Carmona, Indians open road series in the Bronx

Baseball Betting Lines

05/28/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Fausto Carmona stepped on the mound at new Yankee Stadium, the Indians' offense erupted in a record-tying performance. Given how Cleveland's offense struggled in its last game, the club hopes its hurler can serve as a good-luck charm again tonight.

Carmona and the Indians hope to get hot tonight when they embark on a 10-game road trip this evening with the opener of a four-game series versus hosting New York.

Cleveland and New York meet for the first time this season tonight and though the Yankees won five of eight matchups last year, their first series ever at their new ballpark in 2009 featured a contest that Indians fans won't soon forget.

The two clubs went on to split the four-game series, the first ever at new Yankee Stadium, but the Indians left their impression on the fresh building with a 22-4 drubbing in the series' third game. Carmona started and allowed a two-run homer by Mark Teixeira in the first inning, but Cleveland answered with a franchise-record-tying 14-run second inning.

Backed with plenty of support, Carmona picked up his first-ever victory over the Yankees after giving up four runs on six hits over six innings. Lifetime versus New York, the right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.17 earned run average in eight games, five of those starts.

Carmona's 2010 season is off to a solid start, but he is coming off his second loss of the season, a six-inning effort versus the Reds on Saturday in which he allowed five runs -- three earned -- on seven hits and two walks. Though Carmona fell to 4-2 on the season with a 3.45 ERA, he did pitch at least six innings for the eighth time in nine starts this year.

The 26-year-old enters the Bronx for the second time with a 3-0 mark and 2.16 ERA in four road starts this year. He'll also work alongside an offense that struggled for much of Wednesday's 5-4 setback to Chicago, Cleveland's eighth defeat in its last 10 games.

The Indians managed just Jhonny Peralta's run-scoring sac fly in the fourth inning through the game's first eight innings despite White Sox starter Mark Buehrle being ejected in the third inning for arguing a second balk call. Cleveland managed to make things close in the ninth inning off Bobby Jenks thanks to Travis Hafner's pinch-hit bases-loaded walk and former Yankee Shelley Duncan's pinch-hit two-run single with no outs.

However, after a Trevor Crowe sac bunt and an intentional walk to Shin-Soo Choo to load the bases, Austin Kearns struck out swinging and Russell Branyan flied out to end the game.

"We put up a fight at the end but we continue to be inconsistent with our situational hitting early in the game," said Cleveland manager Manny Acta. "That hurts us and then we have to play catch up at the end."

New York's Phil Hughes will try to have Cleveland playing from behind again tonight when he makes the start.

Hughes has begun to cool off since his red-hot start, as he has gone 0-1 over his last two starts with nine runs allowed after beginning the season 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA in six starts. The right-hander yielded five runs in a no-decision against Boston on May 17 before suffering the loss against the Mets on Saturday after allowing four runs on a season-high eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.

"I was off today," said Hughes after the loss to the Mets lifted his season ERA to 2.72. "It seems like the last couple of starts I get a quick two outs and then can't put the inning away."

The 23-year-old is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA lifetime versus the Indians in two starts.

New York has lost six of its last nine, but was in line to record a sweep of its three-game set with Minnesota on Thursday. However, starter Javier Vazquez allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings and 112 pitches and the Yankees lost, 8-2.

"We won two games, I don't want to overlook that. We beat a very good Minnesota team two out of three," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

While Girardi is glad his team won the series, Thursday's loss, which featured two RBI from Robinson Cano, dropped New York 4 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for first place in the American League East.

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Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.

The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.

Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.

MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)

Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)

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