Derek Jeter and the rest of the modern-day Murderers' Row overwhelmed the young Detroit Tigers, getting the New York Yankees off to a quick start in the first round of the AL playoffs.

Jeter tied the postseason record for hits, going 5-for-5 with a home run to lead New York over Detroit 8-4 on Tuesday night in its postseason opener.

Bobby Abreu had a two-run double and Jason Giambi hit a two-run homer in the third as New York's big boppers staked starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang to a 5-0 lead. The five-run burst started, however, with something small -- Johnny Damon's slow roller for a single.

After the Tigers crawled within two runs, Abreu added a two-run single in the sixth and Jeter hit his 17th postseason home run in the eighth.

Six of New York's seven RBIs came from Abreu and Giambi, surprising given that Tigers starter Nate Robertson held lefties to a .181 average during the regular season, the best among AL pitchers. Giambi was on base four times, also getting hit by pitches twice and walking.

lineup, now that everyone's healthy, poses a mighty challenge for opposing pitchers. All nine starters are current or former All-Stars. Robinson Cano became the first player ever to start a postseason game batting ninth after finishing among the top three in his league in batting, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Alex Rodriguez, the reigning AL MVP, was dropped to sixth in the order.

Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees

Tuesday June 13, 7:05 EST
Yankee Stadium


Tuesday night, the New York Yankees stadium will host the Cleveland Indians, with Paul Byrd, as the starting pitcher, after playing the White Soxs.

The Indians cannot carry the 14-2 loss to the Angels on Sunday June 4th. The loss was particularly disappointing to the Indians who had their No.1 starter on the mound, C.C. Sabathia. It will be a challenging stretch of games for the Indians, who are trying to recover the ground they have lost to the Tigers and White Sox; who are ahead of them in the Central Division standings. Third in their Division, these up-coming games against the Yankees are important to short the gap. It won’t be easy after going to the White Soxs but it’s a must. There is a lot of inconsistency among players Paul Byrd, Cliff Lee, Jake Westbrook, and Jason Johnson. But if Cleveland wants to jump back into the Central Division first places, this has to end.

Line up: 1. Grady Sizemore, CF. 2. Jason Michaels, LF. 3. Johnny Peralta, SS. 4. Travis Hafner, DH. 5. Victor Martinez, C. 6. Ben Broussard, 1st B. 7. Casey Blake, RF. 8. Ronnie Belliard, 2nd B. 9. Aaron Boone, 3rd B.

Yankee stat in the AL’S East group keeps everybody surprised; the Yankees continue seeking the World Series. First in their group and with good news from players Rodriguez and Giambi who are well and ready to receive the Indians; in rehab but positive about coming games. Hideki Matsui said: "Personally, I believe I will be coming back (this season), "obviously that's my mind speaking, not my wrist."

This game is an attention getter among sportsbooks and sports betting fans alike. Reason being Cleveland needs these wins and the Yankees are trying to keep first place consistently. None of them want to leave a “ball for a win”. Nice game to watch and bet on.

Line up: 1. Johnny Damon, CF. 2. Melky Cabrera, LF. 3. Jason Giambi, DH. 4. Alex Rodriguez, 3rd B. 5. Jorge Posada, C. 6. Robinson Cano, 2nd B. 7. Andy Phillips, 1st B. 8. Bernie Williams, RF. 9. Miguel Cairo, SS.

NY Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

Thursday, June 8th 2006 7:00 PM ET
Yankee Stadium By Jacob Mitchell
http://www.wagerweb.comContributing Writer


It was almost a perfect night for Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina last week as they faced the Tigers in Detroit; he pitched the entire game allowing six hits and no errors; unfortunately one run that separated him from having his first shutout in almost a year.

"They shouldn't have scored at all and I just wanted to finish it," said Mussina, who notched his 57th career complete game.

Alex Rodriguez went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs for the Yankees, who have won five straight. The Yankees want to keep their winnings streak this week against their archrivals the Boston Red Sox in a game that will be full of adrenaline and excitement.

