Orioles bring road skid into matchup with the Athletics April 19 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink Baltimore Orioles (3 Darryl Dawkins Jersey -7) vs. Oakland Athletics (5-5)Oakland, California; Tuesday, 9:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Orioles: TBD; Athletics: Cole Irvin (1-1, 5.40 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, six strikeouts)BOTTOM LINE: The Baltimore Orioles visit the Oakland Athletics looking to break a four-game road losing streak.Oakland had an 86-76 record overall and a 43-38 record in home games last season. The Athletics averaged 7.9 hits per game last season while batting a collective .238 and slugging .406.Baltimore went 52-110 overall and 25-56 in road games a season ago. The Orioles pitching staff had a 5.84 ERA collectively last season while averaging 7.9 strikeouts and 3.6 walks per nine innings.INJURIES: Athletics: Chad Pinder: 10-Day IL (covid-19), Lou Trivino Ben Simmons Jersey : 10-Day IL (covid-19), Jed Lowrie: 10-Day IL (covid-19), A.J. Puk: 10-Day IL (covid-19), Austin Allen: 10-Day IL (covid-19), Kirby Snead: 10-Day IL (covid-19), Stephen Piscotty: 10-Day IL (covid-19), Deolis Guerra: 60-Day IL (elbow), Brent Honeywell Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow Clarence Weatherspoon Jersey ), Skye Bolt: 10-Day IL (oblique), James Kaprielian: 10-Day IL (shoulder)Orioles: John Means: 60-Day IL (elbow), Dean Kremer: 10-Day IL (oblique)___The A sociated Pre s Wilt Chamberlain Jersey created this story using technology provided by in this topic American League Major League Baseball Baltimore Orioles Oakland Athletics share World Cup fans find booze at hotels, Qatar's 1 liquor store Qatar's strict rules regarding alcohol have drawn attention as it hosts the World Cup 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Sterling leaves England World Cup camp after home break-in England forward Raheem Sterling has left his teams World Cup camp in Qatar and returned to the U.K. after a break-in at his home 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ronaldo looks to shine like Mbapp and Me si at World Cup Cristiano Markelle Fultz Jersey Ronaldo has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Lionel Me si and Kylian Mbapp so far at the World Cup 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ottawa hosts Los Angeles after Giroux's 2-goal game The Ottawa Senators host the Los Angeles Kings after Claude Giroux's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 5-2 win 3 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins host the Blue Jackets following Kapanen's hat trick The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets after Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick against the St. Louis Joel Embiid Jersey Blues in the Penguins' 6-2 win 3 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Korea Baseball Organization announced plans this week to begin its regular season on May 5, . Should KBO succeed with its plans, it would become the second baseball league to launch its 2020 season since the spread of the novel coronavirus, joining Taiwan's Chinese Profe sional Baseball League. The Maurice Cheeks Jersey league began preseason games on Tuesday, and KBO still wants to play its usual 144 games in a season Sergio Rodriguez Jersey that will run through November.The KBO and CPBL should provide more than hope and entertainment to American fans yearning for baseball. They could provide blueprints for Major League Baseball to enact.What could that entail? Let's hit on four aspects of the KBO's plan that should co-opt.1. No fans, at least for a whileThe CPBL has been playing its games without fans, and the same will be true of the KBO. The general public will not be admitted to any preseason games, and is expected to be barred Charles Barkley Jersey from early season games as well. The po sibility of the public attending games deeper into the season is to be determined. At present, the odds wouldn't seem good, but things can change. 2. Proactive measuresAny sports league hoping to play on before the development of a coronavirus vaccine will have to be proactive in preventing infection. KBO intends to implement a multi-pronged approach in that regard. Every player's temperature will be taken twice before games, and those same players will be required to fill Markelle Fultz Jersey out a health questionnaire i sued by the league, per Yoo.3. Improving hygieneKBO will prohibit players from spitting, and will ban Dana Barros Jersey barehanded high fives and handshaking. Oh, and players will be "strongly" encouraged to wear masks in the clubhouse and elsewhere in the ballpark, save for on the field and in the dugout. Umpires and other non-playing personnel -- be it execs, bat boys, whomever -- will also be forced to wear masks and gloves.4. Planning for a positive testIf and when a player does show symptoms of having contracted COVID-19, that player will be quarantined. If a player tests positive for COVID-19 during the season, and games during that time will not be made up. It should be noted that South Korea is farther along in the proce s than the United States, . The U.S., for comparison, added at Allen Iverson Jersey least 25,995 new cases on Sunday, .

