However, it’s the Dodgers who are -109 road favorites behind left-hander Alex Wood (7-7, 3.65 ERA) who will make his second start for Los Angeles after being acquired from Atlanta. Pittsburgh will counter with Charlie Morton (7-4, 4.19) who comes off an outstanding outing at Cincinnati. The total is set at 8-flat. MORE: Jersey confidence index for every MLB team | Yasiel Puig gets second base force-out with laser throw...
Check The Linemakers on Sporting News’ odds page for current baseball lines from Las Vegas. Texas Rangers +126 (vs Cleveland Indians)Nick Martinez vs Carlos Carrasco At the bottom of the American League, we find an interesting game between the Rangers and Indians. Neither team has impressed at any point of the season, nor were they expected to. However, we find quite an exaggeration in odds towards the Indians, who have taken the first two games of this series but are not by any standard much of a better team....
This was the thought that I had last night, walking back to my East Bay hotel and chowing down after a postgame trip to El Castillito in the Mission District with Sporting News special correspondent Erin Faulk and local chocolatier Kai Kronfield of Nosh This, who brought us to the taqueria that has previously been profiled by the world’s foremost burrito website, FiveThirtyEight. As Nate Silver’s brainchildren go, burrito analysis is far more applicable to the baseball playoffs than anything involving PECOTA or VORP or the like....
This year, the Major League Baseball playoffs began with four best-of-three Wild Card Series. The three wild-card teams plus the lowest-seeded division winner in each league faced off to determine who would go on to the Division Series to face the league’s Nos. 1 and 2 seeds. MLB previously had two wild-card teams in each league face off in a single-elimination game, though it did feature a wild-card series in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign....
Largely uneventful year in and year out, the Rule 5 Draft typically is an overlooked part of the MLB calendar and this year it’s no different. With an exorbitantly slow offseason and Winter Meetings strictly digital this year, there’s even less of a buzz than usual. MORE: The 15 most imitated MLB batting stances since 1975 In all, there were 16 selections in the first round of this year’s Rule 5 draft, in line with what we saw in 2019....
The official release went out at noon ET on Tuesday, a lengthy missive that explained what MLB sees as the problem — and it is an issue — while largely avoiding responsibility for creating the problem. But that’s a topic for a different column. In this release, the punishment for a first-time offender was specified: 10 days, with subsequent violations subjected to “progressive discipline.” Starting pitchers will have more than one mandatory check per game, with mandatory checks on relief pitchers after an inning or when they exit the field (whichever happens first), to reduce in-game delays....
Instead of snagging one of my usual tables, I sat down on a couch and fired off a tweet with a Yogi Berra quote. I find that’s always a good way to start a writing session, with a classic Yogi-ism. MORE: Four managers on the hot seat this offseason Maybe a minute later, a couple of guys sat down next to me with coffee and bagels. One noticed my phone was open to the MLB At Bat app....
No, this is not déjà vu. The Mets actually beat the Rockies 14-9 for the second straight game Saturday. New York joined the Red Sox as the only other team to win consecutive games by that same score. Boston beat the St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox by that tally in 1934. The first game was dominated by Yoenis Cespedes’ five hits and three home runs Friday, but Saturday’s installment was an all-around team effort....
Atlantis Reno, as it has for the last decade, was the first to release MLB season win totals for the 2016 season. All juice is either -110 or -115/-105. MORE: 10 MLB story lines entering spring training The Cubs are currently favored to win the World Series, and along with the Giants, represent the biggest liability for sports books. Get full odds and a season preview here. Last season, the Nationals had the highest total at 93 and fell well short of that mark and the postseason....
The Dodgers have run away with the NL West and clinched MLB’s best record. The Astros have clinched the top seed in the American League. But postseason spots and seedings remain open. Front and center is the race for the NL East, with the Braves and Mets jockeying for first place in the final three days of the season. The final NL wild-card spot is up for grabs as the Brewers try to catch the Phillies....
