Blalock boosts Rangers over A's

Baseball Betting Lines

09/09/2007 - Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hank Blalock went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to lead the Texas Rangers to their fourth straight win, 7-3 over Oakland.

A.J. Murray (1-1) recorded the win, his first in the majors, in relief of fill-in starter Luis Mendoza, who left having completed just two innings with a bruised knee after being struck by a Nick Swisher line drive.

Murray went three innings, allowing a pair of earned runs on three hits, striking out one and walking one.

"We're just going out there and attacking hitters and focusing on getting strike one," Murray said of the bullpen's unexpected extra workload. "That is the most important thing and then you take it from there."

Marlon Byrd was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Ian Kinsler finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored for Texas.

"(Mendoza) was doing good," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He threw strikes and he had good tempo. We would like to see him throw more. He showed a lot of guts to stay out there after getting hit. He'll probably get another start."

The Rangers have now won the first two games of the series, and 11 of 13 overall.

Chad Gaudin (10-11) lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his start for the A's, allowing six earned runs on ten hits, striking out two and walking two.

Marco Scutaro was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Swisher went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Oakland, which has lost four of five.

Kinsler blasted his 19th home run of the year in the bottom of the first, a one-out solo shot to left. After Gaudin struck out Michael Young for the second out, Byrd, Jason Botts and Blalock laced consecutive singles to give Texas a 2-0 advantage.

Blalock led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run to right, his seventh of the season. Nelson Cruz then followed with a double, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia worked a walk. Ramon Vazquez advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Frank Catalanotto then scored Cruz with a single through the middle. After Kinsler popped out, Young and Byrd grounded back-to-back run-scoring singles through the middle to extend the lead to 6-0 and chase Gaudin from the game.

Oakland got a pair back in the fifth when Donnie Murphy worked a one-out walk, and Kurt Suzuki doubled to left. Shannon Stewart then brought Murphy home with a sacrifice fly, and Scutaro scored Suzuki with a two-out single to center for a 6-2 margin.

Blalock's RBI single in the seventh brought home Byrd.

The A's scored once more in the eighth when Murphy reached on a fielding error by Young, scoring Swisher, who had walked. But Suzuki grounded into a fielder's choice to strand a pair of baserunners, ending the threat.

Game Notes

Texas starters have not allowed a run in each of the last three games...Mendoza started in place of left-hander Kason Gabbard, who was a pre- game scratch with a finger blister; it was his first major league appearance...Gaudin is now 1-5 against Texas in 14 appearances (five starts)...Kinsler's 19 home runs top all American League second basemen.

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Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Odds

Will he or won't he?  Now that the Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Wade Phillips, the big question will be: Does Terrell Owens stay with the team.

Jerry Jones continues to suggest that Terrell Owens will remain with the team.

"I've said that he's back, he's here, he's under contract," Jones said. "In the interviews I've just been through (to hire a new coach), it was very clear to me how highly he's thought of and how much of an impact he had on our offensive success."

Just to be sure though, Terrell Owens cleared out his locker and removed his name plate.

Terrell Owens was among the Cowboys most productive players this past season, catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.

But T.O. is due a $3 million roster bonus in June, then a $5 million salary this season. Cutting him before then would save a lot of money and headaches.

Aside from the questions surrounding Terrell Owens, the oddsmakers at MySportsbook.com have concerns over starting quarterback Tony Romo's state of mind and whether he will remain a starting quarterback.  It is also not known how players will adjust to new head coach, Wade Phillips.

Here are the football odds as seen at MySportsbook.com and subject to change after February 10, 2007 if not locked in prior to that date.
Arizona Cardinals 60-1


Atlanta Falcons 50-1


Baltimore Ravens 15-1


Buffalo Bills 50-1


Carolina Panthers 18-1


Chicago Bears 10-1


Cincinnati Bengals 15-1


Cleveland Browns 100-1


Dallas Cowboys 15-1


Denver Broncos 15-1


Detroit Lions 100-1


Green Bay Packers 50-1


Houston Texans 100-1


Indianapolis Colts 6-1


Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1


Kansas City Chiefs 30-1


Miami Dolphins 40-1


Minnesota Vikings 75-1


New England Patriots 10-1


New Orleans Saints 18-1


New York Giants 20-1


New York Jets 30-1


Oakland Raiders 100-1


Philadelphia Eagles 18-1


Pittsburgh Steelers 10-1


Saint Louis Rams 60-1


San Diego Chargers 6-1


San Francisco 49ers 75-1


Seattle Seahawks 20-1


Tampa Bay Buccanneers 75-1


Tennessee Titans 40-1


Washington Redskins 50-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook credit cards needs.