Betting Odds – Graffiti Wall

Nick Swisher

(Tuesday, September 8th)

Final Score: Texas 11, Cleveland 9, Game One Final Score: Texas 10, Cleveland 5, Game Two

Cleveland, OH – Chris Davis went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer, four runs batted in and two runs scored, leading the Rangers in an 18- hit attack and a 10-5 win over the Indians to sweep a doubleheader at Progressive Field. Earlier Tuesday, Marlon Byrd was 4-for-4 and hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to break a tie, as Texas held off Cleveland for an 11-9 win. Ian Kinsler and Byrd each had three hits in the second contest, as the Rangers combined for 31 hits in the two games to climb to within two games of the Red Sox in the AL wild card race. Brandon McCarthy (7-2) won for the second time in as many starts since returning from injury despite allowing five runs on five hits and two walks in 6 1/3 frames. Darren O’Day picked up his second save of the season. Kelly Shoppach and Asdrubal Cabrera both hit a homer for the Indians, who have lost three of four. Aaron Laffey (7-5) went his fourth consecutive start without a win, getting battered for seven runs — six earned — 12 hits and a walk in just 3 1/3 innings.

Final Score: New York 3, Tampa Bay 2

Bronx, NY – Nick Swisher hit two solo home runs, the last coming in game-winning fashion in the ninth inning off Dan Wheeler, to give the Yankees a 3-2 victory over the reeling Rays. The homer made a winner of Mariano Rivera (2-2), who hurled a perfect ninth behind Chad Gaudin, who gave up a run on six hits and two walks, striking out six in six-plus innings of work. Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett each homered for Tampa Bay, which has dropped the first three meetings of this four-game set and a season-high seven straight overall. David Price scattered two runs, three hits and two walks, fanning six in as many innings in a no-decision. Wheeler (4-4) took the loss for the Rays. With the win, the Yankees remained nine games ahead of Boston in the AL East, while Tampa Bay fell 8 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the wild card race.

Final Score: Toronto 6, Minnesota 3

Toronto, ON – John McDonald’s three-run home run was part of a six-run sixth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays took a 6-3 win over the Minnesota Twins in the second of a four-game set. Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run single while Randy Ruiz also drove in a run for the Blue Jays, who have won two of three. Ricky Romero (12-7) got the win as he was charged with three runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. Jason Kubel drove in two runs and scored once while Orlando Cabrera and Denard Span each had two hits and a run scored for the Twins, who have dropped four of their last six and are in a big hole — Minnesota is 6 1/2 games back of Detroit for first place in the AL Central. Brian Duensing lasted five-plus innings in the start and was charged with three runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Jon Rauch (2-1) was tagged with the loss.

Final Score: Boston 10, Baltimore 0

Boston, MA – J.D. Drew’s three-run home run was one of a season-high six Boston homers, as the Red Sox crushed the Baltimore Orioles, 10-0, in the opener of a brief two-game set at Fenway Park. Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run homer and a solo shot, while Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Alex Gonzalez each had a solo home run for the Red Sox, who had dropped three of four in Chicago. Clay Buchholz (5-3) had a good game of his own, as he allowed just three hits and a walk with five strikeouts over seven scoreless innings of work. Despite the win, Boston’s wild card lead shrank to two games after Texas swept a doubleheader from Cleveland on Tuesday. Matt Wieters had two of the five hits for the Orioles, who had won their last two games. David Hernandez (4-7) was beat up for six runs on four hits, all of which were home runs, and two walks over just 2 2/3 innings of work.

