Orioles' Cabrera goes the distance in win over Royals
Baseball Betting Lines
07/02/2008 -
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aubrey Huff's two-run homer in the first
paced the Orioles early, leading them to a 5-2 victory over the Royals to take
the third game in their four game set in Baltimore.
Daniel Cabrera (6-4) pitched the Orioles to their third win in five games,
throwing his second complete game of the year, allowing two runs on seven hits
with two strikeouts and no walks.
Ramon Hernandez led Baltimore's ten-hit attack, batting 3-for-4 with an RBI,
while Nick Markakis added two hits, two runs scored and an RBI.
Gil Meche (6-9) recorded his first loss since June 5 and snapped a streak of
three consecutive starts with a win, pitching six innings and allowing five
runs - four earned - on nine hits while walking two.
David DeJesus was the only Royal to record multiple hits - extending his
hitting streak to 14 games - batting 3-for-4 with a home run. Joey Gathright
added a hit and scored a run in a losing cause.
The Royals have lost four of five following a stretch where they won 11 of 12.
DeJesus gave the Royals an early 1-0 lead with a lead-off home run to
right-center field, tying a career high with nine home runs on the year.
The Orioles struck back in the home half of the first when Huff blasted
a two-run homer to center field to give Baltimore the lead, 2-1.
Gathright singled to open up the third and DeJesus followed with another
single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Baltimore got out of
the jam with a double play, but Gathright scored on the ground ball to tie the
score.
The Orioles took the lead right back in the bottom of the third with a two-out
RBI single from Luke Scott to make it 3-2.
In the fifth, following a Brian Roberts walk, Markakis hit what looked to be a
home run before Gathright seemed to rob him, but the ball popped out of his
glove onto the field and Roberts scored on the triple, extending the lead to
4-2. Markakis quickly scored on a Hernandez single for Baltimore's
fifth run.
Game Notes
The Orioles lead the season series 5-2...Baltimore is undefeated (8-0) all-
time against Kansas City when Cabrera starts...The two teams will close out
the series tomorrow, matching up Baltimore's Garrett Olsen and the Royals'
Kyle Davies...The game took only 2:16 to complete.
<< Bloomquist's RBI single in ninth lifts M's over Toronto
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Willie Bloomquist ripped a game-winning single
in the bottom of the ninth to lift Seattle over Toronto, 7-6, at Safeco Field.
Raul Ibanez worked a walk off Scott Downs (0-2) to lead off the inning and
move
<< San Diegp Chargers
Signed running back Marcus Thomas and offensive tackle Corey Clark to four-year contracts.
<< Houston's Quintero leaves game
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Houston Astros catcher Humberto Quintero left
Tuesday night's contest with the Los Angeles Dodgers after suffering a
concussion when he was struck in the head with a bat.
Quintero left in the top of
<< Habs re-sign Kostitsyn
Montreal, Quebec (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens agreed to terms
with restricted free agent forward Andrei Kostitsyn to a three-year contract.
The 10th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, Kostitsyn recorded 26 goals and
27 as
<< Diamondbacks send Byrnes back to DL
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Diamondbacks placed starting
outfielder Eric Byrnes on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a torn
left hamstring.
The move sends Byrnes back to the bench after a month on the DL wi
Sonics reach settlement with Seattle; will move to Oklahoma City >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle SuperSonics and the City of
Seattle reached a settlement in their tempestuous KeyArena lease dispute on
Wednesday, just hours before a U.S. District Court judge was to rule in the
case.
Kuroda, Dodgers shut down Astros >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Just hours after being reinstated from the
disabled list, Hiroki Kuroda tossed seven shutout innings to lead the Los
Angeles Dodgers over the Houston Astros, 4-1, in the third game of a four-game
set at
Phils hang on to win another at Atlanta >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmy Rollins went 3-for-4, scored twice and
drove in a run, and Ryan Howard belted a three-run homer as the Philadelphia
Phillies continued their dominance over the Braves with a 7-3 win over Atlanta
in the
Atkins powers Rox past Padres >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Garrett Atkins drove in four runs, falling a
triple short of the cycle, to give the Rockies a 8-1 victory over the San
Diego Padres in the rubber game of their three-game series.
Atkins had a three run
Yanks' nine-run seventh helps New York top Texas >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Giambi belted a grand slam and drove in six
runs as New York broke out of an offensive slump and avoided a sweep by
trouncing Texas, 18-7, in the finale of a three-game set.
The 18 runs were a season
Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting
So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.
Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?
If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)
Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).
In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.
Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.
As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.
(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)
If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
 The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.
Work left to do:
Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.
Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).
Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.
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Colts give the ‘D’ its due
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smith and Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running back Deuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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