Santana outshines Carpenter as Mets edge Cards
Baseball Betting Lines
06/25/2009 - Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johan Santana was solid on the mound, and Nick Evans' two-run double in the fourth inning was the difference, as the Mets edged St. Louis, 3-2, in the finale of a four-game set at Citi Field.
Fernando Tatis drove in the other run for New York, which took three of four from the Cardinals. Santana (9-5) allowed seven hits, two runs -- one earned -- three walks and struck out three over seven innings before handing the ball to the bullpen.
Pedro Feliciano worked around a leadoff single in the eighth, and Francisco Rodriguez overcame a rocky ninth to record his 20th save of the season.
After striking out the first two batters, Rodriguez issued back-to-back walks to Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick before getting Yadier Molina to line out to left field to end the game.
Molina finished 2-for-5 and knocked in a run for St. Louis, which had won five of six entering this series with the Mets. Joe Thurston added a run-scoring single in defeat.
Chris Carpenter (5-2) tossed seven strong innings with only one hiccup when he was touched for three runs in the fourth. The right-hander scattered just four hits, fanned five and did not walk a batter.
St. Louis scratched out a run in the first on a two-out, bloop single to center by Molina and appeared primed for more offense in the second, but Santana got Pujols to fly out to escape a bases-loaded jam.
The Mets pushed three runs across in the fourth to seize the lead. Carpenter had yet to allow a hit through the first three frames, but Luis Castillo and David Wright started the inning with consecutive singles. Tatis stroked a base hit two batters later to put New York on the board, and Evans took a pitch the opposite way to right field for a two-run double.
Thurston muscled a two-out single to center in the sixth, scoring Rick Ankiel, who led off the inning with a double.
Game Notes
Pujols went 1-for-4 and walked...Santana had lost three of his last four starts...St. Louis finished 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base.
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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract
Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
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