MLB roundup: Yanks hit 9 HRs, bash Brewers 20-9
Mar 29, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two run home in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Aaron Judge hit the third of three straight homers for the Yankees to open the game before adding a grand slam in the third inning and a two-run shot in the fourth as New York hit a team-record nine homers in an 20-9 rout over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees started a game with three consecutive homers for the first time in team history as Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Judge hit first-pitch homers off former Yankee Nestor Cortes (0-1) for a 3-0 lead three pitches into the contest. Judge hit his ninth career grand slam with nobody out in the third on a drive to left center against Connor Thomas and then Judge produced his third career three-homer game when he homered to center in the fourth.
Judge drove in a career-high eight runs by adding an RBI double in the sixth. The Yankees became the third team in major league history with nine or more homers. The Toronto Blue Jays hit 10 against the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 14, 1987, and the Cincinnati Reds slugged nine at the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept. 4, 1999.
Rhys Hoskins, Vinny Capra, and Christian Yelich each hit RBI singles for Milwaukee. Brice Turang added a two-run homer as the Brewers finished with 13 hits.
Padres 1, Braves 0
Yuli Gurriel’s pinch-hit RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning snapped a scoreless tie and lifted San Diego to a win over visiting Atlanta.
Jake Cronenworth started the winning rally with a ground-rule double that caromed off the foot of Aaron Bummer (0-1) and rolled into the third base dugout. After an intentional walk to Xander Bogaerts and a pitching change, Gurriel then pulled a slider past diving shortstop Orlando Arcia into left field to score Cronenworth.
Wandy Peralta (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win, and Adrian Morejon pitched around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his first save, slipping a called third strike past Drake Baldwin with the tying run at third to end it.
Angels 1, White Sox 0
Jose Soriano delivered seven shutout innings and Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo had two hits apiece to help Los Angeles blank host Chicago.
Soriano scattered two hits, two walks and five strikeouts while breezing through Chicago hitters in a tidy 73 pitches. Relievers Ben Joyce and Kenley Jansen completed a combined two-hit shutout.
Los Angeles relied on small ball in the eighth inning to score the game’s lone run. Jorge Soler walked with two outs and advanced to third on a Mike Clevinger wild pitch. Yoan Moncada’s infield hit scored Soler, as Clevinger deflected the ball but was unable to gather it to make a play.
Cardinals 5, Twins 1
Erick Fedde and three relievers combined for a three-hitter as St. Louis defeated Minnesota.
Fedde held the Twins to their one run on two hits in six innings while recording two strikeouts. Lars Nootbaar went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs as the Cardinals opened their season with two straight victories. Nolan Arenado and Ivan Herrera each went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
Twins starter Joe Ryan allowed one run on five hits in five innings, striking out five. Reliever Jorge Alcala took the loss after allowing three runs without retiring a batter.
Athletics 4, Mariners 2
Shea Langeliers hit a two-run homer and Osvaldo Bido gave up one earned run over five-plus innings as the Athletics defeated host Seattle.
It was the Athletics’ second straight victory after dropping the season opener. Bido (1-0), a right-hander, gave up two runs on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Mason Miller worked the ninth for his first save of the season.
Mariners starter Bryce Miller (0-1) allowed three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, with two walks and four strikeouts.
Orioles 9, Blue Jays 5
Jordan Westburg hit two home runs while going 4-for-5 and visiting Baltimore defeated Toronto to take a 2-1 lead in the four-game series.
Colton Cowser added a solo shot, and Ramon Urias had a go-ahead three-run double among his three hits for the Orioles. Cowser hit Toronto starter Max Scherzer’s second pitch of the game, a fastball. for a homer to center and Westburg added a mammoth homer to center on a hanging slider later in the first.
Andres Gimenez hit a two-run homer and Bo Bichette was 4-for-4 with a walk for Toronto. Scherzer retired seven straight batters before leaving after three innings with what the team said was a right lat issue.
Dodgers 7, Tigers 3
Freddie Freeman homered, doubled and drove in two runs and Will Smith and Tommy Edman also homered as Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep of visiting Detroit.
Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run, go-ahead double in the fifth inning and Michael Conforto had an RBI double in the second for Los Angeles (5-0), which is off to the team’s best start since opening the 1981 season at 6-0. Jake Rogers tripled, Zach McKinstry went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Manuel Margot also had two hits and an RBI for Detroit.
