Sanchez, Rodriguez help Astros blank Brewers
Baseball Betting Lines
07/31/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Angel Sanchez drove in two runs and Wandy Rodriguez tossed eight scoreless innings, as the Houston Astros dominated the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-0, in the second test of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.
Rodriguez (9-11) allowed five hits, struck out nine and walked one to win his third straight start. The left-hander is 6-1 over his last seven starts, allowing one earned run or fewer in five of those games.
Chris Johnson, Jeff Keppinger, Jason Michaels, and Michael Bourn each had an RBI for the Astros, who have won four in a row. First baseman Brett Wallace went 0-for-4 in his MLB debut.
Earlier Saturday, Houston traded veteran first baseman Lance Berkman and cash to the New York Yankees in exchange for pitcher Mark Melancon and infielder Jimmy Paredes.
Dave Bush (5-9) got rocked in five frames, giving up six runs on 10 hits for the Brewers, who have dropped four straight games. The right-hander fell to 1-3 in his last four starts.
After the Brewers stranded runners on the corners in the top of the first, the Astros plated two runs in the home half. Bourn walked, stole second, and scored on Sanchez's base hit. Keppinger followed with a single to put men on first and second. Hunter Pence grounded out to move the runners up a base, and a Michaels sacrifice fly made it 2-0.
Houston got three more runs off Bush in the second to build a 5-0 lead. Johnson and Jason Castro started things with consecutive singles. Bourn hit an RBI double two batters later. Sanchez's RBI groundout and Keppinger's run- scoring single capped the scoring in the frame.
Johnson's RBI double in the fifth extended the Astros' margin to six.
Rodriguez retired nine straight batters before giving up a leadoff double to Ryan Braun in the seventh. Casey McGehee struck out and Jonathan Lucroy flied out in front of Alcides Escobar's walk. Carlos Gomez, though, struck out to end the threat.
Houston reliever Tim Byrdak loaded the bases with one out in the ninth. Nelson Figueroa then took over on the hill and struck out Escobar and pinch-hitter Joe Inglett.
Game Notes
The Astros lead the season series with the Brewers, 5-3...On Thursday, Houston acquired pitcher J.A. Happ and minor leaguers Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose from the Phillies in exchange for pitcher Roy Oswalt. The Astros then made a second deal, sending Gose to Toronto for Wallace, who had his contract purchased from Triple-A Round Rock prior to Saturday's game. Houston also transferred pitcher Felipe Paulino from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list...Johnson extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest by an Astros rookie since Julio Lugo's 14-game run in 2000...Milwaukee lost 5-0 in the series opener on Friday and is 0-for-19 with runners in scoring position over the first two games of this set.
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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).
Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.
A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.
Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.
"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.
De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.
The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.
The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.
De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.
Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.
But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.
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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
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