Michaels hits grand slam as Pirates upend Cardinals

Baseball Betting Lines

06/02/2008 - St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Wainwright was well on his way to another dominant start, but Pittsburgh scored four runs in the seventh and added the game-winning tally on Jason Bay's RBI single in the eighth to post a 5-4 victory over St. Louis in the finale of a four-game series.

Wainwright's (5-3) demise was the story of a game that went smoothly for six frames.

Then came the seventh inning, where Pirates manager John Russell's pinch- hitting choice changed the game's dynamic. Bay's one-out double put an abrupt end to Wainwright's groove, and Xavier Nady and Jose Bautista each walked -- the only two surrendered by Wainwright over eight innings.

Russell called on veteran Jason Michaels to hit for Raul Chavez, a catcher batting just .217 on the season and 0-for-2 in Monday's contest. Michaels wasted little time by smoking the first pitch into the left-center field bullpen for his first career grand slam and Pittsburgh's first pinch-hit grand slam since 2003.

That instantly tied the game, and in the eighth, Bay found real estate in right field for a single, scoring Nate McLouth with the go-ahead run after McLouth singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt earlier in the frame.

Matt Capps collected his 11th save of the season with a scoreless ninth, while Franquelis Osoria (3-1) picked up the victory with 1 2/3 scoreless frames. Wainwright, meanwhile, went eight innings and gave up five runs on seven hits to take the loss.

Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny gave up four runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts over six frames, and was shaky early.

St. Louis built a 4-0 lead on the bats of Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick. Pujols' double plated Joe Mather and Ludwick's single scored Pujols in the first.

In the third, the duo was at it again. Pujols' slow chopper plated Aaron Miles and Ludwick lofted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Mather with the team's fourth run.

Game Notes

Pujols has driven in 39 runs this season...Wainwright had surrendered two runs over his last two-plus starts -- spanning 21 2/3 innings...St. Louis has won three of five meetings this season...The Cardinals finished 4-3 on their seven-game homestand.

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Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.

The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.

Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.

MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)

Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)

Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00.

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