05/13/2008 - Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ramon Vazquez's solo home run in the 10th inning lifted the Texas Rangers to a 13-12 win over the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game set.
The Rangers blew a four-run lead in the ninth, but came back to post their sixth win in seven contests.
With one out in the 10th, Vazquez jumped on Brandon Morrow's 1-0 fastball for his second home run of the season, a shot to right field.
"What a game," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We didn't die. We kept fighting."
Vicente Padilla, who had allowed just one earned run over his last three starts, gave up six runs -- three earned -- on seven hits in five-plus innings for Texas. C.J. Wilson allowed four runs on four hits in the ninth. Doug Mathis (1-0), brought up from Triple-A Oklahoma to replace starter Kevin Millwood who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday, tossed a scoreless inning to pick up the win in his major league debut.
Josh Hamilton went 2-for-4 with four RBI for the Rangers, and Ian Kinsler was 3-for-5 and scored twice. Michael Young knocked in a pair runs. Gerald Laird and Chris Shelton each had two hits, with Laird scoring three times.
Erik Bedard, who returned to Arlington for the first time since his two-hit, 15-strikeout performance on July 7, 2007 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, was rocked for six runs on seven hits with four walks in two-plus innings. Morrow (0-1) threw the final 1 1/3 innings.
Kenji Johjima's three-run homer in the ninth forced extra innings for the Mariners, who have dropped 11 of their last 13 games. Raul Ibanez and Wladimir Balentien also homered, while Jose Lopez finished 3-for-5 and scored two runs.
It was the first game between the teams since a benches-clearing fracas on Thursday in Seattle. Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson served the third game of his five-game suspension Monday stemming from the incident in which he pegged Texas pitcher Kason Gabbard with his helmet. Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Gabbard, participants in the game last Thursday, are scheduled to start on Tuesday.
Down 12-8 in the ninth, Adrian Beltre lined a one-out single to center field and came around to score on a double by Ibanez. Lopez then singled and, after Jeff Clement was called out on strikes, Johjima crushed Wilson's 0-2 fastball over the wall in left field to tie the game.
"I was just happy to contribute and keep us in the game," Johjima said.
The Mariners, who were held to five runs in last week's four-game series against the Rangers at Safeco Field, matched that total in the first.
Ichiro Suzuki led off with a single, moved to second on a ground out by Jose Vidro and scored when Vazquez misplayed a grounder off the bat of Beltre. Ibanez then hooked Padilla's 2-0 fastball down the right field line for his second home run in as many days. After Lopez singled to right, Clement hit a ball back up the middle that Hamilton overran, allowing both runners to move into scoring position. Lopez scored on Padilla's balk and Johjima rounded out the offense with a sacrifice fly.
Texas got on the board in the next frame on Young's RBI single that plated Kinsler. The Rangers added another run in the second on German Duran's sacrifice fly.
The Rangers pulled ahead with four runs in the third. Hamilton and Milton Bradley clubbed back-to-back home runs to begin the frame, and Bedard issued a walk to Brandon Boggs, who advanced to third on a double from Laird. Shelton then tied the score with a single to right, ending the left-hander's night. Cha Seung Baek induced a 6-4-3 double play from Duran, though, Laird scored from third on the play to give Texas a 6-5 advantage.
An RBI double by Yuniesky Betancourt tied the score in the sixth, but the Rangers broke the game open with four runs in the seventh. Laird singled to start the frame, and after Shelton bunted him over to second, Duran worked a walk. A wild pitch by Ryan Rowland-Smith moved the runners into scoring position. After Vazquez struck out swinging, Mark Lowe took over on the mound and issued a free pass to Kinsler, which loaded the bases for Young. The Rangers shortstop hit a routine grounder that Lopez bobbled and allowed Laird to cross the plate. Hamilton then slapped a two-run single to left field and Frank Catalanotto tacked on another run with a pinch-hit single.
Balentien clubbed a two-run homer in the eighth to make it a 10-8 game, but the Rangers got the runs back in the bottom half on a pair of bases loaded walks.
Game Notes
Suzuki has hit safely in 12 straight games...Seattle's pitching staff issued 13 walks...Bradley left in the seventh inning with a strained right shoulder...Texas left 13 men on base, while the Mariners stranded five.
<< Knicks to introduce D'Antoni Tuesday
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks have called a news
conference for 1 p.m. (et) Tuesday to introduce Mike D'Antoni as their next
head coach.
Late Saturday, the Knicks agreed in principle for D'Antoni to take
<< Perez, Nats steamroll over Mets
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Odalis Perez did it all for Washington, going
3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs batted in, and earning the victory on
the mound, as the Nationals downed the New York Mets, 10-4, in the opener of a
four-ga
<< Home Cookin': Cavs even series with Celtics
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - LeBron James scored 21 points and dished out
13 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away down the stretch to beat the
Boston Celtics, 88-77, evening their Eastern Conference semifinal series after
four ga
<< Datsyuk leads Red Wings to 3-0 series lead
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pavel Datsyuk recorded his first career playoff
hat trick as the Detroit Red Wings took a commanding three games to none
series lead with a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western
Confere
Oswalt, Astros stay hot with win over Giants >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roy Oswalt threw eight innings, retiring
the final 14 batters he faced, as the Houston Astros continued their momentous
May with a 7-3 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Lance Berkman continued his hot
Guerrero keys Angels win over ChiSox >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vladimir Guerrero homered and drove in four
runs, as the Angels downed the Chicago White Sox, 10-7, in the opener of a
four-game series.
Nick Adenhart (1-0), making his third career start, gave up nine
Dodgers send Furcal to DL >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers placed shortstop
Rafael Furcal on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 6, on Monday due
to a lower back injury.
Furcal did not travel with the team to Milwaukee, where
Sharks fire Ron Wilson after early playoff exit >>
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -Although the San Jose Sharks ended another disappointing playoff run last week, coach Ron Wilson was optimistic about his future. After all, his Sharks had done just about everything a good team can do, except win a Stanley Cu
Huskers' Lucky hospitalized for undisclosed reason
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons after Lincoln police responded to a call at his residence.
The Nebraska athletic department said in a release Monday that Lucky was admitted Sunday night.
MySportsbook.com has the Cornhuskers listed at +2500 to win the BCS National Championship odds.
A nursing supervisor at the hospital said all questions about Lucky were being referred to the athletic department. The athletic department said there would be no further comment from the department or Lucky's family.
A Lincoln Police spokesman said officers responded to a call at Lucky's residence 11:30 p.m. Sunday. The spokesman said he didn't know Lucky's condition at the time he was taken to the hospital.
Lucky, from North Hollywood, Calif., started six games last season as a sophomore and was the team's second-leading rusher, with 728 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 383 yards. He averaged 19.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.
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Many fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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