Blue Jays try to extend road success in finale with Royals

Baseball Betting Lines

08/13/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays aim for a rare road series win when they close out a four-game set with the Kansas City Royals this evening at Kauffman Stadium.

Toronto has claimed two of the first three weekend matchups with Kansas City to improve its lackluster season road record to 24-35. The Blue Jays have not won a series away from home since prior to the All-Star break, when the club took two of three tests in Oakland from July 2-4.

The Jays also have not posted back-to-back road victories since following up a June 13 decision over San Francisco with a triumph at Minnesota on June 25.

They'll have a chance to do so tonight after posting a 4-1 win over the Royals on Sunday. A.J. Burnett made a successful return from a lengthy stay on the disabled list, as the oft-injured right-hander twirled 7 1/3 innings to lead Toronto to victory.

Burnett (6-6), who had been sidelined with a sore shoulder since late June, held Kansas City to one run and three hits while recording five strikeouts. He had a shutout bid spoiled when Alex Gordon led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run.

Lyle Overbay paced the Toronto offense with three hits and two RBI, while Gregg Zaun ended 2-for-4 with two runs scored to help the Jays to their third win in four games.

Brian Bannister (8-7) took the loss for Kansas City, getting chased with two outs in the fifth after allowing three runs on seven hits and walking three.

Jesse Litsch (4-4) will attempt to duplicate Burnett's gem when he takes the mound for the visiting Blue Jays tonight. The rookie has been impressive as of late, having posted a 2-0 record with a 1.93 earned run average over his three most recent starts.

After yielding just one run over 13 2/3 combined innings in consecutive wins over Minnesota and Tampa Bay, Litsch took a step back in an August 6 outing against the Yankees. The 22-year-old allowed three runs on six hits over five frames and did not factor in the decision of his team's 5-4 loss.

Litsch has also pitched very well on the road this season, bringing a 2-2 record with an impressive 2.51 ERA in five away starts into tonight's finale. He has never previously faced Kansas City.

The Royals will hand the ball to struggling southpaw Odalis Perez, who suffered his third loss in four starts with Wednesday's home setback to Minnesota.

Perez lasted just three innings against the Twins and yielded six runs (three earned) on seven hits. The shoddy performance gave the native Dominican a 6.46 ERA in six starts following the All-Star break.

The 30-year-old was also roughed up by the Blue Jays in Toronto back in April. Perez permitted four runs and seven hits before being yanked after just 1 1/3 innings in that 9-1 defeat. He is 2-2 with a 4.79 ERA in four overall starts against the Blue Jays.

Toronto has won four of six meetings with the Royals this season and eight of the last 11 matchups in the overall series.

Wwwnelottery Baseball Betting News

<< Streaking Mariners return home to face Twins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Mariners are back home after a very successful road trip, while the Minnesota Twins are currently enduring a miserable stretch of road games. The two teams will clash tonight in the first of three consecutive mee

<< A's, Tigers wrap four-game set in Detroit
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Chad Durbin returns to the starting rotation for the Detroit Tigers tonight when they host the Oakland Athletics in the finale of a four-game set at Comerica Park. Durbin, a 29-year-old who was drafted in the

<< Presidents Cup teams finalized; Weir makes International team
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player finalized their respective Presidents Cup teams Monday morning and Player made the biggest splash with one of his selections. Mike Weir, a Canadian, who was only 20th in t

<< Bonds returns to Pittsburgh for first time as home run king
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Pirates hope a change of scenery won't bring an end to their success over the Giants. Tonight the Bucs will shoot for their fourth and fifth straight wins over San Francisco when the clubs play a doubleh

<< Rangers rip D-Rays
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marlon Byrd and Ian Kinsler each drove in two runs as the Texas Rangers downed the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 9-1, in the finale of a three-game set. Kason Gabbard started the game, but left with one out in the

Scorching Yanks come back home to face Orioles >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chien-Ming Wang looks for his second straight successful outing against Baltimore when the New York Yankees host the Orioles tonight in the first of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Wang, a 27-year-old Taiwanese

Twins nearing rock bottom >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The month of August has been a complete disaster for the Minnesota Twins, who are very likely watching their playoff hopes pass them by after dropping below .500 for the first time in two months. So far, Minnesota is just

Wild weekend at Watkins Glen >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Which one of the following things happened this weekend? 1) Robby Gordon made more friends than enemies. 2) Bill Elliott showed another reason they call him "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" when he gave

Rooney to miss two months with foot injury >>
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United confirmed on Monday that striker Wayne Rooney will be out of action for two months after suffering a hairline fracture of his left foot in the team's season-opening draw ag

Real Madrid locks up Sneijder from Ajax >>
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid completed the signing of former Ajax midfielder Wesley Sneijder on Monday, inking the Dutch international to a five-year deal. The 23-year-old Sneijder joins Madrid from Ajax for $36.7 million,

MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds

With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.

Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season.  Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money. 

This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy.  A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:

Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Michael Bush (RB, Louisville)
Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)
Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State)
Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame)
Drew Tate (QB, Iowa)
Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal)
Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn)
Chad Henne (QB, Michigan)
Kyle Wright (QB, Miami)
Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State)
Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama)
JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU)
Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State)
Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina)
Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech)		 5-2
7-2
7-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
18-1
18-1
20-1
30-1
35-1
35-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1

For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.