Reds return home to face slumping D-Backs
Baseball Betting Lines
06/30/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Dan Haren looks for a measure of midseason revenge tonight, when his Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Cincinnati for the opener of a three-game series with the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Haren, a 16-game winner last season, was beaten 3-1 by the Reds in his initial meeting with them this season, on May 12 in Phoenix. He gave up six hits and three runs over seven innings in the loss, which dropped him at the time to 3-4.
He's won three of four decisions since, however, beating Atlanta, Houston and Kansas City and kick-starting a six-start stretch on May 28 in which he's allowed two earned runs or fewer in each outing.
In his last start, a 2-1 loss to Texas on Wednesday, Haren gave up just four hits and two runs in seven innings, while walking one batter and striking out eight.
He is 1-2 lifetime against the Reds in five appearances, including four starts.
For Cincinnati, right-hander Bronson Arroyo once again looks for a win on the heels of a poor outing.
The Key West, Fla. native was tagged for eight hits and six earned runs in Wednesday's start at Toronto, in which he lasted just 3 2/3 innings of an 8-2 Reds loss. Previously, he'd beaten the Chicago White Sox after allowing just two hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Arroyo beat the Diamondbacks for the first time in his career on May 11, allowing 10 hits and five runs in seven innings of a 13-5 triumph. He is 1-2 against them in seven lifetime appearances, including five starts.
Overall, in his last three wins, Arroyo has allowed 12 hits and four runs in 23 2/3 innings. In his last three losses, he's given up 26 hits and 18 runs in 14 innings.
Arizona enters this series after being swept in three games at home by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In Sunday's finale, Maicer Izturis went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and three runs scored as the Angels hung on to beat the Diamondbacks, 12-8.
Gerardo Parra and Miguel Montero each had a pair of hits and two RBI for the Diamondbacks, who lost their fifth straight game and eighth of their last nine contests. Tony Clark stroked a two-run double for Arizona, which had 15 hits in the game. Stephen Drew and Mark Reynolds each knocked in a run in defeat.
Diamondbacks starter Max Scherzer (5-5) got blasted in 4 1/3 innings, giving up eight runs -- three earned -- on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts to take the loss. Scherzer had a three-start winning streak snapped.
Cincinnati was also last in action on Sunday, when Brandon Phillips went 3- for-5 with three runs batted in and three runs scored as the Reds breezed past the Indians, 8-1, in the rubber match of a three-game interleague set at Progressive Field.
Jonny Gomes hit a two-run homer and Ramon Hernandez went 3-for-5 with three RBI for the Reds, who have won three of four since dropping the previous four games.
Micah Owings (5-8) picked up the win after going six-plus innings. The right- hander allowed a run on five hits, walked four and struck out four. He had lost five of the last six decisions coming into the contest, but improved to 2-6 in his last nine road appearances.
Cincinnati swept a three-game series from the Diamondbacks in Phoenix from May 11-13 and has won five in a row and seven of its last eight matchups with Arizona.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays bested one of the best pitchers in the majors last night and will try to duplicate that success Tuesday, when they resume a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Rays knoc
<< Yankees host Mariners in the Bronx
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hard-throwing right-hander Joba Chamberlain tries again for
win No. 1 on his new home field tonight, when the New York Yankees host the
Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Chamberlai
<< Indians send Lee to hill vs. White Sox
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Cliff Lee goes for two straight wins over Chicago and
three straight overall when his Cleveland Indians host the White Sox tonight
in the middle game of a three-game series at Progressive Field.
The American Leag
<< Cubs, Pirates resume series in the Steel City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs will try to get back to the .500 mark this
evening, when they resume a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates
at PNC Park.
Chicago ended a two-game losing streak with Monday's 3-1 win over the Pi
<< Boston's Smoltz tries again for win at Baltimore
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Smoltz will be attempting to atone for a shaky debut
in a Boston Red Sox uniform when the star pitcher takes the mound for
tonight's clash with the Baltimore Orioles from Camden Yards.
Smoltz's first major
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of rookies face their respective opponents - and each other - for the first time tonight, when the Washington Nationals visit the Florida Marlins for the middle test of a three-game series at Land Shark Stadium. Th
Phils head to Atlanta for NL East clash >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies will close out the last portion
of their current road trip with the first of three straight games against the
NL East-rival Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
Philadelphia is 2 1/2 games ahead of the
Brewers aim to extend Mets' recent misery >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Milwaukee Brewers are improving their stance in
the National League Central, they're making it very difficult for the New York
Mets to climb the NL East standings.
The NL Central-leading Brewers will resume a thr
Johnson, Giants vie for another win over reeling Cards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ageless lefty Randy Johnson seeks a third straight win and
a fifth in six decisions tonight, when the San Francisco Giants visit Busch
Stadium for game two of four against the host St. Louis Cardinals.
The Giants won the o
Seattle's Jaqua wins MLS Player of the Week >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle Sounders FC forward Nate Jaqua claimed
Major League Soccer's Player of the Week award for Week 15.
Jaqua tallied two goals and an assist in Sunday's 3-0 victory over the Colorado
Rapids in front of mo
MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.