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04/22/2009 - Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Bannister threw six strong innings to lead the Kansas City Royals in a 2-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the middle installment of a three-game set at Progressive Field.
Bannister (1-0), making his first start of the season in lieu of Doug Waechter (strained elbow), gave up four hits with two walks and a strikeout to get the win. He is now 4-1 with a 1.62 ERA in six career starts against the Indians. Joakim Soria tossed a scoreless ninth to get his fifth save of the year.
Willie Bloomquist went 1-for-3 and drove in a run for the Royals, who snapped a two-game slide. David DeJesus also had an RBI in the win, while Coco Crisp went 2-for-4 and scored a run. Mike Jacobs scored the other run for KC.
Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee (1-3) was the hard- luck loser, as he went eight innings and was touched for just two runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and only one walk. Lee had his personal five-game win streak against the Royals snapped. Tony Sipp made a strong major league debut with a perfect ninth inning.
Victor Martinez went 2-for-4 to notch his ninth multi-hit game of the season for the Tribe, who have alternated wins and losses for the past six games.
The Royals grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Crisp led off with a double, moved to third as Mike Aviles flied out to right and crossed home when DeJesus offered a sac fly to right.
The offenses went dormant for the next few innings, until KC added another run in the seventh. Jacobs clubbed a one-out single and Alberto Callaspo followed with another base hit before Miguel Olivo popped out. Bloomquist then made it 2-0 with an RBI single back up the middle.
The Royals threatened again in the eighth. Billy Butler had a two-out single and Mark Teahen followed with a double to the gap in left-center. However, Trevor Crowe launched a throw to Jhonny Peralta, who relayed it to Kelly Shoppach at home to catch Butler trying to score.
Soria came on in the ninth to try and close it out for the Royals and got Travis Hafner to ground out, though Peralta drew a walk. Shin-Soo Choo, the potential tying run, added a single but Shoppach flied to left for the second out. During Crowe's at-bat a passed ball advanced both runners into scoring position, but Crowe was caught looking at the third strike to end the game.
Game Notes
It was KC's third shutout this season, which is the most in the American League...Lee, who went 22-3 with a 2.54 earned run average in 31 starts a year ago, opened the 2009 campaign with consecutive losses to Texas and Toronto before rebounding against the New York Yankees on Thursday. He only gave up one run at the new Yankee Stadium after allowing 11 over the previous two starts, and scattered seven hits in six innings of a 10-2 win. The veteran left-hander has pitched at least five innings in each outing this season and had owned the Royals throughout his career. Lee was 12-4 with a 4.47 ERA in 19 career starts against them coming in...Kansas City took two of three games from Cleveland last week at Kauffman Stadium and has won six of the last eight matchups between the teams.
<< Guevara goal leads TFC past previously unbeaten Chivas USA
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto FC hadn't won since its 2009 Major
League Soccer opener on March 21.
Chivas USA hadn't lost in five league fixtures yet this season.
Current form should say that when the two teams squared off
<< Braves edge Nats in ninth
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pitching duel between Atlanta's Jair
Jurrjens and Washington's John Lannan was decided by the Nationals' bullpen,
as Garrett Mock and Mike Hinckley loaded the bases in the top of the ninth
inning,
<< White Sox crush O's
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Fields slugged a two-run homer and John
Danks continued his strong start to the season, as the Chicago White Sox
defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 8-2, in the middle installment of a three-game
series
<< Lee helps Magic top Sixers, even series
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Courtney Lee was the catalyst for Orlando, as
the rookie recorded a team-high 24 points to help the Magic even their Eastern
Conference quarterfinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers with a 96-87
Game 2
Wizards, Red Bulls renew Eastern rivalry >>
Kansas City, KA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Wizards are coming off a
dramatic come-from-behind 2-2 draw at Chicago after scoring two goals in the
final 12 minutes last weekend.
The New York Red Bulls are coming off their first w
Red Sox top Twins in nightcap for seventh straight win >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Bailey's first home run of the season, a
three-run shot, led the way as Boston upended Minnesota, 7-3, in the back
half of a day-night doubleheader which completed a two-game set at Fenway
Park.
Wade, Heat even series in Atlanta >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwyane Wade finished with 33 points, seven
assists and five rebounds, as the Miami Heat evened their Eastern Conference
quarterfinal series with a 108-93 Game 2 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
In Game 1 of
Cueto, Reds shut down Cubs >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johnny Cueto was stellar on the hill and went
2-for-2 at the plate to help the Cincinnati Reds edge the Chicago Cubs, 3-0,
in the middle tilt of a three-game set from Wrigley Field.
Cueto (1-1) went seven
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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