The Yankees have a great team this year as usual and despite all the injury problems they’ve been able to overcome that and manage to win important games.

Lineup1. Melky Cabrera, LF. 2. Miguel Cairo, SS. 3. Jason Giambi, DH. 4. Alex Rodriguez, 3rd B. 5. Jorge Posada, C. 6. Robinson Cano, 2nd B. 7. Bernie Williams, CF. 8. Andy Phillips, 1st B. 9. Terrence Long, RF.

The Red Sox got a much needed victory after losing the first two games of the series against the Blue Jays at Toronto. Boston had a total of four home runs in the game half of those scored by Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

David Pauley the starter for the Red Sox pitched four innings, allowing eleven hits and six runs with the same amount of errors but had no decision in the game; meanwhile Jonathan Papelbon had his 19th save of the season.

"We needed this. That's what they've been doing to us," Boston manager Terry Francona said.

Boston is now preparing to travel to New York where it awaits a difficult series against the Yankees, both teams needs to win the series but Boston is now behind the Yankees in the standings for the first time in the season and they need to get back on track.

This is with no doubt one of the most exciting match ups in the league, that’s the reason why it brings so many sports betting fans to bet on the games between these two.

Lineup1. Coco Crisp, CF. 2. Mark Loretta, 2nd B. 3. David Ortiz, DH. 4. Manny Ramirez, LF. 5. Kevin Youkilis, 1st B. 6. Mike Lowell, 3rd B. 7. Doug Mirabelli, C. 8. Trot Nixon, RF. 9. Alex Gonzalez, SS.

I Hate Mondays: New York, New York

At one point in time, the New York Knicks and the New York Yankees had quite a bit in common.
Late in the 1990's, New York was the place to be if you were a sports fan with two of its major teams being the model of success in their respective sports. The Knicks traveled past the first round of the playoffs nine consecutive years and appeared in the NBA Finals twice. Although the Yanks were late bloomers in the 90's, they have made the playoffs every year since 1995 and tallied five World Series Championships in that span.
The modern day reflections of the two franchises might seem quite different on the outside, but a closer look details that they still have many similarities.
Solely examining at the bottom line, the win-production of both teams is utterly disparate. The Knickerbockers are in basketball's basement and among the worst teams in the league while the Yankees are still riding high and competing for first place in the American League.
While the records have no semblance whatsoever, the front office decisions certainly do.
It is clear that the Knicks of today are not the successful Knicks of the '90's. Not only are they a cellar-dweller, their hopes of a bright future have been pawned off on a string of implausible roster decisions such as the signings of Jerome James and Jamal Crawford and the acquisitions of Eddy Curry, Steve Francis and Quentin Richardson.
The Knicks, with the loftiest payroll in basketball, have a roster full of overpaid underachievers and have accumulated very few tradable assets (outside of their annual expiring contract).
Which brings me to the Yankees. They, too, can claim the title as their sport's most lavish spenders but they, too, like the Knicks, are not built around their 90's blueprint.
The Yankees of yesteryear - more specifically, the late 1990's - were pieced together through shrewd front office decisions. The roster was constructed of a harmonious mix of cultivated, home-grown prospects and canny imports.
Domestic products included the likes of Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter, significant signings included Wade Boggs, Jimmy Key and Tino Martinez while astute trades brought in Chuck Knoblauch, Scott Brosius and Joe Girardi.
The decisions made nowadays by the Yankees brass are more Isiah Thomas-like than Yankee-like.
Bloated contracts to Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano have led to dead-ends while the Bronx Bombers farm system has been all but traded away.
The trade deadline used to be the time that the Yanks would find a diamond in the rough but exchanges from the last couple of seasons have only provided a cheap form of zirconium in the form of Matt Lawton, Tony Womack and John Olerud.
The Pinstripes also used to have this Atlanta Braves-like aura about them. (To briefly explain: every year the Braves take some average pitcher off the scrap heap and make him above average. For example: Jaret Wright, Damian Moss, Jorge Sosa). Average players used to go to New York and overachieve. Now players head to New York and fall apart (Jeff Weaver, Esteban Loaiza, Jose Contreras).
No, the Yanks are by no means in serious trouble. They are several games above .500 and there are about 20 other teams who envy their position.
But going forward, the Yankees, similar to the Knicks, do not have many tradable assets and do not have an overly bright future. For starters, most of their players are past their best years.
Nobody is inquiring about the services of a clean-shaven Randy Johnson or a savvy Bernie Williams.
Even their top-level talent, at an exorbitant price, would not appeal to most teams. The number of takers for Jason Giambi with a $20 M price tag or even a .290-hitting Alex Rodriguez at $25.6 M are few.
With a healthy hitting lineup, the Yanks will continue compete for a top spot in the American League but it has to be pointed out how much Knick-like financial waste this team has accumulated.
Maybe at the turn of the millennium Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Knicks general manager started sharing ideas.
The New York Knicks and the New York Yankees mix like Mondays and me.

