With Valentine rumors swirling, Marlins open set with Padres

Baseball Betting Lines

06/25/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The first-place San Diego Padres continue their early- summer tour of Florida tonight when they venture to Miami to open a three-game set with the Marlins at Sun Life Stadium.

Leading by 2 1/2 games over the San Francisco Giants in the National League's West Division, the Padres won two of three games on the initial stop of the Sunshine State trip in a midweek series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays salvaged the finale of the series on Thursday, when Kelly Shoppach went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-3 win.

Oscar Salazar hit a two-run home run while Jerry Hairston Jr. drove in the other run for the Padres, who had a three-game winning streak stopped. Wade LeBlanc (4-5) was tagged with the loss as he gave up four runs on 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Left-hander Clayton Richard gets the call on the mound for the opener with the Marlins and seeks to end a winless drought that's stretched to five starts. The 26-year-old's last win came May 22 at Seattle, when he scattered seven hits and allowed just one run in a 2-1 defeat of the Mariners.

He's 0-2 with three decisions since, including a 5-4 loss to Baltimore on June 19, in which he gave up eight hits and four earned runs in six innings.

Richard, who's 2-1 in five road starts in 2010, has never faced the Marlins.

Florida counters with former first-round pick Chris Volstad, who's won just once in eight starts since May 7. The 16th overall selection in 2005 was 3-2 on the season after a 4-2 win in Washington, but subsequently lost four straight starts in May and has beaten only the Rays in four June outings.

Volstad gave up seven hits and four runs in a no-decision his last time out, lasting 5 2/3 innings in a game the Marlins lost, 9-8, to Tampa Bay on June 19.

Tonight will mark the third game at the helm for interim manager Edwin Rodriguez, who took over when Fredi Gonzalez was fired earlier in the week. His stay, though, could be coming to an end soon, as reports are circulating that the club and Bobby Valentine are on the verge of a deal. One report suggests that Valentine could take over the team as early as Monday.

On Thursday, in Rodriguez's second game, Miguel Tejada hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBI and three runs scored as the Baltimore Orioles avoided a sweep and defeated the Marlins, 11-5, in the finale of a series at Camden Yards.

Dan Uggla finished 4-for-5 and recorded three runs batted in for Florida, which saw its three-game win streak halted. Gaby Sanchez added three hits and two runs scored in the loss.

Florida starter Nate Robertson (5-6) lasted only 2 1/3 innings and was charged with five runs on seven hits.

San Diego took two of three from the Marlins earlier in the year and has won four of the last six meetings.

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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.

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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

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