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09/06/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tommy Hunter steps in for the ailing Cliff Lee this afternoon when the Texas Rangers open a four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
The original plan was to have Lee get an extra day of rest because of his ailing back, but the left-hander was scratched altogether from his scheduled start on Tuesday.
"We're going to err on the side of caution," general manager Jon Daniels said.
So, instead it will be Hunter, who has won his last three starts. Hunter's latest win came on Wednesday in Kansas City, as he limited the Royals to a pair of runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings to improve to 12-2, while lowering his earned run average to 3.64.
Hunter has faced the Blue Jays twice and is 1-0 against them with a 7.50 ERA.
Lee isn't the only Ranger who is dealing with an injury concern, as AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton will likely sit out this week with a ribcage injury he suffered while crashing into a wall on Saturday. Hamilton watched from the dugout on Sunday when the Rangers were swept in a three-game set by the Minnesota Twins, falling 6-5 in the finale at Target Field.
Matt Treanor drove in two while Julio Borbon, Cristian Guzman and Vladimir Guerrero added RBI hits in the ninth for the Rangers, who slid to their sixth loss in eight outings. However, they still lead the AL West by eight games over the Oakland Athletics.
C.J. Wilson (14-6) was tagged in the loss for seven hits and six runs, striking out five but walking four over 5 1/3 frames.
Toronto, meanwhile, avoided a sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees on Sunday, as Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill both knocked in three runs to help the Blue Jays to 7-3 win.
Wells hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Hill matched him in the third, while John Buck added a solo shot off New York starting pitcher Phil Hughes.
"It's a good win for us. We did not have a great road trip (2-4 record)," said Toronto manager Cito Gaston.
Brett Cecil (12-7) allowed three runs on seven hits and walked four over 6 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays, who lead the majors with 208 home runs this season.
Heading to the hill for the Jays today will be left-hander Ricky Romero, who is 11-8 with a 3.60 ERA. Romero picked up the win on Tuesday against Tampa Bay, as he allowed five runs (four earned) and three hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Romero tossed a five-hit shutout to beat the Rangers the last time he faced them and is 1-1 in three starts against them with a 0.81 ERA.
The Blue Jays have won five of their six matchups with the Rangers this season.
<< Twins aim to extend win streak versus Royals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- The Minnesota Twins will attempt to extend their current
winning streak to four games when the American League Central front-runners
take on a team they've had plenty of success against this season, the Kansas
City Royals, t
<< Braves head to Pittsburgh for key set with Bucs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A loss today could push the National League East-leading
Atlanta Braves out of first place for the first time since May 30.
They probably couldn't be happier to see the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Atlanta aims to maintain its ed
<< Mets resume rough road trip in Washington
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After breaking out of a prolonged slump with four solid
starts, New York Mets hurler Mike Pelfrey fell back into his struggling ways
last time out.
That is sort of how his team has been all season long.
Pelfrey will try
<< Phils eye first place in doubleheader with Marlins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Even when Roy Oswalt is off his game, he is still pretty
darn good. The Philadelphia Phillies pitcher might get a chance tonight to put
his team back into sole possession of first place in the National League East.
Set to
Tigers hope to play spoiler against White Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers' postseason chances have probably gone
by the wayside. However, they will get a chance to play spoiler this week and
open a four-game series with the playoff-hopeful Chicago White Sox at Comerica
Park.
Rays, Red Sox start series at Fenway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays can deal the final blow to the Boston
Red Sox' playoff hopes this week, as the American League East rivals open a
three-game set at Fenway Park.
The Rays come into tonight's opener trailing the New York
Phillies bring up Robertson, Worley to start Monday >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies bolstered their
bullpen Monday with two additions, bringing up lefties Nate Robertson and Mike
Zagurski, and recalling Vance Worley from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start
Monday
Villanova loses starting defensive end >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending FCS national champion Villanova
has lost sophomore Marlon Johnson, its only returning starter on the defensive
line, to a season-ending ACL injury.
Johnson, a defensive end, suffered the injury d
Trash talk has a place in every competitive endeavor (except baseball; those stirrup-wearers are too busy chewing on their sunflower seeds and their supplements to worry about what their opponents are doing).
Fantasy sports is no exception. Any intelligent discussion of the subject would probably start with a thesis statement or a definition of terms. Thankfully, this wont be an intelligent discussion.
Let me just say that I am happy to take a place in this space alongside my talented colleagues, even our commissioner. (You should see how she bleats like a demented paper boy about league fees on our fantasy site).
Trash talking, I would argue, is primarily about amusing your friends, their sheeplike demeanors and sloping foreheads notwithstanding. The best place I have found for football trash talking is at www.SportsAlarm.com.
Beyond the entertainment factor, though, I would recognize that the sophomoric ritual has one advantage, when properly applied. It magnifies your fantasy triumphs and mitigates your fantasy failures by transforming the eventual point total into an afterthought. Winning makes it seem like your opponent really is a truss-owning, lapel-pin-wearing nitwit. And in defeat, trash talk can be the air bag to break the fall from your hyperbolic heights. The plug-necked yahoos on your team, you can say, will be sacking groceries by the end of the season.
The best trash talk, in my view, is layered and nuanced. And it doesnt focus only on your opponents team. It picks apart your opponent. The idea is to create a shock-and-awe-scale blizzard of nonsense, and the goal is to make your opponent drop his hands from his keyboard in exasperation.
What team does your opponent root for? Accuse a Giants fan of having a Joe Namath pillowcase. Wheres your opponent from? Give a look of concern no matter his reply, then say, I'll try to type slower for you next time. Is your opponent into politics? Label everyone a tax-and-spend corporate shill.
Cap all that with a liberal application of irrelevance. For instance, dont just conclude by saying your opponent is a twerp who drafts like my grandmother. Say that your opponent is a sweater-wearing, eyebrow-plucking twerp who drafts his team about as well as Zsa Zsa Gabor gave acceptance speeches at the Oscars. By the time your foe makes sense of that, his starting running back will have had puppies.
But what about you? Hmm? Recall a memorable slam? Have a tried-and-true technique? Know someone who seems impervious to insult? Take a moment and tells us about it. Put together some (fit-for-publication) thoughts. You wont be too busy returning phone messages from your friends, Im sure, to reply.
In addition to the trash talking, the Sports Alarm has a huge gallery of high resolution pictures of beautiful women and models in bikinis. The most popular models are: Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Underwood, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Paris Hilton.
El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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