Espinosa powers Nationals to win over Mets
Baseball Betting Lines
09/06/2010 -
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danny Espinosa had the best game of his
very young career as he hit a grand slam and a solo home run to lead the
Washington Nationals to a 13-3 rout of the New York Mets in the opener of a
three-game set.
Espinosa, playing just the fifth game of his career after joining the team on
September 1, went 4-for-5 with six RBI for the Nationals, who have won three
straight. Ivan Rodriguez drove in three runs, while Roger Bernadina scored
three times in the win.
Jordan Zimmermann went just four innings in the start and was charged with
three runs -- one earned -- on three hits with four walks and two strikeouts.
Scott Olsen (4-8) worked four innings of hitless ball to pick up the win.
Josh Thole drove in two runs for the Mets, who have lost six of their last
eight. Mike Pelfrey (13-9) was tagged for six runs on five hits with three
walks over 3 2/3 innings.
The Mets got on the board in the first inning with a pair of runs. Angel Pagan
led off with a single and promptly stole second. Two batters later, Chris
Carter beat out an infield single and David Wright followed with a sacrifice
fly to score Pagan. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Thole worked a
free pass to score Carter for a 2-0 lead.
The Mets added a run in the third inning on an RBI single from Thole that
plated Carter for a 3-0 lead.
Washington got one back in the third when Espinosa led off the frame with a
shot over the left field wall.
In the fourth, the Nationals surged ahead with a five-run frame. After
consecutive one-out walks, Rodriguez doubled to chase home both runners. Mike
Morse then singled to give Washington the lead. Later in the inning, Nyjer
Morgan singled to bring home Morse and a walk with the bases loaded by Kevin
Mench gave the team a 6-3 lead.
Washington tacked on another run in the fifth as Espinosa's single to center
plated Bernadina for a 7-3 advantage.
The Nationals added another five runs in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly
from Rodriguez and a grand slam off the bat of Espinosa for a 12-3 lead.
Ryan Zimmerman's RBI single in the seventh made it a 13-3 contest.
Game Notes
Washington has taken eight of the 13 games against New York this
season...Before the game, the Mets brought up pitchers Dillon Gee, Sean Green
and Raul Valdes and outfielder Jesus Feliciano from Triple-A Buffalo. Gee will
start Tuesday's game as Johan Santana was scratched from his scheduled start
with a strained pectoral muscle...Washington right fielder Willie Harris left
the game after crashing into the outfield wall in the third inning on a Carter
double. Harris was replaced by Morse...Pelfrey has dropped his past two
starts.
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Big 12 Conference betting odds
Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State
Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.
Work left to do:
Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.
Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.
Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.
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