Anthony Banda (1-0), the fourth of seven Dodger pitchers, picked up the win, striking out two during a hitless fifth inning. Starter Roki Sasaki, struggled in his Dodger Stadium debut, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks over 1 2/3 innings. Reese Olson (0-1) suffered the loss allowing four runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out five.
Cubs 4, Diamondbacks 3
Kyle Tucker had three hits, including his first homer of the season, rookie Matt Shaw hit his first major league homer and Chicago held off Arizona in Phoenix.
Tucker’s two-run homer off Brandon Pfaadt (0-1) with one out in the fifth inning gave the Cubs a 3-1 lead. Shaw homered as a pinch hitter to open the seventh to make it 4-1. Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (1-0) gave up one run on three hits in seven innings, with four strikeouts and two walks in his second start of the season.
Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez followed Josh Naylor’s single with a two-run homer to open the last of the ninth inning off Ryan Pressly before Gabriel Moreno singled. Ketel Marte walked with two outs and Corbin Carroll squibbed a grounder toward shortstop Dansby Swanson, who bluffed a throw to first base and chased down pinch runner Garrett Hampson after he rounded third base for the final out on the fielder’s choice.
Reds 3, Giants 2
Matt McLain homered, doubled and scored twice and Christian Encarnacion-Strand blasted a solo home run to break a sixth-inning tie as host Cincinnati rallied past San Francisco in manager Terry Francona’s first win in a Reds uniform.
Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft and Emilio Pagan each pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Nick Lodolo (1-0), with Pagan earning the save.
Making his Giants debut, 42-year-old right-hander Justin Verlander was staked to a two-run lead but allowed two runs and six hits over five innings, striking out five and walking one while throwing 83 pitches in a no-decision.
Phillies 11, Nationals 6
Kyle Schwarber homered for the second consecutive game and Jesus Luzardo struck out 11 in five solid innings in his team debut as Philadelphia beat host Washington.
Brandon Marsh had three hits, including a three-run homer, and Bryson Stott had a homer and a double for the Phillies. Acquired last December in a trade with the Miami Marlins, the 27-year-old Luzardo allowed two runs on five hits and walked three.
Keibert Ruiz hit his second home run in as many games for the Nationals, and Ahmed Rosario and Nathaniel Lowe also went deep. Washington starter Jake Irvin gave up two runs on seven hits in five innings.
Rangers 4, Red Sox 3
Adolis Garcia homered, doubled twice and drove in three runs to lead Texas past Boston in Arlington, Texas.
Garcia broke a 2-2 tie by hitting a leadoff home run in the fourth off Boston starter Walker Buehler (0-1). He also collected a two-run double in the first and hit a leadoff double in the sixth. Corey Seager added two hits and a run for Texas, which has won two of the first three games in the four-game series.
Boston received two hits from both Kristian Campbell and Alex Bregman. Campbell hit the first home run of his major league career. Buehler, who was making his Red Sox debut, allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three.
Marlins 5, Pirates 4 (12 innings)
Dane Myers hit a walk-off single with one out in the 12th inning as Miami outlasted the visiting Pittsburgh.
Myers also made a key defensive play in the top half of the 12th. He threw out Tommy Pham at the plate on a single by Bryan Reynolds, and George Soriano (1-0) stranded two to set it up for the dramatic finish. Myers, Kyle Stowers and Otto Lopez each had three hits and an RBI for Miami.
For Pittsburgh, Joey Bart notched three hits and an RBI, while Jack Suwinski and Adam Frazier each drove in a run. Frazier also scored a run on a throwing error.
Royals 4, Guardians 3
Bobby Witt Jr. smacked the tie-breaking double in the bottom of the seventh inning to help host Kansas City edge Cleveland, which saw star third baseman Jose Ramirez leave after 5 1/2 innings due to sprained right wrist.
Maikel Garcia hit a tying homer off Paul Sewald (0-1) to start the seventh as the Royals evened the series at one game apiece. Salvador Perez drove in two runs for Kansas City. Daniel Lynch IV (1-0) pitched two perfect innings of relief.
Steven Kwan homered and scored twice for Cleveland. Ramirez, a six-time All-Star, was injured sliding into second base a failed steal attempt in the third inning. He initially stayed in the game before exiting.
Astros 2, Mets 1
Jeremy Pena homered, Yordan Alvarez hit an RBI double and Houston rode a strong start from right-hander Spencer Arrighetti to edge visiting New York in the rubber match of a three-game interleague series.
