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Braves host the Nationals, try to continue home win streak

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

Washington Nationals (25-38, fifth in the NL East) vs. Atlanta Braves (40-24, first in the NL East)Atlanta; Sunday, 1:35 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: Trevor Williams (2-4, 4.15 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 46 strikeouts); Braves: Bryce Elder (4-0, 2.26 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 64 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -274, Nationals +226; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves will try to keep their six-game home win streak alive when they face the Washington Nationals.Atlanta has gone 20-14 in home games and 40-24 overall. Braves hitters have a collective .334 on-base percentage, the third-best percentage in MLB play.Washington has gone 13-17 on the road and 25-38 overall. Nationals hitters have a collective .324 on-base percentage, the sixth-ranked percentage in the NL.The matchup Sunday is the sixth time these teams square off this season. The Braves have a 4-1 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Ronald Acuna Jr. leads the Braves with a .333 batting avera...

Phillies and Dodgers play, winner secures 3-game series

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

Los Angeles Dodgers (37-28, second in the NL West) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (31-33, third in the NL East)Philadelphia; Sunday, 1:35 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: Victor Gonzalez (1-2, 2.70 ERA, .90 WHIP, 14 strikeouts); Phillies: Taijuan Walker (5-3, 5.04 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 53 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -120, Phillies +100; over/under is 10 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers play on Sunday with the three-game series tied 1-1.Philadelphia is 31-33 overall and 18-11 at home. The Phillies have a 19-4 record in games when they scored at least five runs.Los Angeles is 37-28 overall and 17-18 on the road. The Dodgers have the second-ranked team slugging percentage in the NL at .462.The teams play Sunday for the sixth time this season. The Dodgers are ahead 4-1 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Nicholas Castellanos has 21 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 36 RBI for the Phillies. Kyle Schwarber is 8-for-36 with a double, a t...

Cardinals square off against the Reds with series tied 1-1

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

Cincinnati Reds (30-35, third in the NL Central) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (27-38, fifth in the NL Central)St. Louis; Sunday, 2:15 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Reds: Hunter Greene (1-4, 3.92 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 88 strikeouts); Cardinals: Adam Wainwright (2-1, 5.97 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 19 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Cardinals -136, Reds +115; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds meet on Sunday with the winner claiming the three-game series.St. Louis is 27-38 overall and 13-17 at home. Cardinals hitters have a collective .425 slugging percentage to rank seventh in the majors.Cincinnati is 30-35 overall and 13-17 on the road. The Reds have the second-ranked team on-base percentage in the NL at .333.The teams meet Sunday for the seventh time this season. The season series is tied 3-3.TOP PERFORMERS: Paul Goldschmidt has a .284 batting average to lead the Cardinals, and has 19 doubles and 10 home runs. Nolan Arenado is 13-for-36 with four home ...

Rockies host San Diego Padres, look to end home skid

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

San Diego Padres (31-33, fourth in the NL West) vs. Colorado Rockies (26-40, fifth in the NL West)Denver; Sunday, 3:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Blake Snell (2-6, 4.21 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 69 strikeouts); Rockies: Dinelson Lamet (1-3, 12.96 ERA, 2.52 WHIP, 21 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Padres -182, Rockies +155; over/under is 12 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Rockies are looking to break their five-game home losing streak with a victory against the San Diego Padres.Colorado has gone 15-19 in home games and 26-40 overall. The Rockies have a 21-6 record in games when they scored at least five runs.San Diego is 31-33 overall and 16-15 on the road. The Padres have a 25-3 record in games when they scored five or more runs.The teams meet Sunday for the seventh time this season. The Padres are ahead 4-2 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Elias Diaz has a .294 batting average to lead the Rockies, and has 13 doubles and six home runs. Nolan Jones is 13-for-35 with three ho...

Giants host the Cubs on home losing streak

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

Chicago Cubs (28-36, fourth in the NL Central) vs. San Francisco Giants (32-32, third in the NL West)San Francisco; Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Cubs: Hayden Wesneski (2-2, 4.15 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 36 strikeouts); Giants: John Brebbia (2-0, 3.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 34 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Giants -141, Cubs +120; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants look to end their three-game home losing streak with a victory against the Chicago Cubs.San Francisco has a 17-17 record in home games and a 32-32 record overall. The Giants have a 16-7 record in games when they did not allow a home run.Chicago has a 28-36 record overall and a 13-20 record in road games. The Cubs rank ninth in the NL with 72 total home runs, averaging 1.1 per game.Sunday’s game is the third time these teams square off this season.TOP PERFORMERS: LaMonte Wade Jr has eight home runs, 43 walks and 20 RBI while hitting .273 for the Giants. J.D. Davis is 10-for-31 with two ...

