Braves edge Phils in 10 innings at Turner Field
Baseball Betting Lines
06/30/2009 - Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gregor Blanco scored the winning run in the 10th inning as part of a three-hit night, and Martin Prado drove him in as part of a four-RBI evening, as Atlanta used the big bats from two unlikely sources to down Philadelphia, 5-4, at Turner Field.
The first of three contests between National League East rivals came down to Philadelphia's failure to hold three separate leads, and the career nights for both Blanco and Prado, who was initially penciled into the eighth hole before late adjustments found him hitting second.
Blanco, who came into the game with a .148 batting average, and Prado combined to go 7-for-10 with three runs scored. Atlanta snapped a nine-game home losing streak to the Phillies and won its second consecutive game overall.
Jeff Francoeur finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and Peter Moylan (2-2) picked up the victory with two-thirds of an inning pitched. Starter Derek Lowe labored through six frames, allowing seven hits and three walks for two runs along with four strikeouts.
Chase Utley, John Mayberry and Pedro Feliz all homered and Ryan Howard also knocked in a run for the Phillies, who saw their brief two-game winning streak come to an end. Chan Ho Park (3-2) took the loss, allowing the deciding run on three hits in two-thirds of a frame.
Starter Joe Blanton gave up three runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts over five frames. Jimmy Rollins returned from a four-game, five-day sabbatical to clear his head and fix his swing to uninspiring results, finishing 0-for-5 to make him hitless in his last 24 official at- bats.
The bottom of the 10th got going with Matt Diaz's one-out single and he aggressively advanced to third on Blanco's single to left. Prado then drilled an inside fastball from Park over the drawn-in Mayberry to win the game.
Two frames earlier, the Braves tied the game off Ryan Madson. Blanco walked with two outs, moved to second on a wild pick-off attempt and scored on Prado's double down the line in right.
The game was highlighted by several missed opportunities on both sides in the early going. A Jayson Werth walk and Greg Dobbs double off the glove of Blanco in the second forced a Feliz walk to set up a match-up between the sinker- baller Lowe and the slow-footed Carlos Ruiz, who eventually beat a ball into a 5-3 double play.
Atlanta also loaded the bases in the bottom half, but like Lowe, Blanton wiggled out of any damage by inducing a popup from the opposing hurler.
The Phillies used some two-out offense to tally the game's first run in the third. Shane Victorino singled, Utley punched a roller in-between the vacated shortstop position and third then Howard laced a low slider over Francoeur's head and the wall for a run-scoring double.
Atlanta's makeshift top of the order did some damage in the home half, as Blanco tugged a low curveball down the first-base line and into the corner for a triple. Prado then laced a run-scoring single to left.
Utley hit the first home run Lowe has allowed to a left-handed batter this season in the fifth, crushing a flat sinker deep into the right-field seats for a 2-1 game.
Prado got it right back with one swing as he started the home fifth with a line drive just over the left-field wall. Atlanta took the lead later in the inning on Francoeur's bases-loaded groundout, but again left the bases loaded with Lowe making the final out.
Lowe worked his way out of more trouble in the sixth, putting runners on second and third before striking out pinch-hitter Chris Coste to conclude the frame.
However, the Phillies showcased the lumber and hit the first two homers Braves relief pitcher Mike Gonzalez has allowed to right-handed hitters this season. Mayberry hit the first, a line-drive shot that was just high enough over the center-field wall then Feliz cleared the left-field wall for back-to-back homers and 4-3 lead.
Game Notes
Werth reached bases safely in 11 straight plate appearances before flying out to center in the third...The Phillies fell to 6-5 in extra innings while the Braves improved to 5-3...Prado's home run was his 4th of the season...Mayberry has also hit four, Feliz now eight and Utley slugged his 17th home run of the campaign for the Phillies...Utley made his sixth error...The Braves left 14 men on base...Attendance 31,818.
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dan Haren threw seven innings of one-run ball and added a double and solo home run at the plate to help snap the Diamondbacks' five-game losing streak with a 6-2 decision over the Reds. Haren (7-
<< Pirates blank Cubs, complete rare winning mark in June
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Freddy Sanchez doubled and knocked in two
runs, and Ross Ohlendorf tossed seven shutout innings, as the Pittsburgh
Pirates got by the Chicago Cubs, 3-0, in the second of a three-game set at PNC
Park.
<< Flames sign Bouwmeester to multi-year contract
Calgary, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Calgary Flames' gamble paid dividends on
Tuesday, as the club signed defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a multi-year
contract just hours prior to the start of the NHL free agency period.
Over the wee
<< Boozer, Okur to remain with Jazz
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Forward Carlos Boozer and center Mehmet
Okur both announced they will remain with the Utah Jazz for the 2009-10
campaign.
Boozer announced he will exercise his player option and remain with the
<< Suns exercise option on Amundson
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Phoenix Suns exercised the second-year team
option on the contract of forward Louis Amundson.
Signed by the Suns last August, Amundson saw action in a career-high 76 games
last season and averaged 4.2 poin
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Edgar Renteria went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Randy Johnson won the battle of former Cy Young Award winners, as the Giants pulled out a 6-3 victory over Chris Carpenter and the Cardinals in the second test of
Santana can't stop Mets' woes in loss to Brewers >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets threw the baseball all
around the diamond during Milwaukee's four-run fourth frame, and the Brewers
beat Johan Santana in a 6-3 victory at Miller Park.
Ryan Braun was right in the m
White Sox wash away Lee, Tribe in rain-shortened tilt >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gordon Beckham went 3-for-4 with a solo
homer, two runs batted in, and two runs scored as the Chicago White Sox
pounded the Cleveland Indians, 11-4, in a rain-shortened game called in the
top of
Marlins time comeback over Nationals perfectly >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer and knocked in
four, as the Florida Marlins scored three times in the seventh to edge the
Washington Nationals, 7-5, in a rain-shortened game at Land Shark Stadium in
the mid
Cabrera's hit lifts Yankees over Mariners >>
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Melky Cabrera drove in three runs, including the
go-ahead RBI double in the eighth inning, boosting the New York Yankees to
their sixth straight win, 8-5 over Seattle.
Mariano Rivera threw the ceremonial fir
Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook
Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds. The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.
Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.
Not surprisingly, the favorites to go deep the most times this season are Albert Pujols 5-1, Ryan Howard 6-1, David Ortiz 8-1 and Alex Rodriguez 12-1. With 49 homers, Pujols finished second in the National League behind Howard (58). Pujols is considered the favorite due to the consistent power numbers that he has posted since breaking into the league in 2001. Also one must consider the fact that he played in 16 fewer games then Howard did due to an injury. Howard smashed 58 homers in his first complete season of big league play en route to the National League MVP odds award. He silenced his critics by successfully hitting left-handed pitching. Howard also displayed the ability to use his power to the opposite field. Two attributes which should keep Howard amongst the league leaders in long balls for years to come. From the American League representatives, David Ortiz leads the field. Ortiz was second in the majors last year with 54 home runs. Except for 1999 when he only played in 10 games, Ortiz has improved on his home run numbers each year he has been in the majors (1997).
Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.
World Series odds
Adam Dunn 15-1
Albert Pujols 5-1
Alex Rodriguez 12-1
Alfonso Soriano 15-1
Andruw Jones 25-1
Barry Bonds 50-1
Carlos Delgado 40-1
David Ortiz 8-1
Jermaine Dye 40-1
Ken Griffey Jr. 100-1
Lance Berkman 40-1
Manny Ramirez 20-1
Richie Sexson 40-1
Ryan Howard 6-1
Travis Hafner 20-1
Vladimir Guerrero 40-1
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.