Orioles hold off Rays to avoid sweep

Baseball Betting Lines

04/08/2010 - St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Garrett Atkins went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, and the Baltimore Orioles hung on for a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays to salvage a game in this season-opening three-game set.

Nolan Reimold added a solo homer, while Matt Wieters went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI for the Orioles, who had dropped a pair of one-run decisions to open the season.

Brian Matusz (1-0), one of the early favorites for AL Rookie of the Year, allowed two runs, two hits and five walks in five frames while fanning seven. Mike Gonzalez pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to earn his first save.

Jason Bartlett and Evan Longoria each had two hits and an RBI for the Rays, who were looking for their first 3-0 start since 2002. Jeff Niemann lasted only 1 1/3 frames because he was struck on the right shoulder with a batted ball and had to leave the game.

Andy Sonnanstine came on in relief and allowed one run in 3 1/3 frames. Mike Ekstrom (0-1) was saddled with the loss after yielding three runs while recording just one out.

Clinging to a one-run lead, Baltimore barely held on for the win in the ninth.

Gonzalez came on to save the game and struck out the first two batters he faced, but he then walked Dioner Navarro, allowed a single to Bartlett and walked Carl Crawford to load the bases.

Ben Zobrist tried to tie the game but flied out to right.

Reimold's homer to lead off the third gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead, but Tampa Bay struck for two in the home half.

Pat Burrell, Gabe Kapler and Kelly Shoppach all walked to load the bases with no outs, and Bartlett's single scored Burrell to tie the game. Crawford followed with a sacrifice fly for a one-run lead, but Zobrist and Longoria were both retired to end the threat.

Baltimore struggled to score again off Sonnanstine, but the Orioles scored four in the sixth off Ekstrom and Grant Balfour to go in front for good.

The bases were loaded with nobody out after a single, hit batsman and a walk, and Ekstrom was lifted for Balfour. Wieters greeted the new pitcher by clubbing a high fastball to center for an RBI single and 2-2 game.

Balfour then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Miguel Tejada to race home, and two batters later Atkins placed a bloop single perfectly down the right field line to plate two more runners for a 5-2 cushion.

The Rays chipped away at their deficit: Burrell scored on a Navarro fielder's choice groundout in the seventh, and Zobrist tripled and scored on Longoria's single in the eighth to make it a one-run game.

Game Notes

Matusz has won his last four starts, dating back to last season...Longoria was caught stealing for the first time in his three-year career. He had been 16- for-16...The Orioles had as many hits with runners in scoring position (three) on Thursday as they did in the first two games combined.

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Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch

Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.

Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

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