Smith's homer caps incredible 9th inning comeback as Rockies top Cards
Baseball Betting Lines
07/07/2010 -
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seth Smith capped an improbable nine-run rally
in the ninth inning with a game-ending three-run homer, and the Colorado Rockies recorded their largest ninth-inning comeback in franchise history
with a 12-9 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Trailing by six to begin the ninth, Colorado rallied to somehow win the game.
Denys Reyes began his second inning of work for St. Louis, but Miguel Olivo
singled and moved to third on Melvin Mora's one-out single. Clint Barmes
worked a walk, and Reyes uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Olivo to score.
Ryan Franklin (3-1) came in from the bullpen, and Chris Iannetta greeted him
with a three-run blast to pull the Rockies to within 9-7.
Dexter Fowler kept the rally going with a double, then went to third when
pinch-hitter Brad Hawpe was narrowly thrown out at first on a slow roller to
shortstop. It became a one-run game when Carlos Gonzalez followed with an RBI
single to right.
Jason Giambi, representing the winning run, laced a single into the gap in
right-center. Gonzalez, on the move with two outs, was able to race all the
way home after Randy Winn couldn't handle the ball cleanly, tying the score.
Olivo, batting for the second time in the frame, sent a ground ball single to
right to put runners on the corners, setting up Smith's three-run, game-
winning shot that barely cleared the right field fence.
Gonzalez finished with four hits -- including a two-run homer -- and three RBI
for the Rockies, who have won four of five. Giambi, Olivo and Smith each
finished with three hits in the victory. Manuel Corpas (3-5) earned the win
for pitching two scoreless innings.
Matt Holliday hit a three-run homer against his former team for St. Louis,
which has lost four of six. Felipe Lopez added a two-run shot and three RBI in
defeat.
The Cardinals jumped on the scoreboard with three runs in the third.
Aaron Miles singled with two away and nobody on, and Lopez followed with his
fifth home run of the year. Colby Rasmus kept the inning going with a base hit
and scored on Albert Pujols' double to left.
Gonzalez belted a two-run homer for Colorado in the home half, but the
Cardinals' offense scored in each of the next three innings.
Yadier Molina led off the fourth with a walk, and Tyler Greene followed with a
single. Starting pitcher Blake Hawksworth advanced both runners, and Miles'
sacrifice fly and Lopez's RBI single provided a 5-2 cushion.
Molina singled with Pujols on third in the fifth for another run, and
Holliday's three-run homer in the sixth made it a seven-run contest.
Iannetta's RBI fielder's choice groundout for Colorado in the seventh made it
a six-run game.
Game Notes
Jeff Francis started for Colorado and gave up five runs, six hits and two
walks in four innings...Hawksworth lasted five innings, giving up two runs on
eight hits and four walks while fanning five...The Cardinals fell to 32-8 when
scoring first...Holliday was announced as a participant in this year's Home
Run Derby. He clubbed his first career home run against his former team, for
whom he played from 2004-08...The Rockies have recorded five straight 10-plus
hit games, a season-high.
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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.
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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