular season on October 11 against the Hartford Wolf Pack at 6:05 p.m. ET. It will be the first of 72 regular-season games before the Calder Cup Playoffs commence. 

The WBS Penguins are coming off their second-straight playoff exit at the hands of the Phantoms. 

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

Featured Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Mets prospect Ryan Clifford homers twice, Carson Benge drives in three at Double-A

A quartet of highly-touted Mets prospects put on a show for the Double-A Binghamton in a 6-1 win over the Yankees’ Somerset Patriots on Wednesday night.

Ryan Clifford got things started by smacking a solo home run to right field that just got over the wall against a stiff breeze in the top of the second. The 340-foot blast off right-hander Ben Hess, the Yanks’ No. 7 prospect making his first Double-A start, was his first homer in his last 25 at-bats.

There was much less waiting for his next big fly, which came with absolutely no doubt, as he tattooed a 97 mph fastball from righty Hayden Merda 399 feet and 113.6 mph off the bat to right field.

Clifford, the No. 6 prospect in the Mets' system per Joe DeMayo's latest rankings, now has 23 home runs (tops in the Eastern League) and 72 RBI on the season. He raised his average to .250 and OPS to .866 after going 2-for-5 with a strikeout in his 101st game with Binghamton, with a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse before the end of the year not out of the question.

With one out in the top of the fourth, Carson Benge had a bases-loaded chance against reliever Cole Ayers. And after falling behind in the count 0-2, he looped a flyball into the left-center gap to clear the bases for his fifth double since his promotion in late June.

Benge, the No. 3 prospect in the system and Mets' first-round pick a year ago, finished 1-for-5 with two strikeouts in his first game since he was named Eastern League Player of the Month for July. He is batting .349 (38-for-109) with 23 RBI and a 1.070 OPS in his first 28 games at the Double-A level.

Nick Morabito, the No. 15 prospect and batting in the cleanup spot, laced a double on a shot to the wall in right to score Benge. It was his only hit in five times up with a strikeout, but gave him 23 on the season and 44 RBI. The 22-year-old is batting .279 with a .755 OPS through his first 87 games at Double-A.

Jett Williams added a double to left off Hess in the second and a hard-hit single up the middle in the top of the ninth to go 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. This was the Mets’ No. 1 prospect's 23rd multi-hit game of the season with Binghamton and helped raise his average to .282 with an .873 OPS.

He also made some good defensive plays at shortstop on a pair of double plays, but was charged with his 12th error of the year when he misplayed a grounder in the fifth.

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64 Days Until Opening Day: The Sharks' History of Number 64

We’re just 64 days away from the San Jose Sharks kicking off their season against the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center.

The number 64 has only been worn twice in franchise history. The first was from 2009 to 2012 by Jamie McGinn, then again by Mikael Granlund during the 2024-25 season.

McGinn spent four years with the Sharks after being drafted in the second round of the 2006 NHL Draft. During his time in San Jose, he scored 27 goals and added 22 assists for 49 points in 204 games. After his time with the organization came to an end, he went on to play for the Colorado Avalanche. He wrapped up his career after 11 seasons, finishing with 117 goals and 103 assists for 220 points in 617 games.

Granlund, meanwhile, spent parts of two years with the Sharks. He was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the Erik Karlsson trade. In his two seasons with the club, he recorded 27 goals and 78 assists for 105 points in 121 games. He was a very productive player during his time in San Jose, and at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, he was dealt to the Dallas Stars. In his 13-year career so far, he has tallied 610 points in 902 games.

We’re slowly making our way through the dog days of summer. August is the final month without hockey, which should have NHL fans counting down the days.

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Flyers' Travis Konecny Excluded from Ranking of Top NHL Wingers

Flyers forward Travis Konecny was not deemed a top 20 winger in the NHL... this year. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)

Despite making the cut last year, Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny is no longer a top 20 winger in the NHL in the eyes of the NHL Network.

On Wednesday, the NHL Network revealed its rankings of the top 20 wingers in the NHL, and we came to find a few newcomers jumped Konecny, 28, in rankings over the last season.

Konecny (20), Steven Stamkos (13), Brad Marchand (18), and Zach Hyman (11) made way for newcomers Matt Boldy (19), Adrian Kempe (20), Jesper Bratt (12), and Brandon Hagel (13).

Konecny's 76 points did see him finish 30th in the league in scoring amongst all forwards, placing ahead of Alex Ovechkin (ranked 17th by NHL Network), Boldy, and Kempe, but those three all made the playoffs while Konecny and the Flyers finished with the fourth-worst record in the league.

Plus, it doesn't help that the 28-year-old ceded some of the limelight to rookie Matvei Michkov, who will be on this list in no time at all.

Flyers Can't Meet Reported Ducks Trade Price for Mason McTavishFlyers Can't Meet Reported Ducks Trade Price for Mason McTavishFollowing a new report, it would appear the Philadelphia Flyers don't have much of a chance of landing Mason McTavish in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks at all.

Adding to that, Konecny did finish the season with 34 points in his last 44 games, but only seven of those points were goals.

For a player who, right or wrong, is seen as the guy who has to carry the Flyers, Konecny fell short down the stretch, and NHL Network likely punished him for that.

Overall, the Flyers star finished the 2024-25 season with 24 goals, 52 assists, and 76 points while playing in all 82 regular season games for just the second time in his career, and for the first time since 2018-19.