After a weekend of haggling, is officially a member of the . , and to entice Arenado to waive his no-trade clause, a second opt-out was added to his contract, as was another guaranteed year at $15 million. Arenado can now opt out after 2021 2022. "It was Nolan's choice. He wanted to move on ... He just felt it was time for him to try something else out," Rockies chairman Dick Monfort told reporters, Paul Kariya Jersey , on Tuesday. "... We honored what Nolan wanted to do and we made what we thought was the best thing we could do at the time." STL 3B #28 BA0.253R23HR8RBI26SB0 The Cardinals have a history of acquiring big name players and keeping them in St. Louis. They traded for impending free agent Mark McGwire in 1997, then signed him long-term. They traded for impending free agent Scott Rolen in 2002, then signed him long-term. They traded for impending free agent in 2009, and signed him long-term too. Tyson Barrie Jersey Notice a pattern? "I plan on sticking around. So, that's my goal," Arenado told reporters, , during his introductory conference call Tuesday. "I plan on staying here for a long time. I've said that once in Jarome Iginla Jersey Colorado, but truly, I mean it. I expect to be here a long time. I'm not worried about that." For all intents and purposes, Arenado is an impending free agent, it's just that his contract for 2022 and beyond has already been negotiated. The opt out allows him to walk away after the season. Arenado says he plans on staying with the Cardinals and that's great, though he kind of has to say that. You can't come out and say you're planning to use your opt out on Day 1. History suggests Arenado will fall in love with St. Louis and remain with the team long-term though, and I expect it to happen. He's a perfect fit for the Cardinals, that's for sure, and the Cardinals are a good fit for Arenado. He wants to win a championship and St. Louis puts a competitive team on the field every season. (The NL Central is not exactly a powerhouse division either.) The Arenado trade makes the Cardinals the NL Central favorites on paper and also according to the projection systems. says the team's division title odds increased a healthy 8.2 percentage points with the Tyson Jost Jersey trade ... WinsDivision oddsPostseason oddsNLCS oddsWorld Series oddsBefore Arenado 86.2 36.1% 79.6% 7.5% 3.5% With Arenado 88.2 44.3% 85.6% 8.2% 3.9% Change +2.0 Mikko Rantanen Jersey +8.2% +6.0% +0.7% +0.4% ... . The ( trade) and ( likely leaving as a free agent) have taken a step back this offseason, the haven't really done anything, and the are in a full-blown rebuild. The division title is there for the taking. "We might not be done. We're still looking at things," president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters, , on Tuesday. "... With the addition of Nolan, we went from a good to great team." and Blake Comeau Jersey , , St. Louis needed to do more than simply bring back two franchise icons. Trading for Arenado certainly helps. The Cardinals could still use help in the outfield though, as well as in the bullpen, and they have two weeks until spring training to add more reinforcements. "Hopefully we get the best catcher back, and we'll keep it moving," Arenado said Tuesday, . "That's enticing enough to me. I know they care about winning, and I believe they do everything we can to win."

