Saint Louis, MO

Saint Petersburg, FL

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays are scheduled to clash on Thursday at 7:15 PM ET, with Kyle Gibson getting the start for the Cardinals. How will the Rays hitters do in this matchup? We dissect the batter vs. pitcher data you need to know in the piece below.

Betting Odds and Head-to-Head Stats: Rays vs. Kyle Gibson and the Cardinals, Thursday, August 8

Welcome to another edition of Five Things I Liked (Or Didn’t Like) This Week. August is always a down period for me when it comes to baseball watching. July has everything now. There’s the All-Star Game, the draft, and the trade deadline. Our trade value series comes out sandwiched in between. From late June through July 31, it’s full tilt baseball, and the first few weeks of August are a letdown by comparison. This year, the Olympics fit into that gap perfectly, and I’ve been watching whatever random event catches my eye the same way I usually flip between baseball games. But fear not: There’s plenty of baseball still going on, and I can’t stay away for long. I’m back in the saddle, and this week has a ton of great plays to choose from. And thanks, as always, to ESPN’s Zach Lowe for the format I’m borrowing here.

Five Things I Liked (Or Didn’t Like) This Week, August 9

Atlanta, GA

Athlon Sports

Braves manager Brian Snitker's first ejection of the season led to a go-ahead homer.

WATCH: Snitker's First Ejection of Season Precedes 'Riley Rocket'

Baltimore, MD

(-132, FanDuel Sportsbook) We turn to one of the hottest offenses in Major League Baseball in the Baltimore Orioles. Over the last two weeks, the Orioles rank eighth in AVG, eighth in SLG, ninth in ISO, seventh in wOBA and sixth in wRC+. While not elite, top-of-the-league numbers, they are top 10 in every statistical category, which bodes well for their chances against a subpar right-handed starting pitcher in Bowden Francis. Want some even better news? Francis did pitch over the weekend, facing two batters, but his last start came nine days ago against these very same Orioles. In that start, Francis surrendered six hits for three runs, striking out just two, while generating just four whiffs on 40 swings.

MLB Best Bets – Free (Wednesday 8/7)

Kansas City, MO

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Kentucky Vibes.net

Disclaimer: This article was written with the help of A.I. software. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, known for his prowess on the football field, made a personal announcement during a press conference on Tuesday. The three-time Super Bowl champion revealed that he and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, are expecting their third child and that this will be their last.

Patrick Mahomes Reveals He's 'Done' Having Kids with Wife Brittany Mahomes After Baby No. 3

Herbie J Pilato

Actor Buddy Ebsen, who died at age 95 in 2003, found fame by starring in two of the most popular classic television shows in history: The Beverly Hillbillies (CBS, 1962 to 1971) and Barnaby Jones (CBS, 1973 to 1980). On the Hillbillies, he played former Tennessee country mountain-folk-turned-wealthy Beverly Hills resident Jed Clampett. On Barnaby Jones, he was one of TV's most senior, slyest, health-conscious detectives. Ebsen, however, almost became even more famous for a certain big-screen classic film in which he ultimately did not appear.

'Beverly Hillbillies" Actor Buddy Ebsen Was "Bitter" about not playing the Tin Man in 'Wizard of Oz'

Webbers Falls, OK

Well, it’s here — the start of the 2024-25 high school athletic season. High school football practice and fast-pitch softball will begin Monday, while cross country is slated to start at the end of next week for Central, Gore and Webbers Falls. I have one fall seasonpreview story...

High school athletics will begin next week

Missouri State

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CJ Coombs

Big Lots isn't any different from other retail stores that have had a decline in sales. The cost of groceries, alone, is enough to keep customers away who are watching their budgets.

These Big Lots locations will be closing in Missouri

San Francisco, CA

Washington, DC

Sports Illustrated

Melvin was ejected by Stu Scheurwater after arguing a terrible call.

