AL West-champion Angels open series at Texas

Baseball Betting Lines

09/24/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With their third AL West title in the last four years all wrapped up, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim shift their focus to trying to get the best record in the American League when they open a three-game series tonight with Texas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The Angels matched a team record with their 54th win at home on Sunday, as John Lackey struck out seven batters over seven strong innings to help the club clinch the AL West with a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Lackey (18-9) allowed two runs on seven hits without walking a batter, and Francisco Rodriguez tossed a perfect ninth for his 38th save this season. Casey Kotchman and Maicer Izturis both homered for the Angels, who ended a two-game skid, while winning the sixth division title in their 47-year history.

At 92-64, Los Angeles is one-half game behind Cleveland for the best record in the American League.

Heading to the hill tonight for the Angels will be right-hander Ervin Santana, who is 7-13 with a 5.63 ERA. Santana picked up the win on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, as he allowed a run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Santana, who is just 1-9 away from home this season, lost to the Rangers the last time he faced them and is 4-3 lifetime against them with a 6.36 ERA in nine starts.

Texas will counter with right-hander Armando Galarraga, who will be making his first major league start. Galarraga is getting the call in place of Vicente Padilla, who is serving a seven-game suspension.

Galarraga has made two relief appearances since being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma on September 12 and has allowed a run and four hits in four innings.

Texas comes into tonight's opener on a rare winning note after Kevin Millwood combined with two relievers on a nine-hit shutout as the Rangers blanked Baltimore, 3-0, on Sunday in the finale of a four-game set. Nelson Cruz was 2- for-3 with a run-scoring triple for Texas, which won for just the third time in 13 games.

Millwood (10-13) allowed just seven hits and did not walk a batter while fanning five over seven innings and the veteran right-hander won for the first time since August.

Joaquin Benoit and C.J. Wilson finished the game for the Rangers with an inning of scoreless relief apiece. Wilson earned his 12th save on the year.

The Angels have won 10 of their 16 matchups with the Rangers this season, including four of seven in Arlington.

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Huskers' Lucky hospitalized for undisclosed reason

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons after Lincoln police responded to a call at his residence.

The Nebraska athletic department said in a release Monday that Lucky was admitted Sunday night.

MySportsbook.com has the Cornhuskers listed at +2500 to win the BCS National Championship odds.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital said all questions about Lucky were being referred to the athletic department. The athletic department said there would be no further comment from the department or Lucky's family.

A Lincoln Police spokesman said officers responded to a call at Lucky's residence 11:30 p.m. Sunday. The spokesman said he didn't know Lucky's condition at the time he was taken to the hospital.

Lucky, from North Hollywood, Calif., started six games last season as a sophomore and was the team's second-leading rusher, with 728 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 383 yards. He averaged 19.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.

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