Phils shut down Dodgers in Oswalt's first win with new club

Baseball Betting Lines

08/11/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roy Oswalt worked seven scoreless innings to help the Philadelphia Phillies take a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second of a three-game set.

Oswalt (7-13), making his third start since he was acquired by Philadelphia, gave up just five hits and two walks with five strikeouts to get his first win as a member of his new team. Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge each worked a scoreless inning for the Phils, who have won seven of their last nine games. They remained 2 1/2 contests behind Atlanta for first place in the NL East.

Raul Ibanez extended his hitting streak to 18 games as he went 2-for-3 with an RBI while Domonic Brown drove in the other run in the win.

Chad Billingsley (9-7) was tagged with the loss as he yielded two runs on five hits over six innings for the Dodgers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Scott Podsednik went 3-for-4 in a losing effort.

This game was a far cry from Tuesday's 15-9 contest, which Los Angeles won, that saw 32 hits, including five home runs.

With the game scoreless in the fourth, the Phillies worked a run across. Placido Polanco singled to start the frame and, after Ross Gload flied out, walks to Ibanez and Jayson Werth loaded the bases. Brown then hit a sharp grounder to second and Los Angeles tried to turn the double play, but Werth's slide broke it up and Polanco crossed the plate.

Jamey Carroll doubled to lead off the fifth, but the next two batters recorded outs. Podsednik then beat out an infield single to keep the inning alive. Ryan Theriot, though, hit into a force play to end the frame.

Oswalt worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning, including striking out the final two batters, and the Phillies added another run in the bottom of the frame. Gload led off the inning with a double, but came up lame when he neared second base and Mike Sweeney took the basepaths. Ibanez followed with a double to center to make it a 2-0 game.

Oswalt kept Los Angeles off the board in the seventh as he pitched around a two-out walk.

Madson came on in the eighth and gave up a leadoff double to Podsednik, but struck out the next two batters and got James Loney to fly out.

Lidge then set the Dodgers down in order in the ninth for his 15th save of the season.

Game Notes

Gload's injury was termed a right groin strain and he will be evaluated on Thursday...Clayton Kershaw will pitch for Los Angeles in the finale on Thursday and will be opposed by Joe Blanton.

Adventure-casino Baseball Betting News

<< Bergesen keeps Baltimore rolling with CG win over Indians
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brad Bergesen gave up just one run on two hits en route to the second complete game of his young career, as the Baltimore Orioles took down the Cleveland Indians, 3-1, in the second test of a three

<< Mora's grand slam helps Rockies down Mets
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Melvin Mora crushed a go-ahead grand slam off Manny Acosta in the eighth inning, sparking the Rockies to a 6-2 victory over the Mets in the second meeting of a three-game series at Citi Field. Colorado had l

<< Lindpere goal pushes New York over Toronto at Red Bull Arena
Harrison, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York solidified its second-placed spot in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference table with a 1-0 win over third-placed Toronto FC on Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena. Joel Lindpere scored

<< 'Quakes sign Jamaican international Stephenson
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Earthquakes signed Jamaican international midfielder Khari Stephenson, the Major League Soccer club announced on Wednesday. "Adding an experienced physical presence like Khari to ou

<< Milwaukee's Bush gives up four straight HRs
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Dave Bush surrendered four consecutive homers to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth inning of Wednesday's game. Adam LaRoche, Miguel Montero, Mark Reynolds and Stephen D

Union, RSL battle to draw at PPL Park >>
Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake earned its second straight 1-1 road draw by tying the expansion Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night at PPL Park. The result comes four days after the defending MLS Cup champions earned a 1-

Hall, Red Sox pound Blue Jays >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bill Hall hit a pair of home runs and drove in four runs, as Boston used the long ball to support Clay Buchholz in a 10-1 pounding of Toronto at Rogers Centre. Hill finished 3-for-5, Adrian Beltre hit a t

Stanton powers Marlins past Nats >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Mike Stanton went a career-best 5-for-5 with a homer and drove in four runs to power Florida to a 9-5 win over the Washington Nationals. Hanley Ramirez also homered and Logan Morrison had a

Report: Sixers hire Rod Thorn as president >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly hired Rod Thorn as president, allowing Ed Stefanski to focus his role solely on general manager. Stefanski was serving in a dual-capacity as GM and president.

Danks dominant as ChiSox down Twins >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Danks stifled Minnesota over eight frames and Carlos Quentin highlighted Chicago's offense with a two-run homer, as the White Sox upended the Twins, 6-1, in a key American League Central matchup. The Twi

Betting Football

NFL Football Betting Online

Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?

I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.

Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.

There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.

Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.

For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.

A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.

The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.

Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.

So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.

Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.

“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.

Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.

“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.

It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.

Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.

The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.

“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.

“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”

Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.

The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.

“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”

Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?

“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.