07/25/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox expect to have David Ortiz back in the lineup this evening when they start a three-game series against their hated rivals, the New York Yankees, at Fenway Park.
Ortiz hasn't played since May 31 because of a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. Even when he played, though, Big Papi was not the feared hitter he has been in the past, batting just .252 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI in 54 games.
The 32-year-old slugger, who has averaged more than 40 home runs and over a 100 RBI since joining Boston in 2003, showed signs of the old Ortiz in his six-game rehab assignment, though, going 5-for-18 with three homers, six RBI and five runs scored.
Without Ortiz the Red Sox went 26-19 and actually gained ground in the division. When Ortiz went down, the Sox were one game back in the AL East and thanks to Tampa Bay's loss to Kansas City on Thursday, the Red Sox enter tonight's matchup tied for first place.
Boston, which is coming a three-game sweep of Seattle, will be starting a nine-game homestand tonight that will also include visits from the AL West- leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Oakland Athletics.
The Red Sox own the AL's best home mark at 36-11.
Getting the call in tonight's opener for the Red Sox will be righty Josh Beckett, who will try and beat the Yankees for the fourth time this season. Beckett last pitched against them on July 4 and allowed four runs and nine hits over eight innings to run his lifetime mark against them to 7-3 to go along with a 5.75 ERA in 11 starts.
Beckett fell to 9-6 on the season on Saturday in Anaheim, as the Angels touched him up for four runs and nine hits in eight innings.
The Yankees, meanwhile, enter tonight's opener as one of the hottest teams in the league after completing their second straight sweep, taking all three games from the Minnesota Twins and running their winning streak to six games overall.
Second baseman Robinson Cano has been the offensive catalyst, hitting .519 with two home runs and seven RBI in the six games since the All-Star break.
New York has also gotten tremendous starting pitching over the course of its tear and will hope to continue that trend tonight with 22-year-old righty Joba Chamberlain slated to take the hill for the first time as a starter at Fenway Park.
Chamberlain, who is 2-3 with a 2.52 ERA on the season, did not get a decision on Saturday against Oakland, despite giving up just a run and six hits in six innings of his team's 4-3 win.
Boston has won five of its nine matchups with the Yankees this season.
<< Tulsa shoots for second C-USA title since '05
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Since joining Conference USA in 2005,
Tulsa has won 18 of 26 league games, and after crushing Bowling Green 63-7 in
the GMAC Bowl, the Golden Hurricane are the prohibitive favorites to pick up
their second
<< Jets ink Gholston
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Jets have reportedly signed their
first round draft choice, defensive end Vernon Gholston.
According to the New York Daily News, the Jets finalized a five-year contract
worth nearly $40 million w
<< Jankovic moves on at East West Classic
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia was among
the winners in Thursday's third-round action at the $600,000 East West Bank
Classic women's tennis event.
Jankovic defeated Melinda Czink of Hungary, 6-3, 6-2.
<< Nadal, Djokovic advance; Roddick upset at Rogers Cup
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-seeded Rafael Nadal and third-seeded
Novak Djokovic advanced Thursday at the $2,615,000 Rogers Masters in Toronto,
but sixth-seeded Andy Roddick wasn't as fortunate to get out of the third
round.
Dempster hopes to keep Wrigley dominance intact against Fish >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Playing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field has been quite
the challenge for enemy teams this season. The task has been even tougher when
Ryan Dempster is on the mound.
Dempster and the Cubs will both be attempting to build
Rangers, A's get series started in Oakland >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A battle for second place in the American League West
begins tonight at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum, where the Athletics take on the
hard-hitting Texas Rangers in the first of three consecutive clashes.
The A's and Rangers
NL East-leading Mets welcome Cardinals to Shea >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets open their first series as sole leaders
of the National League's East Division tonight, when they host the St. Louis
Cardinals in the first of three weekend games at Shea Stadium.
New York, which foug
Bills T Peters a holdout >>
Pittsford, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl left tackle Jason
Peters is officially a holdout.
The 26-year-old tackle was not present when the team opened training camp on
Friday. Peters also missed all of Buffalo's volunt
Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch
Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.
Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."
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