Quarterly Report on Major League Divisional Races (NL WEST)

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Now that most teams have played around forty games, let’s look on in the Divisional Races:

NL WEST

Here’s a division where all the teams are in the hunt for the title. Not much has been determined in the first quarter of the season except that the division is not nearly as bad as many thought it would be. All four teams currently have winning records and they are only separated by 2.5 games.

Arizona has been led by Brandon Webb (7-0), who is probably the early leader in the NL CY Young race. Unfortunately, the rest of their pitching staff has about a 6.00 ERA. Jose Valverde (13 saves), Luis Vizcaino (3.38 ERA) and Brandon Lyon have led a bullpen that is improved over last year’s version. After a miserable start, Shawn Green has been on a torrid pace and Chad Tracy was recently rewarded with a $13 million plus contract extension for his fine work. The offense has been a moneyball fan’s dream: Craig Counsell (.387 OBP), Conor Jackson (.372) and Luis Gonzalez (.387) have certainly managed to get on base. Most analysts of the minor leagues rank Arizona near the top of the list and they are going to need to dip into their system to get some rotation help if they are to win the division or compete for the wildcard.

Colorado has been one of this year’s early surprises. One of the best bets in recent years was against the Rockies on the road, but they have dramatically improved this year. The skepticism usually associated with their gaudy numbers are not valid this year as guys like Brad Hawpe who is hitting .340 overall is hitting .383 on the road. Matt Holliday has added 11 dingers and Garrett Atkins has filled out what has been a very productive, albeit no name, middle of the order. In Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook, the Rockies have developed two nice young starters. Brian Fuentes (10 saves, 1.45 ERA) is having his second straight good year. The Rockies appear to finally have a sound plan in place. In a division that will beat up on each other, you can’t count the Rockies out.

The Dodgers have gone the high risk/high reward strategy the last couple of years. Nomar Garciaparra is the perfect example. He has hit .369, but injuries have limited him. J.D. Drew has 8 homers and 33 RBI so far, but don’t you wish wagerweb.com let you bet on whether or not he would make it through the season? Kenny Lofton (.350 OBP) keeps chugging along, but the Dodgers are waiting for Furcal (.244) to get going. Brad Penny has been pitching well (4-1, 2.53), but also has a dicey injury history. Will Eric Gagne be healthy and effective for the second half of the year? Like Arizona, the Dodgers have a strong farm system. Unlike Arizona, they may be willing to trade a few to fill holes.

Most of the attention surrounding the Giants has been around Barry Bonds. The fact that Bonds is hitting close to .250 and still has an OBP close to .500 speaks volumes about the Giants offense, especially without Moises Alou. The starting rotation led by a resurgent Jason Schmidt (3.07 ERA), the recently returned to action Noah Lowry (3.38 ERA) and Jamey Wright (3.38 ERA) have pitched well enough to keep them in contention, but it would seem another bat is needed for them to stay in the race.