After Pena recorded the Astros’ first extra-base of the season when he homered off Mets right-hander Griffin Canning (0-1) to lead off the fifth inning, Jose Siri used his blistering speed to manufacture the Mets’ lone run off Arrighetti. Siri led off the sixth with a walk, stole second base, took third on a flyout and scored when Juan Soto grounded to the mound.
Arrighetti (1-0) pitched six innings, allowing one run and one hit with two walks and five strikeouts. He threw 87 pitches, 51 for strikes, and faced the minimum in four of his six innings. Astros closer Josh Hader recorded his second save of the series by working around a leadoff walk to Soto in the ninth.
Rockies 2, Rays 1
Brenton Doyle had an RBI single in the third inning and Kyle Farmer added another in the seventh, lifting visiting Colorado over Tampa Bay.
Five pitchers combined to allow three hits over 4 2/3 innings in relief of starter Antonio Senzatela, who worked around nine hits and two walks over 4 1/3 scoreless frames. Seth Halvorsen retired all four batters he faced to secure his first save of the season
Taylor Walls ripped a two-out RBI single to right field off Angel Chivilli in the eighth inning to cut Tampa Bay’s deficit to 2-1. Junior Caminero had three singles, Jonathan Aranda ripped two doubles and Christopher Morel reached base four times (two singles, two walks) for the Rays.
–Field Level Media
Sports
World Cup Final Best Bets: Three Picks for Argentina vs. Spain
Lionel Messi and Argentina will try to win their second consecutive World Cup title on Sunday. The World Cup final is here, with a matchup between Argentina and Spain that should have the football world salivating.
Spain are the reigning European Champions. Argentina, the defending World Cup champions and two-time reigning Copa America holders.
Here are our three best bets for the encounter in East Rutherford, N.J.
Moneyline
You won’t find many sportsbooks offering the money line draw at a price north of +200 odds. And while that may seem steep, both history and circumstances suggest that’s the value play.
Over the entire course of World Cup history, 8 of 21 true finals have ended level after 90 minutes. And that includes a previous, much-higher-scoring era of the sport that lasted through the late 1950s.
Since goals per game came down in the 1960s, that ratio has increased to 7 of 16 finals.
And the relative ease of Spain’s semifinal victory, combined with the drama of Argentina’s fightback a day later, has obscured the fact that these sides are pretty even analytically.
Spain holds the highest expected-goal difference of the tournament at 11.2, but Argentina is second at 10.4.
Given the finals trend, that’s enough evidence to back the 90-minute draw trend here at +210 odds and an implied 32.3% probability.
Moneyline: Draw (+210, theScore)
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Goal bands
The trend for total goals in World Cup finals is not particularly clear. But there is a pretty consistent trend for both these sides over 90 minutes in knockout play.
Both Spain and Argentina are teams that aspire to be ball dominant. It’s a style that rarely leads to 0-0 draws, but also rarely leads to super high-scoring encounters.
In 90 minutes, each of these sides have seen the total land on 2 or 3 goals in three of their four knockout round fixtures. That was also true in three of Spain’s four fixtures at the 2024 European Championships and two of Argentina’s three knockout matches at the 2024 Copa America.
Maybe it won’t happen here. But at +100 odds and an implied 50% probability, you like betting on those chances.
Goal band: 2 or 3 total goals (+100, DraftKings)
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To lift the trophy
The oddsmakers are giving a slight edge to Spain here, which is probably reflective of their slight expected-goal superiority and maybe their perceived more difficult tournament path.
But the gap between these sides is small enough that matter, and those favor the Argentines.
For starters, Argentine fans have relentlessly followed this team across the United States, creating cauldrons of support that sound like home stadiums. Crowds aren’t the only factor that creates a quantifiable home-field edge, but they are part of it.
Argentina also have the experience of playing at this stage in the previous World Cup. Spain have also played in big matches, but World Cups are different. If you were going to nitpick their run so far, you might point out that they haven’t played against anyone from beyond the European continent in the knockout stage.
Lastly, the Argentine mindset here is a dangerous combination of unified but not overly pressured. The Albiceleste very much want to send out their greatest player on a high, and there is no debate about their national identity. But they are not under the same burden as four years ago when they were trying to prove Messi’s greatness and end a 36-year drought.
Spain have always had a more complicated relationship with their national squad, in part because of Basque and Catalan separatist sentiments.
These don’t transform a 75-25 game. But they can swing a 58-42 encounter to a true coinflip. I believe that’s the case here, and that’s why I’m betting on Argentina to lift the trophy at +130 odds and an implied 43.5% probability.
