Rodriguez leads Houston in blanking of Reds
Baseball Betting Lines
07/25/2010 -
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wandy Rodriguez spun seven innings of one-hit
ball and received home run support from Hunter Pence and Chris Johnson, as the
Astros shut down Cincinnati, 4-0, to salvage the last of a three-game set.
Rodriguez (8-11) walked two, struck out seven and did not allow a runner past
first base in leading Houston to its' first win in six tries against the Reds
at Minute Maid Park this season.
Mike Leake (7-2) suffered the loss after yielding all four runs on seven hits
while walking three and fanning three over 6 1/3 innings for the Reds, who
lead the season series, 7-2.
Pence led off the home second with a home run to left field to get the scoring
started.
The Astros put runners at first and second with nobody out in the fourth but
could not score after Johnson bounced into a 5-3 double play and Jonny Gomes
made a diving catch on a Jason Castro fly ball to shallow left.
Johnson hit his longball with one out in the seventh to make it a 2-0 game.
Castro then singled and moved to third base on a pinch-hit double by Jason
Michaels before Michael Bourn doubled to left to plate both runners and chase
Leake from the game.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez allowed only a walk to the high-powered Reds offense
during the second through fourth innings and retired the last nine batters he
faced after a leadoff walk to Miguel Cairo in the fifth.
Brandon Lyon and Matt Lindstrom each allowed one hit in a scoreless frame each
to finish off the blanking.
Game Notes
Cincinnati third baseman Scott Rolen, who missed his ninth straight game on
Sunday, is expected to return during the team's next series in Milwaukee that
begins on Monday...The Reds were shutout for a 12th time this season...Joey
Votto had two of the Reds hits and Ryan Hanigan had the other...Rodriguez
evened his career record against the Reds at 7-7 in 18 starts...Johnson
extended his hitting streak to a career-high nine games...Bourn finished with
three of Houston's nine hits...Patrick Patterson, taken by the Houston Rockets
with the 14th pick in the NBA Draft last month, threw out the ceremonial first
pitch before the game.
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Helms' hit in 11th gives Marlins win over Braves >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wes Helms hit a run-scoring single in the bottom
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Rodriguez leaves Sunday's game >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rodriguez left Sunday's game in the eighth
inning after being hit in the top of the left hand by a pitch.
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bases loaded and one o
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Brewers sweep Nats >>
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Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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