Angels edge Mariners to complete sweep

Baseball Betting Lines

06/04/2008 - Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Torii Hunter knocked in two runs, as the LA Angels of Anaheim clipped the Seattle Mariners, 5-4, to complete a three-game sweep at Safeco Field.

LA starter Jered Weaver (5-6) gave up four runs and 10 hits in six innings of work. Francisco Rodriguez tossed a perfect ninth to notch his 24th save of the season.

Maicer Izturis, Howie Kendrick and Gary Matthews Jr. each had two hits, with Kendrick driving in a run for the Angels, winners of a season-best five straight. Mike Napoli and Brandon Wood each also had an RBI.

Carlos Silva (3-6) allowed five runs on eight hits in eight innings for the Mariners, who have dropped four in a row. A free-agent acquisition in the offseason, Silva has lost six straight decisions.

Jose Lopez hit a solo home run and finished with three RBI for Seattle, which concluded its nine-game homestand with a mark of 3-6. Lopez homered in each game of the series.

Ichiro Suzuki, Jeremy Reed and Raul Ibanez all had two hits.

The Angels jumped on Silva for three runs in the top of the first. Reggie Willits drew a leadoff walk and Izturis singled to left. A double by Kendrick put the visitors on the board. After Garret Anderson popped out to third, Hunter stroked a two-run single to left.

Seattle got a run back in the home half when Lopez tattooed a 2-1 fastball into the Angels bullpen. The Mariners manufactured another run in the second. Reed singled to start the inning, moved to second on a Richie Sexson groundout, advanced to third when Kenji Johjima's soft liner dropped in a for a hit and scored when Yuniesky Betancourt hit a slow roller to the second baseman.

In the bottom of the third, the Mariners got their first two men on but couldn't move them, and Los Angeles responded with a two-spot in the next frame. Hunter worked a walk to open the inning and a perfectly executed hit- and-run with Matthews at the plate put runners on the corners. Napoli followed with a sacrifice fly, with Matthews heading to second on the throw home. Wood then reached out and poked a single into the right-center field gap to give the Angels a 5-2 lead.

The Mariners narrowed the deficit to one in the home fourth. Sexson led off with a single and hustled to third when Suzuki hit a grounder back up the middle with two gone in the frame. Suzuki then stole second before Lopez smacked a two-run single to left.

Seattle had a rally snuffed out in the sixth. Betancourt kept the frame alive with a single and tried to score all the way from first on a Suzuki's line drive to left field, but the Mariners shortstop was tagged out at home.

Game Notes

The Angels recorded their first sweep of the year...Lopez's home run was his fifth of the season...Seattle left seven men on base, while the Angels stranded five.

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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.

The Bubble Breakdown
CONFERENCE LOCKS SHOULD BE INS AT-LARGES TAKEN
(assuming no auto bid outlier)
ACC Betting Odds 6 0 5
Big East Betting Odds 5 0 4
Big Ten Betting Odds 2 2 3
Big 12 Betting Odds 3 0 2
Pac-10 Betting Odds 5 1 5
SEC Betting Odds 4 0 3
MVC Betting Odds 1 1 1
MWC Betting Odds 2 1 2
TOTAL 28 5 25

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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