Carmona, Indians open road series in the Bronx
Baseball Betting Lines
05/28/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Fausto Carmona stepped on the mound at new Yankee Stadium, the Indians' offense erupted in a record-tying performance. Given how Cleveland's offense struggled in its last game, the club hopes its hurler can serve as a good-luck charm again tonight.
Carmona and the Indians hope to get hot tonight when they embark on a 10-game road trip this evening with the opener of a four-game series versus hosting New York.
Cleveland and New York meet for the first time this season tonight and though the Yankees won five of eight matchups last year, their first series ever at their new ballpark in 2009 featured a contest that Indians fans won't soon forget.
The two clubs went on to split the four-game series, the first ever at new Yankee Stadium, but the Indians left their impression on the fresh building with a 22-4 drubbing in the series' third game. Carmona started and allowed a two-run homer by Mark Teixeira in the first inning, but Cleveland answered with a franchise-record-tying 14-run second inning.
Backed with plenty of support, Carmona picked up his first-ever victory over the Yankees after giving up four runs on six hits over six innings. Lifetime versus New York, the right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.17 earned run average in eight games, five of those starts.
Carmona's 2010 season is off to a solid start, but he is coming off his second loss of the season, a six-inning effort versus the Reds on Saturday in which he allowed five runs -- three earned -- on seven hits and two walks. Though Carmona fell to 4-2 on the season with a 3.45 ERA, he did pitch at least six innings for the eighth time in nine starts this year.
The 26-year-old enters the Bronx for the second time with a 3-0 mark and 2.16 ERA in four road starts this year. He'll also work alongside an offense that struggled for much of Wednesday's 5-4 setback to Chicago, Cleveland's eighth defeat in its last 10 games.
The Indians managed just Jhonny Peralta's run-scoring sac fly in the fourth inning through the game's first eight innings despite White Sox starter Mark Buehrle being ejected in the third inning for arguing a second balk call. Cleveland managed to make things close in the ninth inning off Bobby Jenks thanks to Travis Hafner's pinch-hit bases-loaded walk and former Yankee Shelley Duncan's pinch-hit two-run single with no outs.
However, after a Trevor Crowe sac bunt and an intentional walk to Shin-Soo Choo to load the bases, Austin Kearns struck out swinging and Russell Branyan flied out to end the game.
"We put up a fight at the end but we continue to be inconsistent with our situational hitting early in the game," said Cleveland manager Manny Acta. "That hurts us and then we have to play catch up at the end."
New York's Phil Hughes will try to have Cleveland playing from behind again tonight when he makes the start.
Hughes has begun to cool off since his red-hot start, as he has gone 0-1 over his last two starts with nine runs allowed after beginning the season 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA in six starts. The right-hander yielded five runs in a no-decision against Boston on May 17 before suffering the loss against the Mets on Saturday after allowing four runs on a season-high eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.
"I was off today," said Hughes after the loss to the Mets lifted his season ERA to 2.72. "It seems like the last couple of starts I get a quick two outs and then can't put the inning away."
The 23-year-old is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA lifetime versus the Indians in two starts.
New York has lost six of its last nine, but was in line to record a sweep of its three-game set with Minnesota on Thursday. However, starter Javier Vazquez allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings and 112 pitches and the Yankees lost, 8-2.
"We won two games, I don't want to overlook that. We beat a very good Minnesota team two out of three," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
While Girardi is glad his team won the series, Thursday's loss, which featured two RBI from Robinson Cano, dropped New York 4 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for first place in the American League East.
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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting
So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.
Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?
If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)
Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).
In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.
Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.
| The Bubble Breakdown | |||
| CONFERENCE | LOCKS | SHOULD BE INS | AT-LARGES TAKEN (assuming no auto bid outlier) |
| ACC Betting Odds | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| Big East Betting Odds | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| Big Ten Betting Odds | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Big 12 Betting Odds | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Pac-10 Betting Odds | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| SEC Betting Odds | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| MVC Betting Odds | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MWC Betting Odds | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 28 | 5 | 25 |
As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.
(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)
If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.
Work left to do:
Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.
Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).
Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.
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