Burrell's homer helps Phils edge Reds; Griffey stuck at 599 HRs
Baseball Betting Lines
06/03/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pat Burrell's two-run homer in the sixth inning provided the difference, as the Philadelphia Phillies edged the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, in the second of a four-game set at Citizens Bank Park.
Adam Eaton (2-3) limited the Reds to three hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings for Philadelphia, which improved to 7-1 on its 10-game homestand and has won eight of nine overall. Eaton also struck out five and walked none to pick up his second straight win.
Jimmy Rollins finished 3-for-4 with a double and scored once, while Chase Utley was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Utley had homered in five straight contests, tying a franchise record.
Aaron Harang (2-8) allowed three runs on nine hits in six-plus innings for Cincinnati, which has dropped two in a row following a three-game sweep of Atlanta.
Edwin Encarnacion clubbed a solo homer, tripled and scored both runs for the Reds, who were limited to five hits.
On the cusp of a major milestone, Cincinnati outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. was not in the starting lineup for a second consecutive night with what the club is calling "general soreness." He pinch hit with one out in the eighth inning and was walked on four pitches by Tom Gordon. Griffey was then immediately lifted for a pinch runner. Griffey is one home run shy of becoming the sixth player to reach the 600-homer club, which is currently occupied by Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa.
The Phillies broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth on Burrell's 14th home run of the season. Utley stroked a leadoff double into the left-center field gap and, after Ryan Howard struck out swinging, Harang hung a 2-2 breaking ball middle- in and Burrell launched it into the seats in left.
Philadelphia squandered an opportunity with the bases loaded in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs singled to begin the inning and Rollins followed with a double to right.
Danny Herrera, brought up from Louisville of the International League earlier in the day to take the place of pitcher Kent Mercker, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list, relieved Harang. After Shane Victorino grounded out to short, Utley was intentionally walked to load the bases. Herrera then retired Howard and Burrell on strikes to end the threat.
The Reds got a run in the eighth, as Encarnacion led off with a triple and came around to score on pinch-hitter Javier Valentin's sacrifice fly.
In the ninth, Brad Lidge issued a leadoff walk to Jay Bruce, but got Brandon Phillips to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. After Adam Dunn worked a walk, Joey Votto singled back up through the middle to put runners on first and second, but Lidge got Encarnacion to pop up to notch his 15th save of the season.
"I think any time we can get in close ball games and we can win them, I think that's a good sign that our pitching is getting more consistent," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.
Encarnacion's line drive smash into the first row of seats in left field to open the third gave the Reds the lead, but the Phillies evened the score in the bottom half.
Jimmy Rollins reached on a fielder's choice, swiped second, advanced to third when Victorino flied out and trotted home on Utley's broken-bat blooper to center.
The Phillies looked to take the lead in the fifth with Rollins on third, but Victorino's sinking liner was nabbed by a diving Ryan Freel to thwart the rally.
Game Notes
Utley has hit safely in nine straight games...Victorino went 0-for-3, snapping his hitting streak at a career-high 14 games...Encarnacion's home run was his 10th of the season...Freel went down with a hamstring injury running out a grounder in the top of the sixth inning. Shortstop Jerry Hairston Jr. moved to center in the bottom of the sixth, with Paul Janish taking over at short...Herrera made his major league debut...Cincinnati will send rookie sensation Edinson Volquez (7-2) to the mound Wednesday against Philadelphia's Brett Myers (3-6).
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Austria has reached the Euro finals for the first time - it earned an automatic berth as co-hosts with Switzerland - but it is not a newcomer to major tournaments. Austria has played in seven World Cup fin
<< Pujols departs with calf injury
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert
Pujols left in the fourth inning of Tuesday's game against Washington due to
tightness in his left calf.
Pujols and the rest of the Cardinals and Nationals
<< EURO 2008 Preview: Poland has new attitude
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Poland coach Leo Beenhakker has instilled a
new attitude since taking over the club after the 2006 World Cup.
Poland was eliminated after the group stage of the Cup ("The whole atmosphere
around the nati
<< Rodriguez, Astros blank Bucs
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wandy Rodriguez combined with three other
pitchers in a five-hit shutout as the Houston Astros downed the Pittsburgh
Pirates, 2-0, in the opener of a three-game set at PNC Park.
Kaz Matsui went 4-fo
<< Big Unit second all-time in strikeouts
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arizona left-hander Randy Johnson passed
Roger Clemens for second on the all-time strikeouts list Tuesday night.
The five-time Cy Young Award winner retired Milwaukee's second batter of the
game, Mike Camero
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Croatia was as impressive as any team in qualifying for the Euro 2008 finals, but its title hopes took a huge blow a few months ago when star striker Eduardo was lost to injury. The Brazilian-born Eduar
EURO 2008 Preview: Swiss hope to surprise >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Switzerland didn't allow a single goal two
years ago in the World Cup but was eliminated in its first knockout round game
in penalty kicks.
Veteran coach Jakob Kuhn warns that the Switzerland club enteri
EURO 2008 Preview: Turkey hopes to make an impression >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Turkey has failed to make an impression in
international play since 2002, when it made a surprising run to the semifinals
of the World Cup.
Only Brazil, which beat Turkey in the group stage and the semi
EURO 2008 Preview: Cech key to the Czech's hopes >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Czech Republic goalie Petr Cech didn't have
time to dwell on Chelsea's loss to Manchester United in the Champions League.
Cech couldn't do quite enough to help Chelsea - which was one penalty kick away
fro
Chipper hits 399th HR; Norton's double lifts Braves over Marlins >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chipper Jones hit his 399th career home run,
a three-run shot, as the Atlanta Braves came from behind to edge the Florida
Marlins, 5-4, in the second of a four-game set at Turner Field.
Jones scored twic
El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting
So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.
Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?
If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)
Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).
In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.
Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.
| The Bubble Breakdown | |||
| CONFERENCE | LOCKS | SHOULD BE INS | AT-LARGES TAKEN (assuming no auto bid outlier) |
| ACC Betting Odds | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| Big East Betting Odds | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Big Ten Betting Odds | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Big 12 Betting Odds | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Pac-10 Betting Odds | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| SEC Betting Odds | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| MVC Betting Odds | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MWC Betting Odds | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 28 | 5 | 25 |
As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.
(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)
If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.
Work left to do:
Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.
Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).
Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.
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