Final Score: Kansas City 7, Detroit 5

Kansas City, MO – Billy Butler and Mike Jacobs drove in the game-tying and game-winning runs, respectively, in a two-run seventh, as the Royals scored five unanswered runs to upend the Detroit Tigers, 7-5, and end the AL Central leaders’ six-game winning streak. Butler finished 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Royals, who have won two games in a row. Jacobs had two hits, an RBI and a run scored in the win. Bruce Chen started and struggled through 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks. Yasuhiko Yabuta (1-1) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless frames to earn the win, and Joakim Soria notched his 23rd save of the season. Ryan Raburn went 3-for-4 with a homer for the Tigers, who still maintained their 6 1/2 game lead over the Twins in the AL Central. Marcus Thames and Aubrey Huff each drove in a pair of runs in defeat. Rick Porcello started and allowed four runs, seven hits and a walk in six innings while fanning four. Bobby Seay (5-3) took the loss after yielding two runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Final Score: Oakland 11, Chicago 3

Chicago, IL – Jack Cust hit a three-run homer in a five-run first inning, as the Oakland Athletics pummeled the White Sox in the opener of a brief two-game series, 11-3. Ryan Sweeney went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBI, Scott Hairston and Kurt Suzuki notched two RBI apiece, and Rajai Davis notched three hits, scored three times and knocked in a run. Mark Ellis added a solo homer in the lopsided affair. Brett Tomko (4-3) was credited with the win, allowing three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings of work for the A’s, who have won three in a row. Carlos Torres (1-1), coming off his first big league win in his previous start, didn’t make it out of the first inning after surrendering five runs on four hits — two homers — and a walk.

Final Score: LA Angels of Anaheim 3, Seattle 2 (10 innings)

Anaheim, CA – Erick Aybar’s game-winning RBI single in the 10th overshadowed an outstanding pitcher’s duel, as the Los Angeles Angels edged the Seattle Mariners, 3-2, to start a three-game set at Angel Stadium. Scott Kazmir allowed only one run in seven strong innings, giving up just three hits and two walks while fanning four in the contest and was in line for the win before Brian Fuentes blew his sixth save of the year. Matt Palmer (10-1) grabbed the win for pitching a scoreless 10th inning. Bobby Abreu went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Angels, who have won four of five and, despite the win, saw their AL West lead over Texas shrink to 4 1/2 games after the Rangers swept a doubleheader against Cleveland. Mike Sweeney and Franklin Gutierrez each hit a solo homer for the Mariners, who have lost three in a row. Hernandez, who pitched eight shutout innings in the win on September 2 against LA, allowed two runs — one earned — in seven frames while scattering three hits and four walks. Miguel Batista (6-4) took the loss for Seattle.

Final Score: Chicago 9, Pittsburgh 4

Pittsburgh, PA – Kosuke Fukudome and Geovany Soto both delivered two-run doubles during Chicago’s seven-run first inning, as the Cubs exploded out of the gate and defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 9-4, at PNC Park. Aramis Ramirez added a two-run single for the Cubs, who have won two straight and will attempt to complete the sweep of this three-game series on Wednesday afternoon. Chicago starting pitcher Ryan Dempster (9-8) earned the win after he allowed four runs on eight hits through 6 1/3 innings with four strikeouts. Garrett Jones homered and drove in two runs for the Pirates, who have dropped 11 of their last 12 games. Zach Duke (10-14) took the loss for Pittsburgh.

Final Score: Philadelphia 5, Washington 3

Washington, DC – Raul Ibanez hit two solo home runs, including the go-ahead shot in the seventh inning, and Philadelphia overcame another shaky ninth inning from Brad Lidge to beat Washington, 5-3, in the opener of a three-game set. The Phillies hit three solo home runs in the seventh inning to take a two-run lead and accounted for five in the game. Jayson Werth and Ibanez went back-to-back and Carlos Ruiz went deep two batters later. Willie Harris homered, doubled and scored twice for Washington, which snapped an eight-game losing streak in the finale of a three-game weekend series with the Marlins. Cristian Guzman and Wil Nieves had two hits and an RBI each in the loss. The Nationals have now dropped eight straight to the Phillies. Pedro Martinez improved to (4-0) in six starts with Philadelphia, while John Lannan (8-11) absorbed the loss for Washington. The Phillies maintained a six-game lead over Florida in the NL East.

