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06/04/2008 -
Joba Chamberlain's first big league start was over almost as quickly as it began.
The star reliever got just seven outs in his much-ballyhooed move to the Yankees' rotation, coming out after he approached his pitch limit in the third inning.
By then he'd walked four batters, given up a pair of runs and generally looked nothing like the shut-down reliever he has been.
``I was mad at myself,'' Chamberlain said. ``You know you've only got so many pitches and I didn't do a very good job of conserving those pitches.''
Roy Halladay held New York in check despite some control problems of his own, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to a 9-3 victory on Tuesday night.
In Tuesday's other games, it was: the Los Angeles Angels 5, Seattle 4; Oakland 5, Detroit 4, 11 innings; Boston 7, Tampa Bay 4; Baltimore 5, Minnesota 3; Texas 12, Cleveland 7; and Chicago White Sox 9, Kansas City 5.
Chamberlain touched 101 mph on the Yankee Stadium scoreboard but walked three and threw 38 pitches in the first inning as Toronto took a 1-0 lead on Alex Rios' groundout.
Chamberlain retired the side in order in the second and got Marco Scutaro to fly out to right to begin the third. But Rios walked on four straight balls, and that was enough for manager Joe Girardi, who lifted him for Dan Giese (0-1) after 62 pitches, about what the Yankees had planned to limit him to.
His line for the night: 2 1-3 innings, one hit, two runs - one earned - four walks and three strikeouts. Not a disaster, but not what anyone had in mind. Except maybe the Blue Jays.
Toronto savvily concentrated on Chamberlain's pitch count and forced New York to use six pitchers total.
``We worked him good, we really did,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ``He's going to be really good once he builds up his stamina. He's got overpowering stuff.''
Chamberlain, the 41st overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft, was converted to a reliever last year to help the Yankees bridge the gap to closer Mariano Rivera. He made his major league debut at Toronto on Aug. 7 and went 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in 19 games.
He opened this season in the bullpen but was stretched out over three appearances before he joined the rotation.Angels 5, Mariners 4
In Seattle, Joe Saunders allowed one earned run in seven innings to become the AL's first nine-game winner.
Saunders (9-2) allowed six hits and likely would have cruised with a 5-1 lead but for two errors in the fifth inning for the Angels, who scored more than four runs for the first time in 14 games.Athletics 5, Tigers 4, 11 innings
In Oakland, Calif., Jack Cust beat out an infield single to give Oakland the win.
Kurt Suzuki scored the winning run after reaching base on a fielder's choice. Mark Ellis singled and Bobby Crosby walked to load the bases against Freddy Dolsi.
Chad Gaudin (5-3) pitched two innings in relief. Bobby Seay (0-1) faced the first two batters of the 11th.Red Sox 7, Rays 4
The Red Sox kept winning at home even without David Ortiz. Coco Crisp hit a tiebreaking double and Boston won the matchup of the AL East's top two teams.
Crisp snapped a 1-for-25 slump with the two-run double in a four-run sixth inning and Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a sacrifice fly.
With Ortiz sidelined for at least three weeks with a left wrist injury, the Red Sox won their 11th straight game at home, matching the longest AL streak of the season held by the Rays. Boston cut Tampa Bay's lead in the division to a half game.Orioles 5, Twins 3
In Minneapolis, Radhames Liz made a solid 2008 debut and got help from homers by Kevin Millar and Melvin Mora.
Liz (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings for the Orioles, who snapped a nine-game losing streak to Minnesota and improved to 25-8 when scoring at least four runs in a game.
The Twins got three straight doubles in the sixth from Carlos Gomez, Alexi Casilla and Joe Mauer to cut the deficit to 4-2, ending Liz's night. Matt Albers allowed one run in 1 2-3 innings of relief and George Sherrill picked up his 19th save in 21 chances.Rangers 12, Indians 7
In Arlington, Texas, Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley hit consecutive homers to set the tone in a four-run first inning.
Hamilton went deep in his career-high fourth straight game one out after Ian Kinsler led off with a single to extend his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. Hamilton's two-run drive gave him 17 homers and 67 RBIs, tops in the AL in both categories.
Tom Mastny (0-1), making his first major league start after 68 career relief appearances, struggled through a 37-pitch first inning and lasted only 1 1-3 innings, allowing five runs and six hits.White Sox 9, Royals 5
In Chicago, Carlos Quentin, A.J. Pierzynski, Nick Swisher and Alexei Ramirez homered to help the White Sox beat the Royals and Zack Greinke.
Pierzynski's first homer since April 22, a two-run shot, capped a four-run second against Greinke (5-3) and put the White Sox ahead 6-0.
Greinke allowed nine hits and eight earned runs in six innings. His ERA rose from 2.88 to 3.56.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Rivalry didn't start - or end - with Magic and Larry
WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) -Larry Bird and Magic Johnson have had two decades to nurse the memories of their fading rivalry, keeping it alive in their minds because the Lakers and Celtics have had little to compete for on the court.Largely because of Bosto
<< Soriano, Cubs down Padres to extend winning streak to nine games
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alfonso Soriano stroked a three-run homer
as the Chicago Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres, 9-6, in the middle contest
of a three-game set from Petco Park.
Mark DeRosa and Geovany Soto also clubbed
<< Wildness reigns, as A's edge Tigers in 11th
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jack Cust's two-out, bases-loaded infield
single in the 11th inning plated Kurt Suzuki with the winning run, as the
Oakland Athletics outlasted the Detroit Tigers, 5-4, in the middle contest of
a thre
<< Pedro triumphant in return; Mets hold on to top Giants
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pedro Martinez threw six innings in his
long-awaited return from the disabled list, and the Mets gave the three-time
Cy Young Award winner plenty of support with an eight-run fifth inning, in a
9-6 vic
Former NBA star headed for runoff in Sacramento mayoral race >>
SACRAMENTO (AP) -Former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson survived his first political test Tuesday, forcing a runoff election against the two-term incumbent in California's capital city.Neither candidate secured enough votes to win outright in a mayoral r
Braves shoot for another win over floundering Fish >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves aim for another win over the National
League East-rival Florida Marlins in this afternoon's third installment of a
four-game series at Turner Field.
Atlanta entered this series on a three-game los
Surging Brewers ready brooms in finale with D-Backs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers will try to extend their season-high
winning streak to six games tonight, when they go for a three-game sweep of
the Arizona Diamondbacks at Miller Park.
Milwaukee swept Houston in three games b
Red Wings visit Penguins with second chance at clinching Cup >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings will get another shot at clinching
Lord Stanley's Cup tonight, when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for Game 6
of the best-of-seven finals.
The Red Wings grabbed a 3-1 series edge with a Game 4 vic
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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.”
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards
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