Cards try to best Mets once again
Baseball Betting Lines
04/22/2009 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joel Pineiro tries to stay perfect on the season when he
toes the rubber for the St. Louis Cardinals tonight in the middle test of a
three-game series versus the New York Mets at Busch Stadium.
Pineiro opened the season on April 10 versus Houston and earned the win with 6
2/3 innings of two-run ball. He then took the hill again on April 15 at
Arizona, recording the win despite surrendering five runs and nine hits over
five innings of work. He received more than enough run support in that one, as
the Cardinals posted a 12-7 triumph.
The right-hander is unbeaten against the Mets, as evidenced by a 1-0 mark and
4.76 ERA in three career starts.
St. Louis opened a six-game homestand with Tuesday's 6-4 victory over the
Mets, as Rick Ankiel posted three hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the
eighth inning to lead the way. Yadier Molina also had three hits while Albert
Pujols knocked in a pair of runs for St. Louis, which had lost two of three to
the Cubs in a rain-shortened series over the weekend.
Jason Motte recorded the final two outs in the eighth to pick up the win and
Ryan Franklin set down New York in order in the ninth for his third save of
the season. Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer did not factor in the decision
and allowed four runs on 10 hits in five innings.
The Cardinals will host the Central rival Cubs for three games after this
series with the Mets.
New York has lost two in a row for the third time this season and experienced
another rough outing with Oliver Perez on the hill. Perez was reached for four
runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings, but it was new set-up man J.J. Putz who
suffered the loss for the Mets. Putz gave up two costly runs and three hits in
the eighth.
Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran each ended with two hits and an
RBI for the Mets, while Daniel Murphy also drove in a run.
Toeing the rubber for the Mets tonight will be John Maine, who is 0-1 with a
7.20 ERA in two trips to the mound this season. Maine is coming off a rough
outing Thursday against San Diego, as he yielded six runs and seven hits
over five innings of a 6-5 loss.
The right-hander, who did not record a decision in a 5-4 loss to Florida in
his season debut on April 10, is 1-1 with a 5.63 earned run average in three
career starts against St. Louis.
New York won four of seven meetings with St. Louis a year ago.
<< Dodgers aim to get back rolling in second test with Astros
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to start a new winning
streak when they resume a three-game series against the Houston Astros tonight
at Minute Maid Park.
Los Angeles entered Tuesday's series opener riding an eight-game t
<< Ace hurlers face off as Orioles, ChiSox resume set
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two unbeaten pitchers square off tonight at Baltimore's
Camden Yards, where the Orioles and Chicago White Sox resume a three-game
series.
Orioles ace Jeremy Guthrie is 2-0 with a 4.32 earned run average in three
starts th
<< Lee, Indians go for second straight win over Royals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee
seems to be back on track after back-to-back losses to start the season. He
will try to prove it tonight against the Kansas City Royals at Jacobs Field.
Lee, who wen
<< Angels continue home series with Tigers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will try to win back-to-
back games for the first time this season, as they resume a three-game series
tonight with the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium.
Having won back-to-back America
<< Philadelphia Eagles 2009 Draft Preview (Revised)
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Eagles took care of a major offseason need last week,
when they acquired Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters from the Bills in a
package that sent the team's No. 28 overall pick to Buffalo. With that need
out of the way, Ph
Buffalo Bills 2009 Draft Preview (Revised) >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Bills picked up an extra first-round pick (No. 28
overall) as well as a 2009 fourth-rounder when they dealt Pro Bowl left tackle
Jason Peters to the Eagles last week, but also created a glaring need at
Peters' vacated spo
Miami Dolphins 2009 Draft Preview (Revised) >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The metamorphosis continues for Bill Parcells, Tony Sparano
and company, and as we found out last year, defense is at the heart of the
organization's transition. With cornerback Andre' Goodman and safety Renaldo
Hill now wear
Saunders to coach Wizards >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Wizards confirmed Wednesday
that Flip Saunders will become their next head coach and that he's expected to
be formally introduced at a press conference Thursday.
Several media outlets report
Report: Mavs' Terry wins Sixth Man Award >>
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry reportedly
captured the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Terry will receive the award at a press
conference on Friday.
In order
Benitez admits title worries >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has
admitted Manchester United is in the driving seat in the title race following
his side's 4-4 draw with Arsenal.
The Reds moved back to the top of the Premier Le
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
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Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
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