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04/22/2009 - Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Melky Cabrera blasted two homers, including the game-winning two run shot in the 14th inning, as the New York Yankees outlasted the Oakland Athletics, 9-7, in the first extra-inning game at the new Yankee Stadium.
Cabrera now has four homers on the season for the Yankees, who have won three straight and four of five. Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter, playing in his 2,000th career game, also homered, while seven of the nine New York starters had two hits in the game.
CC Sabathia was roughed up for seven runs -- six earned -- on six hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings. He only fanned two, and his earned-run average rose to 4.81 in four starts thus far in 2009. Jose Veras (1-1) got the win for pitching 3 1/3 innings of relief, and the New York bullpen, as a whole, pitched 7 1/3 frames of scoreless baseball, allowing three hits and three walks.
Kurt Suzuki blasted a three-run homer, while Matt Holliday went 2-for-6 with an RBI for the Athletics, who have dropped four consecutive games. Brett Anderson yielded five runs on nine hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings, and former Yankee Dan Giese (0-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing Cabrera's homer in the 14th.
A two-out rally off Michael Wuertz put the Yankees in front in the home sixth. After Cabrera was thrown out trying to steal second, Cody Ransom roped a two- out double down the left-field line and scored on Jeter's double to left- center.
Johnny Damon put runners on the corners with a swinging bunt, and Mark Teixeira made it 7-5 with an RBI single to right field, scoring Jeter.
The A's knotted the game in the seventh. Bobby Crosby reached on an infield single and moved to second on a walk by Ryan Sweeney. Orlando Cabrera bunted the runners into scoring position, and Jason Giambi made it a one-run game with an RBI groundout.
Holliday followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it 7-7 and knock Sabathia out of the game.
The Yankees had the bases loaded with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh, but Russ Springer struck out Melky Cabrera and retired Brett Gardner and Jeter on pop ups to get out of the jam.
After two scoreless innings, the Athletics had runners on the corners with two outs in the 10th, but Crosby popped out to Jeter to end the inning.
Neither team threatened until the Yanks won in the 14th. With Giese pitching his third inning, Swisher drew a leadoff walk and scored on Melky Cabrera's two-run shot to right field two batters later.
Oakland took a 3-0 lead in the second on Suzuki's three-run homer to left field.
Matsui and Melky Cabrera hit back-to-back solo homers in the second to cut the Yankees' deficit to one.
Several defensive miscues led to an Oakland run in the third. With one out, Giambi popped up to shallow left, but Damon was unable to catch the ball, and Giambi ended up on second base. Holliday lined the next pitch off the tip of Ransom's glove at third to put runners on the corners.
Jack Cust came up next and grounded weakly to Sabathia. The pitcher threw to Jeter for the force out at second, and Jeter threw home as Giambi broke for the plate; however, Jorge Posada had run up the first base line, and nobody covered home. The ball sailed to the backstop, and Giambi scored easily for a 4-2 advantage.
The Yankees tied the game in the home third. Teixeira led off with a single and moved to third on a Posada double. Robinson Cano drove in a run with a groundout to second, and Posada scored the tying run on Swisher's single to center.
New York went ahead, 5-4, on Jeter's two-out solo shot to center in the fourth inning.
But Oakland tied it in the sixth, as Cust walked with one out, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a single up the middle from Mark Ellis.
Game Notes
The game on Monday between these two teams that was rained out has been rescheduled for July 23...Suzuki's home run was briefly reviewed by the umpires. Yankee Stadium has now been the site of two reviews so far in the 2009 season...Cano extended his hit streak to 10 games...The A's are 5-3 in night games and 0-6 in day games this season...The game lasted 4:57.
<< Revs defender Albright out 6-8 weeks after knee surgery
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Revolution defender Chris
Albright underwent successful surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his
left knee, the Major League Soccer club announced.
The 30-year-old former U.S. in
<< L.A.'s Wagner earns WPS Player of the Week
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Sol midfielder Aly Wagner was voted
the Women's Professional Soccer Player of the Week for Week 4.
The U.S. international lead the Sol to a 1-0 victory on Sunday over visiting
FC Gold Pride at
<< L.A.'s Wagner earn's WPS Player of the Week
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Sol midfielder Aly Wagner was voted
the Women's Professional Soccer Player of the Week for Week 4.
The U.S. international lead the Sol to a 1-0 victory on Sunday over visiting
FC Gold Pride at
<< United doubles up on Pompey, extends lead to three points
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United opened up a three-
point lead on second-placed Liverpool on Wednesday as the Red Devils recorded
a 2-0 win against Portsmouth at Old Trafford.
