Reds, D-Backs close series in Cincy
Baseball Betting Lines
07/02/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds hope that Aaron Harang can have the same type of outing Johnny Cueto had last night, as they wrap up a three-game series Thursday afternoon from Great American Ball Park.
Cueto tossed six shutout innings in Wednesday's 1-0 victory and struck out eight batters to improve to 8-4 this season. Cueto walked four and allowed only one hit, while Arthur Rhodes, David Weathers and Francisco Cordero completed the two-hit shutout with a combined three shutout innings of relief. Cordero posted his 19th save of the season in the process.
Joey Votto went 2-for-4 and drove in the game's lone run for Cincinnati, which has won four of its last six games and sits three games off the lead in the National League Central division. Chris Dickerson and Ramon Hernandez both ended with two hits as well.
"It's Canada Day so happy Canada Day to me and the Cincinnati Reds," said Votto, a native of Toronto. "It's an American team, but I'm going to enjoy this one. God bless it."
The Reds need a few blessings for Harang, who has lost two straight and four of his last six starts. In his last outing on June 26 in a 9-2 loss at Cleveland, Harang was picked apart for seven runs -- five earned -- and 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander fell to 5-8 with a 3.95 earned run average in 16 starts this season.
Harang, who is 4-8 in eight home starts, will face Arizona for the ninth time in his career on Thursday. He hasn't fared too well over the first eight matchups, as he sports a 2-4 record with a strong 1.66 ERA.
Arizona has lost six of seven and 15 of its last 21 games, and got its hits from Felipe Lopez and Gerardo Parra last night. Jon Garland suffered the hard- luck loss after allowing only one run and six hits in six innings.
"We spoiled another good pitching performance," said Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch. "Garland pitched very well. For him to come out of the game was frustrating for him. To spoil that is unfortunate because at the critical times of the game we didn't have very good at-bats."
Doug Davis gets the nod for Hinch's club tonight, but he's only 1-5 since throwing seven shutout innings in a win versus the Chicago Cubs on April 29. Davis has pitched well in back-to-back no-decisions and is coming off a 2-1 loss against the LA Angels on June 27. He allowed one unearned run and five hits in seven innings with eight K's.
The lefty gave up one run in seven innings the start before in a 3-2 setback at Seattle, and is 3-8 with a 3.28 earned run average in 16 overall outings this season. Davis is 6-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 15 career starts against Cincinnati, and Arizona currently boasts a 2-9 record in his last 11 starts.
Cincinnati swept a three-game series from the Diamondbacks in Phoenix from May 11-13 and has won six of its last seven matchups with Arizona.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez is starting to heat up. Not coincidentally, so are the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers will be shooting for an eighth consecutive victory and a series sweep of Rodriguez's original team, the Seattl
<< Braves hope to break out the brooms against Phils
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves are gradually working their way up the
NL East standings and will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high
four straight games tonight in the finale of a three-game series versus the
Philadelphia
<< Cubs, Brewers to begin key NL Central series
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If the Chicago Cubs are going to win a third straight
National League Central title, they are going to have to pick it up
offensively. This weekend would be a good time to get it going, as they return
home for the start of a
<< Astros go for series win at Petco
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros shoot for a series win this afternoon
over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, where the two ballclubs will wrap up
a four-game set.
Houston has won five of its last seven games, including two of the fir
<< Mets head to Pittsburgh for makeup with Bucs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Before the New York Mets begin a critical three-game set in
Philadelphia this weekend, they must first play a makeup game in the Keystone
State against the Pittsburgh Pirates today at PNC Park.
Today's contest was original
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barry Zito tries to slow down Albert Pujols this evening when the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals conclude a four-game set at Busch Stadium. St. Louis won in dramatic fashion on Wednesday, as Colby Rasmus bel
White Sox take win streak to Kansas City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox will be putting a season-high win
streak on the line when the resurgent club heads to Kansas City's Kauffman
Stadium tonight for the opener of a four-game series with the Royals.
Chicago comes
Angels return home to host Orioles >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels return home from a six-day road
trip in first place in the American League West. The two-time defending
division champions will try to stay on top when they start up a four-game
series
Thrashers re-sign Thorburn >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed forward
Chris Thorburn to a multi-year contract.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Thorburn appeared in all 82 games for the Thrashers last season and r
Some rebuild, USC reloads >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Within the world of college basketball,
there is a general consensus that the North Carolina Tar Heels have a huge
recruiting advantage that helps bring a never ending supply of blue-chippers
to Chapel Hill.
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.