AL Central-leading Twins visit Indians

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09/10/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins take a growing lead atop the American League Central's Division into a six-game road trip that begins with tonight's matchup with the Cleveland Indians from Progressive Field.

The red-hot Twins just concluded a latest homestand by ripping off six consecutive victories and have won 11 of their past 13 contests to increase their margin over second-place Chicago in the Central standings. With the White Sox losing at Detroit on Thursday, Minnesota now owns a season-high six- game advantage for the division's top spot.

Following this three-game set against the Indians, the Twins will travel to Chicago for three straight meetings with the White Sox beginning Tuesday.

Minnesota will be entering Progressive Field off a three-game sweep of Kansas City capped off by Wednesday's 4-3 decision. The Twins scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit, then staved off a Royals' rally in the ninth to prevail.

Denard Span knocked in two of the fifth-inning runs with a triple and Matt Tolbert added a RBI single for Minnesota. J.J. Hardy finished with two hits, including a solo home run, and scored twice to help back another strong outing from Twins starter Brian Duensing.

Duensing (8-2) worked the first eight innings and held the Royals to one run and six hits while striking out seven to improve to 5-1 as a starter this season.

"[Duensing] was good. His changeup was really good," said Kansas City manager Ned Yost. "The guys kept coming back [to the dugout] and were saying they could see [the changeup] good, they just couldn't wait on it."

Matt Capps picked up his 11th save since coming to the Twins in a midseason trade in Wednesday's win, despite letting up a pair of runs in the top of the ninth. The Royals brought the tying run to second base against the former Washington closer, but he retired pinch-hitter Mitch Maier on a game-ending fly ball to kill the comeback attempt.

Minnesota will send out one of its best road pitchers to open up this trip in 16-game winner Carl Pavano. The veteran righty has posted a very solid 3.20 earned run average in 15 starts away from home this season, while winning eight of 14 decisions.

Pavano was mired in a three-start losing streak that included back-to-back road setbacks to Texas and Seattle to close out August, but was able to return to the win column in last Saturday's 12-4 triumph over the Rangers in Minneapolis. The oft-injured hurler lasted eight innings that night and allowed three runs while scattering eight hits.

The 34-year-old, who made 21 starts for the Indians before being traded to the Twins during August of last season, beat his former club by tossing seven innings of two-run ball in an August 7 clash at Progressive Field and is 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA over four lifetime starts against Cleveland.

Pavano will be opposed tonight by Fausto Carmona, who'll be seeking to end a string of six consecutive losing starts in the opener. The 2010 All-Star hasn't won since an August 2 verdict over Boston at Fenway Park, and his most recent victory at home took place on July 23. Carmona has been dealt defeats in each of his last five trips to the Progressive Field mound, and is just 5-9 with a 4.32 ERA at his home park for the season.

Carmona did pitch well enough to end his drought in a September 3 game at Seattle, limiting the Mariners to one run and four hits in an eight-inning complete game. However, the right-hander received no help from his offense and came out on the short end of a 1-0 decision.

The Dominican native's losing skid began in a head-to-head battle with Pavano at Progressive Field on August 7, with Carmona reached for five runs and 10 hits over 7 1/3 innings. The result continued his career-long struggles against the Twins, as the 26-year-old is 3-8 with a 5.52 ERA over 16 games (12 starts) versus Minnesota.

Cleveland returns home after going 4-3 on a seven-game West Coast swing. The Tribe had a chance to produce a series sweep over the fading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Wednesday, but came up just short in a 4-3, 16-inning loss.

Torii Hunter led off Anaheim's half of the 16th with a double off Hector Ambriz and moved to third on a groundout before Jeff Mathis lofted a fly ball to right that was plenty deep enough to bring home the deciding run.

The Indians had sent the contest into extra innings by scratching home a run in the top of the ninth. Matt LaPorta started the rally with a leadoff single, with pinch-runner Luis Valbuena advancing on a Jason Donald base hit before racing home on Jayson Nix's single off Angels closer Fernando Rodney.

Andy Marte had a solo homer earlier on for Cleveland, while starting pitcher Josh Tomlin surrendered three runs and just three hits in a six-inning stint. Ambriz (0-2) pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief, permitting just the one run and a single hit.

Minnesota has won seven of 12 games against the Indians this season, including four of the six bouts held in Cleveland.

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Problem with Bears?

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."

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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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Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.