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04/10/2009 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rickie Weeks doubled home the tying run in the ninth, took third on a ball in the dirt and scored the winning run on an infield hit with a head-first slide just ahead of the tag to give Milwaukee a thrilling 4-3 win against the Chicago Cubs in the Brewers' home opener from Miller Park.
Carlos Villanueva (1-0) set down Chicago in order in the ninth and Kevin Gregg (0-1) returned to pitch the bottom half after being called upon to close out the eighth. Jason Kendall was retired on a ground out but Chris Duffy, who was part of a double switch in the top part of the inning, drew a walk. Weeks turned on a low, 2-1 fastball for a double that sailed over the head of Alfonso Soriano in left and one-hopped against the wall.
Duffy scored to tie the game and the heads-up Weeks took third when Gregg bounced a ball in the dirt to Corey Hart, who went on to walk. Ryan Braun sent a dribbler to short and Weeks broke for home. Ryan Theriot rushed the throw and bounced it just in front of Koyie Hill and Weeks beat the tag to send the 45,455 fans, the second-largest crowd in franchise history, into a frenzy.
Braun knocked in two of Milwaukee's four runs while Hart homered and walked twice. Weeks scored twice and also robbed Aramis Ramirez of a base-hit with two men on in the seventh while down a run.
Braden Looper, who signed a one-year deal with the club shortly before spring training, was charged with one run on five hits with four walks and as many strikeouts in lasting five frames for Milwaukee, which started the year with losses in two of its first three games in San Francisco.
Hill, starting for 2008 NL Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto, hit a two-run homer and Milton Bradley added a solo shot for Chicago, which entered this series on the heels of taking two of three games from the Houston Astros.
Soto is day-to-day with inflammation in his right shoulder.
Rich Harden, looking to build off a dominant NL run in 2008 after joining Chicago midseason in a trade with Oakland, made his 2009 debut and baffled the Brewers through six innings, striking out 10 and walking two while giving up two runs -- one earned -- on just three hits.
Harden was 5-1 with a stellar 1.77 earned run average in 12 regular-season starts last season after joining the Cubs.
The Brew Crew manufactured a run in the first as Weeks took second on an error by Theriot leading off, and Hart moved the runner with a sacrifice. Braun followed with a run-scoring single through the left side.
Hart clubbed a home run deep to right-center with two out in the third, adding a run to the lead, but Bradley put the Cubs on the board, leading off the fourth with a blast to almost the same place.
Looper was lifted to start the sixth and reliever Seth McClung was stung by a two-out, two-run homer by Hill, following a Theriot single to give Chicago the 3-2 lead.
The Cubs looked to add runs in the seventh when Kosuke Fukudome doubled to left with one out, and Bradley walked with two away, but Weeks snagged a hard hit ball up the middle off the bat of Ramirez to end the inning.
Chicago went with a combination of three relievers in the home half and escaped a bases-loaded jam. Aaron Heilman started and walked Bill Hall, who moved up on a Kendall sacrifice. Neal Cotts entered to face pinch-hitter Craig Counsell but made it first and second with a hit-by-pitch, and Carlos Marmol was called into service. Weeks lined out for the second out but Hart worked a walk to load the bases. Marmol, though, recovered to retire Braun on a weak pop-up to right.
The Cubs put a runner on third with one out in the eighth. Mike Fontenot doubled off Todd Coffey and moved up on a Theriot grounder. Coffey then plunked Hill to make it first and third, which perfectly set up pinch-hitter Aaron Miles' tailor-made double-play ball to end the inning.
Lou Pinella tapped the pen again in the eighth in an attempt to get to the team's closer in Gregg. Sean Marshall walked Prince Fielder to start the frame and Luis Vizcaino was brought on to face J.J. Hardy. Hardy lined out and Mike Cameron hit a chopper back to the mound, moving the runner to second. Gregg entered to fan Hall and strand the tying run in scoring position for a second straight inning.
Game Notes
Chicago won nine of its 16 meetings with the Brewers last season, including five of the seven matchups held in Milwaukee...Milwaukee has a five-game win streak and is 7-2 in home openers at Miller Park since the its opening in 2001...Theriot and Fukudome had two hits each for Chicago...Despite the comeback, Milwaukee left 10 on base and was 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position...The Cubs left nine stranded and was 0-for-7 with RISP.
<< Colorado rocks Hamels, Phils in home opener
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Garrett Atkins' first hit of the season -- a
two-run homer -- highlighted a five-run third inning, as the Colorado Rockies
defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-3, in the home opener at Coors Field.
Ryan
<< Pettitte has strong outing as Yanks top Royals
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andy Pettitte scattered three hits and one
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Pettitte (1-0) held his foes in check with six
<< Driver charged with murder in Adenhart's death
Fullerton, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Andrew Thomas Gallo is facing three felony
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pitcher Nick Adenhart,
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<< Norman misses cut after a 77
Augusta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The crowd surrounding Augusta National's
familiar 18th green applauded Greg Norman. He applauded them right back.
If the tournament hasn't always been kind to The Shark, at least the gallery
has.
No
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Augusta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After struggling to a one-over 73 on Thursday,
Phil Mickelson bounced back with a four-under 68 Friday to move into share of
11th at three-under-par 141 after two rounds of the Masters.
Mickelson was well o
Hawks F Marvin Williams returns to lineup >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams
returned to the lineup in Friday's game with the Indiana Pacers at Philips
Arena after missing the last 16 with a lower back injury.
The former North Carolina product is
Chase Field to host 2011 MLB All-Star Game >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks,
will host the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
MLB has called a news conference for Saturday afternoon when an official
announcement is expected from
Dodgers' Kuroda placed on DL >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Hiroki
Kuroda on the 15-day disabled list Friday due to a strained left oblique
muscle.
Kuroda pitched on Opening Day for the Dodgers, earning the win after allow
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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