Giants wrap up series vs. D'Backs

Baseball Betting Lines

08/29/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Giants rookie Buster Posey is a big reason for the club's success, but a forearm strain has been bothering the young catcher lately. He is expected to be back in today's lineup versus the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of a three-game series at AT&T Park.

Posey was handed the starting job this season when veteran Bengie Molina was dealt to the Texas Rangers, and he's batting .329 with 10 homers and 49 RBI in 78 games. The Giants could have used Posey's power in Saturday's 11-3 loss in which another starting pitcher was hammered. A day after Tim Lincecum gave up four runs over six innings in a series-opening loss, Barry Zito was touched for nine runs -- seven earned -- on six hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings.

"I'm just not in a good rhythm. The pitches just aren't crisp right now," said Zito, who was in trouble after giving up six runs in the first inning. "It requires working hard between starts."

Pablo Sandoval homered and both Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff were credited with an RBI for San Francisco, which has dropped three in a row and fell 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia for the wild card lead. The Phillies defeated San Diego Saturday afternoon, keeping the Giants six games in back of the Padres for the top spot in the NL West.

The last time Giants starter Matt Cain faced Arizona he tossed eight shutout innings for the win back on July 22 at Chase Field. He'll take on the D'Backs again this afternoon and is 6-4 with a respectable 3.22 earned run average in 16 career starts in this series.

Cain was 0-2 in three starts before beating Cincinnati the last time out on Monday, as he held the Reds to two runs and five hits and struck out seven batters in eight innings of work.

The bulky right-hander has won four of his previous six decisions and evened his 2010 mark to 10-10 in 26 starts. Cain is 7-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 13 home starts this season.

Arizona will try for its fourth straight win and a three-game sweep of the Giants today, and has outscored its NL West rivals by a 17-5 margin so far.

Daniel Hudson benefited from a six-run first innings and threw seven innings of two-run ball for the win last night, while relievers Sam Demel and Jordan Norberto each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

"I was struggling early on. We had some long innings, it was kind of tough to stay warm, just kind of battled through it for a little while then the tempo of game started picking up a bit out there," Hudson said on the team's site. "I really got into a rhythm there at the end."

Adam LaRoche and Mark Reynolds both homered and finished with three RBI and two runs scored for the last-place Diamondbacks, who got a three-run double from Miguel Montero during the first-inning explosion.

Rodrigo Lopez hasn't won since July 8 versus Florida and is only 0-5 with a 6.90 earned run average in his last eight starts. Arizona is 1-7 in that span and will send Lopez to the mound Sunday for his 27th start.

Lopez last pitched in Tuesday's 5-0 loss at San Diego, as he surrendered five runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. The effort dropped him to 5-12 this season to go along with a 5.09 ERA.

The righty is 0-1 in two starts against San Francisco this season and 0-2 in four career starts in this series. Lopez hasn't pitched well on the road this season, going 2-6 in 12 starts away from home.

The Giants are 7-4 against Arizona this season.

Onkinesportsbook Baseball Betting News


<< 2010 World Basketball Championship update - August 29th
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Group C Halftime: China 41 Ivory Coast 33 (Ankara) Group D Halftime: Canada 43 Lithuania 33 (Izmir) Group A End of 1st Quarter: Jordan 17 Angola 16 (Kayseri) Group B End of 1st Quarter : USA 23 Slovenia 11 (Istanbul

<< Marlins' infield dirt to provide Miami a challenge
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -When No. 13 Miami opens its season Thursday, it's probable that some of the Hurricanes will be bloodied and scraped by the time the game ends.And it might not be Florida A&M's fault, either.The Hurricanes' roughest oppon

<< da Silva cruises to Zambia Open title
Ndola, Zambia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adilson da Silva closed with a one-under 72 Sunday to cruise to a four-shot win at the Zambia Open. The Brazilian, who was runner-up in the last Sunshine Tour event, finished the 54-hole event at 17-under

<< Tanihara wins shootout in Japan
Itoshima, Japan (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hideto Tanihara closed with a six-under 66 Sunday to earn a one-stroke win at Vana H Cup KBC Augusta. Tanihara finished at 22-under-par 266. The victory was his ninth on the Japan Golf Tour, but his first

<< FCS Season Preview: Great West
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - And for our next magic trick ... we're going to pick the winner of the Great West Football Conference. That's not easy to do with the way the five-team conference in the Football Championship Subdivision h

LA sends Lilly to mound in Colorado >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ted Lilly will try to stay unbeaten in Dodger blue this afternoon, as he takes the hill in the finale of a three-game series against the NL West-rival Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Lilly has won all five starts

Brewers' Bush takes on Pirates at Miller Park >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pittsburgh native Dave Bush faces his hometown team for the 16th time today, when the Milwaukee Brewers close out a three-game weekend set with the visiting Pirates at Miller Park. A 30-year-old product of Wake Forest, B

Braves go for a series win over Marlins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National League East-leading Atlanta Braves were able to end their four-game slide with last night's win versus the Florida Marlins. This afternoon they'll try for a series victory over their division rivals in the fin

Dickey leads Mets into finale vs. Astros >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Resurgent knuckleballer R.A. Dickey aims for a second straight win and third in four decisions today, when the New York Mets close out a three-game series with the visiting Houston Astros at Citi Field. The Mets

Reds, Cubs conclude set in Cincy >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie left-hander Travis Wood steps into Edinson Volquez's spot in the Cincinnati starting rotation today, when the first-place Reds close out a three-game weekend series with the visiting Chicago Cubs at Great America

Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.