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08/02/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez's quest to become the youngest player to 600 home runs takes him back to the Bronx this evening when the New York Yankees open a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.
Rodriguez has gone 38 at-bats and 43 plate appearances since hitting No. 599 back on July 22 at Yankee Stadium. Once Rodriguez finally reaches the milestone, he will easily become the youngest player to do so. Babe Ruth hit his 600th at age 36, while Rodriguez turned 35 just last week.
Ruth may have reached the plateau quicker, hitting No. 600 in his 6,921st at- bat, but Rodriguez's pace (8,679 at-bats entering play Monday) trails only that of Barry Bonds (8,212) and eclipses Willie Mays (9,514) and Henry Aaron (10,009).
However, his amount of at-bats between home runs is the longest drought between homers 599 and 600 of the six other members in the club.
"The way I'm swinging now, it's probably going to take a while -- everybody get comfortable," Rodriguez joked this past weekend. "People are asking me about home runs. I'm asking for a hit-by-pitch, infield hit, bunt single, error. I'll get on base anyhow. The home run will come."
Rodriguez did not start on Sunday for New York, but struck out as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of the Yankees' 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay.
New York lost two of three to the Rays, but still holds a one-game edge on them for first place in the American League East.
CC Sabathia (13-5) went 6 2/3 innings in the start, allowing three runs on eight hits to take the loss. The left-hander has lost two straight starts since winning nine consecutive decisions.
"I didn't think he had great command of his sinker," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Sabathia. "But he found a way to keep the game close and give us a chance."
Getting the call for the Yankees tonight will be righty A.J. Burnett, who has won three of his last four starts and hasn't surrendered a run in either of his last two outings. Burnett scattered seven hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings to beat the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday to run his record to 9-8, while lowering his earned run average to 4.52.
Burnett, who pitched three seasons for the Jays, is 2-2 against his former team with a 3.61 ERA in six starts.
Toronto will counter with righty Brandon Morrow, who is 7-6 with a 4.62 ERA. Morrow won his second straight start last Monday against Baltimore, as he allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.
Morrow has faced the Yankees 10 times (four starts) and is 1-0 with a 4.03 ERA.
Toronto lost the final two games of its three-game weekend series with the Cleveland Indians, falling 5-4 in Sunday's rubber match at Rogers Centre.
Yunel Escobar, Aaron Hill and Jose Bautista each hit a solo homer for the Blue Jays, who had won six of seven before the current slide. Hill finished with two hits and drove in a pair.
"I feel good. Coming out to the ballpark happy and loose and enjoying this," said Bautista, who leads the majors with 32 home runs. "I'm having an approach and sticking to it and hopefully I can remain consistent for the rest of the year."
Jesse Litsch (1-5) labored through four-plus innings by surrendering six hits, four runs and two walks while striking out a batter and was tagged with the loss.
The Yankees have split their six games with the Jays this season after winning 12 of the 18 matchups between the clubs a year ago.
<< Brewers sign Hart to extension
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers have signed outfielder
Corey Hart to a three-year contract extension.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the new deal will take the two-time
All-Star through the 2013 campaign.
<< Cubs' Silva leaves with irregular heart rate
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Silva left Sunday's
game against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning because of an
irregular heart rate.
Silva received the loss despite facing just four batters,
<< Cain finally gets first win vs. Dodgers; Giants sweep
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Cain finally got his elusive first
win against the rival Dodgers with 7 2/3 shutout innings, and the San
Francisco Giants recorded a three-game sweep of Los Angeles with a 2-0
victory
<< How Stuart Appleby shot a 59
White Sulphur Springs, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stuart Appleby carded the fifth
59 in PGA Tour history on Sunday to win The Greenbrier Classic by one shot.
It was the first 59 in PGA Tour history carded on a par-70 course and Appleby
became onl
Rolling Twins send out red-hot Pavano to face Rays >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams with first place on their minds start a three-
game series this evening, as the red-hot Minnesota Twins visit the Tampa Bay
Rays in the opener of a four-game set at Tropicana Field.
Minnesota has won eight straig
Red Sox open set against visiting Indians >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox shoot for a third straight win this
evening when they open a four-game series with the Cleveland Indians at Fenway
Park.
The Red Sox took two of three over the weekend from the Detroit Tigers,
winning t
Cahill eyes 11th victory as A's battle Royals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Trevor Cahill goes after win No. 11 this evening when the
Oakland Athletics open a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at
the Coliseum.
Cahill was brilliant in beating the American League West-leading Texas Ra
Westbrook makes Cardinals debut in opener with Astros >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros may have parted ways with a couple of
longtime stalwarts over the past few days, but it looks as if Brett Myers will
be around for quite a while longer.
One day after signing a contract extension, Myers
Barry Bonds Watch: Giants Slugger Says He'll Be Back
With only 21 home runs standing between him and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds is indeed planning on coming back for more in 2007. At least, that's what his agent told the Los Angeles Times.
"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the Times on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."
Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .
Get all your baseball betting lines, MLB lines and MLB team props at the My Sportbook.
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Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
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