Hamels, Phillies complete sweep of Padres

Baseball Betting Lines

08/29/2010 - San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cole Hamels pitched eight shutout innings, and the Philadelphia Phillies swept the San Diego Padres in three games with a 5-0 victory at Petco Park.

Hamels (8-10) recorded his first win since July 11 despite pitching very well in the interim. The lefty, who has a 2.46 ERA in his last nine starts, finally earned the win in one of them after allowing just four hits while fanning six without walking a batter.

Mike Sweeney hit a two-run homer -- his first with the club -- for the Phillies, who maintained their two-game deficit in the NL East after Atlanta rallied for a 7-6 win over Florida earlier Sunday. They maintained their 1 1/2-game lead in the wild card race over San Francisco, which beat Arizona.

Jayson Werth added a solo shot.

Adrian Gonzalez had three of San Diego's five hits, as the Padres suffered their fourth straight loss -- a season-worst. The Padres, who have the best record in the NL, were swept in a series for only the second time this season.

Clayton Richard (12-6) lost for the first time since July 22 -- a string of six starts and five wins -- after giving up four runs -- two earned -- on four hits and one walk while fanning five in 7 2/3 frames. San Diego was hampered by a season-high four errors.

The Padres' lead in the NL West still stands at a sizeable 5 1/2 games over the Giants.

The Phillies' first seven batters were retired, but the visitors managed a run in the third.

Carlos Ruiz reached on an infield single and moved to second when Richard's pickoff attempt bounced past first base. He went to third on Hamels' groundout and came around to score on Jimmy Rollins' base hit to right.

In the seventh, Werth worked a two-out walk, and Sweeney followed him with a bullet down the left-field line for a two-run homer and a 3-0 advantage.

Philadelphia padded its lead in the eighth when Ruiz singled leading off, moved to second when Hamels reached on an error and scored on Ryan Ludwick's throwing error after a spectacular diving catch in right.

Hamels, who labored through the first two innings -- needing 50 pitches, settled down to shut down the Padres' offense. After allowing a two-out single to Gonzalez in the third, the lefty retired the final 16 batters he faced, using only 65 pitches to finish the final six innings of his outing.

Werth's ninth-inning solo shot accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

The Phillies have won seven straight in San Diego and won the season series, 5-2...The Padres had won on each of their last 10 Sunday games...Philadelphia has won 10 of its last 11 day games...The Phillies scored more than three runs for the first time since last Sunday against Washington. They had scored three or fewer in six straight contests...San Diego's Chris Denorfia (back) was scratched from the lineup...In this series, Phillies starters went 22 innings and allowed just two runs, an ERA of 0.82...The Padres suffered their first four-game losing streak since August 13-16, 2009.

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MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds

With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.

Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season.  Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money. 

This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy.  A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:

Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Michael Bush (RB, Louisville)
Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)
Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State)
Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame)
Drew Tate (QB, Iowa)
Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal)
Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn)
Chad Henne (QB, Michigan)
Kyle Wright (QB, Miami)
Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State)
Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama)
JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU)
Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State)
Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina)
Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech)		 5-2
7-2
7-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
18-1
18-1
20-1
30-1
35-1
35-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1

For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.

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.