07/04/2008 - Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Lowell's three-run homer in the fifth inning broke up a tie game, and the Boston Red Sox held on for a 6-4 win in a rain-soaked Independence Day matchup with the New York Yankees.
Lowell added a sacrifice fly for the Red Sox, who have rebounded from a five- game losing skid and a three-game sweep in Tampa to take the first two of this four-game set.
Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-5 and scored for Boston, which pounded out 12 hits to the Yankees' six. Josh Beckett (8-5) allowed three runs -- all in the first inning -- on four hits and four strikeouts and two walks to get the win.
Darrell Rasner (4-7) continued to struggle for the Yankees. Staked to an early 3-0 lead, Rasner was ripped for six runs on 10 hits in five innings to lose for the seventh time in eight starts.
Alex Rodriguez had a two-run double for the Yankees, who fell for the fifth time in six games. New York lost left fielder Johnny Damon in the third inning to a left shoulder contusion, suffered on a bizarre play that almost resulted in a home run for Boston's Kevin Youkilis.
Trailing 3-0, Boston loaded the bases with one out in the third for Lowell, who lined a sacrifice fly to left for the first Red Sox run. Youkilis followed with a drive to deep left that bounced out of the webbing of Damon's glove, who fell into the fence after trying to make the catch.
The ball bounced onto the top of the fence, where it stood still for moment before dropping back onto the field. Youkilis, who just missed a home run by inches, pulled into third with a two-run triple. Damon left clutching his left side, and was replaced in left by Brett Gardner.
"I wish I could have kept the ball in my glove because the game was a two-run difference," Damon said. "I had the ball, and the minute my shoulder hit the wall, the ball started coming out. It would have been a nice play."
Damon is listed as day-to-day, but both he and Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after the game he will not be in Saturday's lineup.
Dustin Pedroia and Manny Ramirez singled in the fifth, and with one out Lowell turned on an inside fastball from Rasner and belted it into the seats in left, his 13th homer of the season. The three-run shot boosted the Red Sox to a 6-3 lead.
"The home run was a pitch in," Lowell said. "I kept my hands inside. I didn't really crush, but I looked at the left fielder and it felt good when I saw him turn his back and it fell in there."
The skies opened in the seventh, and the Yankees loaded the bases with one out under a steady downpour. Bobby Abreu popped out in the infield, though, Rodriguez grounded into a fielder's choice, and New York came away empty- handed.
The showers strengthened in the top of the eighth, and play was stopped for an hour and 28 minutes until the weather broke. The Yankees mounted one last charge, against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth. Gardner worked a two-out walk, and moved to second on defensive indifference.
Derek Jeter hit a line drive to shallow center that Coco Crisp made a nice diving catch on for the third out. Unfortunately for Crisp and the Red Sox, third base umpire Wally Bell ruled a trap on the play, and Gardner scored while Jeter headed to second.
Abreu followed with a fly ball to deep center, but it held up in front of the warning track for Crisp, who squeezed it for the final out, and Papelbon's 25th save.
After Rasner escaped unscathed from a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the first, the Yankees roughed up Beckett for three runs in the home half. Damon led off with a double to center, Abreu worked a one-out walk, and Rodriguez lined an 0-2 fastball into the corner in left for a two-run double.
Rodriguez headed to third on the throw to the plate, and Jason Giambi drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center for a 3-0 Yankees lead.
Game Notes
Prior to the game the Yankees recalled pitcher Billy Traber from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and optioned infielder Alberto Gonzalez to their affiliate...Yankees owner George Steinbrenner turned 78 on Friday...Beckett had a first-inning earned run average of 1.20 prior to Friday...It was the 25th anniversary of Dave Righetti's no-hitter, a 4-0 Yankees win, on July 4, 1983 against the Red Sox.
<< Flames sign Bourque
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames have signed newly-acquired
forward Rene Bourque, general manager Darryl Sutter announced Friday. Per club
policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Flames acquired the left winger
<< Canucks sign Cullen
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vancouver Canucks added another free
agent on Friday with the signing of center Mark Cullen. Per club policy,
financial terms were not disclosed.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Cullen did not play i
<< Despite rumors, Newcastle is not for sale
Newcastle, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Newcastle United has dismissed talk that
owner Mike Ashley is preparing to sell the club as "absolute nonsense."
Several reports on Friday morning claimed New York-based finance company
InterMedi
<< West Bromwich expects decision from Phillips soon
West Bromwich, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Bromwich coach Tony Mowbray
expects to hear this weekend whether striker Kevin Phillips has decided to
remain with the club.
The future of last season's 24-goal top scorer has been th
Chelsea's Drogba linked to Real Madrid >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chelsea striker Didier Drogba would consider
a move to Real Madrid this summer, according to his agent.
The Ivory Coast international has been tipped to leave Stamford Bridge during
the close season wit
Liverpool finalizes deal for Dossena >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool has finalized the signing of
Italian left back Andrea Dossena from Udinese on a four-year contract.
The 26-year-old is the second new arrival at Anfield this summer, following
Philipp
Sevilla plans to keep goalie Palop >>
Seville, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sevilla has revealed its determination to
keep highly-rated goalkeeper Andres Palop at the club.
The Andalucian club turned down a bid from La Liga rivals Valencia to re-sign
their former keeper earl
Rangers Hurley to miss start Saturday >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas' Eric Hurley will miss his scheduled
start Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles due to a tight left hamstring.
Hurley, 22, felt tightness when running in the outfield before Friday's 10-4
loss a
“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.
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.
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.
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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LaDainian Tomlinson Favorite to be 2007 NFL MVP
With the first NFL preseason game less than two weeks away, it is time to start thinking about football once again at MySportsbook.com. Reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson is currently the 5-1 co-favorite to win the award again alongside Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning.
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone after his all out assault on the record books last season. For those suffering from amnesia or were under a rock last football season, all L.T. did last season was set the NFL record for rushing touchdowns (28), total touchdowns (31) and total points scored (186) to go along with his 1815 rushing yards and 508 receiving yards. At 6-1, Tom Brady is next in line which isn’t surprising considering all of the firepower the Pats added over the off-season. With the addition of Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker; it would be quite difficult for Brady’s numbers not to improve from last years 3529 yards and 24 touchdowns. There appears to be some decent value in Drew Bees at 10-1 considering he probably would have won the award last year if it wasn’t for L.T.’s record breaking season.
There is no reason to think the Saints will come back to earth this season and playing in a weak NFC, they should have as good a shot as any to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. At 15-1, Donovan McNabb could also be worth a look. Remember, many felt he was the MVP of the first half of the season before going down with a season ending injury. Reportedly, he is in great shape and well ahead of schedule to return to form. Also, he could have some added motivation to put up big numbers this season with the Eagles using their first pick in the draft on McNabb’s future successor Kevin Kolb.
Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to check out the complete odds for NFL MVP as well as all of the new football related futures. With the popularity of NFL futures, these betting lines will be sure to change as the money comes in; get the early sports lines now.
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