08/14/2008 - Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edgar Renteria hit a two-run double as part of a five-run eighth inning to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 5-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays to avoid a sweep in the last of a four-game set at Comerica Park.
Renteria finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Brandon Inge added a two-run single for the Tigers, who had dropped the first three games of the set and won for just the fourth time in the past 14 games.
Armando Galarraga (11-4) was solid in the start as he gave up just one run and six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in eight innings of work.
Jesse Litsch threw seven shutout innings and gave up just four hits, but didn't factor into the decision. Lyle Overbay got the only run for the Blue Jays, who had won seven of 10 overall coming into the game, with a solo home run. Jason Frasor (1-2) was charged with the loss as he was responsible for all five runs while recording just one out.
Trailing by a run to start the eighth, the Tigers took the lead in the frame by posting five runs.
After working the seventh, Litsch stepped aside for Jesse Carlson, who retired Curtis Granderson to start the eighth before handing the ball to Frasor.
Placido Polanco worked a walk before Frasor got Magglio Ordonez to fly out. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Polanco came home when Miguel Cabrera punched a single to left. Gary Sheffield was then issued a free pass and Matt Joyce drew a walk to load the bases for Renteria, who roped a pitch into the gap in left-center to bring home Cabrera and Sheffield. Inge then punched a single to left to bring home two more runners for a 5-1 lead.
Fernando Rodney retired the Blue Jays in order in the ninth to finish the game.
Both teams put runners on base in each of the first three innings, but were unable to score and each pitcher worked a 1-2-3 fourth.
The Blue Jays took the lead in the fifth inning as Overbay smoked the first pitch he saw over the right field wall for a 1-0 lead.
Game Notes
Ordonez has a 13-game hitting streak...Galarraga has won his last four decisions...Despite the loss, it was the Jays first series victory against the Tigers since 2003...Litsch is winless since June 26 and is 0-3 over those five starts...Toronto has taken five of eight against Detroit this season...Attendance was 41,259...After the game, the Tigers optioned the contract of righthanded pitcher Freddy Dolsi to Triple-A Toledo.
<< Jags sign DT Lewis, waive RB Giles
Jacksonville, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran
defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis and waived rookie running back Lavarus Giles
on Thursday, the team's final day of training camp.
Lewis, 24, was a member of t
<< Giants' Rowand leaves game with back tightness
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Francisco Giants center fielder Aaron
Rowand left Thursday's game against the Astros in the second inning with
tightness in his lower back. He is day-to-day with the injury.
Rowand batted and f
<< Nats activate Boone; place Gonzalez on DL
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Nationals activated infielder
Aaron Boone off the disabled list and placed shortstop Alberto Gonzalez on the
15-day disabled list on Thursday.
Boone had missed the past 30 games with a left
<< Nationals' top pick Crow signs with Fort Worth team
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-handed pitcher Aaron Crow, the
Washington Nationals' top pick, ninth overall, in this year's draft, has
signed a deal with the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association.
The Nationals
Rockies' Torrealba scratched >>
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba was scratched
from the lineup for Thursday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with an
undisclosed injury.
Chris Iannetta started in his place, and the club called u
Golf Tidbits: Who will step up for the Americans? >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The changes have been made to the
selection process, the standings have been set, so what now for the United
States Ryder Cup team?
Captain Paul Azinger had the rules changed so that he had four captain's
White Sox tie MLB mark with four straight homers, top KC >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jim Thome hit a three-run home run and the
Chicago White Sox tied a major league record with four consecutive home runs
as part of a 9-2 win over the Kansas City Royals, completing a three-game
sweep.
Berkman and Astros complete second straight four-game sweep >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lance Berkman went 2-for-4 with an RBI double
and the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth as the streaking Houston Astros
came back to nip the San Francisco Giants, 7-4, to sweep a four-game set.
Berkman's
It's less than a month until the NHL hockey betting season opens at MySportsbook.com and preparations are underway for another battle in the race to hoist Lord Stanley's mug in 2007.
As cup crazy fans prepare to place their bets, one online sportsbook ,MySportsbook.com, is offering hockey betting lines on the 2007/2007 Stanley Cup , who will bring it home this upcoming season.
Despite a poor showing in last season's playoffs and the loss of Steve Yzerman to retirement, the Detroit Red Wings are early favourites at this online sportsbook with wagering odds of 6-1. The Wings will look to offensive powerhouse Pavel Datsyuk and newly appointed captain Nicklas Lidstrom to lead one of the league's most prominent franchises.
Always a threat are the Ottawa Senators, with newly acquired goaltender Martin Gerber from the Stanley Cup champion ,Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens are second best in the rankings at a 7-1 bet, and odds makers at this sportsbook are optimistic that the Ottawa squad will fare better than last season's Eastern Conference semi-final upset to the Buffalo Sabres.
Also worth noting are the defending Stanley Cup champs Carolina Hurricanes, a 10-1 bet to repeat. Behind the Canes are the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Anaheim Mighty Ducks all sit at 12-1. In the basement are the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues who all have 100-1 odds to win.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your hockey betting needs.
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.
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