07/05/2008 - Denver, CO (Baseball Betting) - 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.
<< Angels rout Blue Jays
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Howie Kendrick finished 2-for-4 and drove in
three runs as Los Angeles drubbed Toronto, 8-2, in the first of a three-game
set.
Garret Anderson went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and a pair of runs scored
<< Rapids roll to 4-0 win over Red Bulls
Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mehdi Ballouchy, Colin Clark and Tom
McManus each had a goal and an assist as the Colorado Rapids rolled to a 4-0
win over Red Bull New York on Friday to snap a four-game winless streak.
Omar Cum
<< Report: Duhon to become a Knickerbocker
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks have reportedly agreed to a
two-year, full mid-level exception $12 million contract with guard Chris
Duhon.
The Chicago Tribune reported Friday that Duhon will sign with the Knicks wh
<< Zambrano comes back strong as Cubs nip Cardinals
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Zambrano was impressive in his first
game back from the disabled list, and he shut down St. Louis as the Cubs beat
the Cardinals, 2-1, in the opener of a three-game set.
Zambrano (9-3) pitched for
Report: Former Charger Kiel dies in car crash >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Chargers safety Terrence Kiel
reportedly died late Friday in a car crash. He was 27 years old.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the crash on Saturday. According to
police, a witness
A's continue series in Windy City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox and the Oakland Athletics continue a
four-game series tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.
Greg Smith is slated to get the ball for the Athletics tonight, and while his
5-6 record could certainly stand som
Aces Wild: Halladay, Lackey face off in Anaheim >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The American League West-leading Los Angeles Angels of
Anaheim will play the middle contest of a three-game weekend set against the
Toronto Blue Jays this evening at Angel Stadium.
Although John Lackey has only pitched in
Mets, Phillies resume key weekend set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamie Moyer hopes for some run support this evening when
the Philadelphia Phillies continue their four-game series with the New York
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Moyer lost his third straight start on Sunday against Texas,
Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).
Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.
A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.
Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.
"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.
De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.
The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.
The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.
De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.
Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.
But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.
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