Red Sox Baseball

Bob Acton asked:


Any time you start think about investing money in a defending World Champion you do so with a great deal of risk as Las Vegas linemakers are going to make you pay a premium to back them.

Case in point is the Chicago White Sox who stunned the world last year when they knocked off the Houston Astros and stormed out of the gate this year, in impressive fashion.
In recent days though the Ozzie Guillen led team have shown some cracks in the armor and when this happens, you can usually look at the pitching staff as the culprit. They have now lost three in a row and both Jose Contreras and Freddy Garcia were both lir up pretty good by the Cleveland Indians.

Garcia leads the team with 7 victories but those numbers are very misleading and this guy barely gets his fastball past 85 mph on a good day. His ERA is 4.57 and he has given up 74 hits in 69 innings. Meanwhile John Garland as usual is giving up a plethora of homeruns, but he is also not striking anyone out with just 33 K’s in 63 innings.

Chicago returns to the friendly confines of US Cellular Field this weekend to host a Texas team that is surging and leads the AL West. The White Sox have lost five of their last six games to the Rangers (28-25) overall, but have won four of the last five meetings at U.S. Cellular Field.

Texas has won five of its last seven contests and leads the AL West by 3 1/2 games over Oakland.

Jon Garland (4-2, 6.25 ERA) is 1-0 with a 2.75 ERA in three home starts this season. He won on the road Sunday, despite allowing five runs and seven hits in six innings of a 7-5 victory over the Blue Jays. Toronto hit three home runs off of Garland, increasing the 26-year-old right-hander’s season total to 16 homers allowed — the second-most in the majors.

The Rangers open their 10-game road trip with 24-year-old right-hander Kameron Loe (3-5, 4.48) taking the mound on Friday. Loe is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in two career games against the White Sox.

Garland will have his hands full with the red hot Texas hitters, especially Mark Teixeira who is 10-for-28 (.357) with two homers and three doubles in his last eight games, and is 7-for-16 (.438) with two homers, three doubles and 11 RBIs in his career against Garland.

I look for the White Sox to continue slumping and must lean to the Rangers tonight!

Bob Acton

Online Sports Betting



JOHNATHON

Bob Acton asked:


There has to be at least one gambling fan of the Cincinnati Reds in America who woke up May 31st after the Reds had lost their first two games of the road trip to the Cubbies and decided the Reds would win that day!

John Q Public then probably decided to take the Big Red Machine in Texas as they played the Astros and by the time they left the Lone Star state had compiled a nice big bankroll as Cinci swept Houston. Next stop was the “Show Me” state of Missouri and could Reds bettor have the guts to play them against the vaunted Cardinals? Why not as Pujols is on the shelf, and the Reds are pounding the ball!

If Reds fan backed them all the way through Houston and St. Louis he is one happy camper today as they have reeled off 7 in a row and head home to Ohio, to face Chicago. Tonight I would be betting with the whole bankroll as the Reds look like a mortal lock.

The Reds are averaging 7.4 runs while batting .303 with 13 home runs during their winning streak, and have not won eight consecutive games since winning 10 straight from June 21-July 1, 1999.
Ken Griffey Jr. did not play Wednesday because of a tight left quadriceps muscle, but Reds manager Jerry Narron expects him back in the lineup for Thursday’s contest.

Griffey is batting .471 (16-for-34) with four home runs and eight RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak. Adam Dunn is 11-for-29 (.379) with five home runs in eight games against the Cubs this season, and is 10-for-25 (.400) with six homers and 12 RBIs in his career against Thursday’s Cubs starter, Glendon Rusch.

As I mentioned in a previous article, the Boston Red Sox must be kicking themselves for trading Bronson Arroyo to the Reds for Willy Mo Pena as the right hander has been on fire all year with his arm and his bat!

Arroyo (7-2, 2.40) has homered off Rusch twice this season, in an 8-6 win over the Cubs on April 5 at Cincinnati and again in a 9-2 victory at Wrigley Field on April 11.

Arroyo went 3-for-3 with a career-high four RBIs, while allowing two unearned runs and eight hits in six innings in a 7-5 win over Houston on Saturday.

The right-hander has allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his 12 starts, and the Reds are 9-3 when he takes the mound.

Arroyo is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts against Chicago this season, both of them wins over Rusch.

The Reds are doing this as well without any offensive contribution from catcher Jason LaRue who is 1-30 in the month of June.

Bob Acton

Current baseball betting lines



NEIL

Daniel Kline asked:


Fenway Park

Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek homered to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 5-3 victory over the suddenly struggling Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night. Matt Clement pitched 6 2/3 solid innings, helping the AL East-leading Red Sox to their ninth win in 12 games. The Phillies have lost fourth straight after a 13-1 stretch.

Clement (4-3) allowed three runs and five hits. He left after allowing consecutive two-out singles in the seventh. Keith Foulke entered and allowed Utley’s two-run double into the right-field corner before striking out Bobby Abreu to preserve a two-run lead.