Yankees visit the Blue Jays to start 3-game series September 26 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink New York Yankees (94-58, first in the AL East) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (86-67, second in the AL East)Toronto; Monday, Colorado Avalanche Jersey 7:07 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Yankees: Luis Severino (6-3, 3.36 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 101 strikeouts); Blue Jays: Kevin Gausman (12-10, 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 194 strikeouts)BOTTOM LINE: The Toronto Blue Jays host the New York Yankees on Monday to open a three-game series.Toronto has a 43-32 record at home and an 86-67 record overall. The Blue Jays are 35-19 in games when they hit two or more home runs.New York has a 38-36 record on the road and a 94-58 record overall. Yankees hitters are batting a collective .241, which ranks ninth in the AL.Monday's game is the 17th time these teams Rob Ramage Jersey match up this season. The Yankees hold a 9-7 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads Toronto with 30 home runs while slugging .479. George Springer is 12-for-40 with three home runs and 11 RBI over the last 10 games.Aaron Judge has 28 doubles and 60 home runs while hitting .314 for the Yankees. Gleyber Torres is 15-for- Erik Johnson Jersey 38 with three doubles and three home runs over the last 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Blue Jays: 5-5, .256 batting average, 5.63 ERA, outscored by one runYankees: 8-2, .277 batting average, 4.50 ERA, outscored opponents by 21 runsINJURIES: Blue Jays: Santiago Espinal: 10-Day IL (oblique), Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Tayler Saucedo: 60-Day IL (hip), Hyun-Jin Ryu: 60-Day IL (forearm), Nate Pearson: 60-Day IL (mono)Yankees: Wandy Peralta: 15-Day IL (back), Frankie Montas: 15-Day IL (shoulder), DJ LeMahieu: 10-Day IL (toe), Luis Gil: 60-Day IL (elbow), Andrew Benintendi: 10-Day IL (wrist), Albert Abreu: 15-Day IL (elbow), Matt Carpenter: 10-Day IL (foot), Miguel Castro: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Michael King: Calvin Pickard Jersey 60-Day IL (elbow), Chad Green: 60-Day IL (elbow), Stephen Ridings: 60-Day IL (shoulder)___The A sociated Pre s created this story using technology provided by and data from . in this topic Toronto Blue Jays American League New York Yankees Major League Baseball share Ronaldo looks to shine like Mbapp and Me si at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Rene Robert Jersey Lionel Me si and Kylian Mbapp so far at the World Cup 15 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ottawa hosts Los Angeles after Giroux's 2-goal game The Ottawa Senators host the Los Angeles Kings after Claude Giroux's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 5-2 win 51 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins host the Blue Jackets following Kapanen's hat trick The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets after Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the Penguins' 6- John Wensink Jersey 2 win 51 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ducks bring losing streak into game against the Hurricanes The Anaheim Ducks aim to end their six-game losing streak when they play the Carolina Hurricanes 52 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Blackhawks face the Metropolitan Division-leading Devils The Chicago Blackhawks face the top-ranked team in the Metropolitan Division, the New Jersey Devils 52 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shortstop , the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, made his debut Friday night against the and recorded his first career hit. The called up their top prospect to replace . (Correa was hit by a pitch Thursday and suffered the "" in his right middle finger, the team said. He will undergo more tests Friday.) Lewis' first hit, an opposite-field single, came Nino Niederreiter Jersey in the eighth inning.Take a look: Royce Lewis gets his first big league hit with the ! MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) The 22-year-old Lewis had torn up Triple-A this season, hitting .310/.427/.560 with 10 doubles, three home runs, eight stolen bases, and nearly as many walks (16) as strikeouts (19) in 23 games. It is his first game action in two years -- Lewis mi sed 2021 with a Mikko Koivu Jersey torn ACL, and the 2020 minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the torn ACL and two lost years of development, . . Here's a snippet of their scouting report: Lewis has tremendous upside when he's healthy. He had close to top-of-the-scale speed before he hurt his knee that Minnesota Wild Jersey made him a dangerous baserunner. With a lot of moving parts to his swing and a big leg kick, Lewis got out of sync in 2019, but he seemed to get his timing back in the Arizona Fall League and at the Twins' alternate training site in 2020. He's worked to quiet his setup and smooth out his swing, but it's yet to be game-tested. He is capable of driving the ball to all fields and there's plenty of raw power for him to tap into ... Drafted as a shortstop, Lewis has mostly played the premium position as a pro and had made enough improvements for most to believe he and Jared Spurgeon Jersey his above-average arm can stick there in the big leagues. He also showed off positional flexibility in the AFL, including some plus defensive ability in center field. The Twins are currently without (COVID), (calf), (wrist), and (knee surgery). Correa will be the team's fifth regular position player (or semi-regular, in Garlick's case) on the injured list, a suming his finger injury is serious enough to require an extended absence. Correa had started 23 of the team's 25 Devan Dubnyk Jersey games at shortstop. (now platooning in left field) and (the starting second baseman) started the other two games. Third baseman has shortstop experience, but clearly the Twins will need a legitimate shortstop while Correa is out, and Lewis is as good an option as any in the organization. Signed to a three-year, $105.3 million contract with two opt outs in spring training, the 27-year-old Correa owns a .264/.323/.385 batting line with two home runs this season. He has really picked it up lately Erik Haula Jersey after a slow start, going 14-for-31 (.452) with three doubles and a homer in his last seven games.

