Indians send Lee to hill vs. White Sox
Baseball Betting Lines
06/30/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Cliff Lee goes for two straight wins over Chicago and three straight overall when his Cleveland Indians host the White Sox tonight in the middle game of a three-game series at Progressive Field.
The American League's 2008 Cy Young Award winner, Lee was 1-5 this season before downing the White Sox, 4-0, on May 13, tossing seven innings of scoreless ball with six hits and nine strikeouts.
He dropped a 3-1 decision to the New York Yankees on May 29, but has won two straight since and has allowed three earned runs or less in 13 of his 16 starts overall, trimming his earned run average to 2.92 over 111 innings.
The 30-year-old is 6-5 in 20 career appearances against the White Sox -- 18 starts -- and has posted a 5.21 ERA in 107 innings.
He is 2-4 in eight starts in Cleveland this season, and sports a 2.21 ERA over 57 innings.
For Chicago, second-year lefty Clayton Richard faces the Indians for the second time this season.
The 25-year-old, who reached the majors and pitched in 13 games with the White Sox last season, has split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation in 2009, making nine starts in 21 outings.
He went 3 1/3 innings as a starter against the Indians on May 12, getting a no-decision in a 7-4 Chicago win after allowing six hits and four runs.
Lifetime against the Tribe, he is 0-1 in three games -- two starts -- and has surrendered 16 hits and eight earned runs in 10 1/3 innings.
In his last start on June 25 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Richard was touched for six hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings, getting another no- decision in Chicago's 6-5 win.
The White Sox are 8-13 in games he's pitched.
On Monday, Gavin Floyd pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings, leading the White Sox to a 6-3 victory.
Floyd (6-5) was spectacular in allowing only five hits with two walks and five strikeouts, lowering his earned run average to 4.12 after it had been 7.71 on May 17.
Since that date, Floyd is 4-1 with a 1.37 ERA and eight consecutive quality starts. He has now yielded one earned run or less in five straight outings.
Gordon Beckham recorded a career-high three hits with two runs batted in for Chicago, which has won seven of nine to move to .500 (38-38) for the first time since June 1. Chris Getz doubled twice, scored twice and drove in a run in the victory.
Shin-Soo Choo clubbed a solo homer, while Ryan Garko hit a two-run homer for the Indians, who have lost 11 of 13 overall.
Carl Pavano (6-7) was a tough-luck loser, allowing only two runs on five hits with six strikeouts in seven innings.
Cleveland has won four of its seven matchups with the White Sox this season.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs will try to get back to the .500 mark this evening, when they resume a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Chicago ended a two-game losing streak with Monday's 3-1 win over the Pi
<< Boston's Smoltz tries again for win at Baltimore
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Smoltz will be attempting to atone for a shaky debut
in a Boston Red Sox uniform when the star pitcher takes the mound for
tonight's clash with the Baltimore Orioles from Camden Yards.
Smoltz's first major
<< Safina, Venus will clash in Wimbledon semis
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-ranked Dinara Safina and five-time
champion and former world No. 1 Venus Williams were a pair of quarterfinal
winners Tuesday at Wimbledon. The two stars will meet in a marquee semifinal
here on Thursda
<< Tigers hope to regroup in Oakland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- The Detroit Tigers hope to jump-start their slumping
offense when the current American League Central leaders play the second test
of a three-game series with the host Oakland Athletics this evening.
Detroit had
<< LA's Billingsley takes on Colorado's Marquis at Chavez Ravine
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of pitchers vying to become the National League's
first 10-game winner of the season will go head-to-head when the Los Angeles
Dodgers and Colorado Rockies continue a three-game series this evening at
Dodger
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hard-throwing right-hander Joba Chamberlain tries again for win No. 1 on his new home field tonight, when the New York Yankees host the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Chamberlai
Rays put win streak on the line in Toronto >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays bested one of the best pitchers in the
majors last night and will try to duplicate that success Tuesday, when they
resume a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
The Rays knoc
Reds return home to face slumping D-Backs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Dan Haren looks for a measure of midseason
revenge tonight, when his Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Cincinnati for the
opener of a three-game series with the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Haren, a 16-game
Rookies square off in Marlins-Nationals tilt >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of rookies face their respective opponents - and
each other - for the first time tonight, when the Washington Nationals visit
the Florida Marlins for the middle test of a three-game series at Land Shark
Stadium.
Th
Phils head to Atlanta for NL East clash >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies will close out the last portion
of their current road trip with the first of three straight games against the
NL East-rival Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
Philadelphia is 2 1/2 games ahead of the
Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value
If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture. Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).
For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot. The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.
TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.
"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,' it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."
"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.
Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash. Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.