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06/26/2010 -
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -Edwin Jackson had a chance to finish the ugliest of the no-hitters in this the Year of the Pitcher, and nothing was going to stop of him.
Not Arizona manager A.J. Hinch. Certainly not the Tampa Bay Rays.
Barreling ahead despite a soaring pitch count, Jackson tossed the fourth no-hitter of the season Friday night, beating his former team 1-0 despite walking eight, hitting a batter and watching another reach base on an error.
It took an astounding 149 pitches - most in the majors in five years - to complete the second no-hitter in Arizona history.
``We talked every inning after about the sixth because I was checking on him. It's such a complicated situation with the game in the balance and him chasing a no-hitter,'' Hinch said.
``He kept saying he was fine and, `I'm not coming out, I'm not coming out, I'm not coming out.' As the momentum built and the situation grew, it was pretty evident he had an extra gear. It's something to celebrate.''
All but one of Jackson's walks came in the first three innings, but the Rays still were no-hit for the third time in less than a year, including perfect games by Dallas Braden at Oakland on May 9 and Mark Buehrle at Chicago last July 23.
Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez no-hit Atlanta on April 17 and Philadelphia's Roy Halladay tossed a perfect game at Florida on May 29. Detroit's Armando Galarraga lost his perfect game with two outs in the ninth on a blown call by umpire Jim Joyce.
``It's one of those moments where I tell him I'm not coming out until I give up a hit or a home run. You want to skip my next start, that's fine. Give me an extra day, that's fine,'' Jackson said.
``It's one of those opportunities that doesn't come everyday. And for me to come out of that game without giving up a hit, it would have been what if. What if I would have stayed in. I'm glad it didn't have to be a what if situation.''
Jason Bartlett grounded to shortstop Stephen Drew for the final out and Jackson's teammates mobbed him after the improbable feat.
Jackson, who entered the game with a 5.05 ERA, is 43-45 in eight seasons. He was an All-Star last year for Detroit before being traded to Arizona in the offseason in a three-team trade with the Yankees that included Curtis Granderson.
Two years ago, the 26-year-old right-hander matched a Tampa Bay franchise record with 14 wins to help the Rays make an improbable run to the World Series.
``It's one of those bittersweet moments. You throw a no-hitter and it's against your old team. At least it's with a crowd that you've had accomplishment with,'' said Jackson who was hit with a pie in the face by a teammate during an on-field interview before receiving a beer shower heading into the clubhouse.
The crowd of 18,918 stood and applauded the first no-hitter at Tropicana Field in the relatively short history of the Rays, who like the Diamondbacks began play in 1998.
Randy Johnson has the only other no-hitter in Arizona history, a perfect game at Atlanta on May 18, 2004.
Adam LaRoche homered off Jeff Niemann (6-2) in the second inning, all the support Jackson would need.
``He's a great athlete and a great kid. He's one of the very few who can do that,'' Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said, noting Jackson's ability to continue to pitch well despite a high pitch count.
``We had so many guys on base,'' Rays center fielder B.J. Upton said, ``nobody knew it was a no-hitter until the seventh.''
Jackson (5-6) walked the bases loaded in the third but was bailed out by a stellar play by third baseman Mark Reynolds, who spun around to throw out Ben Zobrist at home plate. Hank Blalock then grounded out to end the inning.
Reynolds made another big play on a sharp line drive by Bartlett in the seventh. Earlier in the at-bat Bartlett hit a dribbler that hung close to the third base line before rolling foul in front of the bag.
In the eighth, Miguel Montero threw out pinch-runner Carl Crawford trying to steal second after Carlos Pena reached on an error by Drew.
Jackson was so wild and the pitch count unusually high that the Diamondbacks had relievers warming up from the sixth inning on.
``All's well that ends well.'' Hinch said. ``We stopped counting at about 115.''
No one had thrown that many pitches in a nine-inning game since June 3, 2005, when Washington's Livan Hernandez threw 150 against the Marlins.
Jackson pitched for the Rays from 2006-08. His only other shutout in 126 career starts came for Tampa Bay in 2007.
``He was a big part of our success and a great guy in the clubhouse,'' Upton said, adding Jackson seemed as strong as the end as he did in the beginning.
``For him to have thrown that many pitches and still have 95 (mph) in the tank at the end says a lot about him.''
Jackson's eight walks were a career high - he struck out six. In 2001, A.J. Burnett walked a record nine in a no-hitter for Florida against San Diego.
In the ninth, Jackson struck out B.J. Upton on three pitches. After Blalock flied to left, Jackson walked pinch hitter Willy Aybar before getting the final out for his 149th pitch.
NOTES: Jackson's performance overshadowed the first meeting between brothers B.J. and Justin Upton, who despite being relatively close in age had never competed with or against each other at any level before Friday. ... The no-hitter was the fourth in interleague play. David Cone (Yankees, 1999), six Astros pitchers (2003) and Justin Verlander (Tigers, 2007) had the others. ... Niemann allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked two in 7 1-3 innings for Tampa Bay.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.
<< Pennington, A's hammer Pirates
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cliff Pennington went 3-for-4 with three RBI
and a run scored as the Oakland Athletics pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates,
14-4, in the opener of a three-game interleague set.
Ryan Sweeney went 3-for-5 wi
<< Unhappy Reunion: Yanks down Dodgers in first game against Torre
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez hit the eventual game-
winning homer in the sixth inning to back CC Sabathia's solid pitching
performance, as the New York Yankees snuck past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-1,
in the
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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -The Phoenix Coyotes picked 18-year-old defenseman Brandon Gormley and 17-year-old goaltender Mark Visentin in the first round of Friday's NHL draft.Phoenix took Gormley with the 13th overall selection and Visentin at No. 27 aft
<< Boston's Pedroia leaves game after fouling ball off foot
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin
Pedroia exited Friday's game against San Francisco in the top of the third
inning after he fouled a ball off his left foot.
Pedroia was examined by an athle
Reunions: Torre and Yanks, Halladay and Jays >>
The Yankees practically lined up to greet Joe Torre in Los Angeles. Roy Halladay treated his first start against the Blue Jays like any other. Justin and B.J. Upton's mom didn't know who to cheer for when her sons faced each other for the first time
Timberwolves introduce Wesley Johnson >>
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -In one of the longest and most difficult seasons in franchise history, one thing became painfully obvious to David Kahn and Kurt Rambis above all others - the Minnesota Timberwolves needed a star.Both acknowledge it is much easier
Pacers' George, Granger are similar >>
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Ron Artest was one of the best players in the NBA when the Pacers drafted Danny Granger for him to mentor.Artest saw something in Granger, prompting him to proclaim that the versatile forward would become a star. Granger made good
Herrera lifts Rockies over Angels in extras >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jonathan Herrera had three hits and drove in
the game-winning run in the 11th inning, as the Colorado Rockies rallied to
beat the LA Angels, 4-3, in the first of three games at Angel Stadium.
Chris Ianne
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts US credit cards
Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?"
A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."
Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook.
In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small.
"Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets."
Tennis' lack of popularity amongst the American bettoratti is no surprise, really. For starters, the biggest sports betting holidays -- the Super Bowl, the NCAA tourney -- are must see TV. People, at least the degenerates I know, plan vacations around watching those events in Vegas sports books.
But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?"
Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year.
This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here.
Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions.
In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries.
No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning.
And that's all any bettor can ask for.
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