Phillies try to continue win streak, take on the Marlins September 15 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink Philadelphia Phillies (80-62, third in the NL East) vs. Miami Marlins (58-85, fourth in the NL East)Miami; Thursday, 6:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Noah Syndergaard (9-9, 4.09 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 87 strikeouts); Marlins: Pablo Lopez (8-10, 4.04 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 151 strikeouts Chris Stewart Jersey ) LINE: Phillies -138, Marlins +117; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to keep their five-game win streak going when they visit the Miami Marlins.Miami is 58-85 overall and 28-43 in home games. The Marlins have gone 26-63 in games when they have given up a home run.Philadelphia has a 36-31 record on the road and an 80-62 record overall. Phillies hitters have a collective .317 on-base percentage, the sixth-ranked percentage in the NL.The matchup Thursday is the 19th time these teams match up this season. The Phillies Ryan Suter Jersey have a 12-6 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Jon Berti has 15 doubles, two triples and three home runs for the Marlins. Brian Anderson is 9-for-36 with two home runs over the past 10 games.Rhys Hoskins has 27 doubles, two triples and 28 home runs for the Phillies. Jean Segura is 12-for-34 with three doubles and a home run over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Marlins: 3-7, .241 batting average, 5.11 ERA, outscored by 15 runsPhillies: 7-3, .280 batting average, 3.48 ERA, outscored opponents by 11 runsINJURIES: Marlins: Avisail Garcia: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Anthony Bender: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jordan Holloway: 60-Day IL (elbow), Daniel Castano: 7-Day IL (concu sion), Max Meyer: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jazz Chisholm: 60-Day IL (back), Cody Poteet: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jorge Soler Erik Haula Jersey : 10-Day IL (back), Paul Campbell: 60-Day IL (elbow), Sean Guenther: 60-Day IL (arm)Phillies: Rhys Hoskins: day-to-day (hand) Nino Niederreiter Jersey , Kent Emanuel: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Mark Appel: 60-Day IL (elbow), Nicholas Castellanos: 10-Day IL (oblique), Simon Muzziotti: 60-Day IL (knee), Zack Wheeler: 15-Day IL (forearm), Corey Knebel: 60-Day IL (lat), Hans Crouse: 60-Day IL (biceps), James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow), Damon Jones: 60-Day IL (shoulder)___The A sociated Pre s created this story using technology provided by and data from . in this topic National League Major League Baseball Philadelphia Phillies Miami Marlins Paul Campbell Kent Emanuel Corey Knebel Brian Anderson Avisal Garca Jorge Soler Zack Wheeler Jean Segura Cody Poteet Jazz Chisholm Jr. Damon Jones Mark Appel Jordan Holloway Pablo Lpez Daniel Castano Rhys Hoskins Jon Berti Miami Marlins Philadelphia Phillies share Ronaldo looks to shine like Mbapp and Me si at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Lionel Me si and Kylian Mbapp so far at the World Cup 24 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ottawa hosts Los Angeles after Giroux's 2-goal game The Ottawa Senators Thomas Vanek Jersey host the Los Angeles Kings after Claude Giroux's two-goal game against the San Jose Sharks in the Senators' 5-2 win 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Penguins host the Jason Zucker Jersey Blue Jackets following Kapanen's hat trick The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets after Kasperi Kapanen's hat trick against the St. Louis Blues in the Penguins' 6-2 win 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ducks bring losing streak into game against the Hurricanes The Anaheim Ducks aim to end their six-game losing streak when they play the Carolina Hurricanes 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Blackhawks face the Metropolitan Division-leading Devils The Chicago Blackhawks face the top-ranked team in the Metropolitan Division, the New Jersey Devils 1 HOUR AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS

