The Braves picked up a dramatic victory in the opening game of this series and now turn to one of their best pitchers in Game 2.
Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs
Atlanta picked up a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs to open this three-game set at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon. Braves outfielder Rick Ankiel cleared the bases with a two-out triple in the ninth inning in order for the club to move 22 games over .500 on the year. “It’s like there’s something in the water around here,” Ankiel said. “It’s fun. It’s like no matter what, we’re never out of it. It’s fun to be a part of it.” The win also gave the club its 37th comeback victory of the season, which leads all of baseball. Atlanta is 23-16 in day games this season (+450) and 70-66 over the last three years (-320). The club is also just a game over .500 versus southpaws (22-21, -490) and the total is 20-21 O/U in those contests.
Two teams who are among the favorites to meet in Dallas for Super Bowl XLV square off here when the Cowboys (1-1) visit the San Diego Chargers (1-0) on Saturday. Both teams fell short of expectations last year when they each lost in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, but they have not lost focus with their sights set on a much bigger prize this season.
For the second consecutive week, the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (0-1) held joint practices with their opponent leading up to their preseason game. The Saints hope that will not work against them again when they face the Houston Texans (0-1) in the preseason for the third year in a row on Saturday. New Orleans is a small favorite at -1 after losing to the New England Patriots 27-24 last week following a similar routine of joint practices.
The Philadelphia Eagles travel to Cincinnati Friday night to try and tame the Bengals. The game promises to be an exciting matchup with offensive firepower coming from each side. Oddsmakers have predictably listed the home Bengals as the favorite, with Cincy giving a fieldgoal. But the line worthy of a play is the total score.
Seattle continues its season-high 12-game road trip in taking on the New York Yankees in a three-game set in the Bronx. The Mariners are averaging a league-worst 3.3 runs per game and have managed to hit just 75 home runs this season. The club is a solid 6-3 under interim manager Daren Brown and is coming off back-to-back wins over the Baltimore Orioles. Offensively, the team is being led by second baseman Chone Figgins, as he has collected a hit in 15 of his past 21 games. Over its past 11 games, the bullpen has allowed just seven earned runs on 18 hits in 28 innings, producing a 2.25 ERA in the process. Seattle is 20-41 on the road overall this season (-1,810) and the total is 30-26 O/U over that span. The Mariners are also 4-12 as a road underdog of +100 to +125 (-780) and 23-31 in this situation the last three years (-540).
Atlanta starts this three-game series with a new first baseman in the fold, as Derek Lee joins the team and will face his former ball club out of the gate. Lee spent seven seasons in Chicago and hit .298 with 179 home runs and 574 RBI over that span. “The main thing is we’ve got six weeks to go and Atlanta’s in first place,” he said. “They’re playing great baseball. A chance to go to the postseason, it’s hard to pass up.” The Braves went 5-2 on its last homestand and now head off on a six game road trip. Atlanta is 27-33 on the road this season (-800) and the total stands at 29-28 O/U in those contests. The team is also 10-9 as a road favorite of -125 to -150 (-180) in 2010 and 22-22 in this situation the last three years (-760).
