Rockies top Marlins in slugfest

Baseball Betting Lines

07/05/2008 - Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Iannetta drove in four runs, including the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth, as the Colorado Rockies trailed by as many as nine runs but rallied for a wild, improbable 18-17 win over the Florida Marlins in the second of a four-game set at Coors Field.

With Kevin Gregg on to close with a 17-16 lead, Clint Barmes and Matt Holliday started the ninth with back-to-back singles. Garrett Atkins then ripped a liner to left for a single, and Barmes sprinted home with the tying run. Jeff Baker hit a grounder to second that looked to be a surefire double play, but Hanley Ramirez dropped the flip to second and the bases were loaded. Iannetta then slapped a grounder through the drawn-in infield to give the Rockies one of the most unlikely victories in franchise history.

The teams combined for 43 hits and eight home runs -- six from the Rockies -- in the slugfest. The nine-run deficit is the largest the Rockies have ever overcome and the largest lead the Marlins have ever lost.

Atkins finished 5-for-6 with three runs batted in and three runs scored for the Rockies, who picked up their second straight win in their final at-bat and fourth in a row overall. Holliday homered twice -- including a grand slam -- and drove in five runs, while Spilborghs was 4-for-5 with a pair of long balls, three RBI and four runs scored. Barmes also had four hits and scored three times.

The rally made an unlikely winner out of Taylor Buchholz (3-2) who worked a scoreless ninth. Starter Greg Reynolds lasted just 1 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits, while Cedrick Bowers was rocked for five runs in two frames and Jason Grilli was touched for four runs in an inning-plus.

Cody Ross had five RBI for the Marlins, who have lost three of their last four. Hanley Ramirez homered, knocked in two and scored three runs, while Jorge Cantu and Mike Jacobs had four hits apiece.

Gregg (6-4) blew his sixth save while taking the loss in relief of Scott Olsen, who lasted five innings despite being hammered for nine runs -- eight earned -- on 11 hits.

Florida took the lead right out of the gate, as Ramirez led off the game with a homer to center. Jacobs added an RBI double, and Matt Treanor clubbed a two- out, 3-2 change-up over the wall in left to give the Marlins a 5-0 lead before Olsen ever took the hill.

But, the Rockies immediately struck back, as consecutive doubles by Spilborghs and Barmes cut the deficit to four in the bottom half. However, Josh Willingham answered with a two-run double in the second for a 7-1 Florida lead.

RBI singles from Spilborghs and Barmes brought Colorado back within four in the home second. Baker's groundout plated another run in the third.

But, Bowers couldn't keep the Marlins at bay, as he loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth before Ross cleared them with a double to center. One out later, Alfredo Amezaga upped the lead to 11-4 with an RBI double of his own. Luis Vizcaino came on in relief and struck out Olsen, but Ramirez ripped an RBI double and Jeremy Hermida followed with a run-scoring single to give Florida a nine- run advantage.

Spilborghs launched a mammoth solo homer over the bleachers in left in the bottom of the fourth, and Holliday added a leadoff blast in the fifth as the Rockies closed within 13-6.

Colorado kept up the rally in the fifth, as a single by Atkins and a double from Baker set the table for Iannetta, who crushed a three-run homer off a billboard in left to cut the lead to four.

Spilborghs continued to comeback in the sixth, leading off with his second homer of the night -- a liner just over the wall in left-center. With Barmes on second one out later, Atkins hammered a hanging breaking ball into the seats in left to make it a one-run game.

Ross' two-run single off Jason Grilli in the seventh pushed the Florida lead back to three at 15-12. Luis Gonzalez's pinch-hit single off Manny Corpas later in the frame plated two more to restore a five-run lead. But, the Rockies would close out the night with six unanswered runs.

Justin Miller and Logan Kensing loaded the bases with nobody out in the home half, and Holliday continued the Independence Day fireworks by drilling a 3-2 slider into the stands in left-center for a grand slam.

Renyel Pinto and Doug Waechter combined on a perfect eighth, keeping the Rockies off the board in an inning for the first time all night.

Game Notes

The 35 combined runs were the second-highest total in Coors Field history. The record is 36 runs, set in a 24-12 loss to Cincinnati on May 19, 1999...The teams combined to use 14 pitchers as a total of 104 batters came to the plate in the game...The Marlins went 11-for-21 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 men on base, while Colorado was 8-for-16 and stranded nine runners.

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Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting

So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance.

Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it?

If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.)

Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa).

In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech.

Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down.

(Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28)

If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech

The ACC moves to six locks as BC, Va Tech and Virginia all got their 10th ACC wins, which should be more than enough this season, and Maryland rallied past North Carolina to get the final piece the Terps needed. After that? It could end there unless FSU, Ga Tech or Clemson picks things up in a hurry.

 

Work left to do:

Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's.

Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win).

Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT.

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Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

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.”

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