Liverpool was held to a 4-4 draw
Molina lifts Giants over Padres in 10th >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pinch-hitter Bengie Molina knocked in the
winning run with a ground-rule double in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the
San Francisco Giants outlasted the San Diego Padres, 1-0, to sweep a two-game
series
Phillies announce rescheduled rainouts >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies announced
Wednesday the rescheduled dates for a pair of games that were postponed due to
inclement weather earlier this month.
The April 20 home date against San Diego h
Giants bolster O-line with T Carnahan >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Giants acquired tackle
Andrew Carnahan off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday.
Carnahan, 25, was originally a seventh-round selection out of Arizona State by
the Jaguars
Red Hot Ryder: Ex-Canadien stokes Bruins' victory, sweep of Habs >>
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Ryder registered two goals and an
assist, as the Boston Bruins came away with a convincing 4-1 victory over the
Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre, sweeping their Eastern Conference
quarter
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
NEW YORK (AP) -By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.
No. 1 always seems to fit USC.
Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.
Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.
Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No 3.
"We realize that rankings so early in a season are certainly fluid. But rankings do help establish a pecking order for things later in the season," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."
Since reaching No. 1 on Dec. 7, 2003, the final-regular season AP poll of that season, USC has been No. 1 in 39 polls, by far the most of any team during that time.
"Some have said the voters are taking our schedule into consideration," Carroll said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule outstanding opponents. We need to play challenging games like we just did, traveling across the country to open the season at Virginia. Games like that bring out our best and make us stronger as a team."
The latest voting was close. USC received 21 first-place votes and 1,539 points from the 65-member media panel. Georgia had 20 first-place votes and 1,506 points. Ohio State got 15 first-place votes and 1,497 points.
"I'd say we've evolved as pollsters," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com, who moved USC up to No. 1. "In the past, voters just kind of automatically moved teams up and kept teams where they were if they won."
Georgia beat Georgia Southern 45-21 on Saturday and Ohio State opened with a 43-0 win over Youngstown State.
"There's a bit of a growing backlash for the amount of teams that open with I-AA cupcakes," said Mandel, whose book "Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls" chronicles college football's controversies. "To see a team [USC] go on the road and play a New Year's Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?"
USC also jumped past Georgia to No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll, which has the same top five as the AP poll.
"It's definitely a privilege to be No. 1. But it's not heartbreaking to me if we drop," Georgia offensive lineman Josh Davis said. "It doesn't matter right now what we're ranked. What matters is our next game and right now, that's Central Michigan. The only time the polls matter is in December. That's when the polls matter."
While the Bulldogs opened easy, their schedule ultimately should be as difficult as any team's. Georgia's big nonconference test is at No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs also face six Southeastern Conference rivals that've been ranked in the first two polls.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes play at USC on Sept. 13 before getting into the Big Ten schedule.
But of the teams in this week's top 10, USC and Texas are the only ones that don't play an FCS opponent, and the Trojans are the only team that doesn't play a team from a non-BCS conference.
Get the latest 2009 BCS Championship odds at MySportsbook.com.
The last team to drop from No. 1 after a victory was USC last season. LSU jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 when it beat Tulane 34-9, the same week the Trojans edged Washington 27-24 on the road.
The last preseason No. 1 team to lose the top spot after winning its opening game was Florida in 2001. The Gators beat Marshall 49-14, but preseason No. 2 Miami opened with a 33-7 victory over Penn State and the Hurricanes jumped to No. 1 with Florida slipping to second.
The next four teams in the new Top 25 stayed the same: No. 4 Oklahoma (two first-place votes), No. 5 Florida (five first-place votes), No. 6 Missouri (one first-place vote), No. 7 LSU (one first-place vote) and No. 8 West Virginia.
No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Texas each moved up a spot, taking advantage of Clemson's big drop. Clemson, ninth in the preseason, fell out after losing 34-10 to Alabama on Saturday.
Also falling out after losses were Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
Moving into the rankings were No. 21 Fresno State, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 South Carolina.
Alabama moved up 11 spots after its big victory over Clemson.
The second 10 started with No. 11 Wisconsin, followed by Texas Tech, Alabama and Kansas. BYU and Arizona State were tied for 15th. Rivals BYU and Utah are both ranked for the first time since 1996.
South Florida was No. 17, ahead of Oregon, Penn State and Wake Forest at No. 20.
The final five were all the teams to move into the ranking, except for Illinois, which dropped four spots and tied South Carolina for No. 24.
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