Cabrera's homer helps Tigers complete sweep of struggling Pirates

Baseball Betting Lines

06/13/2010 - Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Detroit Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 4-3 win at Comerica Park.

Alex Avila added a solo shot for Detroit, which has won four of their last six and improved to 32-6 in their last 38 interleague games at home and an impressive 127-108 all-time in interleague play.

Brad Thomas (4-0) earned the win for retiring the final batter in the top of the eighth. Detroit starter Armando Galarraga allowed only two runs on six hits with one walk over 7 2/3 innings. Jose Valverde picked up his 13th save of the season despite giving up a run in the ninth inning which snapped his scoreless streak at 26 innings.

Garrett Jones hit a solo homer and knocked in a pair for the Pirates, who have dropped a major league-high eight straight games. Delwyn Young drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Javier Lopez (1-1) took the loss after being charged with one run in the eighth and walking the only batter he faced. Jeff Karstens got the starting nod for the Pirates and worked seven-plus innings, allowing six hits, two runs and one walk with three strikeouts.

In the bottom of the eighth and Pittsburgh clinging to a 2-1 lead, pinch- hitter Carlos Guillen got the inning started with a single and Karstens was lifted in favor of D.J. Carrasco, who set down Ryan Raburn and uncorked a wild pitch before striking out Ramon Santiago.

Lopez was summoned from the bullpen and walked Johnny Damon. The Pirates then turned to closer Octavio Dotel, who hung a 1-1 cutter to Cabrera and the power-hitting first baseman hammered it over the right-center field wall for a 4-2 Tigers advantage.

Valverde took over in the top of the ninth and surrendered a leadoff double to Ryan Doumit, who advanced to third on a groundout and crossed the plate on Young's sac fly. Pinch-hitter Akinori Iwamura flied out to center to end the game.

Jones' lead off homer to right in the second gave the Pirates the early lead. Then in the fourth, Jones' ground-rule double plated Andrew McCutchen, who reached on an infield single and went to second on a balk to make it 2-0.

Karstens kept the Tigers off the board until the seventh when Avila crushed a first-pitch sinker with two outs over the wall in straightaway center.

Galarraga issued a two-out single to McCutchen in the eighth, which signaled the end of the afternoon for the right-hander. Thomas came in and retired Jones on a groundout to second.

Game Notes

Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson (back spasms) exited the game after a half inning...Detroit was also without right fielder Magglio Ordonez (strained oblique)...Pittsburgh fell to a major league-worst 71-113 in interleague play.

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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.

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