Sabathia gets win No. 13 as Indians edge Rangers

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07/20/2007 - Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Grady Sizemore homered and drove in a pair of runs, and C.C. Sabathia picked up his major league leading 13th win as Cleveland bested Texas, 7-5, in the opener of a four-game set.

Trot Nixon and Ben Francisco also drove in a pair of runs apiece for the Indians, who won for the second time in three games.

Sabathia (13-4), who was coming off back-to-back subpar starts, was steady if not spectacular in allowing four runs -- three earned -- on nine hits in six innings.

Gerald Laird hit a two-run homer for the Rangers, who have lost two straight after winning the previous three. Travis Metcalf and Mark Teixeira drove in a run apiece for Texas,

Kameron Loe (5-8) was touched for six runs on six hits in six innings of work en route to the loss.

With the game even at four, Cleveland took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the fifth. Sizemore led off the frame by blasting his 16th homer of the year to right. Casey Blake followed with a triple to left and eventually scored on Ryan Garko's ground ball to second to make it a 6-4 game.

The Indians carved out an insurance run in the eighth when Garko ripped a ground-rule double to center and, a batter later, Francisco rapped an RBI single up the middle.

The Rangers threatened in the ninth off Joe Borowski. Kenny Lofton got on with a one-out bunt single and swiped second before scoring on Teixeira's two-out single to right. Borowski settled down from there and got Sammy Sosa swinging to end things and pick up his 27th save of the year.

The Indians jumped on top with a four-spot in the second. Cleveland quickly loaded the bases when Travis Hafner singled, Jhonny Peralta was hit by a pitch and Garko walked. Nixon then put two runs on the board with a double to left. Francisco followed by lofting a sacrifice fly to right and Sizemore capped the frame by slapping an one-out RBI single up the middle.

Texas immediately answered with three runs of its own in the home half of the second. Brad Wilkerson got on with a two-out double and Laird followed by lacing his sixth homer of the year over the wall in center. Ramon Vazquez kept the inning going with another two-bagger and scored when Sabathia threw Metcalf's comebacker away.

The Rangers evened things in the fourth. Texas loaded the bases on a Wilkerson walk and consecutive bunt singles by Laird and Vazquez. Metcalf tied it with a sac fly to center but any further damage for the Indians was averted when Lofton grounded into a 4-6-3 twin-killing.

Game Notes

Rangers All-Star shortstop Michael Young will miss the first two games of the series while he attends a funeral in Southern California...The Rangers placed pitcher Akinori Otsuka on the 15-day disabled list before the game with right forearm inflammation. The move is retroactive to July 9. To replace Otsuka on the roster, the Rangers recalled pitcher Scott Feldman from Triple-A Oklahoma.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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