Streaking Smoltz leads Braves against Milwaukee

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05/29/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta pitcher John Smoltz will try to become the National League's first eight-game winner tonight when the Braves play the middle portion of their three-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Smoltz has won consecutive starts and has pitched 14 scoreless innings over that span. On May 19 against Boston, the right-hander scattered three hits over seven shutout frames before throwing another seven scoreless innings in a victory over the Mets on Thursday. His win over New York made him the first pitcher in major league history with 200 wins and 150 saves.

The win over New York improved Smoltz to 7-2 on the year with a 2.58 earned run average. The 40-year-old is 3-3 lifetime with six saves in 12 games (three starts) against the Brewers with a 2.45 ERA.

The Braves hit a couple of milestones in their series-opening win on Monday. Andruw Jones belted his 350th career home run in the 2-1 triumph.

Passing Sparky Anderson, Atlanta manager Bobby Cox earned his 2,200 win, moving him into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time managerial victory list.

Kelly Johnson singled in the other run for the Braves, who snapped a three- game losing streak and trail the Mets by four games for first place in the NL East. Left-hander Chuck James (5-4) allowed one run on five hits with two walks and a career-high tying eight strikeouts over six innings, and Bob Wickman tossed a perfect ninth for his eighth save of the season.

The Braves were without Chipper Jones for the fifth straight game, as he is sidelined with a sore right thumb.

Prince Fielder homered in the lone run for the Brewers, who have lost a season-high six straight and kicked off a 10-game homestand with the loss. Corey Hart finished 2-for-4.

Even with the six straight defeats, Milwaukee still leads the NL Central by five games over the Cubs.

Milwaukee starter Chris Capuano (5-4) took the loss after allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts over seven frames.

Ben Sheets takes the hill for the Brewers and is coming off his first loss since April 15. Sheets fell to 4-3 with a 3.75 ERA last Tuesday despite yielding just three runs -- two earned -- on four hits over 6 1/3 innings of a 3-2 setback against the Dodgers. The right-hander left the start due to a blister on his right middle finger.

Sheets has made 10 career starts against the Brewers, and is 7-3 with a 4.83 ERA and two complete games over that span.

The Brewers won all three of their matchups with the Braves at Miller Park last year and took four of six from the Braves overall in 2006.

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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.


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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