The San Diego Padres recently won 15 out of 18, but still appear to be the weakest team in the division. Mike Piazza has hit 6 homers and has hit better of late, but 15 RBI for a cleanup hitter is just not going to cut it. The challenges of Petco aside, this team has a definite power outage. Only Khali Green has joined Piazza in hitting over 5 homeruns to this point. As usual, Brian Giles continues to get on base with an OBP over .400 and Trevor Hoffman (7 saves, 1.20 ERA) and Scott Linebrink (3.27 ERA) lead a strong bullpen.

So it will come down to Arizona’s farm system, Colorado’s youngsters, The Dodger’s health, The Giants pitching and San Diego’s ability to keep doing it with mirrors. Stay tuned.

Quarterly Report on Divisional Races --- NL CENTRAL

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

After a few weeks and with some surprises, the NL Central has begun to look a lot more as expected, particularly at the very top.

With a lineup containing the best player on the planet, the Cardinals have recently started to pull away and
seem well on their way to their third straight division title. Pujols’ numbers are mind-boggling (22 homers and 54 RBI). Barring an injury or a stunning slump, he’s practically locked up the MVP Award in May. Underrated David Eckstein has an OBP of .390 and provides the kind of spark few leadoff hitters can match. While injuries and age have slowed Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen to some degree, they are both still dangerous hitters. Juan Encarcion and Yadier Molina have been disappointments, but the rest of the lineup has picked them up so far. Chris Carpenter has continued to pitch like an ace and starters Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, and Jason Marquis form a solid rotation that always keeps the Cardinals in the game. After a slow start, closer Jason Isringhausen has rounded into form. Only injuries will keep the Cards from playing in October.

Losers of 10 of their last 15, the “Big Red Mirage” are starting to play like their talent level indicates they should. Bronson Arroyo has been an outstanding acquisition and is obviously thrilled not to have to face those tough NL lineups, but you simply can’t send out such a mediocre starting rotation and expect to stay in the race. I told you a few weeks back to bet against them and those who listened are a bit richer today.

The Astros got off to a hot start before their starting pitching went through a horrid stretch. Roy Oswalt remains one of the league’s top pitchers and Wayne Rodriguez has been a nice surprise, but Andy Pettitte has struggled, Brandon Backe is out for the year, and the rest of the rotation has been inconsistent. Brad Lidge has struggled (mostly with his control), but expect him to turn things around. Morgan Ensberg hit home runs in six straight games early in the year and Lance Berkman would be an MVP candidate in a league without Pujols. Also, very quietly, Brad Ausmus has put together a very good year (.418 OBP). The Astros could stay in the wildcard race and may soon get the kind of help that could rocket them to the finish line.

The Brewers are fun to watch. They lead the majors in home runs, and youngsters Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Bill Hall mix nicely with veterans Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, and Corey Koskie. The only thing is they may be too dependent on getting home runs and they strike out too much. A bit of small ball might help them at times. Getting Ben Sheets healthy would help a rotation that has one underrated star (Chris Capuano) and mostly back-of-the-rotation types. Derrick Turnbow is showing he’s no fluke, but the bullpen lacks depth. This year’s trendy sleeper pick will stay around a while, but ultimately doesn’t have enough for the playoffs.

First the Red Sox, then the White Sox, now the Cu … stop right there. Derrek Lee’s injury has revealed just how impotent the rest of the Cubs lineup is. Juan Pierre has an OBP of .271. Aramis Ramirez is hitting only .231. It’s ugly on the North Side. Greg Maddux’s May has been very different than his April and still no sign of Mark Prior. Dusty Baker must be on edge. No playoffs here, folks.

The Pirates were expected to be an improved team this year, but their starting pitching has failed them. Zach Duke has hit a bit of a tougher time facing teams the second time around, and whatever happened to Oliver Perez, who was thought to be a fast rising star? Not much hope in the Steel City either.

So early on, it looks like it’s the Cards division to lose and the Astros waiting for Roger Clemens to make them serious wildcard contenders.

