09/05/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Jason Bergmann faces Atlanta for the fourth time this season tonight when the Washington Nationals visit Turner Field for game two of a four-game series with the host Braves.
Bergmann has started in 21 of his 23 appearances this season with the Nationals, with both trips from the bullpen coming against the Braves.
He tossed two innings and allowed four hits and four runs in a 10-2 loss to Atlanta on April 12, then was touched for a pair of hits and a run in another two-inning stint on July 18, a 7-6 Washington loss.
His first start against Atlanta came in his most recent outing on August 30, when he was again roughed up to the tune of eight hits and six runs in just 4 1/3 innings, though the Nationals rallied to win, 9-8.
Bergmann has gone four starts since his own last victory, which came August 7 after he scattered seven hits and a run over seven innings of a 6-3 triumph at Colorado.
For the Braves, right-hander Jair Jurrjens tries again to find the winning formula.
A 22-year-old, Jurrjens was 9-4 after a defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers in his final start before the All-Star break in July. He's just 2-5 in nine starts since, including a four-start drought since his last victory, which came at Arizona on August 9.
Over the last four outings, Jurrjens has surrendered 25 hits and 15 earned runs in 21 innings, including a no-decision against the Nationals on August 31 in Washington.
Lifetime against the Nationals, he's 0-1 in three career starts with a 4.19 earned run average.
On Thursday, James Parr made a successful major-league debut, allowing a mere two hits in six scoreless innings of work as Atlanta blanked Washington, 2-0.
Parr (1-0) took the mound over originally scheduled starter Jo-Jo Reyes, who had his start pushed back to Sunday due to the birth of his daughter. Parr was exceptional in allowing just three walks with three strikeouts in the win.
Kelly Johnson doubled, triple and scored, while Chipper Jones singled and earned three walks for the Braves, who had lost five of six.
Shairon Martis (0-1) wasn't as fortunate in his MLB debut as he was charged with the loss after allowing two runs on four hits and five walks in his five innings on the mound.
Ronnie Belliard had three of the Nationals' five hits, as the club fell for just the second time in 10 games.
Washington is 10-5 against Atlanta this season, with a 3-3 mark in Dixie.
<< Cubs' Zambrano has rotator cuff tendinitis
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano was
diagnosed with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder Thursday.
Already expected to miss his next scheduled start Sunday against Cincinnati,
Zambrano wi
<< CFL Previews - Week 11 (September 5-7)
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
CALGARY STAMPEDERS (5-4) at EDMONTON ESKIMOS (6-3)
DATE & TIME: Friday, September 5, 9 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: Thanks to quarterback Ricky Ray, Edmonton took the first game of
the home-and-home Labo
<< Winton's four TDs lift DSU to OT win
Dover, DE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The performance of Delaware State senior
quarterback Vashon Winton at times on Thursday night might have been enough to
frustrate the average signal-caller.
Winton misfired on more passes than he compl
<< Kings ink F Stoll to four-year deal
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Kings agreed to terms on a
four-year contract with restricted free agent center Jarret Stoll on Thursday.
Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 26-year-old Stoll was
Visiting Indians start set with Royals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians try to continue their recent mastery
of the Kansas City Royals this evening when the AL Central rivals kick off a
three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.
Cleveland has won its last three against the Ro
Closing in on AL West title, Angels take on White Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hope to move one step
closer to their fourth AL West title in the last five years when they open a
three-game series this evening with the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox
at U.S. Cellula
Yankees head out west to battle Mariners >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees take their fleeting postseason hopes
to Seattle, where they will start a three-game series with the lowly Mariners
at Safeco Field.
New York comes into tonight's matchup 11 games back of the Tampa Bay
Orioles welcome A's to Camden Yards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phoenix-born lefty Dallas Braden makes his ninth start of
the season tonight when the Oakland Athletics open a three-game weekend series
with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Braden began 2008 in the Oakland bullpen
Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.
NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.
"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.
The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.
But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.
The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"
When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.
Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.
The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.
The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.
Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."
Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.
"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."
Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.
It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.
"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."
Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.
"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."
At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.
According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.
Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.
Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.
Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.
Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.
While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.
"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.
Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.
Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
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Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch
Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.
Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."
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