Bob Melvin Ejected in First Inning After Horrendous Call By Home Plate Umpire

Tampa, FL

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Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville Today

Three men and a woman have been arrested on murder charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Charles Jones , a Jacksonville rapper known as Julio Foolio,” outside a hotel in Tampa.

4 arrested in slaying of Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio

Pittsburgh, PA

CBS Pittsburgh

Jackson Merrill had two homers, Xander Bogaerts singled in the go-ahead run in a three-run 10th inning and the San Diego Padres held on for a 9-8 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.Bogaerts led off the 10th with a line drive to left field off Colin Holderman (3-5), scoring automatic runner Luis Arraez. The Padres tacked on two runs on a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado and an error on catcher Yasmani Grandal.The Pirates cut the lead with a bases-loaded walk by Tanner Scott (7-5) and a wild pitch by Adrian Morejon, who came in with runners on...

Pirates drop third straight game, lose 10-9 to Padres in 10th inning

Fastball On SI

The Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night as James Wood put together a historic night at the plate.

Nationals Rookie Does Something Not Done For Nearly Last 100 Years of Baseball History

The weather is downright ugly this week to start the Wyndham Championship, but not in a way that we can use to our advantage. Tropical Storm Debby is set to dump over three inches of rain in the area Thursday, which would mean a Friday start at best this week. When you consider that amount of rain plus overnight rain, this event might not start until Friday or Saturday depending on how well the course drains.

The Core and More: PGA DFS Notes for the 2024 Wyndham Championship

Denny's was once a staple of the American diner landscape. In recent years, it has had its ups and downs, especially post-pandemic. The dining habits of people also change. Some customers have a more discerning taste.

Denny's: a legacy of serving customers for over 65 years including 27 locations in Missouri

FanSided

As the month of August begins, there are a few prospects throughout the Atlanta Braves system who have already made their mark over the last week of action. Let's take a look at four of those names in particular who are in the midst of a strong start to August, as well as what each player has done up to this point.

Braves Prospect Watch: Jhancarlos Lara is shoving, Luis Guanipa, Drake Baldwin

Our fantasy football rankers are some of the best in the business, but that doesn’t mean they always agree. Twice a week, our rankers will highlight some names they are furthest from the staff consensus fantasy rankings on and explain why you should either be targeting those players or steering clear in your 2024 drafts.

3 You’re Too Low On in 2024 Fantasy Football (8/6)

Los Angeles, CA

Philadelphia, PA

After starting the series with back-to-back two-hit games, a recently acquired Phillies outfielder leaves Wednesday's game early with an apparent injury.

Recently Acquired Outfielder Leaves Game with Apparent Injury

Milwaukee, WI

ATLANTA – To get as far as they want to go in this surprise season, the Brewers might have to beat the Phillies’ Ranger Suárez or Cristopher Sánchez. There might be another matchup with the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw. If the D-backs keep surging, perhaps they’ll see Jordan Montgomery or Eduardo Rodriguez. And they might match up again with the Braves’ Max Fried or Chris Sale.

Crew wants to make lefties 'a little nervous' after strong showing vs. Sale

Denver, CO

Diaz is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mets. Diaz started behind the plate in the first two games of the series, but he'll be given some rest as the Rockies and Mets conclude their three-game set with a matinee contest. Jacob Stallings will fill in for Diaz at catcher.

Rockies' Elias Diaz: Getting afternoon off

The San Francisco Giants (58-58), led by Matt Chapman, visit C.J. Abrams and the Washington Nationals (52-63) at 12:05 PM ET on Thursday. Keep reading to see how to watch the San Francisco-Washington matchup below. When is Giants vs. Nationals and when does it start?. This matchup between the Giants...

Giants vs. Nationals: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

NewsBreak

Crossed Up: Trending Players into August (8/7)

As the calendar turns to August, we’re officially in the stretch run of the 2024 fantasy baseball season. Whether you play in roto or head-to-head, redraft...

Crossed Up: Trending Players into August (8/7)

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