Buchholz shoots for 11th victory as Red Sox visit Giants

Baseball Betting Lines

06/26/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Clay Buchholz gets a chance tonight at becoming just the second 11-game winner in the majors this year and first in the American League, but the Boston hurler might have to do so without one of his team's hottest offensive players.

With Dustin Pedroia likely out due to a foot injury, the Red Sox try to draw even tonight in their three-game series at AT&T Park with the San Francisco Giants, who are expected to start prospect Madison Bumgarner.

Buchholz is 10-4 on the season with a 2.47 earned run average and is tied with the Yankees' Phil Hughes and David Price of the Rays for the most wins in the league. Price is also in action today, while the Rockies' Ubaldo Jimenez leads all MLB starters with 13 wins.

The 25-year-old Buchholz has won two straight and seven of his last eight starts, pitching to a 1.62 ERA while lasting at least seven innings in four of those outings. A 30-pitch first inning limited him to 6 2/3 scoreless innings versus the Dodgers on Sunday, but he gave up just three hits in a 2-0 victory.

"He is just a maturing young pitcher," Terry Francona told Boston's website. "His stuff is so good and now that he has some repetition under his belt, he is able to execute pitches as opposed to thinking about 19 different things that are going on. It is fun to watch."

The right-hander is also a solid 5-1 with a 1.74 ERA in six road starts as well as 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA in a pair of interleague starts. He has never before faced the Giants, though.

Buchholz will try to pitch Boston to a victory after it left 13 men on base in last night's 5-4 setback to San Francisco. The Red Sox loaded the bases in three of the final four innings, but plated just one run. That came in the ninth off Giants closer Brian Wilson, who allowed a two-out triple to Kevin Youkilis, who then scored on a single by Victor Martinez.

Wilson filled the bases in the frame, but escaped further damage by getting Darnell McDonald to ground out to end the game.

"Wilson's a good pitcher," Giants shortstop Juan Uribe told San Francisco's website after Wilson posted his 21st save of the season. "I don't ever get too nervous when Wilson goes on the mound. I believe in the guy and I know he can do it."

Uribe hit a solo homer in the win and Jonathan Sanchez threw 5 1/3 innings. He gave up just three hits, though one was a three-run homer by Youkilis in the first inning. Still, the Giants, who had lost four of six coming in, remained 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Padres in the NL West.

In losing for the third time in four games following six straight victories, the biggest blow for the Red Sox might have come when Pedroia fouled a ball off his left foot in the third inning, forcing his early exit. Though X-rays didn't show a break, he was still on crutches after the game and will have further tests done today.

"I'm sore," said Pedroia on Boston's website. "I'll get checked out [Saturday] and make sure we get to the bottom of everything. But I'm pretty disappointed."

In 13 games prior to Friday, Pedroia was hitting .500 (26-for-52) with four homers, 13 RBI and 17 runs scored. Three of those homers came in Thursday's 13-11 extra-inning win over Colorado.

Boston, which slipped three games behind the front-running New York Yankees in the AL East, will now try to spoil Bumgarner's season debut.

The 20-year-old was scheduled to start for Triple-A Fresno on Friday, but was scratched from that outing. Joe Martinez was slated to start tonight for the Giants, but he hasn't started since June 15 and warmed up in the third inning of last night's game.

So, Bumgarner will go instead after posting a 7-1 mark and 3.16 ERA in 14 starts with Fresno this year. The left-hander, who was the 10th overall pick of the 2007 draft, pitched in four games with the Giants last year as a September call-up, posting a 1.80 ERA without a decision.

Only one of those outings was a start and that game came on Sept. 8 versus the Padres. Bumgarner gave up two runs over 5 1/3 innings.

Like he did with Fresno, Buster Posey is slated to catch his former minor league teammate tonight. Posey, who had three hits in last night's game, made 32 of his 47 appearances in Triple-A this year behind the plate, but has made just one start at catcher with the Giants since his call-up on May 29.

The Red Sox swept a three-game series from the Giants when these teams met in Boston during the 2007 season. However, San Francisco won two of the three meetings between the clubs held at AT&T Park in 2004.

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Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs.

American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6  

The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.

Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com.  "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.

It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis.  It's like Week 1 of the NFL.  Pre-season means nada!

We do know the 24 finalists however.

Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24.  He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway.  He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien. 

Brandon Rogers - Who?

Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition.  He should go a good distance.

Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was.  And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition.  He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice!  People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way. 

"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks.  He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes.  But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.

A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”

Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes. 

"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate.  "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past.  He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far.  Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."

Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts) 

And the others:

Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter

The girls

"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis.  "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has.  The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive.  I think she will go far."

Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.

"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams.  Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth.  "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.

Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.

Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.

Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan

MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with). 

Last two contestants will be?

1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)

2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)

2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)

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