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Angels try to keep playoff hopes alive in TorontoBaseball Betting Lines09/22/2011 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim try to get themselves even further into the American League playoff mix this evening when they conclude the road portion of their schedule with the finale of a four-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. While the Angels' hopes of an American League West title draw dimmer by the day, Los Angeles has quietly entrenched itself in the wild card race and enters action today just 2 1/2 games back of the free-falling Boston Red Sox. The Angels can further cut into that lead tonight, as the Red Sox are idle. Los Angeles took advantage of another Boston loss on Wednesday, as Dan Haren secured his first road win since late July and Vernon Wells belted a two-run homer and added a two-RBI single, helping the Angels to a 7-2 win over the Jays. "We can control one thing, us winning," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Hopefully that help will come." Haren (16-9), who allowed just four hits, was removed after being hit by a line drive on his left wrist off the bat of Eric Thames. The ball deflected to second baseman Maicer Izturis, who threw to first for the out. Haren tumbled to the ground in pain and was replaced by Hisanori Takahashi in the ninth inning. Scioscia said Haren has a bruised wrist. "Hopefully the wrist will improve," the manager said. "The next couple of days he'll get some treatment on it and be ready to go for his next start. We'll evaluate that as the next day or two go on." Haren equaled his career-high in victories from 2008 with Arizona. The right- hander also snapped a five-start winless stretch on the road, winning outside Anaheim for the first time since July 30 at Detroit. Peter Bourjos homered, tripled and singled for Los Angeles, which has just seven games remaining, including three at home with the Rangers to conclude the season. Texas holds a five-game lead on the Angels in the AL West. Dustin McGowan (0-1) fanned eight batters and allowed five hits and two runs over five innings in the third contest of this four-game set. Hoping to keep the momentum rolling for the Angels tonight will be struggling right-hander Ervin Santana, who has lost his last three starts and has surrendered 10 runs in his last two outings. Santana was roughed up by Baltimore on Saturday, as he gave up five runs and five hits in seven innings, dropping him to 11-12 on the year to go along with a 3.40 ERA. Santana pitched a complete-game gem to beat the Jays the last time he faced them and is 6-4 lifetime against them with a 3.76 ERA in 11 starts. Toronto, meanwhile, will counter with right-handed rookie Henderson Alvarez, who is 1-2 with a 3.62 ERA. Alvarez did not get a decision against the New York Yankees on Saturday, as he allowed five runs and nine hits in six innings of a 7-6 loss. He has never faced the Angels. The Angels have won five of their nine matchups with the Blue Jays this season.
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles have relished their role of spoilers the last week. Tonight, they try to dent the Detroit Tigers' hopes of finishing with the American League's best record when they open a four-game series at Comerica P
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Horse Betting(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine). The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late. "You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest. "A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve." When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential: CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped. DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins. PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge. You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike. "You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders." Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of. (By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.) Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout." But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing." Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you." Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front." All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold. In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse. "Now," says Avello, "it's time for action." To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs. |
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