Nats lose starter, win game

Baseball Betting Lines

09/06/2007 - Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Austin Kearns homered and scored three times to help compensate for the loss of Washington's pitcher, as the Nationals completed a three-game sweep of the Florida Marlins with a 6-4 win at RFK Stadium.

Tim Redding left in the third with an elbow injury but the offense and bullpen picked it up for the Nationals, who have won five in a row.

With a runner on second and one down, Miguel Cabrera hit a sharp grounder up the middle that caromed off Redding's right elbow. Redding then chased down the ball that had ricocheted behind him, and landed hard on the same arm while trying to field it. He was diagnosed with a right lateral elbow contusion, which is expected to keep him out for seven-to-10 days.

Jonathan Albaladejo made his major-league debut in relief of Redding and tossed 1 2/3 hitless frames, while Luis Ayala (1-2) picked up the win after working a flawless seventh. Chad Cordero took care of the ninth for his 31st save of the campaign.

Brian Schneider had two RBI for Washington.

Miguel Olivo hit a two-run homer for Florida, which has dropped nine of 12. Starter Sergio Mitre was roughed up for three runs on four hits over just two-thirds of an inning, and Matt Lindstrom (2-4) took the loss.

Washington plated a pair in the seventh to move in front, 6-4. All of the offense came with two outs, starting with a Kearns single and a walk to Ryan Church. Wily Mo Pena put his team in front for good with a base hit to center, and Schneider added an RBI base hit of his own off the newly-inserted Taylor Tankersley for a two-run cushion.

Jon Rauch struck out the side in the eighth before Cordero escaped some two- out trouble in the ninth.

The Nationals put up a three-spot in the first inning to claim early command. A Kearns single with one out loaded the bases, and Church came through with a base hit to center that scored Felipe Lopez. After Pena struck out, Mitre walked Schneider and Robert Fick in succession to push two more runs across.

Florida countered with a pair of runs in the third to slice its deficit to one. Jeremy Hermida doubled in Dan Uggla before Redding was forced to leave the game. Albaladejo entered with runners on first and third and got Josh Willingham to hit into a fielder's choice, but it scored Hermida to make it 3-2.

Kearns put the Nats back up by two with a solo homer to left in the fifth.

Olivo tied the contest at 4-4 with a two-run homer in the sixth. Willingham led the frame off with a double, and was driven in two batters later when Olivo lifted one over the wall in left.

Game Notes

Mitre is winless in his last seven trips to the hill...The Nationals lead the 2007 season series with Florida by a 9-6 count...The two teams combined to strand 15 runners.

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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

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