10/10/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shane Victorino and the hot-hitting Brett Myers combined to drive in seven runs, as the Philadelphia Phillies downed the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-5, in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.
Myers (2-0) gave up five runs on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts over five innings to get the win for the Phillies, who lead the best-of-seven series two games to none. The right-hander came up huge at the plate, collecting three hits and three runs batted in. Myers had only four hits and one RBI during the regular season.
Brad Lidge worked out of trouble in the ninth to earn his second save of the series and fourth of the postseason.
Greg Dobbs went 2-for-3 and scored twice for the Phillies, who scored four times in both the second and third innings.
Philadelphia's Charlie Manuel managed with a heavy heart, learning that his mother, June, had passed away Friday morning. She was 87.
Manny Ramirez clubbed a three-run homer for the Dodgers, who left 11 men on base, including a pair of runners in the ninth.
Chad Billingsley (1-1) took the loss after he was rocked for eight runs -- seven earned -- on eight hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. James McDonald allowed two hits and fanned five over 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.
The series shifts to Dodger Stadium for Game 3 on Sunday. Philadelphia will send 45-year-old Jamie Moyer to the mound and Los Angeles will counter with Hiroki Kuroda.
The Phillies trailed in the opener, but rallied on home runs by Chase Utley and Pat Burrell to win 3-2. Philadelphia jumped out to an 8-2 lead in Game 2, but Los Angeles closed the gap to three in the fourth on Ramirez's 27th career postseason home run, the most all-time in league history. With the bases vacant and two gone, Rafael Furcal struck out but advanced to first on a wild pitch. Russell Martin kept it going with a single and Ramirez, who tied Bernie Williams (41) for most games played in the outfield in LCS play, sent a pitch sailing into the flower bed beyond the wall in left field.
J.C. Romero issued a two-out walk to Los Angeles' Matt Kemp in the seventh. Ryan Madson came on from the Philadelphia bullpen and promptly served up a base hit to Nomar Garciaparra, pinch-hitting for McDonald. Casey Blake then hit a deep fly ball, and Victorino made a leaping catch against the wall in center to preserve the three-run lead.
Madson worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out a pair, and handed the ball over to Lidge in the ninth. Lidge walked Ramirez to begin the frame, then fanned Andre Ethier. After James Loney drew a walk, Lidge struck out Kemp and Garciaparra, on three consecutive sliders, to end the game.
Los Angeles drew first blood in the top of the second. Myers allowed a grounder through the right side to Ethier and then a long line drive to Loney that bounced off the top of the wall in right for a double. After Kemp went down swinging, Blake DeWitt grounded out to score Ethier. Myers opted to intentionally walk Blake to bring up Billingsley, who ended the inning by lining out to Jayson Werth in right.
The bottom of the Phillies lineup then spearheaded a two-out, four-run surge in the home half. Dobbs reached on a broken-bat single to center to prolong the frame and Carlos Ruiz followed with an RBI double that rolled all the way to the wall in left-center. Myers, who put together a memorable at-bat against CC Sabathia in Game 2 of the NLDS, then punched a run-scoring single to center.
Jimmy Rollins continued the assault with a chopper back up the middle, and Kemp's fielding error allowed both runners to move into scoring position. Victorino then slapped a two-run single to center for a 4-1 Phillies lead.
The Dodgers got a run back in their next turn at the plate on Loney's RBI single and were bidding for more, but Myers fanned DeWitt to escape a bases- loaded jam.
Philadelphia tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the third. The Phillies loaded the bases with no outs on hits by Burrell and Werth and a free pass to Dobbs. Two batters later, Myers drove in a pair by ripping a single past a diving Loney at first. Chan Ho Park then replaced a rattled Billingsley and struck out Rollins before Victorino hit a two-run triple to right-center to give the Phillies an 8-2 lead.
Game Notes
These clubs are meeting in the LCS for the fourth time. The Dodgers won in 1977 and '78, while the Phils emerged victorious in 1983...Myers became the first Phillies pitcher ever to win Game 2 of two playoff series in the same season...Rollins struck out four times...Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard went 0-for-4 with a walk. He's 2-for-19 in the playoffs...Burrell celebrated his 32nd birthday.
<< Saints' Colston questionable, Shockey doubtful for Sunday
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Orleans star wide receiver Marques
Colston and tight end Jeremy Shockey are close to returning to the playing
field as each have not been officially ruled out for Sunday's home game
against
<< Bolts' Chambers doubtful for Sunday
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Diego Chargers wide receiver Chris
Chambers is listed as doubtful for Sunday's pivotal home matchup with the New
England Patriots with a sprained ankle.
Chambers was injured in last Sunday's 17-1
<< Clemson looks to new QB after mediocre start
Clemson, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Clemson Tigers have not lived up to their
No. 9 preseason ranking and will look to get a spark from red-shirt freshman
Willy Korn, who head coach Tommy Bowden named as the starting quarterback for
the Oct
<< Three Dolphins fined for TD celebration dance
Davie, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown, and
linemen Ikechuku Ndukwe and Vernon Carey were each fined $10,000 by the NFL on
Friday.
The penalty came down from the league for an end zone dance the trio perfor
Dubinsky leads Rangers past Blackhawks >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Dubinsky scored and had two assists,
and the Rangers won their official home opener, 4-2, over the Chicago
Blackhawks.
Aaron Voros and Nikolai Zherdev each had a goal and an assist for Ne
Brodeur sharp as Devils edge Isles in opener >>
Newark, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Patrik Elias scored the eventual game-winner
and Martin Brodeur was his usual stingy self as the New Jersey Devils came
away with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders in the season opener for
both cl
Kim leads Longs Drugs by one; Ochoa lurking two back >>
Danville, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In-Kyung Kim carded a three-under 69 in cold,
windy conditions Friday to move into the lead after two rounds of the Longs
Drugs Challenge at Blackhawk Country Club.
Kim completed the first 36 holes at eigh
'Canes earn season-opening win over Panthers >>
Raleigh, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carolina got goals from six different players
and erased an early two-goal deficit with a 6-4 win over the Florida Panthers
in a Southeast Division battle and the regular-season opener for both squads
from th
2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds
The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.
Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”
“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”
MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:
Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:
Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1
Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17
Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1
Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1
Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1
Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1
Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5
Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1
Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1
Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1
Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50
Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1
Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1
Best Animated Feature Film:
"Cars": 1/3
"Happy Feet": 2/1
"Monster House": 20/1
Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:
"Water" – Canada: 22/1
"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2
"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1
"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10
Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:
"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5
"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2
"Helmer & Son": 5/2
"The Saviour": 6/1
"West Bank Story": 7/2
Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:
"Babel": 7/4
"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1
"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20
"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4
"The Queen": 5/4
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
"Babel": 11/4
"The Departed": 1/2
"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2
"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10
"The Queen": 20/1
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10
Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1
Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1
Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5
Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1
Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1
Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1
Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8
Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1
Film To Win Most Oscars:
Dreamgirls: 2/3
Pans Labyrinth: 6/5
The Departed: 6/1
The Queen: 11/1
Babel: 15/1
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1
Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1
Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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