05/10/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ben Sheets will try to keep his perfect record intact this evening, when he leads the Milwaukee Brewers in the second installment of a four-game series versus the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park.
Sheets is 4-0 with a 2.29 earned run average in six starts this season, and last pitched on May 4 at Houston. Sheets didn't factor in the outcome of an 8-6 loss, yielding four runs and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings.
The right-hander hasn't fared too well against the Cardinals in his career as Sheets owns a 5-14 mark with a 4.30 earned run average in 23 career starts.
Milwaukee put the brakes on a season-high six-game losing streak with Friday's 4-3 victory over the Cardinals in the opener of this series. Rickie Weeks hit a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Brewers, who got two hits each from Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Weeks.
Brian Shouse pitched a perfect ninth for the win, while starter Manny Parra lasted five innings and surrendered three runs on three hits in the no decision. Milwaukee is 1-0 on a seven-game homestand versus the Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers.
The NL Central-leading Cardinals are one game ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the division, and have lost three in a row after a three-game winning streak. In Friday's one-run loss at Miller Park, Albert Pujols had two hits, including his seventh home run of the season, and Rick Ankiel added two hits and a run scored for St. Louis, which is 2-3 on an eight-game road trip.
St. Louis closer Jason Isringhausen took the loss after allowing Weeks' game- winning hit in the ninth inning. Starter Todd Wellemeyer tossed six innings and gave up two runs, both unearned, with no walks and two strikeouts.
Cardinals hurler Joel Pineiro will try to rebound from his worst outing of the season when he takes the ball tonight.
Pineiro, who is 2-2 with a 4.33 ERA in five starts this season, posted a no decision in a 6-5 win at Colorado on May 5. He was reached for four runs -- three earned -- and eight hits in three innings of work.
The right-hander is still unbeaten over his last three trips to the hill (2-0), and defeated the Brewers in his only appearance against them on August 15 last season at Miller Park. Pineiro lasted seven innings and allowed just a pair of runs in an 8-3 triumph.
The 2008 season series between St. Louis and Milwaukee is tied at a game apiece. The Cardinals, though, are 31-22 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign.
<< Friday's NHL Playoff Summary
Philadelphia 2 0 0-2Pittsburgh 3 1 0-4First Period-1, Pittsburgh, Sykora 5 (Malone, Malkin), 6:19. 2, Philadelphia, Richards 5 (Umberger, Coburn), 8:30. 3, Philadelphia, Richards 6 (Lupul, Umberger), 12:50. 4, Pittsburgh, Crosby 3 (Hossa), 14:11
<< Rollins has big night in return from DL
Freddy Sanchez lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates to another dramatic win with a ninth-inning RBI single. Rickie Weeks stopped Milwaukee's six-game losing with a big hit of his own in the Brewers' last at-bat.And Jimmy Rollins stole the spotlight from bo
<< Red-hot Berkman hits Astros past Dodgers
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lance Berkman belted a two-run homer and
Carlos Lee also drove in two runs in Houston's 7-1 win over the Los Angeles
Dodgers in the opener of a three-game series.
Berkman, who had three hits, has 16 i
<< Rollins' return pushes Phils past Giants
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmy Rollins made an immediate impact
in his return from the disabled list, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and
three RBI, as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to down the San Francisco
Giants,
Red Wings aim for 2-0 lead against visiting Stars >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-seeded Detroit Red Wings will try to take a two
games to none lead in the Western Conference finals tonight, when they welcome
the Dallas Stars for Game 2 at Joe Louis Arena.
The Red Wings came out with a strong pe
Roddick, Stepanek retire, sending Djokovic, Wawrinka to Rome final >>
Rome, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic and Swiss
Stanislas Wawrinka advanced to the final of the $3.5 million Italian Masters
Saturday after both their semifinal opponents retired.
Sixth-seeded American Andy
Carlisle gets four-year deal to coach Mavs >>
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rick Carlisle has come to terms on a four-year
contract to become head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks website posted a story late Friday night that confirmed the
signing, which is expected
Mets, Reds to play two at Shea >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Johan Santana gets the nod for the New York Mets tonight,
when he takes on the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of a doubleheader at
Shea Stadium.
Friday's opener of a three-game series between the Reds and Mets was
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.