Astros roll past Pirates

Baseball Betting Lines

04/24/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wandy Rodriguez worked 7 1/3 effective innings and was backed by a season-high 13 hits, as Houston topped Pittsburgh, 5-2, at Minute Maid Park.

Rodriguez (1-2) struck out seven, walked one and limited Pittsburgh to five hits and two runs, only one of those earned, to gain his first win of the season.

Hunter Pence had two hits and two RBI and Pedro Feliz stroked a two-run homer for the Astros, who have won seven of nine since starting 0-8. Matt Lindstrom worked out of trouble in the ninth to post his sixth save this season.

Pittsburgh starter Chris Jakubauskas (0-1) faced only four batters in his first appearance of 2010 after being struck in the head by a Lance Berkman line drive. Jakubauskas needed to be carted off the field and was ultimately charged with a pair of hits and two runs in his abbreviated outing.

Jason Jaramillo hit a solo homer and Andrew McCutchen had an RBI single for Pittsburgh, which suffered its fourth consecutive loss.

Jakubauskas had given up a leadoff single to Michael Bourn and retired the next two batters before Berkman stepped to the plate. The unfortunate infield hit kept the inning alive, however, and the newly inserted D.J. Carrasco went on to allow a two-run double down the left-field line by Pence.

An error helped open the door for a Pittsburgh rally in the third. Feliz botched a grounder at third to put Ronny Cedeno aboard, Akinori Iwamura walked and Bobby Crosby singled to load the bases with one out.

McCutchen then ripped a single back through the middle, scoring Cedeno easily, but Bourn's throw in from center was on the money to nail Iwamura at the plate. Garrett Jones struck out to end the rally.

The Astros were back at it in the fourth, loading the bases with nobody out on three straight singles. Humberto Quintero took a base hit back up the middle to score one, but it was McCutchen this time who came up with a strong throw to nail Cory Sullivan at the plate.

Carrasco then fumbled a sacrifice bunt by Rodriguez to re-load the sacks and bring on Javier Lopez from the bullpen. However, the fleet of foot Bourn grounded into a rare double play to end the inning.

Jack Taschner entered for Pittsburgh in the fifth and promptly handed the 'Stros a 5-1 lead as Jeff Keppinger led off with a double and Feliz followed with a two-run homer to left.

Jaramillo got one back for the Bucs with a two-out longball in the seventh, but that would be as close as it got. Brandon Lyon came on for Houston with one out in the eighth and stranded a runner at second, and Lindstrom was able to work through a shaky ninth.

A pair of two-out hits left runners at the corners and Lindstrom walked pinch- hitter Delwyn Young to load the bases. But Lindstrom buckled down to get Cedeno on a fly out to end the game.

Game Notes

Pittsburgh's Andy Laroche had two of the seven Pirate hits...Pittsburgh is winless thus far (0-2) on a 10-game road trip, while Houston moved to 4-1 on its nine-game homestand...Sunday's finale to this three-game series will feature Brett Myers on the mound versus Charlie Morton of the Pirates...The Astros bullpen had retired 22 straight batters before Lindstrom encountered trouble in the ninth...Jakubauskas went to nearby Methodist Hospital and will remain there overnight for further evaluation...Following the game, Houston activated pitcher Sammy Gervacio from the 15-day disabled list and optioned pitcher Wilton Lopez to Triple-A Round Rock. The club also announced pitcher Yorman Bazardo has accepted his outright assignment to Round Rock.

Wwwmindspring Baseball Betting News

<< Hearn clings to lead at South Georgia Classic
Valdosta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Hearn limped in with a one-over 73, but remained in the lead Saturday after three rounds of the Nationwide Tour's South Georgia Classic. Hearn played his final 11 holes at four-over par, making a b

<< Bucks crush Hawks in Game 3
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Salmons scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and had seven assists, and Milwaukee blew out Atlanta, 107-89, in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Jerry Stackhouse came off

<< Schelotto, Hesmer lead Crew over Real Salt Lake
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored his third goal in as many matches, leading the Columbus Crew to a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday at soggy Crew Stadium. Schelotto converted a penalty kick in the 3

<< Rare Mastroeni goal proves to be winner as Rapids top Revs
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rapids earned a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Major League Soccer action on Saturday night. Mehdi Ballouchy and Pablo Mastroeni scored their first re

<< Rays use big eighth inning to beat Jays
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ben Zobrist had a two-run single to cap a seven-run eighth inning, as the Tampa Bay Rays downed Toronto, 9-3, in the middle portion of a three-game set. Jason Bartlett also had a two-run single in

Lilly's sparkling debut sends Cubs past Brewers >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ted Lilly shined in his 2010 debut, tossing six scoreless innings, as the Chicago Cubs defeated Milwaukee, 5-1, in the second contest of a three-game series at Miller Park. Lilly (1-0), who was activate

Galaxy suffer first blemish with draw at K.C. >>
Kansas City, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Galaxy suffered the first blemish on their record after battling to a 0-0 draw against the Kansas City Wizards in Major league Soccer action on Saturday night at ComminutyAmerica Ballpar

HRs by Scutaro and Youkilis key Red Sox over lowly O's >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marco Scutaro and Kevin Youkilis each hit three- run homers during a six-run seventh inning, as the Boston Red Sox edged the lowly Baltimore Orioles, 7-6, in the middle installment of a three-game series at Fenw

Dupuis scores in OT as Pens soar into second round >>
Ottawa, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pascal Dupuis scored the game-winning goal 9:56 into overtime, as the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame a three-goal deficit to close out their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with a 4-3 win over Ottawa

Werth's ninth-inning home run gives Phillies win over D-Backs >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jayson Werth hit a pair of solo home runs, including the game-winning blast in the top of the ninth, as the Philadelphia Phillies edged the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2, in the middle installment of a three-g

Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.