08/19/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rugged right-hander Braden Looper can make it six quality starts in a row tonight when the St. Louis Cardinals host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of an abbreviated two-game mid-week series at Busch Stadium.
Looper, a 33-year-old Oklahoma native, has allowed two runs or less in five straight starts and lasted seven innings in four straight for the Cardinals, who are trying to remain in contention in the National League Central Division.
St. Louis enters tonight's games in third place in the Central, 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs.
A 12-game winner in his first season as a starter in 2007, Looper moved within one win of tying that mark when he downed the Florida Marlins, 6-4, on Wednesday.
In that game, he allowed five hits and an earned run in seven innings while walking one and striking out five.
Over his last five starts, in which the Cardinals are just 2-3, Looper has thrown 33 innings while surrendering 28 hits and eight earned runs.
He is 3-2 with five saves in 28 career games against Pittsburgh, including four starts.
For the Pirates, Delaware-born right-hander Ian Snell tries again to escape the doldrums.
The 26-year-old has won just once in his last 10 starts, defeating Colorado, 8-4, on July 28.
He's 0-4 with five no-decisions in the other nine outings, however, including consecutive losses to Philadelphia and Cincinnati on August 9 and 14, in which he's given up 14 hits and five runs in 12 innings.
He got a no-decision after a five-inning stint against the Cardinals on July 13 after allowing five hits and four runs.
St. Louis won the game, 11-6.
Snell is 3-4 in 12 career meetings with the Cardinals, posting a 5.06 ERA in 64 innings of work.
On Monday in Pittsburgh, Steve Pearce and Jack Wilson got to the Mets' bullpen in the eighth, combining to knock in three runs in the inning to lift the Pirates to a 5-2 win over New York in the finale of a four-game set.
Wilson finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI while Adam LaRoche contributed his 16th homer of the season, a two-run shot to help the Pirates avoid a sweep and snap a four-game skid.
Pittsburgh's Paul Maholm went seven strong innings, giving up two runs on five hits.
The Pirates' best starter this season, Maholm struck out four and walked three in his third consecutive quality start. Sean Burnett (1-1) earned the win after getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth.
John Grabow earned his fourth save of the season, working around two walks to pitch a scoreless ninth.
On Sunday in Cincinnati, Edinson Volquez hurled seven innings of shutout ball and the Reds salvaged the final contest of a three-game series with a 7-3 victory over the Cardinals.
Kyle Lohse (13-6) took the loss surrendering three runs on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts for the Cards.
The surprise right-hander has now won just once in six starts after a 12-2 start. Ryan Ludwick and Skip Schumaker had two hits and an RBI each while Troy Glaus added an RBI hit in defeat.
St. Louis has split its 12 meetings with the Bucs this season.
<< Royals, Indians start three-game series in Cleveland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-handed reclamation project Anthony Reyes makes his
third start in an American League uniform tonight when the Cleveland Indians
host the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series at
Progressive Field.
<< Bronx Bombers head north to face Jays
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees are focused on catching the Tampa Bay
Rays and Boston Red Sox in the American League East race. They might want to
turn their attention to the Toronto Blue Jays as well.
Toronto takes aim at a thi
<< Rays, Angels hope to resume key set in wake of storm
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tropical Storm Fay could be the only thing that slows down
the upstart Tampa Bay Rays at this point. Weather permitting, the Rays will
play the second of three matchups with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
tonight
<< Boston's Dice-K puts road mark on line in Baltimore
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daisuke Matsuzaka tries to remain unbeaten on the road this
season when the Boston Red Sox play the middle test of their three-game series
with the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Matsuzaka is a perfect 6-0 in his n
Marlins open trek with three games in San Francisco >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins begin a very important stretch of road
games when the struggling National League East contenders head to San
Francisco's AT&T Park tonight for the first of three straight matchups with
the
Bengals take another chance on Henry >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Bengals signed troubled wide
receiver Chris Henry on Tuesday.
The Bengals released Henry on April 3 after his fifth arrest since the club
made him their third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Dr
Craft to start at QB for UCLA >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel has decided
to start redshirt junior Kevin Craft at quarterback for the season-opener on
September 1 against Tennessee.
Craft spent two years -- one as a redshirt -- at Sa
D.C. to test improving defense against New England >>
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.C. United has been impressive in its last
10 matches in Major League Soccer, and will try to build on its recent success
Wednesday against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium.
United is 7-2-1
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
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Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch
Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.
Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."
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