05/12/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the opportunity to achieve a series win over the defending world champions, the Minnesota Twins will send out their newfound ace in tonight's finale of a four-game set with the visiting Boston Red Sox.
Livan Hernandez has helped the Twins survive the offseason departure of two- time American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana with his early-season performance. The well-traveled veteran has won five of his first six decisions and amassed a solid 3.83 earned run average, while tossing six innings or more in all but one of his eight starts in 2008.
Hernandez, who signed with Minnesota in February, is fresh off a complete-game victory over division-rival Chicago on Wednesday. The 33-year-old scattered nine hits and walked just one in the Twins' 13-1 rout of the White Sox, which improved Minnesota to 7-1 in the games Hernandez has started this year.
The Cuban defector also was sharp in his previous outing, when he held Detroit to a run over seven innings in an 11-1 Twins' triumph on May 2.
Hernandez does not have a storied history when facing the Red Sox, however. He has lost both his lifetime starts against Boston and surrendered 12 runs (11 earned) along with 16 hits over just eight innings in those two games.
Pitching at the Metrodome should work in Hernandez's favor, though, as he's 3-0 with a 3.33 ERA in four home starts so far this season.
The AL Central-leading Twins have won two of the first three games against Boston, the current AL East front-runners, after holding on for a 9-8 decision on Sunday.
Craig Monroe clubbed a pair of homers and drove in four runs to lead Minnesota, which built an early 7-1 lead and survived a late Red Sox rally to win for the eighth time in 11 games. Justin Morneau had three hits and scored twice on the evening, while Adam Everett belted a two-run homer and Mike Lamb stroked a two-run single for the Twins.
Nick Blackburn (3-2) earned the victory after allowing nine hits and four runs through six innings. Twins closer Joe Nathan held on for his 12th save in as many opportunities despite allowing three hits and two runs in the ninth.
Coco Crisp smacked a two-run homer and had three RBI for Boston, while Alex Cora collected three hits in defeat.
Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield (3-2) had his shortest start since September 28, 2003. The knuckleball specialist was rocked for seven runs (6 earned) and seven hits over just 2 2/3 innings of work.
Boston hopes for a better showing tonight out of Clay Buchholz, who will make his first career start against Minnesota.
The rookie has been inconsistent so far during his first full major-league campaign. Buchholz went 2-1 with an impressive 1.40 ERA during a three-start stretch from April 21-May 2, but regressed with a shaky four-inning stint at Detroit on Wednesday. In that game, the young righty was tagged for five runs and a season-high 10 hits while lasting just four frames.
Buchholz has had some struggles pitching on the road, where the 23-year-old Texan has gone 0-2 with a 7.40 ERA in four starts.
The Red Sox hope to have Manny Ramirez back in the lineup tonight after the All-Star slugger was held out of last night's contest due to a sore right hamstring. Ramirez currently stands just three home runs shy of reaching 500 for his career.
Shortstop Julio Lugo also missed his second straight game for Boston because of a mild concussion and is questionable to play tonight.
Boston won two of three games from the Twins at the Metrodome last May, but the Red Sox have gone just 4-8 as the visitor in this series since the beginning of the 2005 season.
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Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com
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