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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“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
New York Giants betting lines
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Dallas Cowboys betting lines
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
Oakland Raiders betting lines
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
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