Diamondbacks power past Mets to snap seven-game slide
Baseball Betting Lines
07/30/2010 - Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kelly Johnson hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth and Miguel Montero tacked on a three-run shot later in the frame to help the Diamondbacks snap a seven-game slide with a 9-6 win over the Mets.
Montero went 3-for-5 with four RBI to highlight the offensive outburst for Arizona, which had lost four games at home to San Francisco and three straight at Philadelphia coming in.
Ian Kennedy (6-8) labored through six innings but still wound up with the win after giving up five runs on three hits and four walks.
David Wright had his first multi-home run game at Citi Field, driving in five runs in New York's fourth loss in six games.
Raul Valdes (2-3) gave up both homers in the sixth and did not record an out to take the loss behind Mike Pelfrey, who was touched for five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits in 5 2/3 frames.
Pelfrey was pulled with two outs and Kennedy on first base in the sixth frame, with the pitcher having reached on Jose Reyes' error on a routine ground ball. Valdes came in and quickly gave up New York's 5-4 lead, as Johnson smashed a changeup over the wall in center to push Arizona in front.
A pair of singles ensued before Montero sent a Valdes offering off the second- deck facing in right, signifying the end of the reliever's forgettable outing.
Blaine Boyer gave up a run in the seventh when Angel Pagan singled to left to plate Reyes, but the Mets stranded two runners in the frame.
Chad Qualls threw a 1-2-3 eighth, and Aaron Heilman, who spent his first six seasons in New York, hurled a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the year.
Arizona put up three runs in the first thanks to consecutive run-scoring singles by Adam LaRoche, Montero and Mark Reynolds.
Wright got his glove on Reynolds' base hit and couldn't make a play, but made up for the near miss by sending one over the left-field fence in the bottom half to tie the game. Reyes singled and Luis Castillo walked ahead of the blast.
Stephen Drew's double to the left-field gap scored Montero in the third, though Wright answered again in New York's turn, following Pagan's walk with a shot to center to give the Mets their only lead.
Game Notes
Wright now has 15 multi-home run games in his career...Pelfrey finished July 0-3 in five starts and saw his earned-run average rise from 2.93 to 4.10...Before the game, the Mets traded minor league first baseman Mike Jacobs, who played seven games with the big club this season, to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later. New York also placed outfielder Jason Bay on the 15-day disabled list due to a concussion and recalled outfielder Jesus Feliciano from Triple-A Buffalo...Reyes and Wright each had three of the Mets' seven hits...Chris Young, Johnson, LaRoche and Reynolds each had two hits for the D'Backs...Arizona has won eight of the last nine in the series, including all four so far this season.
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Eagles acquired running back J.J. Arrington from the Denver Broncos in exchange for linebacker Joe Mays. The Eagles will receive a conditional draft pick in 2012 if Arrington does no
<< Happ's Houston debut a gem as Astros down punchless Brewers
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.A. Happ pitched six scoreless innings in his
Houston debut, as the Astros handled the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-0, in the opener
of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.
Happ (2-0) and minor leaguers Jonatha
<< Stammen strong, so are Nats' bats as Oswalt's Philly debut a dud
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Josh Willingham and Roger Bernadina both
stroked a two-run double to back a solid outing by Craig Stammen, as
Washington cooled off the surging Phillies, 8-1, and, in doing so, spoiled Roy
Oswalt'
<< Bradford inks record deal with Rams
Earth City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Rams quarterback and 2010 top
overall draft choice Sam Bradford has reportedly agreed to a six-year deal
that is worth a record $50 million in guarantees.
According to the St. Louis Post-
<< Bautista continues grand season, lifts Jays over Tribe
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jose Bautista's grand slam and league-leading
31st home run highlighted a six-run fourth, as the Toronto Blue Jays won their
fourth straight with an 8-1 rout of the struggling Cleveland Indians at Rogers
Centre.
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jayson Heyward delivered the game-winning two-run double in the 10th inning as Atlanta upended Cincinnati, 6-4, in the first of a three-game set. Brian McCann homered and Chipper Jones added two hits,
Harrell wins MLB debut as White Sox extend home win streak >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gordon Beckham had two hits and drove in two
runs to support six solid innings from Lucas Harrell in his major league debut
as Chicago downed Oakland, 6-1, in the opener of a three-game set.
Harrell (1-0),
Peralta homers twice in Tigers debut; Detroit tops Boston >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jhonny Peralta hit a pair of homers and drove in
three in his Tigers debut, as Detroit held on against Boston's furious ninth-
inning rally for a 6-5 decision in the first of three between the clubs at
Fenway
Twins remain hot, sink Mariners >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jim Thome and Alexi Casilla both clubbed a
two-run homer, as the streaking Minnesota Twins beat Seattle, 5-3, in the
opener of a three-game series at Target Field.
J.J. Hardy had two hits and score
Prado leaves Friday's game >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Braves second baseman Martin Prado
left Friday's game against Cincinnati with an undisclosed injury.
Prado slid somewhat awkwardly headfirst into home plate on Jayson Heyward's
game-winning two-
Matt Kenseth And Kevin Harvick Favorites To Take NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship
(September 15)—The NASCAR season has hit the homestretch with the opening event on this year’s Chase for the Cup taking place this weekend at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With 10 races remaining to determine the Cup Series champion, leading online sportsbook MySportsbook.com today announced odds on all 10 Chase qualifying drivers capturing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
One of the largest sportsbook sites on the Internet, MySportsbook.com currently lists the top two drivers in the point standings as the early favorites to win the Nextel Cup. Entering the Chase for the Cup with a slim five-point lead in the point standings, 2003 NASCAR champ Matt Kenseth has been made a slight favorite to win his second Cup at 7/2 betting odds. 2001 Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Harvick has betting odds listed at 5/2 and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon is listed at 6/1 to capture the Nextel Cup this year.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who won six NASCAR titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands at 8/1 to breakthrough with his first Cup victory. Staying with the family theme, MySportsbook.com lists 2005 Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch at 14/1 to succeed big brother Kurt’s 2004 NASCAR title. While Kasey Kahne was the final driver to qualify for the Chase with a third place finish last week, the oddsmakers give him a fighting chance at 10/1 mainly due to several mile-and-a-half tracks remaining on the schedule. Despite going winless on the NASCAR circuit this season, Jeff Burton enters the Chase at 5/1 to capture the Cup title. Meanwhile, rookie Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win the championship, while veteran driver Mark Martin enters the Chase for the Cup as a 15/1 long shot to win his first NASCAR title in his 24th and final season.
MySportsbook.com will offer comprehensive Nascar betting lines on every race remaining on the Nextel Cup series including driver match-ups, props and odds to win each race. For a complete list of NASCAR odds, please visit www.MySportsbook.com.
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NFL Football Betting
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.