Ron Baird, news editor
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Posts by Ron Baird, news editor
Rockies scatter hits, can’t manage runs vs. Padres
Mar 11th
By Cash Kruth / MLB.com | 3/10/2014 7:10 P.M. ET
Nolan Arenado went 2-for-2, but the Rockies couldn’t manage a run against the Padres. (Chris Carlson/AP)
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner continued his Cactus League shutout streak and second baseman Ryan Jackson homered to lead San Diego to a 5-0 win over the Rockies on Monday at Salt River Fields.
Cashner, the Padres’ projected Opening Day starter, ran his Spring Training scoreless-innings streak to nine by tossing four shutout frames, scattering five hits and striking out one.
“He had good velocity and good movement to his two-seamer,” said Padres manager Bud Black of Cashner, who got nine ground-ball outs with the pitch. “He did a good job keeping the ball down with his two-seamer.”
San Diego scored three runs off Rockies left-hander Franklin Morales in the second, as Alex Castellanos began the rally with a single in his first Padres at-bat since being claimed off waivers Thursday from the Rangers.
Jackson followed with a two-run homer to left, while catcher Rene Rivera doubled, advanced to third on Cashner’s single and scored on a wild pitch.
“I threw a lot of strikes, made my pitches,” Morales said. “Sometimes you miss your pitch, and that’s when you get hit.”
Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal was 1-for-2 in his Cactus League debut coming off last season’s ACL injury, while first baseman/outfielder Tommy Medica continued his torrid spring by going 1-for-3.
The Rockies got two hits a piece from left fielder Carlos Gonzalez and third baseman Nolan Arenado, while first baseman Justin Morneau was 0-for-2 in his first action of the spring.
Trends favor the underdog (Seattle) in Super Bowl
Jan 26th
From Super Bowl Nation
By OddsShark
Underdogs have won four of the past six Super Bowls and they boast a 5-1 ATS streak in those games. What other Super Bowl betting trends point to the Seahawks over the Broncos?
With an epic Super Bowl XLVIII slated with two No. 1 seeds set to meet, a trio of trends seems to favor the Seattle Seahawks over the Denver Broncos.
The NFC is on a 5-1 ATS roll in the big game, after the San Francisco 49ers lost last year as 4.5-point favorites to the Baltimore Ravens. Underdogs are enjoying the same Super Bowl trend with a 5-1 ATS run, while they’ve won four of those six outright.
Favorites of 1 to 3 points are just 3-7 ATS in the Super Bowl. After last year’s 34-31 win by the Baltimore Ravens, who were 4.5-point underdogs to the San Francisco 49ers, there have been seven Super Bowls that have fallen between 1-3 points.
In the playoffs, underdogs finished 5-4-1 ATS in the AFC and NFC playoffs, with three winning outright. Eight of the 10 games finished under the posted number.
Another interesting trend — one with no logic footing — is the coin toss betting trend. NFC teams have won the coin toss in 15 of the last 16 title games.
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks vs. Broncos
Be sure to bookmark SB Nation’s complete coverage of Super Bowl XLVIII. Everything from the build up, to live coverage and reactions after the big game, all in one beautiful package.
As of Wednesday, AFC champion Denver (17-5 SU, 13-9 ATS) was a 2.5-point favorite over NFC champion Seattle(19-3, 16-6), which comes into the pro football championship on a 17-3-1 ATS run as underdogs, dating back to 2011.
The Broncos, meanwhile, are in on winning streaks of 9-2 SU and 8-3 ATS when installed as favorites.
Seattle has covered six of its last nine playoff games, but is mired in losing streaks of 3-10-1 ATS after a bye week and 3-12 SU against the Broncos since 1995. Denver, on the other hand, is in on an 11-2 ATS win streak after a bye week. The two-week delay before the Super Bowl isn’t officially a ‘bye’ but provides some historical insight into how teams perform with an extra week to prepare and rest.
The total is 47.5 points, and in the Super Bowl, when the line has been between 42 and 48 points, there have been nine Overs and six Unders. Overall there have been 25 Overs and 22 Unders — including 18 Overs in the last 28 years.
These two have gone Over in six of the last eight meetings, though they haven’t met since 2010. The Seahawks have stayed Under in seven straight games and 14 of their 22 this year, while the Broncos have stayed low in five in a row, despite going Over in 14 of their 22 games.
The game goes at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
‘Playbook’: Denver Broncos offense vs. Seattle Seahawks defense
Jan 26th
What did Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning learn about the Seattle Seahawks defense from their preseason game and how can the Seahawks become a problem for Manning?