Mets' Pelfrey seeks turnaround against Diamondbacks

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07/19/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After winning 10 of his first 15 starts of the season, New York Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey has fallen on hard times. Pelfrey will try to bounce back when he takes the mound Monday in the opener of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks from Chase Field.

Pelfrey was 10-2 with a 2.71 earned run average after a win over the Minnesota Twins on June 25, but is just 0-2 with a less desirable 10.13 ERA over his past three starts. He has dropped back-to-back appearances and previously took the mound in last Saturday's 4-0 setback versus Atlanta, allowing all four runs and 12 hits in only four innings. He hasn't been able to pitch past the fifth inning in each of his previous three outings.

The right-hander, who is 4-2 on the road this season and was slated to pitch Saturday before neck stiffness pushed his start back, will face Arizona for the sixth time in his career. He is 0-4 with a 5.22 ERA over the first five appearances in this series, and went 0-2 in two starts a year ago.

New York hopes Pelfrey will be at full strength when it resume an 11-game road trip in the desert. The Mets salvaged the finale of a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants over the weekend with Sunday's 4-3 victory in 10 innings at AT&T Park. Ike Davis put the visitors ahead for good with an RBI double in the 10th inning that plated Jason Bay, who reached on a single.

Davis had three hits and two RBI, while Bay also ended with a trio of hits for the Mets, who won for just the second time in eight games. David Wright homered for the 15th time in a winning effort and starter Johan Santana fired eight innings of one-run ball for the no-decision. Closer Francisco Rodriguez blew the save in the ninth, but came back for the win in the 10th.

"This locker room would have been a lot different right now [if we had lost]," right fielder Jeff Francoeur said on the team's website.

The Mets hope to carry the momentum over into this series with Arizona and will visit the Los Angeles Dodgers for four games afterwards. In injury news for the Mets, second baseman Luis Castillo (heel/foot) is expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list Monday, while shortstop Jose Reyes (oblique) is listed as probable. Wright is also probable with a balky knee.

Arizona has dropped four in a row and was swept in three games by the NL West- leading San Diego Padres over the weekend. In Sunday's 6-4 setback in the series finale, Edwin Jackson was dealt the loss for allowing four runs and nine hits in six innings with seven K's and four walks.

Kelly Johnson and Justin Upton both homered and finished with two RBI for the Diamondbacks, who have lost 10 of their last 12 games. Upton finished with a team-best three hits and is riding a modest five-game hitting streak. He has hit safely in 20 of his last 28 contests, including 11 multi-hit games.

"We battled to the end and that's all you can ask for," said Upton, who had an RBI double in the ninth. "Heath Bell is an All-Star for a reason."

Bell then got D'Backs catcher Miguel Montero to ground out to end the game.

The Diamondbacks will also host NL West-rival San Francisco for four games after this set with New York.

Ian Kennedy has put together back-to-back wins just once this season and hopes to do it again when he toes the rubber Monday for the D'Backs. Kennedy was 0-5 with a 5.29 earned run average in eight starts before ending the slide in a 5-4 win over Florida on July 10. He allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked two batters to improve to 4-7 in 18 starts.

The right-hander, who is 2-2 in eight home starts this season, has never faced the Mets in his career.

New York and Arizona are meeting for the first time since the Diamondbacks won five of seven meetings a year ago.

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Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

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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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