Pirates and Mets play to decide series winner

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

New York Mets (31-34, fourth in the NL East) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (33-30, first in the NL Central)Pittsburgh; Sunday, 1:35 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Mets: Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 5.94 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 23 strikeouts); Pirates: Mitch Keller (7-2, 3.60 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 94 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Pirates -122, Mets +103; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets meet on Sunday with the winner claiming the three-game series.Pittsburgh has a 17-16 record in home games and a 33-30 record overall. The Pirates have the ninth-ranked team batting average in the NL at .248.New York has a 16-22 record on the road and a 31-34 record overall. The Mets are 22-3 in games when they out-hit their opponents.Sunday’s game is the third time these teams meet this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Suwinski ranks fourth on the Pirates with 20 extra base hits (eight doubles and 12 home runs). Ke’Bryan Hayes is 19-for-42 with three doubles, two triples, tw...

Trump vows to stay in the race even if convicted

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

Donald Trump vowed Saturday to continue running for president even if he were to be convicted as part of the 37-count federal felony indictment that was issued against him this week.“I’ll never leave,” Trump said in an interview aboard his plane. “Look, if I would have left, I would have left prior to the original race in 2016. That was a rough one. In theory that was not doable.”Trump is not legally prohibited from running for president from prison or as a convicted felon. But such a bid would nevertheless provide a massive stress test for the country’s political and legal systems.The former president leveled harsh criticisms at special counsel Jack Smith and argued that the case against him was politically motivated and flimsy. “These are thugs and degenerates who are after me,” he said.Trump predicted he would not be convicted and said he did not anticipate taking a plea deal, though he left open the possibility of doing so “where they pay me some damages.”He sidestepped the poss...

Playground stabbing: French town holds gathering to support wounded children, families

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Crowds of well-wishers gathered Sunday in the French Alps town of Annecy to show solidarity with victims of a playground stabbing attack that left four young children and two adults hospitalized.Annecy Mayor Francois Astorg called for a “citizens’ gathering’’ in the lakeside park where a man with a knife raced around stabbing people Thursday. City officials reopened the playground hours after the attack in an attempt to show the area was again safe.People have heaped flowers, stuffed toys and messages of support on the playground’s padded surface in the days since. A pink heart-shaped balloon tied to a bench read, “For the children – LOVE.”The children targeted were a 22-month-old Dutch girl, a 3-year-old British girl, and two 2-year-old French cousins, a boy and a girl. They received grave injuries and remain hospitalized, but their conditions improved to the point where their lives no longer were in danger, the regional prosecutor said Saturday.One of the wounded adul...

WWII codebreakers helped launch computer industry in St. Paul. They’ll be recognized this week.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

Thanks to a group of World War II codebreakers, St. Paul will be cemented in history as one of the birthplaces of modern computing technology this week.Born from the U.S. Navy codebreakers, a group known as Engineering Research Associates was in existence for only six years in St. Paul but would go on to have a global impact across computer technology, electronic communication and the medical device industry.The formation of ERA paved the way for entrepreneurs in computer technology to build up their businesses into nationally recognized corporations, said Don Hall, author of a book on the subject titled “Generation of Wealth: The Rise of Control Data and How it Inspired an Era of Innovation and Growth in the Upper Midwest.”“I think ERA should be acknowledged just like any other important artifact,” said Hall, who is financing a commemorative plaque that will be unveiled at ERA’s original St. Paul location on June 15. “I am hoping to leave the marker for future generations,” he said...

David French: Before the law, ex-presidents should be treated no better — and no worse — than anybody else

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:01:44 GMT

Donald Trump has been indicted. Again. And this time, it appears richly deserved, even if one includes special considerations related to the unique recent history of public officials mishandling classified documents.Before we dive into the details of the case, it’s important to restate the general principles that should govern any prosecution decision. The first principle is that no person is above the law. That’s, of course, easy to say in the abstract, but perhaps a better way to frame it is that Trump’s status as a former president means that he should be treated no better and — crucially — no worse than ordinary American citizens.“No better” means that Trump should face charges if, for example, I would face charges under similar facts. It really is that straightforward.“No worse” means don’t stretch the law to indict the man. That may have been the case in March, when the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, indicted Trump on charges related to hush-money payments made to p...