The Red Sox withstood the power of the Blue Jays in this first game of this series, as a pair of right-handers face off at the Rogers Centre.
Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays
Boston moved its record to 9-2 against the Blue Jays in capturing a 7-5 victory on Tuesday night at the Rogers Centre. “You know what? Tonight was like our whole season,” manager Terry Francona said. “It wasn’t perfect. But we kept playing.” The Red Sox have won eight of their last 12 road contests and have a 23-16 record away from Fenway Park since May 22. The club sits five games in the divisional race and just 4.5 back in the Wild Card. Boston is 6-1 on artificial turf this season, managing to average 6.5 runs and hit for a combined .291 average in those contests. The team is a fantastic 7-1 on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season (+590), but falls off to a 26-32 mark in this situation the last three years (-1,020). The Red Sox evened up their record against divisional opponents (23-23, -400) and the total in those games is 25-18 O/U.
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Coming off a 2009 season in which the Bills went 6-10 with a -68 point differential, Vegas has set the 2010 Regular season win total for the Bills at 5.5. The Bills were 30th in offense and 19th in defense. Pinnacle has the under at -140 and Bodog has the under at -150 so the early bettors are shorting the Bills hard. Will the coaching change from Dick Jauron to Chan Gailey breathe new life into the franchise or will the lack of firepower on offense doom them? The Bookbeater likes the under.
The Pete Carroll era begins in Seattle after he left a very successful college coaching career at Southern Cal for another shot at the NFL. Carroll has some unfinished business following his first stint as a pro football head coach with the New York Jets and New England Patriots, posting a 33-31 record in four seasons between the teams and a winning record against the NFL line. The guy who immediately followed him in New England just happened to be former Jets defensive coordinator Bill Belichick, who went on to win three Super Bowls with the Patriots. This time around, Carroll inherits a squad that has a unique blend of youth and experience. Five years removed from their one and only Super Bowl appearance, the Seahawks still have veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck leading the offense designed by new offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, who has been working hard to develop 2009 free-agent WR signee T.J. Houshmandzadeh and former USC great Mike Williams as his top targets.
Boston failed to pick up any ground on the first place Yankees, splitting a four-game series in the Bronx, as the team sits six games back in the divisional race. “We’re leaving here with a good taste in our mouths,” reliever Daniel Bard said. “We didn’t move up, but to stay where you’re at is kind of an accomplishment.” The Red Sox have won seven of their last 11 road games and are 22-16 away from Fenway Park since May 22. The bullpen has been a major strength over the last 13 games, posting a 1.32 ERA and holding opponents to a .144 average. The club has posted a solid 8-4 record this year on artificial turf (+480), but is still a dismal 26-34 over the last three seasons (-880). Boston has also compiled a winning 20-16 mark against left-handed starters this season (+110), averaging 5.5 runs per game and hitting for a combined .271 average.
Los Angeles has lost nine of its last 10 road games and is suffering through a five-game losing streak away from Dodger Stadium. In those five games, the offense is managing to average just 1.8 runs and hit for a .156 combined average. The club hopes to build off of an eight-run outburst in the homestand finale against the Nationals. “Today was a good day,” manager Joe Torre said about Sunday’s output. “But we need more contributions from the guys in the middle. The Dodgers are in the middle of a 10-game stretch against opponents from the National League East (2-1) and have posted a 10-13 record against the division this season. Los Angeles if 5-4 this month (-100) and 32-35 in August over the last three seasons (-1,580). The Blue Crew has compiled a solid 8-4 record on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 (+360), which differs greatly from the 22-30 mark the last three years in this situation (-1,160).
The Carolina Panthers will be going through a transition phase this season after losing two of their most notable players over the last decade. Gone are former starting QB Jake Delhomme (Cleveland Browns) and DE Julius Peppers (Chicago Bears) from a team that played in Super Bowl XXXVIII a little less than seven years ago. Carolina head coach John Fox remains to try to re-build around the NFL’s third-best running game, led by two returning 1,000-yard rushers in Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. To help their chances against the NFL spreads, Fox will turn to third-year QB Matt Moore to replace Delhomme while rookie Jimmy Clausen learns behind him. Because Stewart and Williams can dominate by running the ball, Moore will not have a lot of pressure on him right away. But that could change down the line if the Panthers struggle and with Clausen breathing down his neck.
