What: MLB Betting
When: Monday, May 21st-Thursday, May 24th
Where: Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH
Free Pick: Cincinnati Reds

Mike Minor (2-3, 7.09) vs. Mike Leake (0-5, 6.21) – Monday, 7:00 PM ET

Leake will be hoping that he isn’t winless by the time this start rolls around and it hasn’t been a great start for the 24-year-old, who is 1-0 in two starts against Atlanta with an ERA of 1.50, but those numbers may not matter much as badly as Leake is struggling. Minor, although he has a couple of wins, is in the same boat as he hasn’t had his best stuff and he is simply trying to get to this start without being sent to the minors (pun not intended). Minor, who is also 24, will be going up against the Reds for the first time in his career, but a 7.53 ERA on the road isn’t encouraging and he has given up six runs or more in each of his last four starts.

Your best bet is to lean towards Cincinnati at home in this matchup.

free sports picks: Cincinnati Reds

Brandon Beachy (4-1, 1.60) vs. Mat Latos (2-2, 4.54) – Tuesday, 7:10 PM ET

Beachy has been strong since losing in his 2012 debut, and he has made one start against the Reds in his career, taking a no-decision in Cincinnati last season. Latos had a rough start after he was acquired from San Diego, but he seems to be settling into his new surroundings and he has been good against the Braves with a 2-2 record in five starts to go with a 2.43 ERA.

Latos is 1-1 in four starts at home with a 3.91 ERA, and Beachy is 3-1 in five road starts with a 1.74 ERA. Even though those are great numbers, give the edge to an improving Latos in Cincinnati.

free sports picks: Cincinnati Reds

Tommy Hanson (4-3, 3.43) vs. Bronson Arroyo (2-1, 3.25) – Wednesday, 7:10 PM ET

Arroyo has a ton of experience against the Braves with 15 appearances (14 starts), posting a record of 6-3, but he has a 5.68 ERA and is 0-1 in four home starts with an ERA of 4.94. Hanson has had his issues with the Reds in the past, going 1-2 in four starts with a 5.03 ERA, but he has been better away from home than at Turner Field, going 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA. Despite is record against the Reds, Hanson has been phenomenal in Cincinnati, splitting a pair of starts and posting an ERA of 0.68 ERA.

MLB betting sharps can never be too sure what they’re going to get from Arroyo; he is a little like A.J. Burnett in that respect. Some days he looks like a world-beater, and others he can’t get out of the third, and he has been like that throughout his entire career, which makes it difficult to get behind him. Hanson has been throwing the ball well as of late, and the Braves should get their first win of the series.

free sports picks: Atlanta Braves

Randall Delgado (2-3, 3.79) Vs. Homer Bailey (1-3, 4.35) – Thursday, 7:10 PM ET

Bailey hasn’t had his best stuff this season, but he has also pitched well in spurts and it’s enough that he’ll be in the rotation for a while now. He is 1-0 in two starts against the Braves with an ERA of 2.13, but Bailey is 0-1 in his first three starts at home with a 4.50 ERA. The Braves, on the other hand, have started Randall Delgado in this spot the past two trips around the rotation and the rookie has done well; his last outing actually came against the Reds, and he didn’t give up any earned runs in 6.2 innings of work. Delgado is eighth in the National League in walks, but that is to be expected of a young pitcher who is still figuring out what a major-league strike zone is.

However, that outing was in Atlanta and now Delgado will head out on the road to Cincinnati, and he hasn’t gotten out of the sixth inning in all three of his road starts in 2012. This is the perfect game for Bailey to get on track and jumpstart his season, facing a team that he has been successful against in the past. That’s a big reason why you should take Cincinnati to end the series in your sports betting picks.

free sports picks: Cincinnati Reds

San Francisco Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers
Monday, 8:10 PM ET

Despite its struggles overall, San Francisco’s pitching staff ranks fifth in ERA with a 3.31 mark, with their starters fifth in quality starts with 23. The problem is that while they have done a good job keeping opposing offenses off the board, the Giants haven’t been able to score enough on their own to win those games, with an offense that ranks 25th in runs scored. San Francisco could be in trouble in the opener if Madison Bumgarner can’t shake his recent funk, as the 22-year old has given up eight earned runs combined in consecutive losses following a five-game win streak. The Brewers will counter Randy Wolf, and while he did give up six earned in just four innings of work the last time he was on the mound, the veteran’s inconsistencies this season point to a bounce-back game.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Milwaukee Brewers

San Francisco Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers
Tuesday, 8:10 PM ET

With Bumgarner struggling of late, the Giants will feel more comfortable with Matt Cain on the mound for game two of the series, as he gets the start after registering consecutive wins with a combined three earned runs allowed. Despite being one of the better starters for Milwaukee this season with a 3.07 ERA, Shaun Marcum is just 2-1 on the year, and the Brewers lost five-straight games that the 30-year old started before snapping that slide with an 8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Don’t expect Cain to give up eight runs in this start, as the Giants even the best sportsbook series at one.

MLB Betting Free Pick: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants @ Milwaukee Brewers
Wednesday, 9:40 PM ET

One of the biggest surprises for San Francisco this season has been the play of Barry Zito, who at 34-years old has registered a 2.53 ERA and has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his four starts this season. Zito has given the Giants a chance to win in every game that he has played, and will have a good chance to add another as he gets the call opposite Marco Estrada for the Brewers. Milwaukee has lost each of the last three betting website contests that the former reliever has started, and it could be a case of pushing to hard on a square peg above a round hole on a team that has lacked starting depth.

MLB Betting Free Pick: San Francisco Giants

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The Orioles slugger followed up his eventual winning home run in the 15th inning the previous night with a two-run shot on Thursday, helping Baltimore climb back from a three-run deficit to beat the Royals 5-3 and win their seventh consecutive road game.

The Orioles also improved to 12-1 when Jones goes deep, something he has done each of the last three games. He has 13 home runs on the year, a mark he didnt reach until June 25 last season.

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“Hes hot right now. Hes really hot,” said J.J. Hardy, whose two-run single in the seventh inning provided the go-ahead runs. “Hes been swinging the bat impressively.”

Jones preferred to deflect the attention from his hot start to his teammates, even though hes heading to a three-game set against Washington with a nine-game hitting streak.

“Were just chipping away,” Jones said. “Youre down 3-0, its easy to give away at-bats. Were not giving anything away right now.”

Brian Matusz (3-4) won for the third time in four starts after enduring a career-worst 12-decision losing streak. He allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings.

Relievers Luis Ayala and Pedro Strop made it through two innings unscathed, and Jim Johnson worked the ninth for his 14th save. Hes converted 22 straight since Aug. 14, 2011.

“We got deep in the game with our starter, which we needed after last night,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Thats a very aggressive team and if you make a mistake, theyre going to make you pay for it. But we were also able to use that to our advantage.”

Luke Hochevar (3-4) pitched well for six innings. His only real miscue was the two-run homer by Jones in the fourth. But the right-hander ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing back-to-back singles by Wilson Betemit and Chris Davis, the start of a three-run inning for the Orioles.

Hochevar was pulled after Davis base hit, which center fielder Jarrod Dyson grossly misplayed. The ball bounced in front of him and went to the wall, allowing Betemit to score.

Reliever Aaron Crow came into the game and got two quick outs, but then walked No. 9 hitter Luis Exposito and leadoff hitter Xavier Avery to load the bases. Hardy followed with a two-run single, helping extend the Orioles longest road winning streak since 1999.

“I just didnt get the job done,” Crow said. “I need to go out and attack those guys, and if they beat you, so be it. I just cant give guys free bases and it ended up hurting me today.”

Kansas City had ample opportunities to pick up a couple wins against Baltimore, but instead wound up with a pair of frustrating losses in the two-game, midweek series.

Jonathan Broxton blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning of the opener Wednesday night, and the Royals eventually lost their third straight extra-inning game. They jumped out to a three-run lead after three innings Thursday before the Orioles mounted their comeback.

Humberto Quinteros two-run double and Johnny Giavotellas RBI single to right brought in the runs for Kansas City, but thats all that Matusz allowed in an otherwise strong outing.

“With the lineup we have, it doesnt matter what the score is. Were in the ballgame,” Matusz said. “Its just a matter of staying tough, staying mentally tough.”

Hochevar was just as good most of the afternoon.

After watching his ERA balloon to a run per inning, the former No. 1 overall draft pick put together seven innings of three-hit ball in his last start against the White Sox. Hochevar ran his scoreless innings streak to 10 before making a mistake on a 3-2 pitch to Jones.

“My focus has not changed from the beginning of the year to now,” he said. “Still going out with the mindset of executing quality pitches and fight like crazy to get this team a win.”

Notes

There was a three-man umpire crew after Ed Rapuano left before the game for family reasons. The fire department was called to Kauffman Stadium when smoke was seen atop the scoreboard, where fireworks are shot off. Firefighters climbed up and extinguished the residue causing the smoke. Royals RHP Luis Mendoza will start Friday nights opener against Arizona. Orioles RHP Jake Arrieta will take the mound Friday night against the Nationals.

Miami Marlins @ Cleveland Indians
Friday, 4:05 PM ET

The Indians have managed to gain position in the AL Central despite a pitching staff that ranks 25th in overall ERA and a sub-.500 record at home, two things that will need to improve if they are going to have any chance of staying there. One of those starters that Cleveland is relying on is 27-year old Justin Masterson, who will get the call in the series opener on Friday. Masterson has struggled with his control early on this year with a 5.40 ERA, and the Indians are just 3-5 in games that he starts. Meanwhile, Miami has been a .500 team on the road early on, and has to love what it has gotten out of veteran starter Carlos Zambrano. Despite a 1-2 record, Zambrano has a 1.88 ERA and has allowed just one earned run over his last 23 innings of work.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins @ Cleveland Indians
Saturday, 4:05 PM ET

The Marlins could have the slight pitching edge again in the second game of this set with Anibal Sanchez starting against the Indians’ Jeanmar Gomez, however, Gomez was very good in his last start going seven strong without allowing a run in a 5-4 win. The 24-year old Gomez is working with a 3.75 ERA, but a big part of that has to do with the eight runs he gave up in 6.2 innings of work in a loss to the Chicago White Sox earlier this month, his only start this season in which he has allowed more than three runs. Miami has lost its last two starts when Sanchez pitches, so this represents a strong opportunity for Cleveland to even this sports betting series.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Cleveland Indians

Miami Marlins @ Cleveland Indians
Sunday, 1:05 PM ET

The betting sites finale of this three-game set will be played Sunday afternoon, with Josh Johnson getting the call for the Marlins against Derek Lowe. The 38-year old Lowe has been lights out for the Indians this season with a 6-1 record and 2.05 ERA, and has allowed just four runs in his last 28.2 innings of work, including a complete-game shutout over the Minnesota Twins. Johnson has really struggled so far this season with an ERA on the wrong side of 5.00, and despite the fact that Miami has won the last three games he started, he has allowed 10 combined runs in just 16.2 innings of work.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Cleveland Indians

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Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night.

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Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to claw back from that deficit in the closing stages of a game for the second time this postseason. The Thunder were also seven down with 2½ minutes left in Game 1 against defending NBA champion Dallas in the first round.

“They wont quit. Thats not in their DNA,” coach Scott Brooks said. “Theyre not wired that way and if they were, they wouldnt be here. Were not going to win every game but were going to fight to the last second of the game and we did that tonight.

“If we would have gotten down on ourselves with two minutes to go, we would have lost by 12 and we would go to L.A. 1-1.”

Instead, Oklahoma City will take a 2-0 lead into Game 3 on Friday night at Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who came up empty on their last six possessions after Bynums hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining.

After struggling throughout the second half and missing 20 of their first 27 shots, the Thunder suddenly came alive after Brooks called timeout following Bynums basket that gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game.

James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant, who he was guarding. Durant ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end before Russell Westbrook forced another turnover by aggressively challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline.

Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryants jumper on the next Lakers possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant couldnt connect again, this time on a 3-pointer, to give the Thunder the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen.

“I wish it was my magical words. All I told the guys was, Were down seven. You dont have to play perfect basketball but we better come pretty close, ” Brooks said.

Steve Blake missed an open 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldnt get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play.

Brown said he thought Bryant was open on the back side of th agreeing that Bryant was supposed to be the first option.

“Blake was wide open. We didnt have any timeouts left and he got a clean look, a really good look,” World Peace said. “He can knock that down.”

Durant was then fouled with 0.3 seconds left and made h failing to hit the backboard or rim for a violation.

The Lakers got a desperation try but World Peaces long pass for Bynum was intercepted by Harden.

“What they did the last few minutes there, they just made gambles,” Bryant said. “They just jumped in the passing lanes. Its something that were not accustomed to seeing. Its just flat-out risks defensively.”

Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio.

The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchises days in Seattle.

“Its not good. I dont think anybodys happy in there [in the locker room],” coach Mike Brown said. “We felt like we let one slip away.”

Bryant was right at the heart of the meltdown, missing two shots and having a hand in two turnovers in the final 2 minutes. The first turnover came when Durant used his nearly 7-foot frame and impressive wingspan to come up with an energizing steal and fast-break chance.

“He used his length on Kobe. Coming up with that steal was huge,” Brown said. “Thats what great players are supposed to do. Theyre supposed to take on the challenge at the end of the game and he did.

“He won the game for them, basically.”

Westbrook added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which matched its lowest scoring total of the season but still gutted out the victory. The Thunder had ripped apart the Lakers defense with their pick-and-roll attack in Game 1, scoring 119 points in a 29-point blowout.

“We dominated defensively,” Bynum said. “We stopped them, made them play through their bigs and turn the ball over. In the last two minutes, we gave the game away.”

In a game that was nip-and-tuck throughout, the Lakers started inching away early in the fourth quarter while Westbrook was on the bench.

Bryant drilled a jumper from the left wing and Blake followed with a 3-pointer before World Peace hit one of two free the Lakers largest lead to that point.

Westbrook returned then but only provided the briefest of sparks for the struggling Oklahoma made it 75-68 with 2:09 to play.

Until that point, Oklahoma City had more turnovers (eight) than made baskets (seven) in the second half after committing an uncharacteristically low four turnovers in Game 1.

Notes

The NBA on Wednesday fined Devin Ebanks $25,000 for actions related to his Game 1 ejection and Bynum $15,000 for failing to speak to reporters Tuesday. Bynum, who has had recent disciplinary issues within the team, talked at the Lakers morning shootaround Wednesday and called it a make up for skipping the previous day. “I think hes learning. Is he going to be a perfect citizen the rest of his career? I dont know,” Brown said. “Hes bound to make mistakes. I think everybody makes mistakes.” World Peace has said he supported Brooks to become Sacramentos coach back in 2007, when Brooks had been an assistant under Eric Musselman. “Little does he know, if I would have got the job, I was going to ask for him to be traded,” Brooks joked. He then called World Peace, or Ron Artest at the time, the third-best two-way player at the time behind Bryant and Kevin Garnett. Harden caught World Peace with an inadvertent elbow to the face in the first quarter.

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Drabek snapped a four-start losing streak with seven sharp innings and Toronto hit four home runs in an 8-1 victory against the New York Yankees.

Coming in winless since April 15, Drabek allowed one run and three hits, walked four and struck out five. Thirteen of his 21 outs came on the ground.

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“That sinker was really working,” New York first baseman Mark Teixeira raved. “You dont want to say Halladay because Halladay is a special pitcher but I felt like Halladay was out there tonight because [Drabek] just wasnt getting the ball up in the zone at all.”

Drabek said he benefited from aiming slightly higher when delivering his sinker, an adjustment he worked on between starts.

“Really, it was just trying to throw it higher and allow it to sink back down,” he said. “My last two starts Ive been trying to throw it more on the black and not as high, and thats when it tends to bounce.”

The only thing bouncing Wednesday, however, were the balls Yankees batters were driving into the turf.

“He got us to beat the ball into the ground tonight,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “It seemed like we werent quite able to lay off some of the sinkers that were a little bit below the zone and he took advantage of that.”

Luis Perez worked the eighth and Francisco Cordero finished in the ninth for Toronto.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer and J.P. Arencibia added a two-run drive for the Blue Jays, who also got solo shots from Jose Bautista and Kelly Johnson.

Arencibia had three hits and scored twice, helping Toronto snap a three-game losing streak and giving the Blue Jays their seventh victory in their past 11 home games against the Yankees.

Three of the four Toronto homers came off Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who matched a career-high by allowing seven runs.

“At times [Kuroda] threw the ball really well but when he got a ball up, they didnt miss it,” Girardi said.

New York has scored 11 total runs in eight May defeats and, after a 1-for-8 showing Wednesday, is only 3 for 53 with runners in scoring position in those games. Catcher Russell Martin acknowledged some Yankees hitters were trying to do too much at the plate.

“We got in a hole and then it seemed like every hitter was trying to hit a three-run homer with nobody on,” Martin said. “Thats not how you win ballgames.”

Kuroda (3-5) allowed eight hits and a season-high three homers in five-plus innings. He walked two and struck out six.

Arencibia got the Blue Jays started with a two-out drive to left in the second inning, his fourth. Encarnacion made it 5-0 with a two-out shot to center in the third, his 13th of the season and second in as many days.

Arencibia doubled and scored on a two-out single by Johnson in the fourth and Bautista drilled a leadoff shot into the second deck in left in the sixth, his ninth.

New York broke up Drabeks shutout bid in the sixth when Teixeira singled home Robinson Cano, who had doubled. Teixeiras hit was the 1,500th of his career, while Canos double was his 300th.

Johnson restored Torontos seven-run lead with a milestone hit in the seventh, smacking a leadoff drive to right off Clay Rapada, his 100th career home run and eighth this season.

The Yankees dropped to 1-13 when scoring three runs or fewer, and 0-8 when failing to hit a home run. New York is the only team in the majors this season to not win a game in which they did not hit a home run.

Notes

New York SS Derek Jeter got the day off and was replaced by Jayson Nix, with Curtis Granderson moving up to the leadoff spot. It was Jeters first day off this season. Yankees RHP Ivan Nova (right ankle) did not throw his scheduled bullpen session Wednesday but is expected to throw a side session Thursday. Manager Joe Girardi said he still expects Nova to make his next scheduled start, Saturday against Cincinnati. Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie was suspended four games and fined an undisclosed amount for Tuesday nights altercation with umpire Bill Miller. Lawrie is appealing and can play until there is a hearing, which could be held next week via video conference. The Blue Jays were unsuccessful in detaining the fan who hit Miller on the shoulder with a cup of beer as the umpires walked off the field Tuesday. Umpires and stadium security pointed at the fan, but he managed to evade security as he exited the building. OF Vladimir Guerrero, who signed a minor-league contract with Toronto last week, has started taking batting practice at extended spring training in Florida and could see his first game action next week.

Boston Red Sox @ Philadelphia Phillies – Series Overview

Game 1: Friday, May 18

If you are interested in betting on baseball this season, the upcoming three-game series between the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies presents the kinds of situations in which raw numbers arent all theyre cracked up to be. The first installment of this three-game series pits Boston starter Daniel Bard, with an earned-run average of 4.30, against Philadelphia hurler Cole Hamels, who totes a snappy 2.28 ERA at the moment. Hamels is a better pitcher than Bard; you wont get any argument on the matter from a baseball betting expert. However, one must also realize that earned-run averages in the American League and the National League have to be taken with a grain of salt. The American League, because of its use of the designated hitter, is a much tougher league in which to pitch. An ERA just above four runs per game is a lot worse in the National League than in the American League.

If Bard and Hamels switched leagues, their earned-run averages, currently two runs apart, would probably be within three-fourths of a run, maybe only half a run. The sense here is that Bostons better batting order will make Hamels work. Hamels relies on his mixture of speeds to get hitters out, so as long as Bostons hitters are patient, they will get hittable pitches in the strike zone. This game should be very close, but Boston is in a position where it can wear down the Phillies arms. The Red Sox will strike first and prove that ERAs dont tell the whole story in a baseball game… not all the time, at least.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston

Game 2: Saturday, May 19

The team that is a mystery for a lot of online sportsbooks is the Philadelphia Phillies, and the big reason for the teams slump is that it has not produced at the plate. In Saturdays game, Jon Lester of the Red Sox, with a 3.71 ERA, will face the Phillies Joe Blanton, who brings a 2.96 earned-run average into Citizens Bank Park. Lester should be able to shut down the Phillies, while Blanton – a reliable starter at the back end of the Phillies rotation – does not have the overpowering stuff that can silence Bostons bats. Blanton will pitch well, but Lester will pitch better, and thats a recipe for a Red Sox victory in game two.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Boston

Game 3: Sunday, May 20

The team that online betting sites are not favoring at the moment is Boston. The Red Sox have more weaknesses than the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays, and when they finish this Sunday game, theyre likely to have one more loss. The Red Sox will go with Josh Beckett, who carries a large 5.97 ERA into this game. Philadelphia will trot out its staff ace, Cliff Lee, who has been humming along this season with a 2.17 earned-run average. Lee will dominate, while Beckett – immersed in a horrible season – will find it hard to outduel his counterpart. Philadelphia will win the finale of this three-game set.

MLB Betting Free Pick: Philadelphia

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and making matters worse, theyre even a little more beat-up than when they got here.

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Tim Duncan had 26 points and 10 rebounds following an eight-day layoff for the top-seeded Spurs, who wore down Los Angeles in the Clippers sixth game in 11 days and won Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series, 108-92 on Tuesday night.

“Its hard to tell if they were tired or not. If we were rusty or not,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “The game just developed that way it did.”

By that, he meant the latest Spurs blowout.

The Spurs have won 15 in a row, havent lost in more than a month and are winning by an average margin of nearly 17 points during that span. Its the longest winning streak sustained in the NBA playoffs since the 2004 Spurs carried 17 straight wins into the second round that season.

That Spurs team, however, wound up dropping four straight to the Lakers and lost that series. The Clippers have a lot of work to do if theyre going to stage a similar stunner, and a good start would be getting healthy.

Blake Griffin scored 15 points in 28 minutes a day after estimating his sprained left knee had him feeling “80 percent” at best. The All-Star said he became tired quicker than usual, and also turned his left ankle early in the game.

“But Ill get back in the training room, get treatment and hope to be better the next game,” Griffin began with a fizzle.

Paul, who ended the first round with an aching hip, scored just six points and didnt make a single basket in the second half. Parker was barely any batter, putting together seven points and 11 assists, and didnt talk to reporters after the game.

Paul did face the media after his worst playoff game since scoring four points in a loss to Denver in 2009. But not until after a quick chat with his young son.

“Good game, Daddy,” Pauls son said in the locker room.

“No, bad game,” Paul told him. “Daddy had a bad game. Daddy couldnt make a shot.”

Paul, who was 3 of 13 from the floor, gave a more elaborate explanation to reporters.

“I felt I got all the shots that I wanted. I just didnt make them,” Paul said. “Thats the most frustrating part. Getting to where I wanted to and not seeing them go down. Cant do that in the playoffs.”

Game 2 is Thursday night.

That gives the be which is all the time theyve had to recover between games for the past week and a half. Los Angeles couldnt even fly home first after knocking out the Grizzlies on Sunday in Game 7 of a grueling series that had the Clippers hobbling next to Texas.

Rookie Kawhi Leonard added 16 points, hitting all three of his 3s, and Danny Green added 15 points for the Spurs.

Caron Butler scored 15 points and Nick Young had 13 for the Clippers. Los Angeles cut the deficit to single digits with a 10-burst in the fourth quarter before San Antonio ran away with its 11th double-digit victory during this dominating winning streak.

The Clippers didnt even need San Antonios help getting more bumps and bruises: Mo Williams, already playing with his sore right fingers taped, took a lump on the head when teammate Reggie Evans kicked him with an errant foot after Williams fell on his back in the lane.

Williams wobbled when he tried standing, sat back down, and the Clippers burned a timeout. He never left the game, but the Clippers werent getting any fresher.

Parker, meanwhile, finally felt the hard knocks and slow-him-down shoves that Utah repeatedly promised but never delivered in the first round. Sometimes, the All-Star looked in vain to officials when the whistle didnt blow. When that didnt work once in the first quarter, he kept jabbering about a no-call on the last possession while lining up to shoot free throws on the current one.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, pacing and sensing an impending technical foul, silenced his leading scorer.

“Tony!” Popovich snapped from the sideline. “Shoot!” </ he was under control. But his frustrations didnt end there. He was 1 for 9 despite playing 38 minutes, scoring all but two of his points at the foul line.

“He didnt score, but he got 11 assists,” Ginobili said. “Thats who we are. Sometimes its not going to be him.”

Notes

The Spurs tied a franchise playoff record with 13 3-pointers.Before this became the deepest Spurs team yet under Popovich, Butler said he came so close to signing with the Spurs after the lockout that he canceled a flight to San Antonio when the Clippers counteroffered. “They made a great pitch,” Butler said. Leonard finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting, the highest finish for a Spurs player since Ginobili finished fourth in 2003. Said Popovich: “Hes done a good enough job to make me trust him to be in the starting lineup. Im happy for him.”

var ua = jQuery.browser; if (!( ua.msie && (ua.version.slice(0,1) == “7″ || ua.version.slice(0,1) == “8″))) { window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({}); FB.Event.subscribe(edge.create, function(response) { DW.levt(ria, log, {siteid: 175, mapp: social_share_bar, comptyp: app, comp: main, riaevent: click, objtyp: button, objnm: facebook_share}); }); }; (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1″; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, script, facebook-jssdk)); } else{ document.getElementById( Ervin Santana took an extra moment to savor the standing ovation while he walked off the Angel Stadium field in the eighth inning. He certainly earned a little applause after turning around a rough start to his season with the Los Angeles Angels.

Santana struck out nine during 7 2/3 innings of four-hit ball, Albert Pujols drove in two runs with infield singles, and the Angels rebounded from yet another shutout loss with a 4-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.

Mike Trout went 3 for 4 with a homer and three runs scored for the Angels, who finally produced enough offense to back a strong performance by Santana (2-6). The Dominican right-hander retired 16 in a row early, winning his second straight start after losing his first six.

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“My first inning was a little tough, but after that, I was feeling better and better,” Santana said. “Definitely, its more easier when youve got run support. I felt great today. Everything was good.”

Last week in Minnesota, Santana snapped a nine-game losing streak dating to last season. Before that 6-2 win, he received just three total runs of support from his teamm for easily the worst run support in the majors.

Santana retired every Oakland batter between Cliff Penningtons first-inning double and Jemile Weeks bouncing single under Pujols glove in the sixth, striking out six of nine on one trip through the order. After he doffed his cap to the cheering crowd, relievers Scott Downs and Ernesto Frieri finished.

“Ervin has pitched much better than his numbers show,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “I think hes going to give us a good little spurt here. … Hes got a pretty even heartbeat. He doesnt get too high or too low, but theres a competitive mechanism inside him.”

Bartolo Colon (3-4) allowed 12 hits while pitching into the seventh inning for the As, who were off to an AL-best 8-4 start in May.

A day after Oakland sent Los Angeles to its major league-worst eighth shutout loss this season, the Angels snapped the As four-game winning streak at Angel Stadium, handing Oakland its fifth scoreless defeat of the year.

“[Santana] had his slider working today, so youve just got to tip your hat,” said Kurt Suzuki, who went 0 for 4.

Alberto Callaspo had a run-scoring double for the Angels. Pujols went 3 for 4 with three infield singles, pushing the $240 million first basemans average from .197 to .212.

Colon wasnt awful, but the 38-year-old couldnt match the eight scoreless innings he threw at Angel Stadium last month. Hes 0-3 with 43 hits allowed in his last five starts since a 3-1 beginning to the season.

“I dont know if he was as sharp as we saw him the first time,” said Scioscia, who managed Colon during his AL Cy Young season in 2005. “We did a good job when we got a ball to hit. We put it in play hard, and we found some holes for once.”

Los Angeles rallied for two runs in the third inning when Trout singled and scored standing up on Callaspos double down the right-field line. Pujols then drove home Callaspo from second when Weeks knocked down his grounder to short, but couldnt make a play.

The Angels added another run on another tough-to-play grounder to short by Pujols in the fifth. Oakland finally solved Santana in the sixth, loading the bases on a single and two walks, but Santana struck out Seth Smith on three pitches.

Trout hit his third homer of the season to straightaway center leading off the seventh. The 20-year-old rookie is cementing an everyday job in center field since his latest call up on April 28, going 18 for 49 over the last 12 games while adding his usual blazing speed and standout fielding.

Notes

As manager Bob Melvin said CF Yoenis Cespedes is doing baseball-related activities while hes on the DL with a strained muscle in his hand. The Cuban slugger is allowed to do everything except swing a bat. “Hes a hardworking kid,” Melvin said. “Theres no way youre going to be able to tell him to sit and not do anything.” Los Angeles welcomes the White Sox to Angel Stadium for another two-game series Wednesday, with Jerome Williams facing Gavin Floyd. Oakland is headed to Texas for a two-game set, with Tommy Milone facing Yu Darvish in the opener. The Angels head out on a 10-game trip starting Friday. They wont be back until Memorial Day, when they will finish a stretch with 16 of 20 on the road.

var ua = jQuery.browser; if (!( ua.msie && (ua.version.slice(0,1) == “7″ || ua.version.slice(0,1) == “8″))) { window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({}); FB.Event.subscribe(edge.create, function(response) { DW.levt(ria, log, {siteid: 175, mapp: social_share_bar, comptyp: app, comp: main, riaevent: click, objtyp: button, objnm: facebook_share}); }); }; (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1″; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, script, facebook-jssdk)); } else{ document.getEle Not this time, Celtics.

After letting another fourth-quarter lead slip away in Boston, Philadelphia took it right back and held on to it, fighting off every run the Celtics made down the stretch for an 82-81 victory Monday night to even the Eastern Conference second-round series at one game apiece.

“We knew to expect the same type of game,” said Evan Turner, whose layup with 40.4 seconds to play put Philadelphia ahead to stay. “We did what we needed to do to win this game, just like we didnt the first time around.”

More on 76ers-Celtics Analysis Jeff Goodman
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Turners layup gave the Sixers a 76-75 lead and Philadelphia clinched it by going 6 for 6 from the free throw line over the final 12 seconds.

“We just found a way,” Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. “All season long we couldnt win these games and now our guys are believing they can do it. And it is pretty special to watch.”

Turner finished with 10 points, Jrue Holiday scored 18 and Andre Iguodala added 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Sixers, who blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead as the Celtics won Game 1.

Philadelphia failed to hang on to the lead again, but this time the Sixers outplayed the Celtics down the stretch.

Game 3 will be Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia won its first playoff game in Boston since 1982 despite committing a playoff-high 19 turnovers and getting outrebounded 47-36.

“Were keeping our composure. Were keeping our confidence and know its going to be grind-out games,” Iguodala said.

Every time the Celtics appeared to have regained the momentum, the Sixers came up with an answer. After trailing by eight points entering the fourth quarter, Bostons Kevin Garnett tied it at 65-all on a turnaround jumper with 4:33 to play. The Celtics had the Sixers on the verge of a turnover when Paul Pierce blocked Lou Williams and the ball went out of bounds with only 0.9 seconds left on the shot clock.

No problem.

Lavoy Allen got the inbounds pass and banked in a shot from 22 feet and the Sixers were back in the lead.

“Well, the clock was down to point-nine seconds. I did what I could,” Allen said.

Garnett scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 12 rebounds. Ray Allen scored 17 points for Boston.

Brandon Bass had 12 points for the Celtics, who couldnt quite repeat their comeback in the series-opening 92-91 victory.

“Listen, we put ourselves in that position,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said. “You put yourself in position to let someone else do something, then you can lose games and thats what happened.”

Philadelphia led 57-49 entering the fourth, but Boston tied it twice before going up 72-71 on Avery Bradleys 3-pointer, setting off a series of shots from beyond the arc.

Holiday answered with a 3 for the Sixers, then Ray Allen got the lead right back for the Celtics on a 3-pointer with 1:40 left. The Celtics had a chance to extend the lead after forcing the Sixers into a 24-second shot clock violation, but Rajon Rondo missed a shot and Iguodala got the rebound, leading to Turners layup to put the Sixers up 76-75 with 40.4 seconds to go.

“We gave them a couple shots that if we could get back we would love to have back,” Allen said.

Rondo and Allen both missed shots that would have put Boston ahead, then Rondo fouled Turner with 14.4 seconds left. The Celtics fouled Turner again with 12 seconds and he hit both free throws to extend the lead to 78-76.

Fans grew restless as the second half opened with sloppy, choppy play by both teams. Boston led 38-36 at halftime and nearly seven minutes into the third quarter, the score was 43-41 with the Celtics still ahead.

When the shots finally started falling, they were all for Philadelphia. The Sixers scored 14 consecutive points, turning a 47-43 deficit into a 57-47 lead in the final minute of the period. Boston went without a point for 4:40, finally scoring when Pierce made two free throws with 2.4 seconds left in the period.

The Celtics committed seven turnovers during the quarter and made only 4 of 17 shots.

“We knew itd be a close game. We just needed to get stops down the stretch and we didnt,” said Pierce, who finished with only seven points. “The third quarter really hurt us. We couldnt score, and then Turner made some tough shots down the stretch.”

Spencer Hawes finished with eight points and 10 rebounds and Lavoy Allen scored 10 points for the Sixers.

Notes

The Celtics scored the first nine points. Boston made its first five shots, not missing until Hawes blocked Bradleys attempt 3:24 into the game. Rondo had eight assists in the first half, including alley-oop setups for Greg Stiemsma and Ryan Hollins, who had to reach behind his head for the pass but still corralled it for the two-handed dunk to put the Celtics up 33-29. Holiday led Philadelphia with 13 points in the first half. He was the only Sixer to score in double figures in the first two periods. Hawes was the next closest with six points. The Sixers had lost their previous seven playoff games in Boston, last winning on May 23, 1982, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.