A's aim to extend home win streak over Mariners
Baseball Betting Lines
09/07/2010 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oakland has played well at home this season and nobody
knows that better than the Mariners. The two AL West rivals will go at it
again tonight in the second test of a three-game series from the Coliseum.
Oakland recorded its sixth straight win as the host in this series with
Monday's 6-2 triumph over the Mariners. Coco Crisp and Matt Carson each hit a
solo homer and Daric Barton contributed two hits and two runs scored for the
Athletics, who have won three of four games on this nine-game residency.
A's starter Brett Anderson was solid through 7 2/3 innings, as he allowed only
one run on four hits with four strikeouts. Craig Breslow and Andrew Bailey
went the rest of the way to preserve the win and pull the Athletics seven
games behind Texas for the AL West lead.
"It's good," Anderson said of ending his 0-4 slide in five starts. "I've
pitched pretty good here lately and really haven't had much to show for it. It
feels good to start off this series with a victory."
The Athletics will also host Boston for three games and are slated to send
Dallas Braden to the hill this evening. Braden has gone the distance on five
separate occasions this season and three times in his previous seven starts.
He did not, however, make it past the fifth inning in last Thursday's 5-0 loss
at Yankee Stadium.
Braden held New York to a run and two hits in five innings to suffer the loss,
falling to 9-10 in 24 outings with a 3.23 ERA. The left-hander, who had won
five of seven decisions before losing in the Bronx, defeated Seattle less than
a month ago on August 11 at Safeco Field. Braden posted a complete game and
yielded just a run and four hits in a 5-1 victory. He is 2-1 in six career
meetings (five starts) with the Mariners.
Seattle has lost four of six games and opened its road trip on a bad note.
Jason Vargas lasted just 4 1/3 innings on the hill and was touched for five
runs on seven hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings to suffer the loss. Franklin
Gutierrez homered and Jose Lopez knocked in a run for the Mariners.
"Probably in my last seven or eight starts, guys have been a lot more patient
and I've been throwing a lot more fastballs to counter that," Vargas said. "I
wish I would have thrown more pitches down today."
The Mariners will also visit the LA Angels of Anaheim for three games.
Scheduled to take the hill Tuesday for the cellar dwellers in the AL West is
Doug Fister, who has lost three straight starts and is 1-10 with a 4.92 ERA in
his last 16 starts. Seattle is 4-12 over that span and got a rough outing from
Fister last Thursday in a 6-3 loss versus Cleveland. He gave up four runs and
seven hits though 5 1/3 innings to fall to 4-11 in 23 starts this season.
Fister, a right-hander, defeated Oakland on August 9 this season with six
innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 victory. He is 3-1 with a superb 1.50 earned
run average in five career starts in this series.
Oakland has won six of seven meetings with the Mariners held at the Coliseum
this year, as well as eight of 13 overall matchups between the teams in 2010.
<< Tiger gets Ryder Cup nod
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods received one of Corey Pavin's four
captain's picks on Tuesday and will play for the U.S. in this year's Ryder
Cup.
Zach Johnson, Stewart Cink and Rickie Fowler were Pavin's three other picks to
<< Report: Bush to be stripped of Heisman
Sunnyvale, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Southern California star Reggie Bush
will reportedly be stripped of the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005.
According to Yahoo! Sports, the Heisman Trophy Trust is close to completing
its investigatio
<< Iowa State looks to snap TD drought against Iowa
AMES, Iowa (AP) -Former Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer's second-quarter touchdown run gave the Cyclones a 14-3 lead over Iowa back in 2006, and it looked as though Iowa State was set to stun its rival yet again.Little did anyone know, that would
<< Boise State shows it's a grown up team now
They didn't need to dust off the ol' Statue of Liberty play, never thought of pulling off a fake punt.Save those for, say, Jan. 10 in Arizona. That may be the only time this season that Boise State has to dig into its bag of tricks.OK, so the hugely
<< Clark ready to build on 100-catch season
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Dallas Clark knows there is no such thing as a perfect game or a perfect season in the NFL.The goal is to keep improving, no matter what the record-breaking stats suggest.So after posting the two best seasons ever by a Colts tigh
Fading Angels hope to stop home slide against Indians >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With their postseason fate hanging by a thread, the LA
Angels of Anaheim look to stop a four-game home losing streak tonight in the
second portion of a three-game series versus the Cleveland Indians.
The Angels are 9 1/2 g
Silva set to return as Cubs battle Astros >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cubs starter Carlos Silva displayed a lot of heart in
beginning the season 8-0 over his first 11 starts. In an odd twist, that's
exactly what has kept Silva off the mound since August 1.
Silva is scheduled to take the moun
Sabathia goes for 20th win vs. O's in the Bronx >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - CC Sabathia tries to win 20 games for the first time in his
career this evening when the New York Yankees continue their three-game series
with the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium.
Sabathia won his sixth straight sta
White Sox send Garcia to mound in Detroit >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Freddy Garcia tries to win his ninth straight decision as
an opposing pitcher at Comerica Park this evening when the Chicago White Sox
and Detroit Tigers continue their four-game series.
In his last nine starts as a vi
Rays try again to snap slide against Red Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays try to avoid their fourth straight loss
this evening when they continue a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox
at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox kept their fleeting postseason hopes alive in the ope
Problem with Bears?
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Bet on NFL
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
Bet on NFL
Mysportsbook.com online online sportsbook accepts Visa & Mastercard
|
