09/05/2008 - Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rios hit a pair of home runs and Roy Halladay threw seven effective innings, as the Toronto Blue Jays toppled Tampa Bay, 6-4, in the first of three games with the Rays.
Halladay (18-9) gave up three runs -- one earned -- on seven hits, walked none and struck out seven to pick up the win. The victory was Toronto's sixth straight, marking the first time the club has won that many in a row since May 4-10, 2004.
Rios finished with three runs batted in, while Lyle Overbay doubled and drove in two for the Jays.
Andy Sonnanstine (13-7) took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits in six frames. He had won his last three decisions.
Jason Bartlett went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI for Tampa Bay, which led the AL East by 3 1/2 games over Boston heading into Friday night's action. The Red Sox are currently playing the Rangers.
The Rays took a two-run edge in the first inning when Carlos Pena and Cliff Floyd each brought in a run with a sacrifice fly.
But the Blue Jays rallied to take the lead in the second. Vernon Wells led off with a double, and singles from Adam Lind and Rod Barajas loaded the bases. Overbay then slapped a hit to center that B.J. Upton booted, allowing two runs to cross the plate. Scott Rolen followed with a sac fly to make it a 3-2 game.
In the home third, Rios blasted a home run to left field to put Toronto up two.
The game remained that way until the seventh inning, when Dioner Navarro hit a one-out single. Gabe Gross followed with a double to put runners in scoring position, and Bartlett singled to drive in Fernando Perez -- who pinch-ran for Navarro.
But Akinori Iwamura batted the ball back to Halladay, who caught Gross in a rundown between third and home. The Toronto starter then fanned Upton to leave Tampa Bay trailing by one.
Rios' two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, off Grant Balfour, gave Toronto a 6-3 edge. It also provided crucial insurance as the Rays staged a comeback in the ninth.
Against B.J. Ryan, Perez led off with his first major league hit, and scored on Bartlett's one-out double to the gap in left field. After Iwamura struck out, Upton got on base thanks to an error, and stole second to put the tying runs in scoring position. However, Ryan struck out Pena to nail down his 27th save of the season.
Game Notes
Toronto had gone an MLB-leading 15 straight games without an error, the longest errorless streak in franchise history, but committed two in Friday's game...The Rays left eight runners on base, while the Jays stranded two.
<< Cards' Isringhausen to undergo elbow surgery
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jason
Isringhausen, currently on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow strain,
will undergo season-ending surgery next week.
The procedure is slated for September
<< Rangers OF Byrd injures thumb
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd left
Friday's game with the Boston Red Sox after spraining his left thumb.
The injury occurred while Byrd tried to make a diving catch on Dustin
Pedroia's line drive in
<< Rangers' Kinsler to have season-ending surgery
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler
will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a sports hernia.
Kinsler, out since August 18 with the injury, decided to forego an attempt to
come back this season
<< Im still in front at Canadian Tour Championship
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daniel Im posted a four-under 68 on Friday to
stay atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Canadian Tour
Championship.
Im finished 36 holes at 12-under 132 and is one ahead at National P
Leishman takes over top spot in Utah >>
Sandy, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Australia's Marc Leishman fired an eight-under 63
Friday to take a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Utah Championship.
Leishman completed two rounds at 14-under-par 128. His 63 matched the course
record f
Bruce's slam highlights Reds rout of Cubbies >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jay Bruce hit a grand slam and Joey Votto
added a two-run homer, as the Cincinnati Reds pounded the Chicago Cubs, 10-2,
in the opener of a three-game set at Great American Ball Park.
Votto finished 2-fo
Braves notch back-to-back wins over Nats >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Brandon Jones highlighted a seven-run
third inning with a three-run double, carrying Atlanta to a 10-5 win over the
Washington Nationals.
Kelly Johnson had three hits, including a pair of doubles,
A's crush O's >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Braden and the Oakland bullpen held
down the Baltimore offense, while the Athletics finally took advantage of
suspect pitching in an 11-2 rout over the Orioles in a rain-soaked opener of a
three-g
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting