Bergesen, Wigginton help Orioles blank Twins

Baseball Betting Lines

05/06/2010 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brad Bergesen pitched 6 2/3 scoreless frames, and Ty Wigginton's two-run homer accounted for all the scoring, as the Baltimore Orioles opened up a four-game set at Target Field with a 2-0 win over the Minnesota Twins.

Bergesen (2-2) allowed six hits and two walks in his outing, by far his best of the season. The 24-year-old had been sent to the minors after his early season struggles, failing to get out of the fifth inning in each of his first three starts.

He has now completed five innings in two consecutive starts since being recalled -- both wins -- as Baltimore recovered after being swept by the Yankees earlier this week.

"Today felt really good," Bergesen said. "I was able to get into a nice rhythm today. My previous start -- the last one was okay, the previous ones I haven't been my normal self. Today, to be able to get back to that, felt really good.

Wigginton finished with two hits, as did Miguel Tejada for the Orioles in the win, only Baltimore's eighth of the season (8-21). Alfredo Simon worked the ninth for his third save.

Denard Span had two of Minnesota's six hits, as the Twins had their four-game win streak snapped. Carl Pavano (3-3) took the hard-luck loss for the second straight start after giving up only two runs, six hits and three walks while fanning eight in eight innings.

Pavano went the distance -- eight innings -- in his previous start, a 3-0 loss to Detroit.

"(The Orioles) go out there and swing the bat. They've always done that," Pavano said. "I think when they know we're coming after them with strikes, trying to keep the strikes at good quality, I think it works in our favor. If we throw quality strikes, we're going to get outs."

After a scoreless first, Tejada began the second with an infield single and scored on Wigginton's 10th homer of the season.

Meanwhile, Bergesen shut down the Twins' offense. He was forced to get out of a jam in the third, when Minnesota loaded the bases with two outs. Michael Cuddyer, however, flied out to center.

Bergesen allowed one or fewer baserunners in four of the first six innings before using some help to get out of the seventh unscathed.

The first two Minnesota batters were retired, but Span singled, Orlando Hudson reached on an error and Will Ohman walked Justin Morneau to load the bases. Ohman recovered, however, by striking out Jim Thome to end the inning.

Koji Uehara, reinstated from the disabled list on Thursday, pitched a perfect eighth, and Simon ended the game with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Game Notes

Twins catcher Joe Mauer (heel) missed his sixth straight game, and shortstop J.J. Hardy (wrist) missed his second consecutive contest...Baltimore outfielder Adam Jones (hip) returned after a one-game absence and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts...The Twins had a streak of six consecutive games with multiple runs in the first inning snapped...The Orioles improved to just 2-17 when scoring three or fewer runs...Baltimore went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, and it is now 0-for-18 in its last four games combined.

Wwwmingpao Baseball Betting News

<< Martinez knocks in four as BoSox sweep Angels
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Victor Martinez went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and four runs batted in, leading the Red Sox in an 11-6 slugfest win over the Angels to sweep a four-game series at Fenway Park. Dustin Pedroia added

<< Magic pull away late, down Hawks in Eastern Conference semifinals
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwight Howard scored 29 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, and the Magic pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 112-98 win over Atlanta in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. Although the

<< Eveland pitches Jays to win over White Sox
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dana Eveland hurled seven shutout frames and Fred Lewis drove home the run support necessary, as Toronto blanked the White Sox, 2-0, in the opener of a four-game set at U.S. Cellular Field. Eveland (3-1) ou

<< Abreu, Haren lead Arizona past struggling Astros
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Abreu finished with four hits and knocked in a run, while Dan Haren worked nine innings, as Arizona downed Houston, 6-3, in the finale of a four-game set from Minute Maid Park. Kelly Johnson homered

<< Franzen's dandy period helps Wings blitz Sharks, stave off elimination
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johan Franzen notched a natural hat trick in a fabulous first period, sparking the Detroit Red Wings to a resounding 7-1 win over San Jose to stay alive after four games of their Western Conference semifin

Hamilton, Guerrero power Rangers to wild win over Royals >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero clubbed back-to-back home runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, lifting Texas to a 13-12 win over Kansas City in the opener of a four-game series

Report: Calhoun expected to receive extension on Friday >>
Hartford, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Connecticut is reportedly set to give men's head basketball coach Jim Calhoun a contract extension through the 2013-14 season. According to the Hartford Courant, UConn will hold

Franzen's dandy period helps Wings stave off elimination >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johan Franzen notched a natural hat trick in a fabulous first period, sparking the Detroit Red Wings to a resounding 7-1 win over San Jose to stay alive after four games of their Western Conference semifin

Rays move to 12-1 on road, sweep Mariners >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Niemann hurled seven scoreless innings and Carl Crawford clubbed a two-run homer, as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated Seattle, 8-0, to complete a three-game sweep at Safeco Field. Crawford finished 3-for-5 and

Mr. Clutch: Ethier's ninth-inning slam helps Dodgers avoid sweep >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andre Ethier belted a game-ending grand slam with one out in the ninth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers topped Milwaukee, 7-3, to avert a three-game sweep. Jonathan Broxton (2-0) blew the save o

Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

For more March Madness odds go to MySportsbook.com

For more College Basketball betting lines go to BettingExpress.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.


SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs.