Punto, Twins edge Tigers

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07/04/2009 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nick Punto's RBI single in the eighth inning helped the Minnesota Twins take a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers in the second of a three-game set at the Metrodome.

Justin Morneau went 4-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI, and Michael Cuddyer added a solo shot for the Twins, who have won three of their last four.

Francisco Liriano had a solid start as he gave up three runs and five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings of work. Matt Guerrier (4-0) got the win for throwing a perfect eighth inning.

Magglio Ordonez clubbed a three-run homer to provide the offense for the Tigers, who have dropped five of their last eight.

Edwin Jackson threw 6 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs and six hits with four walks and nine strikeouts. Brandon Lyon (3-4) suffered the loss after working 1 1/3 innings.

"It was just one of those days where things didn't go our way," said Jackson. "I didn't have my best stuff. I'm a competitor and always compete, but this was just one of those days where it didn't work out."

With the score tied at 3-3 in the eighth inning, Minnesota grabbed the lead. Brian Buscher led off with a single and moved to second on a groundout from Jose Morales. Matt Tolbert then came in to pinch-run for Buscher and Punto singled to left, allowing Tolbert to score for a 4-3 lead.

"I saw the ball off the bat and knew I would have a chance to score," said Tolbert. "Once I took off if he would have caught it I would have been doubled off, but I knew it had enough on it to get into the outfield."

Joe Nathan came on in the ninth and shut things down with a 1-2-3 inning to pick up his 22nd save of the season.

The Twins grabbed the lead in the fourth when Cuddyer led off the frame with his 13th home run of the season, a shot over the left field wall.

Morneau's solo homer with two outs in the fifth extended the Twins' lead to 2-0.

Liriano, meanwhile, stymied the Detroit hitters through the first six innings.

After walking Dusty Ryan with two outs in the second, Liriano retired the next 13 batters he faced.

However, Detroit finally figured out Liriano in the seventh and took the lead. Marcus Thames led off with a single and Ryan Raburn followed with a single. After Brandon Inge struck out, Ordonez launched a pitch over the wall in left-center for a 3-2 lead.

Minnesota, though, evened the score in the bottom of the inning. Denard Span led off with a walk, but then Brendan Harris struck out.

Bobby Seay then took over on the mound, but gave up back-to-back singles to Joe Mauer and Morneau, with Morneau's single plating Span.

Game Notes

Minnesota has won five of the seven matchups with Detroit this season...The Twins left 10 men on base...Morneau has 20 home runs on the season...Attendance was 27,238.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Braylon Edwards Traded to the New York Jets

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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