07/04/2008 - St. Louis, MO (Baseball Betting) - Carlos Zambrano was impressive in his first game back from the disabled list, and he shut down St. Louis as the Cubs beat the Cardinals, 2-1, in the opener of a three-game set.
Zambrano (9-3) pitched for the first time since losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on June 18. The big right-hander left that start with shoulder discomfort and was placed on the DL four days later. He gave up just four hits in six shutout frames. Kerry Wood earned his 22nd save of the year with a scoreless ninth.
Kosuke Fukudome and Geovany Soto both hit solo home runs for the Cubs, who have won three of their last five games overall.
Albert Pujols became the fifth fastest player in major league history to hit 300 home runs with a solo shot in the eighth inning for the Cardinals, who have lost two in a row and three of four. Yadier Molina extended his hit streak to 11 games with a single in the second inning. Braden Looper (9-6) took the loss as he was touched for two runs on six hits in seven innings.
Bob Howry came in to pitch the eighth and retired the first two batters. However, Pujols golfed a 2-2 fastball off the foul pole in left field, his 18th homer on the year and the 300th of his career, to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
Wood came in for the bottom of the ninth and caught Troy Glaus looking at the third strike on the payoff pitch for the first out. Chris Duncan popped up for the second out, but Molina hit a bloop single to shallow left field. Ryan Ludwick grounded out to second base to make it official.
Fukudome gave the Cubs an early 1-0 lead as he parlayed a nine-pitch at-bat into a solo home in the first inning.
Soto connected on a two-out home run in the fourth inning, giving the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
Game Notes
Cardinals infielder Aaron Miles' hit streak was snapped at 15 games as he went 0-for-4...Jim Edmonds had his first appearance in St. Louis since the Cardinals dealt him to San Diego this past winter. He received a standing ovation in his first at-bat...St. Louis took two of three from the Cubs earlier in the season, but Chicago has won nine of its last 13 at Busch.
<< Rapids roll to 4-0 win over Red Bulls
Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mehdi Ballouchy, Colin Clark and Tom
McManus each had a goal and an assist as the Colorado Rapids rolled to a 4-0
win over Red Bull New York on Friday to snap a four-game winless streak.
Omar Cum
<< Report: Duhon to become a Knickerbocker
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks have reportedly agreed to a
two-year, full mid-level exception $12 million contract with guard Chris
Duhon.
The Chicago Tribune reported Friday that Duhon will sign with the Knicks wh
<< Hamlin wins at Daytona
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denny Hamlin held off teammate Kyle Busch
in a green-white-checkered finish to win Friday night's Winn-Dixie 250
Nationwide Series race at the Daytona International Speedway. The driver of
the No
<< Cust homers, Blanton dazzles as A's top ChiSox
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jack Cust slammed a two-run homer and Joe
Blanton pitched seven solid innings in Oakland's 7-1 victory over the Chicago
White Sox in the second of a four-game series.
Blanton (5-11) allowed just one ru
Cristman leads New England over L.A., Beckham >>
Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adam Cristman scored two first-half goals and the
New England Revolution held off David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy, 2-1,
on Friday to win a battle conference leaders at The Home Depot Center.
Cristman s
Baek, Gonzalez lead Padres over D-Backs >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cha Seung Baek allowed just two hits over six
shutout innings, as the San Diego Padres dispatched the Arizona Diamondbacks,
5-1, in the opener of a three-game set.
Baek (2-3) carried a no-hitter into the
Report: Former Charger Kiel dies in car crash >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Chargers safety Terrence Kiel
reportedly died late Friday in a car crash. He was 27 years old.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the crash on Saturday. According to
police, a witness
A's continue series in Windy City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox and the Oakland Athletics continue a
four-game series tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.
Greg Smith is slated to get the ball for the Athletics tonight, and while his
5-6 record could certainly stand som
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.
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.
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