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A rainout in Colorado and a reshuffled rotation have left Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal with six full days of rest ahead of Friday night’s series opener against the Texas Rangers. Rather than using Skubal during Thursday’s doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies, Detroit manager A.J. Hinch strategically held back the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner for a more impactful start—against a struggling AL West foe. Skubal (3-2, 2.21 ERA) has been nearly untouchable lately. Over his last five starts, he’s allowed just three runs in 30 innings (0.90 ERA) while striking out 38 batters and walking only one. He’s made a habit of dominating early and efficiently. “I want teams to swing early and often,” Skubal said. “They

After a rough stretch on the field, the Chicago White Sox finally found something to cheer about off it: newly appointed Pope Leo XIV was revealed to be a lifelong White Sox fan. A photo of the new pope surfaced Thursday, showing him proudly wearing a Sox jersey at the 2005 World Series. With the papacy on their side, the White Sox will look to channel that divine energy when they begin a three-game series against the struggling Miami Marlins on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. While Chicago is riding a four-game losing streak, fans and players alike are hoping for a spark—divine or otherwise. It’s safe to say the South Siders are glad to be back at home.

When the New York Yankees face the Oakland Athletics on Friday night to open a three-game set in Sacramento, California, all eyes will be on Aaron Judge—and unexpectedly, Jacob Wilson. Judge’s dominance is well-established. The reigning AL MVP leads the majors with a .400 batting average, while also sharing the top spot in home runs (12) and RBIs (34). But Wilson, a 23-year-old rookie and the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft, has emerged as an elite hitter in his own right, trailing only Judge at .357. “It’s pretty cool,” Wilson said. “He’s obviously an MVP. To be mentioned next to Aaron Judge means a lot.” Wilson is red-hot, Judge is in a mini-funk, and this early-season showdown might

The Thunder (-219) are 5.5-point favorites against the Nuggets (+183) in a division matchup between two Western Conference teams. Oklahoma City is 68-14 and 1st in the Western Conference, while Denver is 50-32 and 4th in the Western Conference. ESPN has coverage of this game, which is being played at Ball Arena in Denver. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 ET. The Thunder improved to 68-14 on the season with a dominant 149-106 win over the Nuggets on Wednesday. Playing at home, Oklahoma City covered the spread as 10-point favorites and the game’s total of 255 points went over the O/U line of 230. Oklahoma City set the tone early, going on a 10-0 run to extend their lead from 23-11