On Sunday, that profe sional sports teams of his state are now free to "begin spring training." The use of the baseball term "spring training" strongly suggests that he's referring Marc-Edouard Vlasic Jersey primarily to the and , who, like the rest of Major League Baseball, have been shut down by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. is , which all sides hope to get under way in early July. Satisfying that timetable Tommy Wingels Jersey will require a restart of spring (or summer) training with enough time -- likely two to three weeks -- for players to ramp back up to game shape.One idea reportedly being discu sed is for to hold the resumption of Joe Pavelski Jersey spring training in their home ballparks, and Cuomo's announcement would seem to clear that path for the Yankees and Mets. As for the Yankees, they may San Jose Sharks Jersey instead be leaning toward holding the remainder of spring training at their usual Grapefruit League complex in Tampa. Baseball writer Bob Klapisch recently tweeted that the Yankees were planning to .New York has been the state hardest hit by the pandemic, but has prompted Cuomo to ease some of the shutdown restrictions in place. That of course is good news on a number of more important levels, and it's also a positive sign when it comes to the po sibility that a 2020 MLB season, Tomas Hertl Jersey featuring something like an 82-game regular season and Justin Braun Jersey expanded playoffs, will be held. Players and owners must still come to terms on a number of i sues -- -- but conditions continue to augur a return for baseball and other major profe sional sports leagues in the U.S.

ATLANTA Two hours after a crowded and celebratory news conference to mark arguably the biggest moment in his life, Braves rookie Michael Harris II sat quietly at his locker Wednesday afternoon, all alone, engaged Joonas Donskoi Jersey in a minor struggle to get some stubborn athletic socks onto his feet.It was a small moment of human normalcy in an afternoon that had been anything but for the una suming 21-year-old, whose nickname Money Mike had suddenly become quite the accurate moniker. It was also a moment that encapsulated the e sence of Harris after a couple of months in the big leagues: a noticeable and determined presence, but not one to draw undue attention to himself.MORE: Yet, the moment offered no hint that Harris, the youngest player in MLB this season, had signed an eight-year, $72 million contract extension that will keep him with the Braves through at least 2030. After just 71 games as a big leaguer, Harris, an Atlanta-area native, got the ultimate vote of confidence from his hometown team. Harris has plenty of confidence in himself, too, and we'll get to that in a bit.But first: Why would a defending World Series champion give an eight-year, $72 million contract to a kid who was riding buses in the low minors just one year ago? A valid question, perhaps, but only if you've never seen Michael Harris II play baseball. If you have, though, it's pretty much a no-brainer for multiple reasons. First, there's Harris' calling card."Platinum glove-quality center field," Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud told The Sporting News. "It's pretty incredible to see a ball hit off someone's bat and think there's no shot, and then he gets there easily and he's standing under it like a piece of cake."This is a common theme when polling Harris' teammates about his abilities the constant surprise, even awe at what he's able to do in center field."Gosh, he covers so much ground out there," Austin Riley told TSN. "There's balls that've been hit and I'm like, 'That Patrick Marleau Jersey 's probably not getting caught,' and the next thing you know, he's making (the catch)."He covers so much ground and saves so many runs."Indeed, Harris' six Outs Above Average (in MLB's 94th percentile) is tied