To lift the trophy: Argentina (+130, DraftKings)
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Sports
Dru Brown faces former team as Blue Bombers clash with Redblacks
Nov 1, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Winnipeg Blue Bombers wide receiver Ontaria Wilson (80) runs the ball against the Montreal Alouettes during the fourth quarter at Percival-Molson stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images Dru Brown will pay his former team a visit less than a month after being traded when he starts at quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday night at the Ottawa Redblacks.
The Blue Bombers (3-2) may have a quarterback controversy on their hands. Zach Collaros, 37, was off to a poor start to the season before sustaining a neck injury in Week 5.
Brown took all the snaps on July 10 in a 30-21 home win over the Toronto Argonauts, completing a stellar 25 of 31 passes for 339 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Collaros was ruled out for Winnipeg’s Week 7 matchup with Ottawa and Brown will make another start.
Brown gets his chance at revenge after he lost his starting job to Jake Maier in preseason and requested his release from the Redblacks.
“It probably was a little bit of a distraction, just how (Brown) went about it, but I thought he did his best to support Jake,” Ottawa coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie said in June. “He wanted to go someplace else, so we gave him that opportunity to do that.”
Now there’s a chance that could come back to bite the Redblacks (0-5), the last remaining winless team in the CFL.
Sunday’s matchup is between the two lowest-scoring offenses in the league, tied at 23.8 pointer per game. Each team has seven passing TDs this year; only the BC Lions are behind that with six.
Maier, Brown’s replacement as QB1 in Ottawa, tossed four interceptions in last week’s 40-17 drubbing at the hands of the Edmonton Elks.
“I knew (this potential storyline) was going to be coming weeks ago,” Dinwiddie told reporters this week. “I only worry about the guys in this building. Obviously, we wanted to keep Dru around, and it didn’t work out. … But we still believe in Jake. Obviously, the four interceptions are not what we wanted.”
Winnipeg coach Mike O’Shea didn’t want to feed the potential fuel, saying the revenge game angle was something “the media has to cover,” but one of his top receivers, Nic Demski, said “the whole team” is rooting for Brown to stick it to his old club.
“Everybody knows what the situation is,” Demski said. “It’s pro football but, at the end of the day, everybody has a personal relationship with Dru since he’s been here before. Everybody knows how hard he works and how much preparation he puts into this.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
TJ Rumfield drives in four to lift Rockies past Reds
Jun 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield (7) hits a double in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images TJ Rumfield went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and four RBIs, as the Colorado Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-3 on Saturday in Denver.
Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak each had two hits and two RBIs for Colorado, which recorded 14 hits and snapped a three-game losing skid. Cole Carrigg added two hits with an RBI and three runs scored.
Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4) won his fifth straight decision, allowing three runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.
Jose Trevino hit a pair of solo homers among his three hits for Cincinnati, which trailed 8-1 after three innings and lost for the third time in its last four games.
Colorado set the tone with two runs in the first inning against Rhett Lowder (3-7). McCarthy hit a leadoff double and scored on Carrigg’s one-out double before Rumfield delivered a run-scoring single.
The Rockies tacked on four more runs in the second inning. Brett Sullivan tripled to begin the rally and scored on McCarthy’s two-out single. After stealing second base, McCarthy scored on Moniak’s single to center. Rumfield and Willi Castro followed with back-to-back RBI singles.
The Reds got on the board on Trevino’s one-out solo homer in the third before Colorado scored two more runs in the bottom half of the inning.
With runners on the corners and one out, Julian Garcia replaced Lowder and allowed a run to score on McCarthy’s groundout. Another run scored when Moniak followed with an RBI single.
Lowder yielded eight runs on 11 hits over 2 1/3 innings. He issued zero walks with two strikeouts.
Trevino homered again with one out in the fifth inning before the Rockies extended their lead with two runs in the sixth. After Carrigg drew a two-out walk, Rumfield hit his 13th homer of the season to put Colorado ahead 10-2.
Cincinnati, which had won its last seven meetings against the Rockies at Coors Field, scored a run in the seventh after Juan Mejia replaced Sugano with a runner at second and one out.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Nathaniel Lowe lined a pinch-hit single into center field to score Noelvi Marte from third.
–Field Level Media
World Cup Final Best Bets: Three Picks for Argentina vs. Spain
Dru Brown faces former team as Blue Bombers clash with Redblacks
