07/04/2008 - (Baseball Betting) - Fireworks are sure to fly in South Philadelphia tonight, as the Phillies and New York Mets renew their National League East rivalry with the opener of a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies and Mets battled down the stretch last year for the NL East crown, with Philadelphia beating New York in each of the final eight meetings between the clubs. Those setbacks helped spark an epic collapse by the Mets, who blew a seven-game advantage with 17 games to play and lost 12 of their final 17 games. That allowed Philadelphia to capture the division title on the season's final day.
New York has gotten some payback this year, beating Philadelphia in four of the six meetings so far, but it is the Phillies who lead the NL East by 2 1/2 games over Florida. The Mets are third, 4 1/2 games off the pace.
New York sends its big offseason pickup to the hill tonight, as Johan Santana faces the Phillies for the second time this season. He defeated them on April 18 after allowing three runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts over seven innings.
Santana has a 3.09 earned run average in two career starts versus Philadelphia.
The left-hander has lost three straight starts and four consecutive decisions, however, going 1-4 in June despite a 2.27 ERA. New York scored fewer than three runs in four of Santana's six June starts, including Saturday's matchup against the Yankees.
Santana gave up three runs on four hits and four walks over six innings versus the Yanks, while striking out eight in a 3-2 loss. On the season, the 29-year- old is 7-7 with a 3.01 ERA.
New York has managed to score 25 runs over its last three games, while also allowing just 13. The club had little problem in its series finale with St. Louis on Thursday, rolling to an 11-1 rout.
Carlos Delgado hit a two-run homer and had three total RBI, while Jose Reyes smacked a bases-loaded triple as part of a six-run third inning. Endy Chavez, Damion Easley and Marlon Anderson each collected a pair of hits and an RBI for the Mets, who earned the split of the four-game series and have won three of five overall.
Easley is filling in at second base after starter Luis Castillo landed on the 15-day disabled list due to a quadriceps injury.
Philadelphia's once-struggling offense has also gotten back on track. The club has scored 35 runs over its last six tests -- going 4-2 in that span -- after plating only 15 runs in its previous eight games.
The Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the Braves on Thursday with a 4-1 victory. Starter Cole Hamels tossed 8 2/3 excellent innings, narrowly missing his second straight shutout over Atlanta, while Pedro Feliz, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard all homered in the win.
Utley smacked his major league-leading 24th homer of the season, while Howard went deep for the second straight game and is tops in the NL with 72 RBI. Also, Pat Burrell went 2-for-4 with a double for Philadelphia and is hitting .429 (6-for-14) over his last four games.
Burrell has clubbed Mets pitching throughout his career, blasting 41 homers while driving in 102 runs in 140 career games against them. However, he is hitting just .211 (4-for-19) without a homer in six games this year against New York.
Hamels was to pitch tonight, but was moved up a day to replace Brett Myers after the struggling hurler was sent down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday to work out of his slump. In need of a starter tonight, the Phils have turned to J.A. Happ.
Happ has made just one start in his career, and that actually came last year versus the Mets on June 30. It wasn't a day to remember for the 25-year-old, who allowed five runs on seven hits -- including three homers -- in four innings to take the loss.
The left-hander is 5-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 17 starts at Lehigh Valley this season.
<< Serena, Venus prepare for Saturday's all-sister Wimbledon final
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the third time in seven years
the mighty Williams sisters -- Serena and Venus -- will square off in an all-
American, all-sister final on the Wimbledon grass.
The sixth-seeded former world
<< Williams sisters reach Wimbledon doubles final
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The mighty Williams sisters -- Venus
and Serena -- will play for the women's doubles championship Saturday at
Wimbledon. The American sisters, of course, will also decide the singles
victor
<< Jagr to play in Russia
Moscow, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Russian hockey team Avangard Omsk
announced it has signed former New York Rangers star Jaromir Jagr on Friday.
The team confirmed the deal on its Web site, but did not disclose
financ
<< Report: Paul agrees to three-year deal with Hornets
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Orleans Hornets star point guard
Chris Paul has agreed to a three-year contract extension with the club,
according to a report on Thursday from the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
The deal ha
Red Sox send Beckett to hill in holiday matinee with Yankees >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For an offense that hasn't produced many fireworks lately,
a matchup with Josh Beckett might be the last thing the New York Yankees want
to see right now. The Boston Red Sox ace will attempt to pitch his team to a
second stra
Buehrle, White Sox host Athletics and Blanton >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two pitchers who have delivered vastly different results
over the last month go head-to-head when the Chicago White Sox and Oakland
Athletics resume a four-game series tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.
Mark Buehrle is slated
Federer reaches sixth Wimbledon final >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 Roger Federer, seeking a
sixth straight title here, was an easy semifinal winner Friday at Wimbledon.
The reigning five-time champion from Switzerland extended his Wimbledon
winning streak
Red-hot Twins hope to keep rolling versus Indians >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins hope to keep their recent hot streak
going tonight, when the resurgent club begins a three-game home series against
a Cleveland Indians squad desperate to end a five-game slide.
Minnesota has amassed an
MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds
With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.
Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season. Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money.
This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy. A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.
Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:
| Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame) Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma) Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State) Michael Bush (RB, Louisville) Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia) Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville) Chris Leak (QB, Florida) Mike Hart (RB, Michigan) Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State) Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame) Drew Tate (QB, Iowa) Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal) Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn) Chad Henne (QB, Michigan) Kyle Wright (QB, Miami) Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State) Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama) JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU) Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State) Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina) Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech) |
5-2 7-2 7-1 10-1 10-1 12-1 12-1 18-1 18-1 20-1 30-1 35-1 35-1 40-1 50-1 50-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 60-1 |
For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.
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