for second-most among all center fieldersand his five Defensive Runs Saved leads the NL at the position. Both numbers are even more impre sive considering that Harris didn't debut until May 28.But it's not just the range, Riley Mikkel Boedker Jersey said. "He's got a hose, too." Observe: Since arriving in late May, Harris has lengthened the Braves' lineup considerably, primarily in the nine spot.Coming into play Wednesday, through 254 at-bats, Harris led all qualified MLB rookies with a .825 OPS. He was named NL Rookie of the Month in June with a .347/.371/.574 and since June 13 leads all rookies in homers with 12 and is second in hits with 58."To have the production he's had at the plate has been pretty incredible," d'Arnaud said.The Braves don't view it as a coincidence that the team turned its season around with a 14-game winning streak that began just a few days after Harris arrived."He brought a spark," staff ace Max Fried said. "... He's been a big catalyst for us."Added Riley: "Just being a guy hitting nine hole who can Chris Tierney Jersey do damage and be consistent at the plate (has been huge). He's put up very profe sional at-bats." The more Harris plays, the more he shows off thefive coveted tools.A sizable percentage of his powers comes from sprint speed that'sjust a few ticks away from "elite." (His 29.3 feet per second puts him in MLB's 94th percentile in the category.) That comes in handy both when he chases down those seemingly impo sible-to-catch fly balls and when he runs the bases. To wit: He's 14-for-14 in stolen base attempts, a total that leads all NL rookies.Harris has also drawn praise for one of his intangibles: Though just 21, he never seems to get rattled or feel overwhelmed by the stage or the moment. "A slow heartbeat" is how manager Brian Snitker likes to describe it.Harris offers a simple reason."Honestly, I don't even think I have emotions," he told reporters Wednesday. "Like when I got drafted, I didn't have any emotion. I was just staring at the TV. Everybody else was running around the living room. I'm just the one person standing there, no emotion. ... I don't really show emotion in the moment."MORE: Put it all together and it was a long-term relationship the Braves had to have."I told him in spring training, 'I'm not Logan Couture Jersey trading you,'" general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Wednesday. "When we made the Matt Olson trade ... I think our clubhouse was obviously shocked by some of the guys that got moved. But we were really excited about him long term." The Braves' confidence in Harris is perhaps matched only by Harris confidence in himself. After he finally got those socks on at his locker in that quiet moment before Wednesday's game against the Mets, I asked Harris whether he's been surprised by his early succe s at the big league level, given that he never played above Double-A before his call-up."Yes and no," hetold me. "I feel like growing up I had the right people around me to kind of guide me to do the right things and be prepared for this moment. I feel like just because I've had them in my San Jose Sharks Jersey life and teaching me the right ways has allowed me to do what I'm doing now."The surprisingpart, he said? The transition from Double-A standout to everyday MLB player has been easier than expected. It's still just baseball."I feel like it's all the same game," Harris said. "The biggest difference is the amount of fans and, I gue s, the lifestyle. But I feel like pretty much it's the same (style of) play as Double-A."The elite competition has not been a surprise, however. Harris knew what he was getting in to after his promotion, but this is where he belongs, having played himself to the top of the list of NL Rookie of the Year contenders."I kind of expected it to be the highest, hardest level," Harris said. "I feel everything is pretty much living up to what I expected it to be."And so far, as the eight-year extension would suggest, Harris has been just what the Braves expected too.

