08/28/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins hope to end a nine-game road trip on a winning note in tonight's rubber match with the Atlanta Braves from Turner Field.
Florida has gone 4-4 thus far on the swing, which also featured stops in San Francisco and Arizona, but has lost ground in the National League East race during the course of the trip. The Marlins are currently 5 1/2 games behind the division-leading New York Mets, with second-place Philadelphia a half-game off the lead.
The Marlins will host the Mets for three important games beginning Friday.
Florida evened their record on the trek, as well as this three-game series with the Braves, behind a masterful performance from starting pitcher Josh Johnson on Wednesday. The right-hander threw his first complete game in leading the Marlins to a 4-1 victory.
Johnson (4-0) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and yielded just four hits along with the one Atlanta run. He struck out eight in an impressive 113- pitch effort.
Hanley Ramirez delivered a two-run single and Dan Uggla finished 2-for-3 with a solo homer and scored three times for the Marlins. Ramirez also collected two hits on the night.
Mike Hampton (2-2) pitched well for the Braves in defeat, with the oft-injured southpaw working eight innings and allowing three runs while fanning five.
Atlanta has now lost eight of its last 10 games and is just 3-13 since August 10.
Anibal Sanchez will be attempting to duplicate Johnson's outstanding showing when he takes the mound for the Marlins this evening. Like Johnson, Sanchez missed the entire first half of the season due to injury but has been provided a boost to the Florida rotation with his return. The 24-year-old, who did not pitch until July 31 due to shoulder surgery, has gone 2-2 with a 3.99 earned run average in his five season starts.
Sanchez is coming off a rather shaky outing on Friday, when he gave up four runs and eight hits through 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision at Arizona. The right-hander did struck out seven Diamondbacks while issuing just one walk, however.
The native Venezuelan has made two career starts against Atlanta, both of which came at Turner Field during the 2006 season, and is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA versus the Braves.
Atlanta counters with the badly struggling Charlie Morton, who enters tonight's tilt having lost six of his last seven starts and lasted a mere 1 1/3 innings his most recent time out. That came at St. Louis on Friday, with the rookie surrendering four runs and walking five batters in an 18-3 Braves' setback.
Over his last three starts, all of which have been losses, Morton has allowed 11 runs and issued 11 walks in just 9 2/3 innings.
The 24-year-old's rough seven-start stretch began with a defeat by the Marlins in Miami on July 22. He gave up just two hits over 5 2/3 innings in that contest, but four walks by the right-hander led to four Florida runs.
Atlanta leads the 2008 season series with Florida by an 8-6 margin and has won four of the last six matchups between the teams. The Braves are 5-3 at Turner Field versus the Marlins this season.
<< Harang targets back-to-back wins in finale with Astros
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Aaron Harang will try to win consecutive
starts for the first time this season tonight when the Cincinnati Reds close
out a three-game midweek series with the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Harang, a 16
<< Around FCS: CAA Heavyweights Take Aim For Title
Philadelphia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Every week in the Colonial Athletic
Association is something akin to a series of heavyweight elimination bouts.
The contestants get battered and bruised and a team or two is eventually is
left standing with
<< Red Sox hoping to pay last respects to Yankee Stadium with sweep
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jon Lester attempts to bounce back from one of his worst
starts of the season this afternoon, when the Boston Red Sox try to complete a
three-game sweep of the New York Yankees in what will likely be the final game
played
<< Angels activate Willits from disabled list
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim activated
outfielder Reggie Willits from the 15-day disabled list prior to Wednesday's
6-5 loss to the Oakland Athletics.
Willits pinch-hit for Mike Napoli in the ninth t
Angels continue homestand with visit from Rangers >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels continue to tune up for the
postseason as they open a four-game series with the Texas Rangers tonight at
Angel Stadium.
Los Angeles enters tonight's tilt having dropped nine of its last 14
Twins visit A's in next stop on grueling trip >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins continue their push towards the
postseason this evening, when they continue their 14-game road trip with the
first of four clashes against the Oakland Athletics at McAfee Coliseum.
Minnesota,
Around FCS: Rest Of Conference Chases McNeese State >>
Philadelphia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - McNeese State regained its swagger in 2007,
going undefeated in the regular season on the way to another Southland
Conference title.
It was the second straight championship for the Cowboys after they had slipp
Keeping the Good Times Rolling >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - College football fans across the country
have waited patiently (tongue planted firmly in cheek) for the 2008 season to
arrive. The anticipation is that much greater for programs that surprised the
country in
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.
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