Longoria helps Rays handle Mariners

Baseball Betting Lines

05/06/2010 - Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Evan Longoria drove in two runs, including the go-ahead single in the eighth inning, and the Rays continued their amazing success on the road with an 8-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Matt Garza (5-1) threw eight solid innings, allowing five hits and two runs for Tampa Bay, which has grabbed the first two contest of this series and eight of 10 overall. The Rays' 20-7 overall start is the best by an American League club since the 2005 White Sox (20-7). Tampa Bay's 11-1 road start is the best since the 2003 Yankees had the same mark.

Franklin Gutierrez hit a two-run homer for Seattle, which has dropped five straight and nine of 11.

Cliff Lee (0-1) making just his second start of the season since coming off the disabled list due to an abdominal strain, suffered the loss. The lefty surrendered 10 hits and five runs -- four earned -- over eight inning. He also had five strikeouts.

"We put so much pressure on this pitching staff because the lack of offense," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. "When we're throwing a guy like Cliff Lee, those are the ball games you need to win and we've got to get better offensively."

Outfielder Milton Bradley, sometimes a lightning rod for controversy, has asked the management of the Mariners for help after he was pulled from the game by Wakamatsu in Tuesday's contest. The Mariners decided to start Ryan Langerhans in left field instead of Bradley Wednesday. Bradley struck out with the bases loaded in the sixth inning Tuesday and is hitting just .214 this season and has 24 strikeouts in 70 at-bats.

Carl Crawford legged out an infield hit with one out in the eighth and Ben Zobrist followed with a bunt single. Longoria then singled to left and Crawford slid in safely ahead of a late throw to the plate. Carlos Pena then lined out to Josh Wilson, but the shortstop's attempt to complete a double play failed as the throw to first sailed high, allowing Zobrist to score. B.J. Upton then singled in Tampa Bay's fifth run of the night.

Sean White gave up an RBI double to pinch-hitter Reid Brignac in the ninth. Zobrist added a sacrifice fly and Jason Bartlett scored on Longoria's ground ball fielder's choice.

Seattle loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth against Grant Balfour and Gutierrez scored on Wilson's force play grounder up the middle. Brignac made a great bare-hand grab for the force play on a flip from Bartlett for that second out. Pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney struck out swinging to end the game.

Casey Kotchman doubled with one out in the fourth and Gutierrez followed with a homer to right field, but the Rays tied it in the next inning thanks to an RBI single from Gabe Kapler and run-scoring double from Bartlett.

"That's huge. That gave me a lot more confidence going back out there for the bottom of the fifth," Garza said. "I just told myself 'that's all they get' and just let these guys hit the ball on the ground or hit the ball in the air to my defense and that's exactly what I did."

Game Notes

Mariners shortstop Jack Wilson left the game with tightness in his right hamstring. He departed in the third inning, shortly after bunting for a hit...Seattle put right-handed reliever Mark Lowe on the 15-day disabled list due to inflammation of a disc in his lower back. Seattle replaced Lowe on the roster by recalling righty Shawn Kelley from Triple-A Tacoma...The Mariners had gone 76 1/3 innings without a homer prior to Gutierrez smacking his third of the season...Ken Griffey's ground-rule double in the fourth inning tied him with Rafael Palmeiro (1,192) for six-place on the all-time extra base hits list...Longoria has an 11-game hitting streak...Lee fell to 6-3 lifetime against the Rays.

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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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Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.

The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.

Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.

MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)

Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)

Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00.

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