Yankees, Blue Jays open key series with weekday matinee
Baseball Betting Lines
07/03/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees will try to start a new winning streak this afternoon, when they play the first of four straight games versus the American League East-rival Toronto Blue Jays in the Bronx.
New York had a seven-game winning streak come to an end with Thursday's 8-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners in the finale of a three-game series at the new Yankee Stadium. Prized free agent acquisition CC Sabathia was pounded for six runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work to absorb the loss. He also walked three and struck out eight batters.
"It was frustrating because we scored four runs," said Sabathia. "It should be enough to get the win, but I just wasn't on today. My delivery was just one of those days where I couldn't get the ball down. It was off the plate and put me in some tough counts."
Hideki Matsui belted a two-run homer and drove in three runs, while Robinson Cano had three hits and scored twice for the Yankees, who are now three games off Boston's lead in the AL East. Nick Swisher drove in the other run in defeat, which put the Yankees two games ahead of Tampa Bay for the AL Wild Card lead. Texas is third at 2 1/2 games behind New York.
Former Blue Jay A.J. Burnett gets the call for the Yankees Friday and will try for a measure of revenge against his one-time employer. Burnett faced Toronto for the first time since joining the Yankees on May 12 at Rogers Centre, where he allowed five runs and seven hits in 7 2/3 innings of a 5-1 setback.
Burnett, who pitched for Toronto from 2006-2008, is 1-1 with a 3.24 earned run average in two lifetime starts against the Jays. He has won four of his last six outings overall, including a 5-0 win over the Mets his last time out on Saturday. The righty tossed seven shutout innings and allowed three walks with 10 strikeouts to improve to 6-4 in 15 starts this season, while lowering his ERA from 4.24 to 3.93.
The Jays will open a 10-game road trip against the Yankees, Rays and Orioles today and ended a four-game losing streak with a 5-0 victory versus Tampa Bay Wednesday at Rogers Centre. Starting pitcher Ricky Romero won his sixth game of the season with eight shutout innings of four-hit ball, striking out eight batters and walking only one.
"It helps a lot when everyone is on your side and everyone on your team is backing you up," Romero said. "It's not a one-man show out there. It's nine guys trying to grind it out and trying to get a win."
Adam Lind, Scott Rolen and Rod Barajas all helped Romero out with solo homers and Marco Scutaro doubled in a run for Toronto, which won for the second time in its last seven tries and sits seven games off the pace in the AL East. The Jays are also four games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card race.
Toronto will send Brian Tallet to the hill on Friday, and he is 5-5 with a 4.47 earned run average in 19 games (15 starts) this season. He fell to 1-2 over his last four trips to the hill and most recently dropped a 5-4 decision to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. Tallet surrendered five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits in six innings of work versus the Phils.
The left-hander out of LSU took on the Yankees in a 3-2 loss on May 14, but did not factor in the outcome after yielding a pair of runs and four hits in six innings. In 21 career games (1 start) against New York, spanning 34 1/3 innings, Tallet is 1-0 with a 2.88 ERA.
The Yankees won two of three matchups in Toronto from May 12-14 and have won four of the six most recent meetings between the teams.
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American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6
The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.
Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com. "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis. It's like Week 1 of the NFL. Pre-season means nada!
We do know the 24 finalists however.
Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24. He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway. He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien.
Brandon Rogers - Who?
Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition. He should go a good distance.
Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was. And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition. He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice! People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way.
"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks. He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes. But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.
A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”
Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes.
"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate. "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past. He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far. Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."
Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts)
And the others:
Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter
The girls
"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis. "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has. The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive. I think she will go far."
Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.
"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams. Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth. "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.
Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.
Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.
Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan
MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with).
Last two contestants will be?
1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)
2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)
2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.