While Major League Baseball right about now is quite understandably dominating the consciousne s of the sport, let's take this fitting juncture to make some time for the college ranks.The juncture is fitting because the Division I regular Andrej Sekera Jersey season will soon be behind us. Conference tournaments are ongoing at this writing, and on Monday we'll know what the will look like. So even if you do not number among the college baseball enthusiasts of this world, you'll probably want to keep a spare eyeball on the next month-plus of action. And in the event that you haven't been paying all that much attention to the collegians, we're here to get you up to speed on what you need to know about the 2021 season.Let's do that now -- i.e., get you up to speed on what you need to know about the 2021 season -- with eight things to know about the college baseball season.On Monday, May 31 -- Memorial Day -- the 64-team NCAA Division I tournament field will be announced starting at noon ET. Those 64 teams usually break down into 31 conference champions that receive automatic bids and 33 at-large berths chosen by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee. This year, however, just 30 conference champions will receive bids Laurent Brossoit Jersey , as the Ivy League opted not to play the 2021 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In most instances, those automatic bids will go to the winners of the conference tournaments. However, some conferences aren't playing tournaments this season on account of COVID. As such, we already know a handful of automatic qualifiers -- Arizona in the Pac-12, Nebraska in the Big Ten, Norfolk State in the MEAC, and Southern in the SWAC. The tournament gets underway on June 4.Most weeks this season, Arkansas has been the consensus top-ranked team, and that's with good cause. Right now, Dave Van Horn's squad is 44-10 and 23-8 in the juggernaut SEC (more on that mighty circuit below). Those tallies also include a win over No. 3 Vanderbilt in a highly anticipated SEC Tournament match-up on Thursday. High-level mathematics will tell you that the Razorbacks are also 21-2 in out-of-conference games. They're also just the second team in SEC history, joining Vanderbilt in 2010, to win all 10 regular season conference series. Need more? All right: The Hogs are 17-4 against teams from quadrant one in the RPI (i.e., teams ranked 1-25 in the RPI). Along the way, they've out-scored opposition by a margin of 412-222.As is typically the case, the SEC lords over all it surveys in college baseball. In the latest rankings over at , SEC teams occupy three of the top four spots (No. 1 Arkansas, No. 3 Vanderbilt, and No. 4 Tenne see) and have a total of six teams in the top 25. There's a real shot they get 10 teams into the field of 64. Four teams -- Georgia, LSU, Alabama -- have realistic designs Zack Kassian Jersey on a berth despite having losing conference records. Relatedly, only one SEC team, Mi souri, had a losing record in out-of-conference games, and overall the conference was 262-85 (.755) in out-of-conference games this season. All of this isn't especially surprising, given that the SEC has claimed six of the last 11 national championships. The conference tied a record by placing four teams in the 2019 College World Series, and multiple SEC teams have made the eight-team College World Series in each of the last three seasons (save for, Patrick Maroon Jersey of course, 2020, when the College World Series was canceled).The Big Ten this season was one of two conferences to play a conference-only schedule in response to the pandemic. As such, it's going to be very difficult for the committee to a se s the cases of Big Ten teams when it comes to at-large bids. As noted above, Nebraska is already in, and teams like Michigan, Maryland, Indiana, and maybe Iowa have arguments for being in the field of 64. Normally, the committee heavily weighs RPI, but in the Big Ten this year it's not all that illuminating because no Big Ten team played any games outside the conference.The other conference to play all games within is the Metro Atlantic, or MAAC. With the conference tournament ongoing, Fairfield at 36-2 (!) is the favorite to land the automatic berth. Take it away, Nail Yakupov Jersey Texas Tech broadcaster Geoff Haxton: Note the impre sive "framing" of the foul ball.It's po sible that Vanderbilt will become the first team to produce the top two picks of a given draft. Mock drafts will vary, but many of them have or have recently had Commodore right-handers Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter going 1-2 in one order or the other. Each has authored a highly impre sive 2021 season, in terms of both run prevention and strikeouts (a combined 262 strikeouts in 167 2/3 innings). As well, each boasts lights-out stuff, although Rocker's fastball velocity has wavered at times. Obviously, having a front of the rotation like that makes them serious threats to win it all, and the capstone to head coach Tim Corbin's third national title would be seeing two of the top pitchers in program history being tabbed with the top two overall picks.On the unfortunate side of that same coin, not one but three pitchers who project as high draftees have succumbed to Tommy John surgery this season.First came , whom our own R.J. Anderson ranked as the No. 9 2021 draft prospect . Then it was , ranked No. 7 by Anderson in this year's cla s. Finally, recently learned he'd need to undergo the procedure. He was in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in 2022. Ole Mi s is a lock to make the tournament, and LSU and Alabama are bubble teams. In other words, these absences could be acutely felt when it matters most.The College World Series didn't happen last year because of COVID, as mentioned above. That makes this year's edition even more special than usual. Compounding the good news is that, thanks to the broadly succe sful vaccination effort, the College World Series in Omaha will permit full capacity at games. In April, the NCAA announced that the games would be played Milan Lucic Jersey at 50 percent capacity, but thanks to more recent COVID trends all attendance restrictions have been lifted for the Greatest Show on Dirt.That's great news, especially for fans of the eight teams that eventually make it to Omaha this year.

Teams trending in opposite directions meet when the take on the in an interleague matchup on Friday afternoon. The White Sox (63-46), first in the American League Central, have opened up a 9.5 game lead over Wayne Gretzky Jersey the second-place . The Cubs (52-58), fourth in the National League Central, are 3-7 in their last 10 games after trading away several of their best players at the trade deadline. The teams split six games a year ago. This will be their first meeting of 2021.First pitch from Wrigley Field is set for 2:20 p.m. ET. The White Sox lead the all-time series 69-65, including a 35-32 edge in games played on the north side. The White Sox are a -172 favorite on the money line in the latest White Sox vs. Cubs odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total runs scored is nine. Before making any Cubs vs. White Sox picks, .This model, which simulates every pitch of every game 10,000 times, is a profitable 140-113 on top-rated through 18 weeks in the 2021 season. It also had a banner 2019 season, the league's last full schedule, returning more than $1,400 on its top-rated money-line and run-line picks. Anyone following it has seen some huge returns.Now, the model has dialed in on and revealed its predictions and best bets. . Here are Andrew Ference Jersey the and betting trends for Cubs vs. White Sox: White Sox vs. Cubs money line: White Sox -172, Cubs +157White Sox vs. Cubs run line: White Sox -1.5White Sox vs. Cubs over-under: 9 runsCWS: The White Sox are 50-22 in their last 72 games as a favoriteCHI: The Cubs are 15-6 in their last 21 home games against a team with a winning record Featured Game | Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox Moneyline Spread Total CHC CHW Why you should back Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Jersey the White SoxThe White Sox are expected to send right-hander (10-3, 2.07 ERA) to the mound. Lynn has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts. His worst start in that stretch was his last one when he faced the Cleveland Indians on July 30. In that game, he allowed three earned runs on seven hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out seven and received a no-decision. In the start prior, he shut down the NL Central-leading by allowing Nail Yakupov Jersey just one earned run on six hits in six innings.Offensively, first baseman has hits in four of his last five games. He is batting .245 with 20 homers, 82 RBIs and 53 runs scored in 102 games on the season. He has hit well against the Cubs. In 30 career games against them, Abreu is batting .348 with seven doubles, 10 homers and 25 RBIs. He also enjoys hitting at Wrigley Field, where he is a .317 lifetime hitter with three doubles, six homers and 14 RBIs.Why you should back the CubsThe Cubs are expected to start right-hander (13-4, 3.71 ERA). Zack Kassian Jersey Hendricks has won 11 consecutive decisions and is coming off a win at Washington in his last outing. In that game, he allowed one earned run on four hits in seven innings. He is just 1-4 in eight career starts against the White Sox, but has a respectable 3.74 ERA. He has walked just eight against 39 strikeouts. Since the Cubs' trade deadline moves, third baseman has taken advantage of his playing time. He has hits in eight of his last 10 games, including Andrej Sekera Jersey a 3-for-4 performance at Colorado on Wednesday. In that game, he doubled and drove in three runs. For the season, he is batting .272 with 16 homers, 32 RBIs and 31 runs scored.How to make Cubs vs. White Sox picksSportsLine's model is leaning under on the run total, as the simulation projects the teams to combine for eight runs. It also says one side of the money line has the value. .So who wins White Sox vs. Cubs? And which side of the money line has all the value? , all from the advanced model that has been profitable on picks in 2021, and find out.