05/11/2008 - Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Emil Brown finished with four runs batted in, including a three-run homer, as the Oakland Athletics avoided a weekend sweep and clobbered the Texas Rangers, 12-6.
Daric Barton hit a two-run homer and Frank Thomas had two RBI. Mark Ellis went 3-for-5 for Oakland, which halted a two-game losing streak and has won five of seven overall.
A's starter Rich Harden was roughed up after being activated from the disabled list before the game, lasting only 3 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits and four walks. Harden, who had been out since early April with a strained right shoulder, struck out five.
"I went out there and felt strong," Harden said. "I just threw too many pitches. It wasn't the prettiest game but I'm just glad to be back."
The A's pitching finally settled down in the latter stages, getting 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief from Santiago Casilla (2-0), Alan Embree and Huston Street to close out the game.
Ian Kinsler went 3-for-5, scoring twice with a run batted in for Texas. Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in two runs.
Texas starter Sidney Ponson lasted 5 1/3 innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits and five walks.
The loss halted a five-game win streak for Texas, which lost for just the third time in its last 12 contests.
Oakland jumped on top for good in the seventh with two runs during a back and forth affair. Bobby Crosby doubled and Ellis singled. Franklyn German (1-1) threw to first on a pick-off try and had Ellis hung up going to second, but forgot about Crosby, who raced home just ahead of the tag for the go-ahead run. Jack Hannahan singled and Jamey Wright then came in from the bullpen, but Ryan Sweeney lofted a sacrifice fly to center for an 8-6 Oakland lead.
The A's added a run in the eighth on an RBI single from Brown and three in the ninth on a two-run home run from Barton, and pinch-runner Donnie Murphy scored on an errant throw from Saltalamacchia on a double steal attempt.
The A's scored four runs in the first off Ponson. Mike Sweeney took first after being hit by a pitch with one out, Jack Cust doubled and Thomas singled to center for a 1-0 lead. Brown followed taking a first-pitch fastball to the left field seats.
Texas got one back in the bottom half on consecutive two-out doubles from Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley and added another in the second on a Kinsler RBI single to center.
The Rangers picked up two more in the third to tie the game. Texas loaded the bases with two outs on a pair of walks and a base hit before Saltalamacchia singled to right scoring two, but then overslid the base at second for the third out.
Hamilton tripled in Kinsler in the fourth, but Oakland scored twice in the sixth to assume a 6-5 edge. The A's loaded the bases on a single and two walks with one out. Ponson walked Cust to force in a run before he was lifted in favor of German, who gave up a sac fly to Thomas.
Texas came right back in the bottom half and tied it on a Michael Young RBI single.
Game Notes
Texas continues its homestand, opening a three-game set with Seattle on Monday...Oakland stays on the road heading to Cleveland for a three-game, beginning Tuesday...Thomas has 1,695 RBI, tying Cal Ripken Jr. for 21st on the all-time list.
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Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Deron Williams poured in 29 points and
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The start of g
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Atletic
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San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Holm's first major league home
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AT&
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Knost rallies for first Nationwide victory >>
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Knost, the 2007 U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links cha
“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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Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.
Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.
"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."
Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com
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