Fantasy Tip of the Week

By Chris Goudey

WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

We are about 1/3 of the way through the 2006 MLB season, and whether you are doing well or are struggling, this is a crucial time. You know what categories you need to improve on and one of the best ways to improve your standing is to pick up guys who have started off slowly but are due to break out. Here is a list of players to target who have had a bad spring but should soon get as hot as the weather: Batters:

Marcus Giles, 2B, Atlanta –He is historically a .300 hitter who is currently hitting .235. He’s a perfect buy-low candidate.

Manny Ramirez, OF, Boston – Usually good for 40 HRs and 130 RBIs, he is currently in single-digits in HRs and very low in RBIs. He is the ONE player who is due to go crazy in the month of June.

Juan Pierre, OF, and Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Chicago Cubs – Both players have seen their value decrease with the injury to Derrek Lee. Pierre isn’t scoring or hitting as well as normal, and Ramirez’s numbers are all down. When Lee returns, watch these numbers start to rise.

Ken Griffey Jr., OF, Cincinnati – IF he can stay healthy, a power surge is coming. Todd Helton, 1B, Colorado – Now over his mysterious stomach ailment, he should be sending many homers into the Mile-High air shortly.

Reggie Sanders, OF, Kansas City – Should be good for at least 15 homers and 15 steals in the upcoming months.

Garret Anderson, OF, LA Angels – The Angels’ offense has been horrible so far, so look for Anderson to have more RBI opportunities as they begin to heat up.

Jeff Kent, 2B, LA Dodgers – Kent is always good for 25 HRs and 100 RBIs, so take advantage now and reap the rewards later.

Cliff Floyd, OF, NY Mets – Floyd has really struggled so far, barely batting over .200. That won’t continue.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NY Yankees – Along with Manny Ramirez, he is the highest-profile player on this list. Look for A-Rod to really explode soon. He is too good a player not to.

Jimmy Rollins, SS, and Bobby Abreu, OF, Philadelphia – It’s amazing the Phillies have done as well as they have with two of their biggest players slumping. Abreu is about to bust out, so snag him quickly. Rollins is the best SS in the NL, but you wouldn’t know it judging from his numbers so far. He will hit over .300 and get you at least 20 steals the rest of the way, so grab him now!

Jason Bay, OF, Pittsburgh – He’s already started to break out, but if you can find an owner who isn’t paying attention, go get those 20-25 HRs and 75-80 RBIs that are coming.

Richie Sexson, 1B, and Adrian Beltre, 3B, Seattle – These two were supposed to be the Mariners’ power duo of the future, but it just hasn’t happened….yet. Look for both of these guys to get it together soon and help Ichiro out.

Jim Edmonds, OF, St. Louis – With only 5 HRs so far, Edmonds is a very good candidate to bust out. He’s normally good for 35, so look for him to get at least 25 more for the year…IF he can stay healthy, which is always his biggest issue.

Carl Crawford, OF, Julio Lugo, SS, and Aubrey Huff, 3B, Tampa Bay – All 3 of these guys have had slow starts due to injury (Lugo/Huff) or just a sub-par performance (Crawford). All 3 should start to pick it up together.

Mark Teixeira, 1B-DH, Texas – With only 4 HRs so far, Big Tex is my bet to hit the most homers in the AL from here on out. He is simply too good a player not to have a huge hot streak and in the 100-degree Texas heat, the ball simply flies out of the stadium.

Jose Guillen, OF, Washington – This is a talented player if he can keep his head on straight. He was projected to have 30 HRs and 100 RBIs, so pick him up now and hope he stays on the straight and narrow. The numbers will come if he can.

Obviously not all of these players will break out and start to hit immediately, but they have done much better historically than this year. Next week, I’ll take a look at some pitchers to acquire that fall under the same classification.

