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Astros go for series win at PetcoBaseball Betting Lines07/02/2009 - (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 first three matchups with the Padres. In Wednesday's 7-1 victory, Carlos Lee, Geoff Blum and Kaz Matsui all drove in runs to pull the Astros within four games of the top spot in the National League Central division. Matsui ended with two hits and Darin Erstad scored a pair of runs for Houston, which has won seven of the last eight encounters with San Diego. Houston also swept a three-game series from San Diego from May 8-10 of this season. Astros starter Brian Moehler pitched six innings of one-run ball and scattered four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts to pick up the win. "It was more of a stress game, but they were down 6-1 so I didn't think I had to be perfect with everything," said Moehler. "I just tried to limit the amount of damage. We made some pitches when we had to and we made some plays when we needed to." The Astros will hand the ball to Wandy Rodriguez on Thursday and he is 6-6 with a 3.35 ERA in 16 starts this season. Rodriguez is 1-0 in his last two stints since going 0-4 in five previous trips to the hill. He is coming off a no-decision against Detroit on June 26, when he yielded four runs and seven hits in six innings of a 5-4 triumph. Houston has now won three of his last four starts. Rodriguez, who is 3-4 in eight road outings this season, defeated San Diego earlier this year on May 8 with eight shutout innings of five-hit ball. The lefty also struck out seven batters and issued no walks, improving to 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last three starts in this series. In five career games, four of which have been starts, against San Diego, Rodriguez is 2-2 with a 5.47 earned run average. San Diego lost for the 12th time in 18 tries last night and didn't get much help from starting pitcher Walter Silva. Silva yielded six runs, three of which were earned, and five hits in four innings of work to absorb the loss. Eliezer Alfonzo homered and Tony Gwynn added a pair of hits for the Friars, who were set back by a costly throwing error by third baseman Chase Headley with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Headley fired an errant throw on a roller hit by Moehler and the bases were cleared for a 6-1 Houston lead. "It comes down to one play," said Headley. "If I make that play at third then we have a chance. It's hard to battle back." Padres All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was in the lineup yesterday after straining his right knee in Tuesday's win. He appeared in his 284th consecutive game and now sits 21 shy of Steve Garvey's franchise mark. He finished 0-for-3 with his major league-leading 64th walk Wednesday. San Diego starter Kevin Correia has been the ace of the staff lately and will try to run his personal win streak to three straight starts tonight in the finale of this four-game series versus the Astros. Correia has taken over as the top arm in the rotation with Jake Peavy and Chris Young sidelined because of injury, and has won two straight and four of his last five trips to the mound. Correia previously pitched on June 27 at Texas and held the Rangers to three runs in seven innings with a career-high nine strikeouts in a 7-3 victory. The right-hander, who is 5-5 with a 4.23 ERA in 15 starts, also sports a 3-2 mark in nine home games this season. Correia will face Houston for the second time this season after not factoring in the outcome of a 5-4 loss on May 9 at Minute Maid Park. He allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, and is 0-0 with a 3.06 ERA in six career games (2 starts) versus the Astros.
<< 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
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(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
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTINGNCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.) "To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good." Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida. Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October. USC Trojans - 10.5 wins A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention. Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2 "There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach." Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1 The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines. Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1 If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J. Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines . |
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