05/14/2008 - St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gabe Gross had the game-winning single off Mariano Rivera in the 11th inning to lead the Tampa Bay Rays past the New York Yankees, 2-1, and into first place in the AL East.
Akinori Iwamura went 2-for-5, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, for the Rays, who have won six in a row and are seven games over .500 (23-16) for the first time in franchise history. Cliff Floyd chipped in a pair of hits, while Jonny Gomes and Carlos Pena scored for Tampa Bay, which moved a half game ahead of Boston for first in the division after the Red Sox suffered a 5-4 loss Tuesday at Baltimore.
The Rays extended their franchise-record home winning streak to 11 games by taking the second installment of the four-game set from Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay starter Edwin Jackson was brilliant despite the no-decision, throwing seven innings and giving up just five hits and a walk, while fanning five batters. Troy Percival blew his second save of the year, as he surrendered the game-tying home run to Hideki Matsui in the ninth.
J.P. Howell (3-0) got the win as he pitched two innings of no-hit ball.
Jason Giambi went 2-for-2 and drew a pair of walks for the Yankees, who have lost five of seven and fell to fourth place in the division, just a half-game ahead of last-place Toronto. Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to five games with a stand-up triple in the sixth inning, but was left stranded when Bobby Abreu and Matsui were retired.
Chien-Ming Wang started for New York and went seven strong innings, giving up just one run on seven hits. Rivera (0-1) absorbed the loss after he allowed his first run all season on three hits in just over an inning of work.
"It's going to happen," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Mo has been outstanding for us all year long and it's going to happen. It's part of the game."
Floyd worked a walk off Rivera to begin the 11th inning, but was replaced on the bases by Gomes, who stole second. Gross then singled up the middle to drive in the winning run against Rivera, who hadn't been scored upon in his previous 14 appearances this season.
The Rays struck in the fourth inning. Pena led off with a double, moved to third on a Floyd groundout and crossed home when Eric Hinske belted a single to right.
The Yankees wasted a chance in the seventh. Melky Cabrera advanced to third on a Jackson wild pitch, but pinch-hitter Shelley Duncan fanned to end the inning.
The Rays had two runners on in the eighth, but Joba Chamberlain escaped the jam for the Yankees.
Percival took the mound in the ninth for the Rays and got Abreu to fly out to left. The next batter, Matsui, took a 1-1 fastball just inside of the right field pole to tie the game.
"I'm unhappy we had to go to extra innings," Percival said. "I threw the pitch I wanted to throw...there are probably three hitters in the league that hit that out."
Kyle Farnsworth pitched the bottom of the ninth and got Gross to fly out. Dioner Navarro then drew a walk, but Jason Bartlett and Iwamura were retired and the game went to extra innings.
Game Notes
Tampa is just 17-27 in the series since the start of the 2006 campaign...The Rays improved to 3-0 in extra inning games this season...This was the first extra-inning contest for the Yankees in 2008.
<< Braun leads Brewers past struggling Dodgers
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Braun went 2-for-4 with a double, a
triple and two runs batted in, as the Milwaukee Brewers topped the suddenly
scuffling Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-3, in the opener of a three-game series at
Miller
<< Church continues torrid start as Mets double up Nationals
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Church homered, doubled and drove in four
runs, as the New York Mets surged past the Washington Nationals, 6-3, in the
second of a four-game series at Shea Stadium.
Brian Schneider went 3-for-4, knocke
<< Scott homers as Orioles hold off Red Sox
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Luke Scott ripped the go-ahead three-run
homer and the Orioles touched Josh Beckett for five runs, lifting Baltimore to
a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a brief two-game
series.
<< Greene's blast powers Padres over Cubs
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Khalil Greene's three-run home run off Jason
Marquis was the difference, as San Diego edged out Chicago, 4-3, at Wrigley
Field.
The Padres literally slipped past the Cubs on a chilly, rainy night in t
Laird propels Rangers over Mariners >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gerald Laird went 2-for-3 with an RBI and
three runs scored as the Texas Rangers upended the Seattle Mariners, 5-2, in
the second test of a three-game series at Rangers Ballpark.
Texas starter Kason Ga
Pirates' Doumit leaves with thumb injury >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit left after one
inning of Tuesday's game against the Cardinals with a left thumb injury.
A pitch from Pittsburgh starter Phil Dumatrait hit the catcher on the thumb of
his glove
Salas, Pirates outlast Cardinals >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marino Salas, a 27-year-old making his major
league debut the same day he was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, worked
out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and picked up his first career win in
Pittsbu
Hornets push Spurs closer to elimination with blowout win >>
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David West had career playoff-highs of 38
points and 14 rebounds, and the New Orleans Hornets continued their success at
home with a 101-79 win over San Antonio, pushing ahead after five games of
their W
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.