Yanks rout Rays to sweep doubleheader

Baseball Betting Lines

07/22/2007 - Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez belted his 33rd homer of the season, drove in four runs, and Johnny Damon had a four-RBI game as well to lead New York's 17-5 thrashing of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, completing a sweep of a day/night doubleheader for the Yankees in the middle two games of a four- game set.

Rodriguez's homer brought him to within three of career number 500, and his four RBI put him at 96 on the season. Damon also scored three times for the Yankees, who pounded out 20 hits to win their seventh in nine games. Bobby Abreu finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored for New York.

Yankees starter Matt DeSalvo was rocked for seven hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings. Luis Vizcaino (8-2) tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to pick up his second win of the day.

JP Howell (1-4) surrendered a career-high 10 hits and career-high seven runs in five innings for the Devil Rays, who had won three of four after Friday's 14-4 rout of the Yanks, but have now dropped three of four. Jonny Gomes went 3-for-4 with two runs scored for Tampa Bay.

The Yankees picked right up with three runs in the first, plating two on Abreu's double to left-center. Rodriguez followed with a double to right- center, scoring Abreu.

Josh Wilson's two-run single in the second brought the Rays to within a run, but Damon's run-scoring groundout in the bottom of the inning made it a 4-2 Yankees lead.

New York tacked on three more in the third, courtesy of Robinson Cano's RBI single and Wil Nieves' two-run double, taking a five-run edge.

BJ Upton's two-run single in the fifth and Wilson's sacrifice fly in the sixth again pulled Tampa Bay to within two runs, but Rodriguez came through in the bottom of the inning to end any hopes of a comeback win.

Damon got things started in the sixth with a two-run double, and Abreu laced a one-out single to right, scoring Damon. Rodriguez followed by blasting a two- run shot to left-center, giving the Yanks a 12-5 lead.

"It's disappointing. We definitely had a good shot in the first game, the second game it just got away fast," said Devil Rays manager Joe Madden. "We battled back to 7-5, then the floodgates just opened up after that. We've just got to forget about this and move on to tomorrow."

New York locked up the laugher with five more runs in the seventh. Damon ripped a ground-rule double to left, scoring one run, and Rodriguez stepped to the plate later in the inning with the bases loaded and one out. D-Rays reliever Brian Stokes was able to hold Rodriguez to a sacrifice fly to deep center, but Hideki Matsui followed by blasting a three-run shot to right- center, and New York led by 12.

"I like the fact that we started that way and we kept going," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "We didn't have many dry innings, to me that's probably the manager's best friend."

Game Notes

During the game, the Yankees announced the acquisition of catcher Jose Molina from the Angels in exchange for right-handed pitcher minor-leaguer Jeff Kennard. DeSalvo is expected to head to the minors when Molina joins the team...Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford left the first game of the doubleheader in the fifth inning with a sprained left ankle, and did not play in the second game...The Rays have never won a doubleheader. They have been swept six times and split six...The Yankees had eight doubles, two shy of the franchise record, set in 1988 and tied in 2003.

Wwwfifa2002 Baseball Betting News

<< Blake to face Stepanek at Countrywide finals
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second seed American James Blake and Radek Stepanek both won their semifinal matches to advance to the finals at the Countrywide Classic on Saturday. Blake played the first match of the day and bo

<< Haren, A's edge O's
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dan Haren tossed 6 2/3 strong innings, and the Oakland Athletics held off the Baltimore Orioles, 4-3, in the second of a three-game set. Haren (11-3) scattered seven hits and three runs while fanning

<< Byrd, Indians best Rangers
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marlon Byrd matched his career high with five RBI as the Texas Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians, 8-5, in the third of a four-game set at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Byrd had a two-run double in th

<< Inge lifts Tigers over Royals in 10th inning
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Inge's two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Detroit Tigers a 10-8 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the second of a three-game set from Comerica Park. Sean Casey hit a one-o

<< Chelsea spoils Beckham debut in LA
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The David Beckham era in the United States officially began on Saturday night as the midfielder walked onto the field of The Home Depot Center in the 78th minute of an international friendly between the Los

Howard belts two homers as Phils stomp Padres >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Howard went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBI as the Philadelphia Phillies pounded the San Diego Padres, 12-4, in the third game of a four-game set at Petco Park. Wes Helms, Greg

Szavay captures Palermo title >>
Palermo, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Agnes Szavay of Hungary captured her first career WTA Tour singles title with a straight-set rout of Germany's Martina Muller in the final of the Palermo International. The eighth-seeded Szavay cruised

NBA is hurting >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It doesn't get much worse than this. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy is under investigation by the FBI for allegedly betting on and fixing games that he worked during the past two seasons. The FBI is looking into whether D

Red Sox try to stay offensive against White Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Red Sox gun for their third straight win this afternoon as they close out a four-game set against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park in Boston. On Saturday the Red Sox scored double-digit runs for the second straight

Streaking Tigers aim to crown Royals >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Winners in five of their last six and now two games ahead of Cleveland for first place in the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers close out a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park this afterno

Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs.