Betting Baseball Club

LaRoche’s 2-run single in 9th lifts Bucs (AP)

LaRoche’s 2-run single in 9th lifts Bucs (AP)

Andy LaRoche and the Pittsburgh Pirates started hitting as soon as Javier Vazquez left the game. LaRoche delivered a two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning and the Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 Thursday to split the four-game series. LaRoche said he was just trying to make contact when he leaned forward to slap a 3-2 pitch from Rafael Soriano (1-1) up the middle for the tiebreaking hit.

Fanalytics: Ability to adjust is X-factor in player projections
When a minor leaguer is promoted, there are expectations as to how he will perform. If he starts well, the opposition will look for any weakness they can exploit. Over the course of a player’s career, success will ultimately come down to his ability to constantly adjust.

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TV ratings steady as attendance declines (AP)
One bright side to all those empty seats behind home plate visible on television at the new Yankee Stadium: At least there are plenty of people seeing them from home. Viewership for the Yankees' YES Network is off to a record start. The channel averaged its best rating ever for April and May, a 4.5 to beat the 4.39 from last year that set the previous high.