The Boston Red Sox are showing why they have so much history in baseball. Boston is currently 24-15 and holds one of the best records in the league just behind the White Sox and the Tigers in the American League.

Lineup

1. Trot Nixon, RF. 2.Mark Loretta, 2nd B. 3. David Ortiz, 1st B. 4. Manny Ramirez, LF. 5. Jason Varitek, C. 6.Mike Lowell, 3rd B. 7. Wily Mo Pena, CF. 8.Alex Gonzalez, SS. 9.Matt Clement, P.

Aubrey Huff 10th-inning home run gave the Tampa Bay Devil Rays a 5-4 victory Friday night over the Florida Marlins and also gave him the added satisfaction of helping his former minor league manager get his first big league win.

Bill Evers, in his first season as a major league coach, is filling in during the first two games of the interleague series while manager Joe Maddon is attending his girlfriend’s graduation from law school in California.

“I haven’t hit that many balls hard. It’s good to get something going and contribute,” said Huff, who also had a RBI double and went 2-for-4 after beginning the night batting .123 with no homers.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays ended a seven-game losing streak in an intrastate rivalry that’s never really taken off with fans in the Sunshine State. Attendance at Tropicana Field was announced as 10,017 — lowest ever for a home game against the Marlins.

The D’Rays really needed to end their losing streak because they don’t exactly have one of the best records in the league and if they want to have something better than the last place they need to play more focus and not commit as many mistakes ad they have in the past.

Interesting series to watch, surely most sportsbooks will have the Red Sox as big favorites; but if Tampa Bay can win at least one game it’ll be a good thing for people who like to bet on the underdog, you just have to find out when it will happen.

Lineup

1. Julio Lugo, SS. 2. Carl Crawford, LF. 3. Jonny Gomes, DH. 4. Aubrey Huff, 3rd B. 5. Ty Wigginton, 2nd B. 6. Travis Lee, 1B. 7. Toby Hall, C. 8. Damon Hollins, RF. 9. Joey Gathright, CF.



ROYAL

Steven Zoine asked:


A New York-Boston bout is the greatest feud in all of sports. No other match up in professional sports offers as much history, hostility, and competition as when the Yanks and Sox assemble and prepare to battle. Where else can you see a 73-year-old coach thrown to the ground by the opposing team’s ace pitcher? The only place to catch such action and intensity is in the Bronx or at Fenway Park. The New York-Boston hatred is unmatched in professional sports and is something baseball needs to survive in an era marked by an asterisk.

During a time in baseball in which many spectators are left feeling bamboozled due to accusations of performance enhancing drug use, the sport needs something to pull itself out of the gutter. The one thing that can revive America’s hallmark pastime is the grudge match between the “Evil Empire” and the formerly cursed BoSox.

Whether it be George Steinbrenner calling out his own club or the opposing Sox, you can guarantee that whatever the outcome is, it will be historic. Anytime these two teams meet for an American League East war, the fire starts to rekindle in fan’s eyes.

No other duel in sports has created such abhorrence between two cities as the Yankees and Red Sox have. No other rivalry has been a catalyst for causing two members of the grounds crew to jump into the visiting bullpen to try to take on Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia as we have seen in the 2003 ALCS at Fenway Park.

The Yankees and Red Sox have an historic, and at the same time, a maniacal, relationship. The bitter vengeance between these two teams is something that needs to be present in order for baseball to survive. Every person in America is sick of hearing about Barry Bonds, BALCO, and every other mind numbing steroid allegation that has been regurgitated over and over again in the past few months. Yankees-Red Sox games are the perfect way for fans to regain appreciation for the sport by recognizing the great history between the two teams.

Even in May, when games do not carry as much weight as they do at the end of the season, New York against Boston is a big deal. Early season match ups between the two teams always pressure players into bringing their ‘A game’ to the ballpark and allow fans of the respective cities to gain bragging rights.

There are other great rivalries all throughout sports, but none of them contain the gusto and all pale in comparison to the zeal that is brought to the table when Joe Torre’s squad goes up against Terry Francona’s. No other rivalry has as rich a history and deep disdain as the saga that is brought on when Bean-town comes to the Bronx or vice versa, and quite frankly, there never will be another rivalry that is half as great.

Odds on the Yankees to win this week’s series were 5/8 @ http://www.WagerWeb.com



CHADWICK

Daniel Kline asked:


Last week the Yankees had one of the most impressive comebacks this franchise has seen; they were down nine runs in the second inning and ended winning 14-13 thanks to a two run homer from Jorge Posada, Jeter Also contributed to the victory.

Jeter went 4-for-5 with a homer, four RBI and three runs. He also threw out a runner at the plate and stole third base.

“To be honest, I always thought we had a chance,” Jeter said. “You try to get one back at a time. You can’t get them all at once, and that’s what we did.”

The Yankees overcame a nine-run deficit for the fourth time in their storied history. The last time was a 12-11 win in 10 innings against the rival Red Sox on June 26, 1987. Boston’s starting pitcher in that one was Roger Clemens.

