Astros, Pirates start series in Steel City

Baseball Betting Lines

06/03/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Phil Dumatrait will try to make it two strong starts in a row tonight when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Houston Astros in the first game of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Dumatrait entered 2008 without a major league victory, but picked up his second of the season with seven innings of two-hit ball against Cincinnati on May 29, allowing an unearned run and striking out nine in a 7-2 Pirates win.

The 26-year-old had reached the big leagues with the Reds last season but was 0-4 with a 15.00 earned run average in six starts over 18 innings.

He dropped his first decision with the Pirates this year, but has since won two of three, including a scoreless 5 2/3-inning effort against St. Louis on May 7, in which he allowed three hits and struck out five.

Dumatrait has never faced the Astros.

Lefty Wandy Rodriguez made his second start in a month-in-a-half for Houston.

The 29-year-old was touched for six hits and three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Cardinals on May 28, dropping a 6-1 decision.

Rodriguez downed Florida for his lone win of the season on April 13, scattering five hits and allowing a single run over seven innings of a 5-1 Astros triumph.

He's made eight lifetime starts against the Pirates and is 2-3 with a 5.65 ERA in 43 innings, walking 15 batters and striking out 46.

On Monday in St. Louis, Adam Wainwright was well on his way to another dominant start, but Pittsburgh scored four runs in the seventh and added the game-winning tally on Jason Bay's RBI single in the eighth to post a 5-4 victory over St. Louis in the finale of a four-game series.

Matt Capps collected his 11th save of the season with a scoreless ninth, while Franquelis Osoria (3-1) picked up the victory with 1 2/3 scoreless frames. Wainwright, meanwhile, went eight innings and gave up five runs on seven hits to take the loss.

Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny gave up four runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts over six frames.

On Sunday in Milwaukee, Dave Bush threw seven stellar innings to lead the Brewers to a 10-1 victory over the Astros to complete a three-game sweep.

Mark Loretta provided Houston's only offense with his first home run of the season. Shawn Chacon (2-1) lasted just one inning and allowed four runs on two hits.

The Astros have lost five in a row on their nine-game road trip and were outscored 19-3 during the sweep at Miller Park.

Pittsburgh won 10 of its 15 matchups with the Astros last season.

Wwwnydailynews Baseball Betting News

<< Cards send Lohse to hill in DC
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Unlikely standout Kyle Lohse can get a second 2008 victory over Washington tonight when the St. Louis Cardinals head to Nationals Park to open a three-game series with the homestanding Nationals. Lohse, a three-game winne

<< Papi-less Red Sox welcome first-place Rays to Fenway
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The unlikeliest of first-place battles commences tonight at Fenway Park when the Tampa Bay Rays head to Boston for the first of three- games with the defending World Series champion Red Sox. Long the doormat of the Americ

<< Big Brown has final Belmont Stakes workout
Elmont, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown had his only official workout Tuesday morning for Saturday's Belmont Stakes. The leading three-year-old worked five furlongs on the Belmont Park track i

<< NHL's Longest Stanley Cup Finals
Longest Stanley Cup finals that have gone past two overtimes, with date, score, round, time of overtime and game-winning goal:May 15, 1990 - Edmonton 3, Boston 2, final, 55:13, Petr Klima.June 19, 1999 - Dallas 2, Buffalo 1, Stanley Cup winner, 54:5

<< 2008 Playoff Overtime Goals
June 2 - Pittsburgh 4, Detroit 3, 3OT; Petr Sykora, 9:57.Conference SemifinalsMay 4 - Dallas 2, San Jose 1, 4OT; Brenden Morrow, 9:03.May 4 - Pittsburgh 3, N.Y. Rangers 2, OT; Marian Hossa, 7:10.May 2 - San Jose 3, Dallas 2; OT; Joe Pavelski, 1:05.A

Astros haven't been able to stop the bleeding >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros are finding out the hard way just how quickly fortunes can change. A week ago, they sat at seven games above .500, and were just 1 1/2 games back of the National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs. Sinc

Marlins hope to get road trip on track in Atlanta >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins are not having the type of road trip they had anticipated, as they resume a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves this evening at Turner Field. Florida entered its current swing against NL East op

Diamondbacks send Big Unit to hill to battle Brewers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Randy Johnson took the mound the bullpen blew his solid performance. Tonight, the Big Unit will try again to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to victory in the second test of a three-game series against the Milwauk

Willis returns to starting role, as Tigers tangle with A's >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dontrelle Willis makes his first start in nearly two months this evening when the Detroit Tigers play the middle tilt of their three-game series with the Oakland Athletics at McAfee Coliseum. Willis, who is 0-1 with a 7.50

Indians send Mastny to hill at Texas >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tom Mastny makes his first major league start this evening when the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers play the second of four games at Rangers Ballpark. Mastny gets the call tonight in place of Jake Westbrook, who

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.