09/04/2008 - Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Teixeira and Juan Rivera each drove in two runs, as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pounded the Detroit Tigers, 7-1, in the rubber match of a three-game set from Comerica Park.
Gary Matthews Jr. finished 4-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored for the Angels, who have won five of their last seven games. Torii Hunter added a solo home run in the victory.
Ervin Santana (15-5) gave up one run on six hits in 7 1/3 innings to get the win. He also struck out eight and walked one.
Curtis Granderson homered for the Tigers, who have dropped eight of their last 11 contests.
It was another rough outing for Kenny Rogers (9-13), who lost for the seventh time in his last eight trips to the bump. The 43-year-old was tagged for six runs on eight hits in just two-plus innings of work. Aquilino Lopez and Nate Robertson combined to allow one run on six hits in seven innings of relief.
Rogers entered the game with a 15-inning scoreless streak against the Angels, but saw that quickly come to an end in the first inning. Matthews opened the game with a double and after Robb Quinlan lined out, Teixeira ripped an RBI double down the left-field line for an early 1-0 edge.
Los Angeles picked up another run in the second when Rivera punched a double to the gap in left-center, plating Hunter, who led off the frame with a single.
The Angels busted the game wide-open with a four-run surge in the third. Four straight hits by Sean Rodriguez, Matthews, Quinlan and Teixeira to start the inning scored two runs and chased Rogers from the mound. Lopez entered from the Tigers bullpen and Vladimir Guerrero continued the assault with a run-scoring single to center. One out later, Rivera smacked a single up the middle for a 6-0 Angels advantage.
Hunter and Granderson exchanged home runs in the eighth to round out the scoring.
Game Notes
Santana is 4-0 over his last seven starts. He also improved to 10-2 in 16 away starts this year...The Halos own the best road record in the majors at 42-26...Los Angeles pitcher Jered Weaver had his start on Friday pushed back to Monday after the right-hander sustained cuts on the middle and ring fingers of his pitching hand. The injury occurred when he gripped a bench in the visitors' dugout during Tuesday's 5-4 win. Dustin Moseley will make the start Friday in Weaver's place.
<< Angels' Weaver has start pushed back
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver had
his start on Friday pushed back to Monday after the right-hander sustained
cuts on the middle and ring fingers of his pitching hand.
The injury occurred whe
<< Champions Tour changes eligibility for 2009
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Champions Tour announced on
Thursday changes to eligibility rules starting in the 2009 season.
The top-five finishers at the 2008 National Qualifying Tournament, scheduled
for November 18
<< Newcastle coach Keegan quits
Newcastle, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Keegan has ended several days of
speculation over his future at Newcastle United by confirming his resignation
Thursday as the club's manager.
The 57-year-old had been locked in talks with the
<< Black, Paes capture U.S. Open mixed doubles title
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A fifth-seeded tandem of Zimbabwe's
Cara Black and Indian Leander Paes captured the mixed doubles title at the
2008 U.S. Open.
Black-Paes bested an unseeded pairing of American Liezel Huber and
Reds rally to down Bucs >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joey Votto hit the go-ahead RBI single in
Cincinnati's three-run eighth inning, as the Reds averted a sweep with an 8-6
win over the Pirates in the finale of a three-game set.
Votto also homered, and Jay
Phillies 3B coach Smith suspended for two games >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Baseball suspended Philadelphia
Phillies third base coach Steve Smith for two games and fined him an
undisclosed amount on Thursday.
Smith was disciplined for his inappropriate actions
Crew's Schelotto earns MLS Player of Month for August >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Columbus Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros
Schelotto was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Month for August, it
was announced on Thursday.
Schelotto scored a goal while also recording six assists
Giants sign Burress to extension >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York and wide receiver Plaxico
Burress agreed on a two-year contract extension Thursday, hours before the
Giants begin defense of their title against the Washington Redskins.
Burress, who h
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.
Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.
MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .
''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''
Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.
He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.
''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''
Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.
Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.
With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.
Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
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