Final Score: Florida 4, New York 2

Flushing, NY – Hanley Ramirez and Cameron Maybin both hit two-run homers to lead the Florida Marlins past the New York Mets, 4-2, in the opener of a three-game series at Citi Field. The Marlins have won five of their last six games and remained six games behind the NL East-leading Phillies, who beat Washington Tuesday. Luis Castillo went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Mets, who had won three of their previous four coming in. Josh Thole knocked in the other run. Angel Pagan went 2-for-5 with a run scored to improve his hitting streak to eight games. New York outfielder Carlos Beltran, who had been sidelined since June 21 with a deep bone bruise in his right knee, was activated from the 15-day DL prior to the game and finished 1-for-4 with a double in his return. Brian Sanches (4-1) earned the win for Florida, while Tim Redding (2-5) took the loss for New York.

Final Score: Atlanta 2, Houston 1

Houston, TX – Adam LaRoche and Nate McLouth each hit solo homers, while Javier Vazquez tossed seven scoreless innings to lead the Atlanta Braves past the Houston Astros, 2-1, in the opener of a three-game set at Minute Maid Park. Vazquez (12-9) gave up three hits while fanning nine and walking four to take the win for the Braves, who snapped a five-game skid. Vazquez surpassed 200 strikeouts for the season, something he has done three years in a row now. He also improved to 8-2 in 14 road starts this season. Rafael Soriano picked up his 22nd save despite giving up a run in the ninth. Vazquez was the only Atlanta player with more than one hit in the contest, as he went 2-for-3 at the plate. Hunter Pence went 2-for-4 and drove in the lone for the Astros, who were coming off a four-game sweep of the Phillies. Felipe Paulino (2-8) took the loss for Houston.

Final Score: St. Louis 4, Milwaukee 3

Milwaukee, WI – Matt Holliday’s two-run homer in the ninth inning lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Albert Pujols also homered for the Cardinals, who have won nine of their last 11 games overall. Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer, and a slew of Brewers pitchers chipped in throughout because Milwaukee starting pitcher Manny Parra left the game after only one inning due to neck spasms. The Brewers have lost six of their last eight games. Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin, who has seen extensive action lately, stayed in the bullpen for the bottom of the ninth to rest his arm. Instead, Kyle McClellan took the hill and worked a perfect frame for his third save of the campaign. Blake Hawksworth (3-0) was credited with the win behind a scoreless eighth. Trevor Hoffman (1-2) absorbed the loss for Milwaukee.

Final Score: Colorado 3, Cincinnati 1

Denver, CO – Eric Young, Jr. went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a solo homer, backing a solid effort from Jason Marquis to lead the Rockies over the Reds, 3-1, in the second test of a four-game set. Marquis (15-10) matched his career-high in wins with the victory, allowing a run on four hits and three walks compared to seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 frames. Todd Helton and Carlos Gonzalez each contributed a sacrifice fly in the win, Colorado’s seventh in eight games. The win allowed Colorado to stay 3 1/2 games behind Los Angeles for the top spot in the NL West, while at the same time extending its wild card lead over San Francisco to three games. Matt Maloney (0-4) was solid in five innings, giving up one run on four hits before leaving with an injured hand. Joey Votto knocked in Cincinnati’s only run in the loss, the club’s second straight after winning seven in a row.

Final Score: Los Angeles 5, Arizona 4

Phoenix, AZ – Ronnie Belliard drove in the eventual game- winning run during a four-run eighth, as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-4, in the middle installment of a three-game set at Chase Field. Andre Ethier went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who won 7-2 in the series opener. Rafael Furcal went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. James Loney went 2- for-4 with an RBI, while Matt Kemp drove in a run for the victors. Chad Billingsley went six innings in the start for LA, allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and three walks to take a no-decision. James McDonald (5-4) pitched a scoreless seventh to take the win. Jonathan Broxton picked up his 34th save of the year. The win allowed LA to stay 3 1/2 games ahead of Colorado atop the NL West. Billy Buckner went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI for the Diamondbacks, who have lost six in a row. Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds each knocked in a run in defeat. Buckner gave up one run on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks in a seven-inning start for Arizona. Daniel Schlereth (0-3) gave up a run in the eighth to take the loss.

