08/19/2008 - Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A.J. Burnett was sensational on the hill, Adam Lind hit a game-tying homer in the seventh and the Blue Jays got a lift from Johnny Damon's fielding gaffe in the eighth, as Toronto edged the New York Yankees, 2-1, in the opener of a three-game set.
Burnett (16-9) allowed just one run on five hits over eight frames while striking out a season-high 13 batters and walking one to move within a game of Cleveland's Cliff Lee for the AL lead in wins. The right-hander also recorded his sixth straight win. B.J. Ryan threw a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Marco Scutaro had the go-ahead RBI double in the eighth for the Jays, who have won six of their last seven to move one game behind the Yankees for third place in the AL East and a game back of NY in the Wild Card standings for the third spot. Joe Inglett scored the run on Scutaro's double. Alex Rios went 0- for-4 to snap a 26-game hitting streak against the Yankees.
Darrell Rasner did not factor in the decision despite a phenomenal outing in which he yielded one run on three hits over 6 2/3 frames. Jose Veras (3-2) was saddled with the loss as he gave up the deciding run in 1 1/3 innings.
Damon scored the lone run for the Yankees, who have recorded just three wins over their last 10 games. Bobby Abreu was the only Yankee with multiple hits, a pair of doubles, and drove Damon in. The Yankees have fallen 11 games behind Tampa Bay for the lead in the AL East and 6 1/2 behind Boston in the Wild Card standings.
Inglett sparked a go-ahead, two-out rally in the eighth with a single. Scutaro then hit a routine fly ball to Damon in center, who moved into position to catch the ball. Damon, though, let the ball bounce out of his glove before crashing into the wall. It was ultimately ruled a double for Scutaro as Inglett easily crossed home.
The fielding mistake was the second of the game for Damon, who let a similar situation occur in the first inning. The original blooper moved two runners into scoring position, though Rasner worked around it to continue unscathed.
Alex Rodriguez led off the ninth with a bloop single to shallow right off Ryan, but was thrown out at second trying to turn it into a double. Jason Giambi went down swinging for the second out and Xavier Nady flied out to Rios in right on the first pitch he saw to end the game.
The Yankees got on the board in the first inning. Damon led off with a walk and, after Derek Jeter went down swinging, Abreu followed with an RBI double.
Lind then stepped to the plate with one out in the seventh and single- handedly ruined Rasner's outing. Toronto had only two hits before its left fielder deposited Rasner's 3-2 slider just over the fence in right to tie the game at 1-1.
Rasner responded by getting Lyle Overbay to ground out, though Veras was called in to record the final out.
Game Notes
The Blue Jays kicked off a crucial six-game homestand against the Yankees and Boston Tuesday. Toronto is a solid 35-26 as the host this season...The Yankees and Blue Jays are tied 5-5 in this year's season series, but NY has lost three of four games at the Rogers Centre.
<< Mets closer Wagner out indefinitely
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets closer Billy Wagner will be out
indefinitely as he is experiencing more pain and swelling in his left elbow.
Wagner had an MRI exam at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York
on T
<< Andreev, Fish, Karlovic all reach third round in New Haven
New Haven, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fourth-seeded Russian Igor Andreev, second-
seeded Croat Ivo Karlovic and eighth-seeded American Mardy Fish were second-
round winners Tuesday at the $708,000 Pilot Pen Tennis event, a final U.S.
Open tu
<< Jets sign WR Brackins
Hempstead, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Jets signed wide receiver
Larry Brackins on Tuesday following the injury to start-up wideout David
Clowney during Saturday's 13-10 preseason setback to Washington.
Brackins is fres
<< Tennessee gains TE Warren, loses Cottam to surgery
Knoxville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Tennessee received NCAA
approval Tuesday for sophomore tight end Brandon Warren to suit up for the
Vols this season.
Head coach Phillip Fulmer also announced that junior tight en
Youkilis, Dice-K lead Sox past O's >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run homer and
Daisuke Matsuzaka remained perfect on the road, as the Boston Red Sox defeated
the Baltimore Orioles, 7-2, at Camden Yards.
Matsuzaka (15-2) pitched five innin
Big eighth inning helps Mets top Braves >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Delgado's two-run double was part of a
five-run eighth inning, as the New York Mets took a 7-3 win over the Atlanta
Braves in the opener of a three-game set at Shea Stadium.
Damion Easley hit a tw
New AL-best Rays top Angels with help from Shields, Aybar >>
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Willie Aybar had a two-run single in a
decisive eighth and James Shields tossed eight effective innings, as the Tampa
Bay Rays downed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4-2, in the middle contest
of a th
Harden, Cubs blank Reds >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rich Harden dominated for seven innings, and
the Cubs tagged the Cincinnati bullpen for four runs in the eighth as Chicago
downed the Reds, 5-0, in the opener of a three-game set.
Harden (3-1) surrendered
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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