07/04/2009 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Punto's RBI single in the eighth inning helped the Minnesota Twins take a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers in the second of a three-game set at the Metrodome.
Justin Morneau went 4-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI, and Michael Cuddyer added a solo shot for the Twins, who have won three of their last four.
Francisco Liriano had a solid start as he gave up three runs and five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings of work. Matt Guerrier (4-0) got the win for throwing a perfect eighth inning.
Magglio Ordonez clubbed a three-run homer to provide the offense for the Tigers, who have dropped five of their last eight.
Edwin Jackson threw 6 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs and six hits with four walks and nine strikeouts. Brandon Lyon (3-4) suffered the loss after working 1 1/3 innings.
"It was just one of those days where things didn't go our way," said Jackson. "I didn't have my best stuff. I'm a competitor and always compete, but this was just one of those days where it didn't work out."
With the score tied at 3-3 in the eighth inning, Minnesota grabbed the lead. Brian Buscher led off with a single and moved to second on a groundout from Jose Morales. Matt Tolbert then came in to pinch-run for Buscher and Punto singled to left, allowing Tolbert to score for a 4-3 lead.
"I saw the ball off the bat and knew I would have a chance to score," said Tolbert. "Once I took off if he would have caught it I would have been doubled off, but I knew it had enough on it to get into the outfield."
Joe Nathan came on in the ninth and shut things down with a 1-2-3 inning to pick up his 22nd save of the season.
The Twins grabbed the lead in the fourth when Cuddyer led off the frame with his 13th home run of the season, a shot over the left field wall.
Morneau's solo homer with two outs in the fifth extended the Twins' lead to 2-0.
Liriano, meanwhile, stymied the Detroit hitters through the first six innings.
After walking Dusty Ryan with two outs in the second, Liriano retired the next 13 batters he faced.
However, Detroit finally figured out Liriano in the seventh and took the lead. Marcus Thames led off with a single and Ryan Raburn followed with a single. After Brandon Inge struck out, Ordonez launched a pitch over the wall in left-center for a 3-2 lead.
Minnesota, though, evened the score in the bottom of the inning. Denard Span led off with a walk, but then Brendan Harris struck out.
Bobby Seay then took over on the mound, but gave up back-to-back singles to Joe Mauer and Morneau, with Morneau's single plating Span.
Game Notes
Minnesota has won five of the seven matchups with Detroit this season...The Twins left 10 men on base...Morneau has 20 home runs on the season...Attendance was 27,238.
<< Moyer, bullpen help Phils take down Mets
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Moyer
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<< Posada's RBI single in 12th helps Yanks down Jays
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DeLaet leads Edmonton Open by two >>
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completed 54 hol
Marlins get by Pirates >>
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Hanley Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a two-run
Valbuena and Francisco help Indians past A's >>
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Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays placed pitcher Scott
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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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