The Subway Series: A Wild Ride

Andew Corselli
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

This weekend’s Subway Series between the Yankees and the Mets was one for the ages. Not only did the winning team triumph by one run in each of the three games, but the series as a whole was about as exciting as it could possibly have been.

Game 1 on Friday night had blowout written all over it when Randy Johnson gave up 6 earned runs in 5 innings pitched. However, the Bronx Bombers battled back against pitcher Jeremi Gonzalez to keep it close. Gonzalez gave up 6 earned runs and 9 hits in only 3 innings pitched. The Yankees kept it close all game, only to have Mariano Rivera lose the game at the bottom of the ninth inning in a dramatic fashion on David Wright’s walk-off single. The game was a nail-biter all the way through and kept fans glued to the game until the final play. At the end of the game, the Mets pulled out a 7-6 victory.

Game 2 on Saturday afternoon was more Yankee-friendly as Mets’ reliever Billy Wagner blew a four-run lead in the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings. Mike Mussina threw 7 strong innings, giving up 4 runs and 5 hits. Pedro Martinez dominated the Yanks by throwing 7 scoreless innings, striking out 8 batters and giving up only 4 hits. Maybe the Yankees are still Pedro’s daddy, seeing as how the Mets failed to secure the win.

It was Johnny Damon who beat out a potential game-ending double-play ball to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning, capping off a four-run inning and embarrassing Billy Wagner; Wagner had dominated the Yankees during the previous game. Andy Phillips hit an RBI single in the eleventh inning, scoring Miguel Cairo and giving the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Mariano Rivera struck out the side, including David Wright, Cliff Floyd, and Xavier Nady, in the eleventh to give the Yankees the 5-4 victory and improve his record to 2-3.

Game 2 for the Yankees was a historic win that will not be forgotten anytime soon, but game 3 was an embarrassment that hopefully will not be remembered for very long. Granted the Mets only won by a score of 4-3, but the Yankees went 2 for 17 with runners in scoring position and left 15 men on base. Tom Glavine gave up 2 runs, 7 hits, and struck out 4 in 6 innings to give the Mets a victory and record his 282nd win. Aaron Small had a sub-par outing for the Yankees, giving up 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 strikeouts, and walked 1 batter in 4 1/3 innings pitched. The Yankees, for the third straight game, failed to hit a home run.
The Mets won the series 2-1, improved their record to 26-17, and are now preparing to host division rivals Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game series starting on Tuesday. The Mets have a three-game lead over the Phillies for the best record in the NL East. The Yankees’ record now slips to 24-18 as they head up to Boston for a three-game series against their bitter rivals the Red Sox; the Yankees trail the Sox by 1.5 games for the lead in AL East.

New York Yankees at New York Mets

Final Score: NY Yankees 5, NY Mets 4 (11 innings)

Andy Phillips singled in the winning run in the 11th inning, as the New York Yankees fought back with a four-run ninth inning to beat the Mets, 5-4, in the middle contest of the three game Subway Series.
Miguel Cairo walked to lead off the 11th inning, stole second and third without a throw and Phillips followed with line drive single to center off Jorge Julio to complete the incredible comeback.
Johnny Damon tied the game with a run batted in the ninth and Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Yankees, who have won three of their last five contests. Robinson Cano finished with a hit and drove in a run in the victory, just the fourth in the last 12 attempts against the Mets.
Bernie Williams, who was feeling tightness in his backside after a double during Friday's game, pinch hit and was credited with an RBI after getting hit by a pitch.
Mariano Rivera (2-3) pitched two scoreless frames, allowing one hit, for the win. Three Yankees relievers combined for four shutout frames, while walking two and striking out seven.
Mike Mussina threw seven strong innings, yielding four runs -- two earned -- on five hits with seven strikeouts. Mussina is 3-3 with a 2.15 earned run average in nine career starts against Pedro Martinez, with the Yankees winning six of those games.
"It was an ugly game," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "Moose pitched his tail off and we certainly didn't help him defensively. It may not always be pretty but we're never going to quit, and I think that was a testament to what we need to do here."