It was a positive win for the Yankees that needed to keep the winning record, since they are in one of the toughest divisions in the league. They can’t allow important victories to slip away mostly against teams not as good as this one, in this division every victory is very important.

Lineup

1. Johnny Damon, CF. 2.Derek Jeter, SS. 3.Jason Giambi, DH. 4. Alex Rodriguez, 3rd B. 5. Jorge Posada, C. 6.Robinson Cano, 2nd B. 7. Bernie Williams, RF. 8.Andy Phillips, 1st B. 9. Bubba Crosby, LF.

Kurt Schilling got his sixth victory of the year in last week’s game against the Orioles on Tuesday night; Schilling earned his sixth win despite giving up three home runs, and the Red Sox got homers from Manny Ramirez and Trot Nixon in a 6-5 victory Tuesday night.

Schilling (6-2) allowed five runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. He also yielded three homers in his previous start, a loss to the New York Yankees, but this time the Red Sox were able to mount enough offense to overcome the blows.

“It’s a win. It’s a win because our bullpen is what it is and offensively we do what we have to do,” Schilling said. “I had about zero input in this game, other than getting the first 17 outs.”

The Red Sox currently 23-14 are in a very tough division, in which they don’t have the luxury to play bad baseball and still get the victories. They need to focus and start playing better, this team has a great offense and of course a wonderful bullpen that give them an equilibrium that most teams don’t have. If they can find a rhythm they will be valid contenders for the World Series.

This is a big old rivalry in baseball in which you can’t pass the opportunity to bet on and spice up this game even more.

Lineup

1. Kevin Youkilis, 1st B. 2. Mark Loretta, 2nd B. 3. David Ortiz, DH. 4. Manny Ramirez, LF. 5. Mike Lowell, 3rd B. 6. Wily Mo Pena, CF. 7.Trot Nixon, RF. 8.Doug Mirabelli, C. 9.Alex Gonzalez, SS.



GONZALO

Bob Acton asked:


In the past several years, as the Boston Red Sox have lurked around the top of the American League East, the one constant and reliable figure on the hill has been Tim Wakefield. The knuckleballer was second on the team with 119 2/3 innings, but after grappling with back discomfort for the better part of a month he could land on the disabled list.

For now he is considered ‘day-to-day’ and will undergo a more thorough medical evaluation on Tuesday. Regardless of whether Wakefield ends up on the disabled list or not his injury highlights the team’s continuing struggle to get innings from its starters.

After enduring six occasions in the last 10 games in which the team’s starter lasted five or fewer innings, the Sox are famished for innings. If they do not receive more substantial contributions the club could overtax its bullpen.

LHP Jon Lester, Tuesday’s Red Sox starter, has averaged just 5 1/3 innings per start despite an impressive 2.89 ERA. The 22-year-old has run up high pitch counts partly the result of occasional wildness and partly the result of an effort to be precise. While his excellent three-pitch repertoire could allow him to succeed while attacking the strike zone, the Sox don’t want to force the issue.

380 — The number of games that Red Sox players spent on the disabled list through July 14!

The other Sox’s team and defending champion White Sox No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters, which have mostly been Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye, entered the second half hitting a league-best .319 with 77 home runs, 236 RBIs, 199 runs and 137 walks.

The Tigers are a combined 3-10 against Chicago, Boston and the New York Yankees, but most of the games were closely contested and came early in the season when Detroit was not nearly as confident in itself as it is now. Detroit encounters one of the few teams to blemish their season Tuesday when the second-place Chicago White Sox visit Comerica Park for a three-game series.

RHP Jason Grilli has pitched well in a spot relief role this season. Grilli has allowed a total of one run in 14 of his last 18 outings. He’s been used to get a single specific batter out, been asked to go an inning or more, worked early relief, mop-up and to keep his team in the game so it can come back.

The Tigers were only the 10th team in the last 30 years to win 60 games before they had played 90.

Dustin Moseley was far from spectacular, but good enough to win his major league debut Monday in the Angels’ 10-5 victory over the Indians.

Now it’s Joe Saunders’ turn.

The Angels will start a pitcher just called up from triple-A Salt Lake for the second straight game when Saunders opposes the Indians sporting a 10-3 record that he compiled at Salt Lake.

The newcomers are needed because Jered Weaver and Kelvim Escobar suffered injuries, but the Angels are hopeful Weaver can pitch on Saturday and Escobar on Sunday. The Angels have a 12-1 record in July and a season-best seven-game winning streak following a 10-5 win over the Indians. It is the first time in the club’s history that the Angels have started any month with a 12-1 record.

Sidney Ponson hasn’t been on the mound since July 6 when he went six innings for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Houston Astros. He was designated for assignment the next day, was waived, and then was claimed by the Yankees last Thursday. He will make his debut in pinstripes on Tuesday against the Mariners.

Now 54-36, the Yankees joined the Tigers, White Sox and Red Sox as the only teams playing .600 baseball. At least one of those teams won’t make the playoffs which sets up an interesting summer for online sports betting.

Bob Acton

Online Sports Betting



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