Stewart's HR in 12th lifts Rockies over Padres

Baseball Betting Lines

05/06/2010 - San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ian Stewart smacked the game-winning homer in the top of the 12th inning, as the Colorado Rockies snuck past the San Diego Padres, 6-5, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Petco Park.

Tim Stauffer (2-1), who pitched a perfect 10th and 11th, stayed on for the 12th. But Stewart stepped to the plate and blasted a 2-0 changeup over the wall in left to give the Rockies the lead. Colorado went on to put men on first and second, but Stauffer got out of the inning with just the one run.

Manuel Corpas (1-1) tossed 2 2/3 scoreless frames of relief for the Rockies, who recorded their first road series win of the season. Starter Aaron Cook went five frames, allowing five runs on six hits.

Clint Barmes went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and a run scored for Colorado, which got an RBI apiece from Seth Smith and Melvin Mora.

Kyle Blanks went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored for the Padres, who went 4-3 on a seven-game homestand. Clayton Richard also knocked in a pair of runs in defeat.

Richard allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and five walks in a five-inning start.

In the 10th, the Padres put runners on first and second with one out. Corpas then took over on the mound and retired the first two batters he faced to keep it a tie game.

The Padres got on the board in the second inning. Chase Headley led off with a single, advanced to second on Will Venable's groundout, and scored on Blanks' double to center.

Colorado plated three runs in the third to go in front. Dexter Fowler singled, Troy Tulowitzki walked, and Carlos Gonzalez singled to load the bases with one out. Mora then walked to force in a run. After Miguel Olivo struck out, Barmes hit a two-run single to left. Mora was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play.

San Diego put a four-spot up in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. With runners on the corners and one out, Blanks and Jerry Hairston Jr. hit back-to-back RBI singles. Two batters later, Richard helped his own cause with a two-run double to left.

The Rockies, though, fought back with two runs in the sixth. Edward Mujica started the frame on the mound and walked Olivo, who crossed the plate on Barmes' double to right. Pinch-hitter Smith then hit an RBI triple to right to make it a 5-5 game. Mujica retired the next two batters before Joe Thatcher was called on to record the last out.

Neither team put together a serious scoring threat over the final few frames, forcing extras.

Game Notes

The Rockies won two of three at home over the Padres from April 9-11 and took five of the nine meetings last year at Petco Park...Despite the loss, the Padres have won six of their last nine games...Stauffer didn't allow a run in his first 17 1/3 innings this season until the homer...Stauffer had his career-best, season-opening, scoreless inning streak snapped at 17 1/3 innings when Stewart hit a solo home run to lead off the 12th inning...Colorado committed a season-high tying three errors...The Padres had their five-series winning streak snapped.

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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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