Homers help Dodgers get past Reds
Baseball Betting Lines
08/22/2010 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manny Ramirez was a non-factor in his return to the Los Angeles lineup, but the Dodgers got home runs from four different players, all on back-to-back occasions, in an 8-5 triumph over the NL Central-leading Reds, snapping Cincinnati's seven-game winning streak.
Ryan Theriot, Andre Ethier, Jay Gibbons and Matt Kemp each hit a solo homer, as the Dodgers bounced back from a 3-1 loss on Friday. That defeat snapped a 12-game home winning streak over the Reds.
Ramirez, who was put on the DL July 20, retroactive to July 17, due to a right calf strain, went hitless in three at-bats and fanned twice before being replaced in left field by Reed Johnson to start the sixth inning.
Chad Billingsley (10-7), who had lost his last two decisions, allowed seven hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander, who also had seven strikeouts, posted his first victory since July 27 at San Diego.
"Four home runs, that came out of nowhere," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "We kept coming at them and did some good things. Chad was okay. He had a tightness in his calf. That's why I took him out."
Jonathan Broxton was back in the closer's role and retired the side in order in the ninth to get his 22nd save.
It was a rough return for Cincinnati righty Johnny Cueto (11-4), who was out while serving a seven-game suspension for his actions in a benches-clearing brawl against St. Louis earlier this month. Cueto permitted five hits, four of them homers, five runs and walked three batters over three innings.
Joey Votto drove in two runs for the Reds, who had an eight-game road winning streak snapped. Their lead in the NL Central was trimmed to 3 1/2 games over the Cardinals, who beat San Francisco earlier Saturday.
Cueto walked three straight batters in the first inning, the last in the stretch to Casey Blake to force in the game's first run.
The Dodgers then played longball in the second with Theriot and Ethier going- back-to-back with two outs. Gibbons homered to center leading off the bottom of the third and Kemp followed suit to left for a 5-0 margin.
"Johnny couldn't find the strike zone," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He lost his rhythm and they started hitting the ball out of the ballpark. We were playing catch-up, but we couldn't trade runs with them."
Drew Stubbs scored on Votto's groundout in the fourth, but Billingsley worked out of a jam in the fifth when he fanned Stubbs to leave two runners on base.
Blake doubled in a run in the fifth and scored on Jamey Carroll's base hit to left.
The Reds scored twice in the sixth and seventh to make it a tight game at 7-5. Jay Bruce lofted a sacrifice fly in the sixth and Ramon Hernandez followed with an RBI double. In the seventh, Votto singled in Brandon Phillips and then Scott Rolen's fielder's choice grounder plated Stubbs. Rolen went to second on a balk, but was left there when Jonny Gomes flied out.
Blake and Carroll singled in the bottom of the inning off Jordan Smith. Brad Ausmus followed by hitting a chopper toward third base, and Rolen's throw home was late, allowing Blake to score.
Game Notes
The Dodgers made room for Ramirez on the roster by designating infielder Juan Castro for assignment...Cueto fell to 0-3 lifetime against the Dodgers...Billingsley hasn't given up a homer in his last 87 innings, the longest current stretch in the majors.
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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies
It's that time of year folks. Betting on American Idol Season 9. And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below. With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.
No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.
Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.
Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.
Odds to Win
There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.
All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.
A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.
Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.
Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol.
Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.
If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.
Elimination Props
Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.
Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.
Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups
The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.
Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson
JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.
Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.
MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .
''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''
Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.
He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.
''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''
Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.
Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.
With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.
Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.