A-Rod homers twice in one inning as Yankees pound Mariners

Baseball Betting Lines

09/06/2007 - Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Only a few hours after undergoing an MRI on his sprained right ankle, Alex Rodriguez ripped two home runs in one inning as the Yankees exploded for eight runs in the seventh to rout the Seattle Mariners, 10-2, in the rubber match of a crucial three-game set.

The win strengthened New York's hold on the AL wild card lead to three games over the Mariners, and moved the Yankees to within six games of the Red Sox in the AL East. Boston lost to the Blue Jays, 6-4, on Wednesday night.

Rodriguez was scratched from his original starting position of third base and stayed in the lineup as the designated hitter because of lingering pain in his right ankle, which he hurt sliding into third in Tuesday's win. He took an MRI on the ankle before the game, which showed a sprain, an injury that apparently had little affect on his swing as he upped his total to a major league-best 48 homers.

Phil Hughes pitched six strong innings, holding the Mariners to two runs on five hits with six strikeouts, and Joba Chamberlain (1-0) earned his first career win for pitching a perfect seventh for the Yankees, who won the last two of the series by a combined score of 22-5 after dropping the opener 7-1.

Jarrod Washburn (9-13) saw his good night go to waste, as he departed after six-plus innings. His final line was three runs -- two earned -- on three hits, though, and five Seattle relievers in the seventh combined to turn a close game into a rout. Raul Ibanez homered for the Mariners, who stemmed their nine-game losing streak on Monday, but have now dropped 11 of 12.

The game was lining up to be a taught pitchers' duel before the Yankees exploded for eight runs in the seventh. Rodriguez led off by blasting a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left, tying the game at 2-2. Jose Lopez then misplayed Robinson Cano's grounder, prompting Mariners manager John McLaren to go to the bullpen. Shelley Duncan laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner up, but reliever George Sherrill issued free passes to Jason Giambi and Wilson Betemit, loading the bases with one out.

Sean Green came on for Seattle to face pinch-hitter Jorge Posada, who worked a walk, forcing in the go-ahead run. Eric O'Flaherty then took the mound, getting Johnny Damon on a fielder's choice, but another run crossed the plate. Melky Cabrera then singled in another run, chasing O'Flaherty in favor of Brandon Morrow. Derek Jeter greeted Morrow with a double to right-center, plating two runs, and the Yankees led 7-2. Rodriguez followed by blasting his second long ball of the inning, this one a two-run shot to left, handing the Bronx Bombers a seven-run cushion.

Cano then walked, bringing on Rick White, the sixth Mariners pitcher of the inning, who got Duncan to ground out to third, finally ending the inning.

New York added a run in the eighth when Bobby Abreu led off with a double to right-center, and later scored on a John Parrish wild pitch.

Ibanez's two-run homer in the third gave the Mariners the early lead, but Jose Molina's solo shot, his first of the year, with one out in the home half, made it a 2-1 game.

Game Notes

Rodriguez continued his assault on the record books, tying and then passing Mel Ott with his two homers. His second homer, career number 512, tied him with Eddie Matthews and Ernie Banks for 17th all-time. He was the first Yankee to homer twice in an inning since Cliff Johnson in 1977...The club announced before the game that Chien-Ming Wang will start on Sunday, when Roger Clemens' spot will be skipped...Molina had gone 182 at-bats without a homer, dating back to September 14, 2006.

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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“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.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.