Castro, Contreras carry ChiSox over Cleveland
Baseball Betting Lines
07/01/2009 - Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ramon Castro hit a go-ahead three-run homer in a four-run sixth inning, and Jose Contreras pitched eight strong frames as the Chicago White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians with a 6-2 victory.
Castro hit his fifth homer of the year, while Contreras (3-7) allowed only two runs on five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts to earn his third win in five decisions.
Alexei Ramirez went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham each had a pair of hits in the White Sox's fifth straight win.
Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore each had an RBI, while Jamey Carroll and Victor Martinez scored a run apiece for the Indians, who have lost five in a row. Jeremy Sowers (2-6) yielded five runs on 11 hits with a walk and two strikeouts in six innings of work.
After 2 1/2 scoreless innings, the Indians jumped in front in the third. Carroll started the frame with a single to right and moved to third on Ben Francisco's double. After Asdrubal Cabrera struck out, Sizemore hit an RBI groundout to second.
Ramirez's RBI single in the fifth tied the game and the White Sox stormed ahead with four runs in the sixth.
Thome started the rally with a one-out single, and Konerko followed suit with another base hit. Castro followed by belting an outside pitch over the fence in right for a 4-1 Chicago lead. Jayson Nix made it four hits in a row with a double, and he scored on Beckham's RBI single for a four-run cushion.
Cleveland cut its deficit to three in the home sixth on back-to-back two-out doubles from Martinez and Choo.
However, Chicago restored a four-run lead in the seventh on Konerko's two-out RBI hit.
Contreras lasted through the eighth without giving up another run, and Matt Thornton pitched a scoreless ninth to polish off the win.
Game Notes
The White Sox lead the season series, 5-4...Chicago was 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position, while the Indians were just 1-for-7.
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez continued his recent power surge, belting the go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning that lifted the New York Yankees to their seventh straight victory, 4-2, over the Seattle Mariner
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Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames signed forward Fredrik
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TSN Canada is reporting the deal is worth $7.5 million yearly.
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Super Bowl XLIV Odds
Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.
Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.
That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.
Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.
After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.
The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).
To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.
NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV
New England Patriots 8/1
Dallas Cowboys 9/1
New York Giants 10/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1
Indianapolis Colts 12/1
San Diego Chargers 12/1
Baltimore Ravens 14/1
Tennessee Titans 16/1
Carolina Panthers 18/1
Philadelphia Eagles 18/1
New Orleans Saints 20/1
Atlanta Falcons 25/1
Denver Broncos 25/1
Green Bay Packers 25/1
Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1
Minnesota Vikings 25/1
New York Jets 25/1
Arizona Cardinals 30/1
Chicago BearS 30/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1
Buffalo Bills 35/1
Houston TexaNS 35/1
Miami Dolphins 35/1
Washington Redskins 35/1
Seattle SeahawkS 50/1
Cleveland Browns 55/1
Cincinnati Bengals 60/1
San Francisco 49ers 60/1
Oakland Raiders 75/1
St. Louis Rams 75/1
Detroit Lions 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs 100/1
Odds as of: 2/2/09
Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds
To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.