Apr 7, 2022 Doug KezirianESPN Close ESPN Sports Betting Analyst Host of Daily Wager Behind The Bets podcast host Major League Baseball is back. With legalized sports betting available in 27 states (and Washington), America’s pastime may induce more bettors than ever before. And with a full 162-game season on tap, there are plenty of

Apr 9, 2022 The 2022 MLB season is here! Thursday’s Opening Day action didn’t disappoint, and Friday kept the party going with clutch performances, mascot antics and more. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox wrote another chapter in their historic rivalry, with Josh Donaldson providing the walk-off win in extra innings. The Detroit

9:02 AM ET Pitching phenom Roki Sasaki had 19 strikeouts while throwing a perfect game in a record-setting performance Sunday in Japan’s top professional league. Sasaki, 20, recorded the first perfect game in Nippon Professional Baseball since 1994 and the 16th in league history, according to multiple Japanese media outlets. Sasaki, a right-hander for the

11:17 AM ET ESPN News Services Alexandra Irving, an online producer for the San Francisco Chronicle and former softball catcher for more than a decade, was part of baseball history Friday night. Irving made her debut as an official scorer during the season opener between the Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants, the fourth woman

Apr 8, 2022 Marly RiveraESPN Writer Close Marly Rivera is a writer for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com. NEW YORK — Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, speaking to reporters Friday, expressed frustration at not finalizing a long-term contract extension with the club with which he wants to spend the rest of his major league career. “I’m just

9:49 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” WASHINGTON — Benches cleared during the New York Mets–Washington Nationals game Friday night after Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was hit in the batting helmet with a pitch, the second such incident in

9:20 PM ET Associated Press LAKELAND, Fla. — Cheered by many fans who came just to see her make history, Rachel Balkovec debuted with a win Friday night as the first woman to manage the affiliate of a Major League Baseball team. Balkovec guided the New York Yankees‘ Class A Tampa Tarpons over Lakeland 9-6.

Apr 7, 2022 Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The national champion Kansas basketball team, the mayor of Kansas City and the greatest player in Royals history crammed into a suite down the third-base line at Kauffman

3:05 AM ET ANAHEIM, Calif. — The second pitch Shohei Ohtani threw on Opening Day was a 98 mph fastball spotted on the very edge of the inside corner to Jose Altuve. By the end of the first inning Thursday night, the Los Angeles Angels‘ two-way sensation threw seven pitches at a higher velocity. Oftentimes

8:54 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Bradley Zimmer ran out of chances and time with the Guardians. Cleveland traded the oft-injured outfielder to the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday for reliever Anthony Castro. The teams announced the deal shortly after Cleveland lost its season opener — and first game as the Guardians — 3-1