Final Score: San Diego 4, San Francisco 3

San Francisco, CA – Chase Headley drove in the game-winning run in the eighth inning to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Headley also homered, as did Kevin Kouzmanoff and Will Venable for San Diego, which rebounded from a 9-4 loss in Monday’s opener of this three-game series. Aaron Rowand homered and scored twice for the Giants, who fell three games behind Colorado in the NL wild card race. Giants ace Tim Lincecum was scheduled to start this game but was scratched due to back spasms. The reigning NL Cy Young winner was replaced by San Francisco’s top pitching prospect, Madison Bumgarner, whose contract was purchased by the club. Bumgarner allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and one walk but did not factor in the decision. Luke Gregerson (1-3), who pitched only one-third of an inning, picked up the win, while Jeremy Affeldt (1-2) took the loss for San Francisco.

Max Hall

Florida still No. 1; BYU vaults 11 places in new poll

New York, NY – Florida and Texas remained the top two teams in the latest Associated Press college football poll, released Tuesday, but BYU vaulted into the top 10 after its impressive victory over Oklahoma on Saturday.

Florida kept its place atop the poll after a 62-3 rout of Charleston Southern in its opener on Saturday, but the defending national champs lost two first- place votes from a nationwide media panel.

The Gators received 56 first-place votes, two fewer than the preseason poll, and a total of 1,493 points. Texas held its two first-place votes and 1,424 points to keep the second slot.

Southern California and Alabama each moved up one spot to third and fourth, respectively, thanks in part to Oklahoma’s 14-13 loss to BYU. The Sooners had been ranked third, but fell to 13th after the setback, and during the game also lost quarterback Sam Bradford to a shoulder injury that will likely keep the reigning Heisman Trophy winner sidelined for a couple of weeks.

The Trojans dominated San Jose State, 56-3, this past Saturday, while Alabama toppled Virginia Tech, 34-24. The Crimson Tide picked up a pair of first-place votes for their effort.

Oklahoma State, after a 24-10 win over Georgia, moved up four spots to fifth, while Ole Miss jumped a pair of places into sixth after Sunday’s 45-14 thumping of Memphis.

Penn State opened the season with a 31-7 victory over Akron and moved up two spots to seventh, while Ohio State dropped two spots to eighth after a narrow 31-27 win over Navy. The Buckeyes will host Southern California this Saturday in the marquee matchup of the week.

BYU, meanwhile, moved up 11 spots from 20th to ninth after its impressive win. while California climbed two spaces to 10th following a 52-13 rout of Maryland on Saturday.

The second 10 consists of LSU, Boise State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, TCU, Utah, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Miami-Florida.

Virginia Tech’s loss to Alabama dropped the Hokies seven places in this week’s poll, while Notre Dame’s 35-0 whitewash of Nevada moved the Irish up five places from 23rd with a visit to the Big House at Michigan set for this Saturday.

Miami-Florida moved into the poll after being unranked last week following Monday’s dramatic 38-34 win at Florida State. The Seminoles were ranked 18th, but fell out of this week’s rankings.

Georgia, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Kansas and Missouri are the last five teams ranked this week.

Cincinnati and Missouri are new to this week’s poll after impressive wins over the holiday weekend. The Bearcats pummeled Rutgers, 47-15, on Monday in Piscataway to open defense of their Big East title, while the Tigers crushed Illinois, 37-9, on Saturday in St. Louis.

In addition to Florida State, Iowa and Oregon both dropped out this week. Iowa, which was ranked 22nd, managed to pull out a 17-16 win over FCS power Northern Iowa, escaping only with two blocked field goals in the final seconds. Oregon had been ranked 16th before a 19-8 loss at Boise State that also featured the ugliest moment of this year’s young season when running back LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the face after the game.

The only matchup of top-25 teams this week is the big one between USC and Ohio State at the Horseshoe.