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07/21/2007 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aramis Ramirez drove in the tying run and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, and later added a three-run homer as the red-hot Chicago Cubs defeated the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-2, in the opener of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.
Jacque Jones drove in a pair of runs for the Cubs, who have won three straight and continue to put pressure on the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Mike Fontenot had two hits, scored three runs and stole two bases for Chicago, which has won seven of eight on its 10-game homestand.
Jason Marquis (7-5) started for the Cubs and picked up the win, allowing two runs on four hits over 7 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked one to pick up his second win in three starts. He combined with Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry on the four-hitter.
Chris Young hit a two-run homer for the Diamondbacks, who have dropped two straight and five of six on the road.
Arizona starting pitcher Brandon Webb (8-8) was solid, but still suffered his third straight loss over his last four starts. The right-hander allowed three runs -- two earned -- on five hits, striking out four and walking one, over seven innings.
Trailing 2-1 in the sixth, the Cubs put together a two-out rally to take the lead for good. After Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot struck out to begin the inning, Fontenot singled to center and then stole second. Ramirez followed with a base hit to plate Fontenot with the tying run and moved to second when right fielder Jeff DaVanon bobbled the ball for an error. Jones then singled to center to score Ramirez with the go-ahead run.
Ramirez, who ended 2-for-4, hit a three-run homer in the eighth off Arizona reliever Brandon Lyon.
Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero attempted to call time before the pitch was thrown, but it wasn't granted.
In his last six games, Ramirez is hitting 12-for-25 with a homer, 12 RBI and five runs scored.
Chicago now trails the Brewers by three games. Milwaukee hosts San Francisco later Friday night.
Chicago started the scoring in the fourth inning. With one out Fontenot walked and after Ramirez struck out, Fontenot stole second with Jones in the box. Jones then singled to right to plate Fontenot for the early lead.
Young, though, put the Diamondbacks ahead in the fifth, connecting for a two- run home run over the wall in left.
Game Notes
Prior to the game, the Cubs activated pitcher Ryan Dempster from the 15-day disabled list, recalled infielder Scott Moore from Triple-A Iowa (PCL), placed outfielder Daryle Ward on the 15-day disabled list and optioned pitcher Sean Gallagher to Iowa...Ramirez has 16 homers this season...Young has 15 homers...Fontenot has four stolen bases this season...Arizona's Eric Byrnes had a hit and stole his 24th base of the year.
<< TFC aiming to end road trip on winning note at Crew
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto FC concludes its six-game road trip on
Sunday with a visit to Crew Stadium to take on the Columbus Crew.
The Canadian side is 1-1-3 on its current trip, including a 0-0 draw last time
out against the
<< Conference USA - Title game rematch?
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two years ago, Conference USA won just
11% (two of 19) of its games vs. BCS schools, but finished 12-9 ATS. Last
season was an improved campaign with a 19% winning percentage against BCS
teams with five win
<< Red Bulls to be without Angel versus United
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York enters the second
game of a five-game homestand Sunday when it hosts D.C. United in a Major
League Soccer fixture.
It will be the second meeting between the Eastern Conferenc
<< Dynamo look to add to shutout record at Revs
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of first place teams will take the
field Sunday night at Gillette Stadium as the Houston Dynamo battle the New
England Revolution.
The defending Major League Soccer champion Dynamo lead the West
Sorenstam, Ochoa fall in Match Play >>
New Rochelle, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa both
lost in Friday's second round matches at the HSBC Women's World Match Play
Championship at Wykagyl Country Club as the top seeds continue to struggle at
this ev
Bucks sign Voskuhl >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Bucks signed center Jake
Voskuhl to a one-year contract Friday.
A seven-year NBA veteran, Voskuhl, 29, played the last two seasons with the
Charlotte Bobcats, averaging 4.8 points a
Rockets bring back Francis >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Francis, who played his first five NBA
seasons in Houston, officially returned Friday when he agreed to a deal with
the Rockets.
Francis was sent to Portland from the New York Knicks along with Chann
Ogilvie leads U.S. Bank Championship >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joe Ogilvie fired a seven-under 63 Friday to
take the lead after two rounds of the U.S. Bank Championship, the PGA Tour
event playing opposite the British Open.
Ogilvie was at 10-under 130, heading to th
Michael Vick is back, Brett Favre isn't and the NFC East remains the best division in the NFC, maybe in all of football.
As players start to gather for the start of another season, some things change and some stay the same in the world of the NFL.
The NFC East has been the dominant division in the National Conference for a while, despite limited playoff success, save for the New York Giants surprise Super Bowl win two seasons ago.
Hell, there's a generation of kids in Texas who have never seen the Cowboys win a playoff game (last win was in 1996).
But collectively, the Giants, Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins (well, maybe not so much the Redskins) are as good as a division gets in an NFC conference that has struggled to stay competitive with the AFC side.
Sports bettors have both acknowledged the NFC East's dominance, as one glance at the NFL future odds menu will show.
Looking over the NFL betting odds at online sports book MySportsbook.com we see the top three teams listed to win the NFC Championship are all from the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys - 7 - 1
Philadelphia Eagles - 13 - 2
New York Giants - 9 - 2
Slotting in behind these three are two teams from the NFC North: the Minnesota Vikings (15-2) and the Chicago Bears (10-1).
Again, despite the lack of recent playoff success, the Dallas Cowboys are popular with the sports betting community, as they hold 14% of all the money wagered on who will win the NFC Championship.
So far, the New York Giants are the bettors' favorite to represent their conference in the Super Bowl, as they have 24% of the overall NFC Championship betting volume.
And what about the Philadelphia Eagles? For the most part, the Eagles had a very productive offseason, the kind that could bring them back to the top.
They had a good draft adding the likes of WR Jeremy Maclin and RB LeSean McCoy.
Unfortunately, the team received a blow when long-time defensive coordinator Jim Johnson passed away on Tuesday.
But this team will make a real run at the division title this year. Going into the regular season, Philly is listed at +240 to win the division.
Last season the Eagles were 9-6-1 SU and 10-6 ATS.
Teams from the NFC East will play teams from the AFC West in the regular season and the Eagles haven't really been a good bet in the last 20 games against the likes of San Diego, Oakland, K.C. and Denver, only going 8-12 ATS.
Two seasons removed from that Super Bowl title, the New York Giants see themselves listed as the odds-on favorite in NFC East championship futures at +162.
Plaxico Burress is gone and with him all the bad publicity surrounding the gun in the sweatpants incident, but can they replace him in the offense?
Last season the Giants were a very reliable bet going 12-4 ATS.
In the Giants' last 20 games against fellow teams from the NFC East; they are 13-7 ATS.
Dallas is listed at +240 to win the division.
Dallas went 9-7 SU and 7-9 ATS last season and with the amount of talent the Cowboys have, a similar performance won't do.
The Cowboys have been atrocious against divisional rivals, going 6-14 ATS in their last 20.
The Washington Redskins are longshots to win the division at +550.
Visit MySportsbook.com for free sportsbook odds RSS feeds go to MySportsbook.com for all your betting football needs.
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
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