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07/19/2010 -
ST. LOUIS (AP) -Albert Pujols' two-run home run in the fifth inning began a barrage of four long balls in a span of six at-bats and Blake Hawksworth survived a rocky start in the St. Louis Cardinals' 8-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Rookie Allen Craig added his first career homer and Skip Schumaker hit his third of the season in a five-run fifth against Kyle Kendrick. Randy Winn led off the sixth with a pinch-hit shot off Chad Durbin. The four-homer game tied a season best for the NL Central leaders, who have won a season-high six in a row and are a season-best 11 games over .500.
Kendrick (5-4) surrendered seven runs in five innings, coughing up a 4-2 lead as the Phillies lost for the fourth time in five games.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Fish eases into second round in Atlanta
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sixth-seeded Mardy Fish advanced into the
second round of the Atlanta Tennis Championships with a straight-set win over
Britain's James Ward on Monday.
The American, who brings some momentum into the t
<< Clippers agree on deal to bring back Craig Smith
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to a
contract with free agent forward Craig Smith.
Smith averaged 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16.4 minutes of action in 75
games last season for LA while hittin
<< Suns reportedly set to add Babby to front office
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Suns have called a news
conference for Tuesday morning, when it is expected Lon Babby will be named
president of basketball operations.
Phoenix indicated only that a "major announcem
<< Nowitzki re-signs with Mavs
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nine-time All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki signed
his contract with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
The deal, which is reportedly worth $80 million over four years, allows
Nowitzki to remain with the team
Tigers lose 3B Inge for 4-6 weeks with hand fracture >>
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit's Brandon Inge was hit on the left hand
by a pitch in Monday's game versus Texas and suffered a non-displaced fracture
of the fifth metacarpal bone. He's expected to miss the next 4-to-6 weeks.
Rangers
Pujols, Cardinals charge past Phillies >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Albert Pujols crushed a two-run homer as part
of a five-run fifth inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals overcame an early
deficit to beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-4, in the opener of a four-game
series
Donnie Murphy homers in ninth to lift Marlins over Rockies >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pinch-hitter Donnie Murphy hit a two-run homer
off Huston Street in the bottom of the ninth, as the Florida Marlins edged the
Colorado Rockies, 9-8, in the opener of a four-game series at Sun Life
Stadium
Seven-run third inning propels Rays to win over O's >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wade Davis threw eight strong innings and was
backed by a seven-run third inning, as the Tampa Bay Rays crushed the
Baltimore Orioles, 8-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Camden Yards.
Davis
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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