Astros bullpen implodes as Phillies roll to big win

Baseball Betting Lines

05/25/2008 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geoff Jenkins, Pat Burrell and Chase Utley each homered in Philadelphia's 15-6 romp over Houston, as the Phillies unloaded on the Astros' bullpen to earn a split in the four-game series.

Jenkins recorded three hits and scored three runs, while Utley and Shane Victorino each knocked in three runs for Philadelphia, which had dropped two straight. Nine of the Phillies' season-high 16 hits went for extra bases.

Cole Hamels, who entered the game in the midst of a 19-inning scoreless stretch, had his shortest outing of the season, lasting just four innings while giving up a season-high six runs on seven hits without recording a strikeout. The bullpen came up huge, however, throwing five innings of scoreless ball with Rudy Seanez (3-3) picking up the win after tossing a scoreless fifth.

Carlos Lee homered and drove in four for Houston, and Lance Berkman went 2- for-5 with a run scored and an RBI.

Chris Sampson allowed four runs on five hits in his five-inning start, but the Astros bullpen allowed 11 runs over four innings. Fernando Nieve (0-1) took the loss after a brutal appearance, surrendering four runs on four hits without recording an out.

After J.R. Towles grounded into an inning-ending force out with the bases loaded in the home fifth, the Astros' bullpen imploded while trying to hold a 6-4 lead.

Nieve surrendered a leadoff homer to Burrell, whose line drive barely cleared the short wall in left. It was all downhill for Houston from there, as three consecutive hits, highlighted by Carlos Ruiz's game-tying single, ended Nieve's poor showing.

Wesley Wright didn't fare much better, allowing a Jimmy Rollins run-scoring groundout and a Victorino two-run double to conclude the five-run frame.

The Phillies put the finishing touches on the blowout by batting around in a six-run seventh. Pedro Feliz recorded an RBI single and Greg Dobbs brought home two with a triple down the right field line.

Victorino added another RBI single and Utley crushed Dave Borkowski's offering to the second deck in right with one man on, giving the Phillies enough breathing room to cruise the rest of the way.

Most of the game was played with just three umpires, as home plate umpire Jerry Crawford was plunked by the backswing of Lee in the first inning.

Play was stopped for 12 minutes as first base umpire Rob Drake took over home plate duties. After the delay, Lee blasted a payoff pitch over the left field wall, snapping Hamels' scoreless streak and giving the Astros a quick 3-0 lead.

Jenkins brought two back in the Phils' next at-bat by connecting on his third home run of the season, a two-run blast to left.

Utley's sacrifice fly to center scored Hamels to tie things in the third, but Houston responded with two in the home half as Berkman had an RBI single and Lee produced a run-scoring groundout after Houston's double steal.

Hamels and Michael Bourn each recorded an RBI in the fourth.

Game Notes

Coming into the game, Hamels posted a 3-0 mark with a 3.14 ERA in four starts against Houston...Ryan Howard was the only Phillies starter not to record a hit...Sampson had faced the Phils four times (three starts), going 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA... Miguel Tejada, who celebrated his 34th birthday on Sunday, extended his hitting streak to 10 games...Hamels has allowed nine first-inning runs in 11 starts...Philly's 15 road wins lead the National League...Berkman recorded his career-high 10th stolen base in the game...Crawford was taken to a local hospital but he did not lose consciousness and likely suffered a mild concussion...J.C. Romero, Clay Condrey and Ryan Madson combined to throw four scoreless innings in relief for the Phils.

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March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets

With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship.  Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92.  After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points.  Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1.  Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years.  With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed.  UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern.  Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier.  OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak.  Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four.  It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta.  But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.

Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props.  Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000.  Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.

MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:

EAST National Championship Region
Arkansas 300-1 50-1
Belmont 1000-1
Boston College 100-1 40-1
Eastern KY 1000-1
George Washington 75-1
Georgetown 10-1 3-2
Marquette 100-1 40-1
Michigan State 100-1 25-1
New Mexico St. 500-1 200-1
UNC 6-1 6-5
Oral Roberts  500-1
Texas 15-1 5-1
Texas Tech 200-1 5-1
USC 75-1 20-1
Vanderbilt 100-1 30-1
Washington State 40-1 15-1
WEST
Duke 50-1 10-1
Florida A&M 1000-1
Gonzaga 200-1  40-1
Holy Cross 300-1
Illinois 300-1 60-1
Indiana 75-1 40-1
Kansas 5-1 13-10
Kentucky 100-1 40-1
Niagara 1000-1
Pittsburgh 40-1 8-1
Southern Ill. 50-1 12-1
UCLA 10-1 3-2
VCU 500-1 100-1
Villanova 100-1 40-1
VA Tech 50-1 15-1
Weber St 1000-1
Wright St 1000-1 300-1
MIDWEST
Arizona 50-1 30-1
Butler 40-1 30-1
Davidson 300-1
Florida 4-1 4-5
Georgia Tech 75-1 25-1
Jackson State 1000-1
Maryland 30-1 6-1
Miami-OH 300-1
Notre Dame 100-1 20-1
ODU 500-1 100-1
Oregon 40-1 6-1
Purdue 300-1 60-1
Texas A&M CC 1000-1
UNLV 100-1 30-1
Winthrop 500-1 100-1
Wisconsin 15-1 7-2
SOUTH
Albany 200-1
BYU 200-1 40-1
Central CT St. 1000-1
Creighton 100-1 35-1
Long Beach St. 500-1 200-1
Louisville 40-1 10-1
Memphis 30-1 4-1
Nevada 75-1 35-1
North Texas 500-1
Ohio State 7-1 6-5
Penn 500-1
Stanford 200-1 50-1
Tennessee 100-1 20-1
Texas A&M 12-1 11-5
Virginia 75-1 18-1
Xavier 100-1 40-1

Field                                              100-1

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Big Ten Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa

Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.

Should be in:

Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?

Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.

Work left to do:

Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.

Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.

Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.

Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.

For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com

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