Twins go for sixth straight win against A's

Baseball Betting Lines

06/02/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Owners of the longest current win streak in the American League, the Minnesota Twins shoot for six in a row tonight as they continue their three-game matchup against the Oakland Athletics at McAfee Coliseum.

On Friday the Twins had to go to extra innings in the series opener, but thanks to Jeff Cirillo still came away with the 3-2 triumph. Cirillo, now in his 14th major league season, had a pair of RBI for the second straight game, giving him a total of 10 on the season.

While he failed to factor into the decision, a fresh-faced Kevin Slowey limited the home team to only five hits and a single run over six innings, while Pat Neshek came out of the bullpen to pick up his third win in as many decisions and Joe Nathan his 12th save of the campaign.

Kiko Calero was charged with the loss for the A's, his fourth in as many decisions in 2007, while starter Joe Kennedy permitted just a single run over eight innings of six-hit ball.

Milton Bradley posted three hits for the home team, while Eric Chavez had two hits, one of which was a solo home run, in the losing effort.

Fresh off his first win since late April, Carlos Silva takes the mound once again tonight for the Twins.

On Sunday the six-year veteran halted a four-game slide when he allowed just two runs on six hits, striking out three, over 7 1/3 innings in a 4-2 win against Toronto.

The righthander, who surrendered a ridiculous 38 home runs in just 180 1/3 innings a season ago, has permitted a mere five in about one-third the time thus far in 2007.

Silva, who in 2005 had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 8-to-1, already has issued 15 walks and fanned only 27 in 59 2/3 innings. For his career the 28- year old is 2-1 with a 3.35 ERA versus Oakland.

Speaking of the A's, they're hoping Joe Blanton can break out of a minor slump this evening at home, having lost his last two decisions.

Last Sunday the righthander was touched for three home runs by the Orioles in what became an 8-4 setback for Oakland. In that contest Blanton permitted a season-high eight runs on 10 hits, striking out just two over six innings of work.

The Nashville product, who is 16 strikeouts shy of 300 for his career, has a record of 2-2 and a 5.92 ERA against Minnesota to this point.

Currently third in the AL Central and already an impressive 6-1 versus the rest of the AL West, the Twins are being paced once again in 2007 by Justin Morneau, last year's AL MVP. So far this season he has 16 home runs and 44 RBI, with 10 of those runs batted in coming in the last six games.

As for the A's, Nick Swisher is at the top of the heap in home runs (nine) and RBI (32) and is among the leaders in average at a .304 clip. Over the last six games he, along with both Travis Buck and Chavez, all have two home runs apiece.

Since the start of the 2004 campaign Oakland owns a slight advantage in the series with the Twins at 15-13.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

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