07/23/2008 - Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tim Hudson hurled six shutout innings, and Gregor Blanco and Yunel Escobar each drove in three runs apiece as Atlanta bested Florida, 9-4, in the rubber match of a three-game set.
Things weren't all rosy for the Braves, however. Hudson (11-7) was forced to exit the game after six innings with tightness in his left elbow and third baseman Chipper Jones, who leads the major leagues with a .369 batting average, left the contest in the fourth with an apparent left hamstring injury. The All-Star grounded to third base and grabbed the hamstring while grimacing in pain as he passed the bag at first.
Hudson allowed just three Marlins hits and walked one while fanning six. Blaine Boyer and Will Ohman followed with an inning of perfect relief apiece but Buddy Carlyle struggled in the ninth, allowing four runs.
Blanco finished 4-of-5 with three suns scored and the three RBI for the Braves, who were coming off a 4-0 shutout at the hands of the Marlins in which they managed just one hit.
Luis Gonzalez blasted a three-run homer for Florida, which is a game behind both New York and Philadelphia in the NL East.
Ricky Nolasco (10-6) allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings en route to the loss.
The Braves jumped on top with a pair of runs in the third. Hudson helped his own cause by leading off with a single, quickly moved to second on Blanco's bunt single and came around to score when Escobar slapped a double to left. Jones capped the frame with an RBI grounder to first.
Atlanta then pulled away with three more runs in the fourth. Jeff Francoeur and Kelly Johnson started things with consecutive doubles to put a run on the board. After Omar Infante flied out and Hudson bounced back to the box, Blanco came up with a two-out RBI single and Escobar followed with a run-scoring double to make it a 5-0 game.
The Braves added on an insurance run in the seventh on Brian McCann's two-out, RBI single to right.
The rout was on in the eighth inning when Atlanta tacked on three more runs. Infante reached on a infield single and pinch hitter Greg Norton followed with a single up the middle before Blanco laced a two-run triple into the gap in right-center. Escobar then plated Blanco with a ground ball to third.
The Marlins finally got some offense going off Carlyle in the ninth. Jorge Cantu greeted the reliever with a single to right and Mike Jacobs followed by drawing a walk. After Dan Uggla flied out, Gonzalez crushed a three-run homer over the fence in right to break up the shutout. Cody Ross followed by crushing a ground-rule double to center and eventually scored on Alfredo Amezaga's two-out single to left.
Game Notes
Hudson is now 7-2 in 13 career starts against the Marlins. Meanwhile, Nolasco is just 1-4 against the Braves...Atlanta has won seven of its 12 meetings with the Marlins this season.
<< Bruins give Wideman contract extension; place Murray on waivers
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins signed defenseman Dennis
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Wideman posted career-highs with 13 goals, 23 assists and 36 points
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Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith has
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The first round of match play was suspended due t
<< Rays send down Zobrist in anticipation of Bartlett's return
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays optioned shortstop
Ben Zobrist to Triple-A Durham Wednesday.
Zobrist, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in a 4-3 win over the
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Pedro's father loses battle with cancer >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pedro Martinez's father, Pablo, died during
the New York Mets 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night.
After hearing the news, Martinez immediately left Shea Stadium in the seventh
inning.
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St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - CC Sabathia hurled a three-hit shutout as
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Dynamo outlasts United despite lengthy delay >>
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Mullan and Brian Ching scored goals
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Federer stunned, Nadal moves on at Rogers Cup >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-ranked Roger Federer suffered a shocking
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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.
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