07/03/2009 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jake Fox drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Ryan Theriot in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the Chicago Cubs edged the Milwaukee Brewers, 2-1, in the second of a four-game set at Wrigley Field.
Theriot finished 2-for-5, while Mike Fontenot and Koyie Hill each had two hits apiece for the Cubs, who took the first two games of the series and have won four of five overall.
Carlos Zambrano went an effective seven innings, but did not factor in the decision. The burly right-hander allowed one run on five hits, struck out three and walked the same number of batters. He also had an RBI single. Kevin Gregg (3-2) was credited with the win after working two scoreless innings.
Corey Hart accounted for the lone Milwaukee run with a bases loaded walk. The Brewers have dropped three straight. Craig Counsell had a hit and scored in defeat.
Jeff Suppan pitched to a no-decision after going seven solid innings. He gave up a run on four hits, walked a pair and fanned four.
In the home 10th, Theriot reached with a one-out single off Mark DiFelice (4- 1), took second on a wild pitch and made it to third on Derrek Lee's fly out to right. DiFelice then walked Milton Bradley and Geovany Soto intentionally, bringing Fox to the plate. After fouling off three straight 3-2 count pitches, the rookie took one a bit inside for ball four and scoring Theriot to give the Cubs the win.
Milwaukee was able to scratch out a run to open the scoring in the top of the fourth. Counsell and Ryan Braun each singled, and Fielder was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a brief mound conference, Zambrano settled down to get the next two hitters to pop out, but walked Hart to force in a run.
Then in the home half, Lee was plunked by Suppan with one away, prompting warnings from home-plate umpire Bill Welke. The Cubs evened things in the fifth when Zambrano laced a single to center that brought home Fox, who was hit by a pitch to start the inning.
In the top of the seventh, the Brewers mounted a threat, putting the first two runners on with nobody out. Zambrano then struck out Counsell and retired Braun, before Fielder grounded a base hit through the right side, but Suppan, who reached with a leadoff single was thrown out at the plate by Kosuke Fukudome to keep the game tied at 1-1.
The Brewers had a two-out threat in the top of the ninth, putting two on base, but Gregg got Braun to pop out to short. Then in the home half Sam Fuld lined into a double-play and the game went into extra innings.
Game Notes
Milwaukee has lost five of its eight meetings with the Cubs this season, but won in five of its nine visits to Wrigley a year ago...Both teams went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners apiece.
<< D.C., Columbus clash for top spot in East
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.C. United coach Tom Soehn was excited to have
last weekend off in MLS and thinks the Eastern Conference leaders are refreshed
for Saturday's trip to the Columbus Crew, even though they continued defense of
thei
<< Cano, A-Rod homer as Yankees top Toronto
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez each homered
as the New York Yankees doubled up Toronto, 4-2, in the opener of a four-game
set.
Mark Teixeira added a hit and an RBI for the Yankees, who have won eight of
<< Turkoglu to join Blazers
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sharp-shooting forward Hedo Turkoglu is
leaving Orlando for the Great Northwest, reportedly coming to terms on a five-
year, $50 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Oregonian newspap
<< Reds activate 3B Encarnacion from DL
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cincinnati third baseman Edwin Encarnacion
was activated from the 60-day disabled list prior to Friday's game against the
St. Louis Cardinals.
Encarnacion had been on the DL since late April due to a chip
Ramirez apologizes on night of return to Dodgers >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Manny
Ramirez spoke to the media Friday, prior to making his scheduled return to the
majors following his 50-game suspension.
Ramirez is expected to be in the starting
Bowyer captures pole for Daytona Nationwide race >>
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After a lengthy rain delay, Clint Bowyer
won the pole for Friday's Subway Jalapeno 250 Nationwide Series race at
Daytona International Speedway.
Bowyer, the 2008 Nationwide champion, lapped the
Diaz remains tied for Jamie Farr lead >>
Sylvania, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Laura Diaz birdied four of the last six holes
Friday to remain tied for the lead after two rounds of the Jamie Farr Owens
Corning Classic.
Diaz carded a four-under 67 to complete two rounds at 11-under-pa
Lopez makes debut with Phillies >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies called up
pitcher Rodrigo Lopez from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start Friday's game
against the New York Mets.
Lopez is being used as a spot-starter due to Antonio Bas
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch
Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.
Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.
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