Jimenez goes for win No. 16 in south Florida

Baseball Betting Lines

07/19/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Both the Rockies and Marlins have struggled on offense in the second half. Given Tuesday's pitching matchup, neither team is likely to break out at the plate on Monday night.

National League All-Star starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who seeks a career-high 16th victory tonight, resumes his season for Colorado in the opener of a four-game series versus Anibal Sanchez and the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium.

The Rockies and Marlins are both coming off 1-0 victories on Sunday and neither team has scored more than two runs in a game since the All-Star break.

Florida took two of three from Washington despite scoring just three runs in the series, kicking off a 10-game homestand. Emilio Bonifacio doubled in the fifth inning and scored the game's lone run when Gaby Sanchez hit a two-base hit of his own.

That was enough to give the Marlins their fourth win in six games and hand Alex Sanabia his first major league victory. The 21-year-old rookie hurled 5 1/3 scoreless innings, working around four hits and two walks while striking out five. Leo Nunez recorded his 22nd save of the year to cap the victory.

"It's exciting," Sanabia said about winning his first big league game. "Today was real special; got a win and the team a win. It worked out perfectly."

Colorado, meanwhile, posted just four runs over the weekend versus Cincinnati and avoided a three-game sweep with Sunday's triumph. Chris Iannetta hit a solo homer in the sixth inning to back seven scoreless innings from Aaron Cook, who gave up six hits en route to winning his first road start of the season.

"It was definitely an important game. For us, we get out of here with at least one win and go to Florida and hope we can get on a roll from here," said Cook, who retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced.

Huston Street notched his sixth save of the season to help the Rockies snap a three-game slide and remain four games back of the first-place Padres in the NL West. Colorado's set in Ohio kicked of an 11-game road trip.

The Rockies should feel great about their chances tonight with Jimenez set to take the mound. The right-hander won his final start before the break, besting the Cardinals on July 8 with eight innings of one-run, three-hit ball to carry a 15-1 record and 2.20 earned run average into the hiatus. It was an important victory for Jimenez, who had allowed 17 runs over his previous three outings. Still, he leads the majors in victories and is the first NL pitcher to notch 15 wins before the All-Star break since Greg Maddux in 1988.

The 26-year-old, who hasn't lost since May 9, then started last Tuesday's All- Star Game in Anaheim and hurled two scoreless innings, working around two hits and a walk while throwing 15 of his 25 pitches for strikes.

"I was trying to slow down, trying to relax," Jimenez told MLB.com. "It was a challenge. I like to throw hard, especially in a game like this, with so many people in the stands, but I was able to control myself."

Jimenez is 9-1 with a 1.23 ERA in 10 road starts this season and 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in two career starts versus the Marlins. He has given up just two earned runs in 10 innings against them, striking out 15.

Sanchez, meanwhile, will make his career-high 18th start of the season tonight, surpassing the 17 he made as a rookie in 2006 during a solid 10-3 campaign. He is 7-6 with a 3.66 ERA this year, but lost his final two starts before the break while allowing nine earned runs over 10 innings.

The 26-year-old righty lasted just four innings versus the Diamondbacks on July 8, getting charged with six runs (five earned) on nine hits.

Sanchez has been tough at home, where he is 3-2 with a solid 2.50 ERA in eight starts. He has also beaten the Rockies in his only other start against them, holding the club to two runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings of a 12-2 triumph on July 31, 2008.

The Rockies took two of three from the Marlins at home from April 24-25.

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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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Matt Kenseth And Kevin Harvick Favorites To Take NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship

(September 15)—The NASCAR season has hit the homestretch with the opening event on this year’s Chase for the Cup taking place this weekend at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With 10 races remaining to determine the Cup Series champion, leading online sportsbook MySportsbook.com today announced odds on all 10 Chase qualifying drivers capturing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

One of the largest sportsbook sites on the Internet, MySportsbook.com currently lists the top two drivers in the point standings as the early favorites to win the Nextel Cup. Entering the Chase for the Cup with a slim five-point lead in the point standings, 2003 NASCAR champ Matt Kenseth has been made a slight favorite to win his second Cup at 7/2 betting odds. 2001 Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Harvick has betting odds listed at 5/2 and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon is listed at 6/1 to capture the Nextel Cup this year.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who won six NASCAR titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands at 8/1 to breakthrough with his first Cup victory. Staying with the family theme, MySportsbook.com lists 2005 Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch at 14/1 to succeed big brother Kurt’s 2004 NASCAR title. While Kasey Kahne was the final driver to qualify for the Chase with a third place finish last week, the oddsmakers give him a fighting chance at 10/1 mainly due to several mile-and-a-half tracks remaining on the schedule. Despite going winless on the NASCAR circuit this season, Jeff Burton enters the Chase at 5/1 to capture the Cup title. Meanwhile, rookie Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win the championship, while veteran driver Mark Martin enters the Chase for the Cup as a 15/1 long shot to win his first NASCAR title in his 24th and final season.

MySportsbook.com will offer comprehensive Nascar betting lines on every race remaining on the Nextel Cup series including driver match-ups, props and odds to win each race. For a complete list of NASCAR odds, please visit www.MySportsbook.com.

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