Blalock's HR in ninth lifts Rangers over Angels
Baseball Betting Lines
07/02/2009 - Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hank Blalock went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs, including a two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth inning, to lift the Rangers past the Angels, 9-7, in the rubber match of a three-game series.
After the Angels scored three runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game, Los Angeles sent Justin Speier (3-2) to the mound in the bottom half. Michael Young stroked a single to center to begin the inning, but David Murphy and Marlon Byrd recorded two quick outs. Blalock then stepped to the plate and belted a first-pitch fastball over the center-field wall to give Texas the improbable win.
Young went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Rangers, who have won two straight after a three-game skid. Chris Davis drove in a pair of runs, while Murphy and Julio Borbon each knocked in a run.
Frank Francisco (2-1) picked up the win despite giving up three runs on two hits in the ninth. Francisco blew his second save of the season. Starter Kevin Millwood went 6 1/3 frames, allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Juan Rivera went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer in the ninth for the Angels, who have dropped two in a row after a six-game winning streak. Torii Hunter stroked a two-run double, while Maicer Izturis and Chone Figgins each drove in a run.
Jered Weaver went 5 1/3 frames, allowing seven runs on eight hits with three strikeouts for LA.
The Rangers thought they had the game all wrapped up when they sent Francisco to the mound in the top of the ninth with a three-run cushion. In fact, Francisco was down to the last out of the game despite walking Bobby Abreu and Hunter. But Rivera stepped to the plate and drove a 2-0 fastball just over the wall in right-center field to deadlock the contest.
The Rangers scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning to break a scoreless contest. Blalock got things started with a one-out, solo home run over the wall in right-center field. Nelson Cruz then singled, stole second, and scored on Davis' single to right.
Los Angeles plated a run in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit to one. Vladimir Guerrero and Rivera singled to put men on the corners with one out. Izturis stepped to the plate and lined into a sacrifice double play.
Texas responded with five runs in the home half of the frame to extend its margin to 7-1. Byrd walked and Blalock doubled to put men on second and third with nobody out. Pinch-hitter Borbon then stroked an RBI single, before Blalock scored on a wild pitch. Davis added an RBI groundout, while Young and Murphy hit RBI singles later in the frame.
The Angels put a three-spot on the board in the seventh. Erick Aybar hit a one-out single, advanced to second on Borbon's fielding error, and scored on Figgins' triple to center. After Abreu walked, Hunter stroked a two-run double to right. Darren O'Day got the Rangers out of a jam after taking over for Millwood on the hill.
Game Notes
LA finished a six-game road trip with a 4-2 record...Cruz left the game in the bottom of the sixth with a stiff back...The Rangers have now won six of their last eight matchups with LA and swept a three-game set from the Angels in Arlington from May 15-17...Texas will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to town for a three-game set, starting Friday. LA will begin a 10-game homestand with a four-game set with the Baltimore Orioles, starting Thursday.
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Online Sportsbook Football Betting
Colts give the ‘D’ its due
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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