REPORTED BY: FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal THE DETAILS: The Nationals would use Zobrist in left field while Jayson Werth (wrist) is out. Werth said he is hoping to be activated from the disabled list on August 1. Once Werth returns, Zobrist could take on the role of a utilityman and play both infield and outfield when needed. THIS SEASON: Zobrist is hitting .222/.304/.383 in 92 plate appearances this season. He missed time earlier in the year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April....
REPORTED BY: Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. MORE: Closer Depth Chart | Yankees place Andrew Miller on DL with forearm strain THE DETAILS: Papelbon is owed $8 million this season and has a $13 million vesting option for 2016 should he finish 48 games. With the Phillies in rebuilding mode, they are willing to eat much of Papelbon’s remaining salary and waive his no-trade clause in order to make a deal for younger players....
THE RUMOR: Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told reporters Monday night that it is “fair to say” he’s had little-to no recent trade talks surrounding Mets starting pitcher Dillon Gee. REPORTED BY: NBC Sports THE DETAILS: A major trade rumor made its rounds this weekend that involved Rangers second baseman Jurickson Profar in exchange for Gee, but Alderson put those talks to sleep on Monday. It was reported that the Mets were pursuing possible suitors for Gee in December with the Rangers and Royals involved but it appears that Gee will be starting the season in New York....
Apparently, the Orioles will be watching very closely. The Orioles need to add to their starting rotation, and Burnett could represent a good secondary option to the aces potentially on the trade market (David Price, Jon Lester, Cliff Lee, etc.). Burnett has a 4.08 ERA in 21 starts for Philadelphia this season, and maybe more importantly to Baltimore, he’s thrown 136 2/3 innings, a total that was fifth in the majors heading into Saturday’s slate of games....
Recent reports indicated the Birds would make the two-time All-Star available rather than pursue a long-term deal with both him and slugger Chris Davis, who also is represented by super agent Scott Boras. Both are eligible for free agency after the 2015 season. But the Globe report says Balitmore is satisfied with its core of Wieters, Davis, Adam Jones, Manny Machado and others and sees adding pithcing as key to taking the next step....
But this time San Diego may be serious about dealing the 29-year-old, whose contract is up after next season. Despite some talk about an extension, "there’s growing sentiment that Headley will be traded this offseason," according to Nick Carfado of the Boston Globe. The switch-hitting Headley slumped badly in 2013 after leading the National League with 115 RBIs in 2012. He hit .250/.347/.400 with 13 homers, 35 doules and eight stolen bases....
The Phillies left-hander, naturally, says he’s blocking out the noise. MORE: Bold moves MLB teams should make “Right now I’m a Phillie, and I want to try to help this team win,” Lee said Friday, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “I’m eager just to get back on the mound and try to help the team win. I’ve been out for two months now (with an arm injury). I’m just ready to do my job....
The Cubs, Brewers, Mets and Phillies all won and are now separated by just two games in the race for the second wild-card spot. With 16 games left in the season, the Brewers and Cubs have the leg up on the race, but Milwaukee clearly has an advantage over Chicago down the stretch. The combined winning percentage of the Brewers’ opponents over the final 16 games of the season is around ....
It marks the first time in MLB history a team had three batters that young all homer in the same game. Washington overcame a 6-0 deficit to win 7-6 in 11 innings. MORE: Watch ‘ChangeUp,’ a new MLB live whiparound show on DAZN First, 20-year-old Juan Soto hit a three-run homer to cut Washington’s early deficit to 6-3. Fellow 21-year-old hitters Victor Robles and Carter Kieboom followed in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively....
The former Manchester United midfielder was unveiled as a Fire player on Wednesday, addressing the media for the first time since leaving the Premier League club. Schweini confused by WC question Despite featuring sparingly this season at Old Trafford, Schweinsteiger is confident he can make an impact in the United States, where he is determined to turn the Fire’s fortunes around. “[I can give] a lot - I am 32 years old, I am ready,” he said....
