Braves kick off road swing in Florida

Baseball Betting Lines

07/23/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves bring the National League's best record into Florida this evening when they kick off their nine-game road trip with the first of three games against the Marlins at Sun Life Stadium.

Atlanta just took two of three from the San Diego Padres to complete a seven- game homestand that saw it go 4-3. Still and all, the Braves lead the NL East by seven games over three-time defending division champion Philadelphia.

The Braves, though, did not gain any ground on the Phils on Thursday, but picked up a series win over the Padres nonetheless, as Tim Hudson tossed seven strong innings and Alex Gonzalez continued to swing a hot bat with a four-hit, two-RBI performance in the 8-0 win.

Hudson (10-5) shut down the Padres to the tune of four hits and one walk while fanning four.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, has hit safely in six of his seven games since coming to Atlanta in a trade with Toronto and made a pair of defensive gems behind Hudson Thursday, as the Braves took two of three in the series.

Jayson Heyward chipped in two hits and two RBI, while Chipper Jones went 3- for-5 with a run batted in.

Getting the call for the Braves tonight will be right-hander Derek Lowe, who is 10-8 with a 4.39 ERA. Lowe stopped a personal three-game losing streak and won for the first time in five starts on Sunday against Milwaukee, which managed three runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 frames.

Lowe is 6-4 lifetime against the Marlins with a 4.93 ERA in 17 games, 12 of which have been starts.

Florida, meanwhile, will counter with rookie right-hander Alex Sanabia, who is 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA. Sanabia picked up his first big league win on Sunday against the Washington Nationals, as he scattered four hits over 5 1/3 innings. He had thrown 3 1/3 scoreless frames in his previous outing.

This will be the 21-year-old hurler's third start and first against Atlanta.

The Marlins come into tonight's tilt red hot after taking three of four from Colorado. On Thursday, Ronny Paulino knocked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Marlins a 3-2 win.

Emilio Bonifacio tripled to deep center over the head of Dexter Fowler to start the inning, and Paulino promptly punched the game-winning hit to shallow right as the Marlins won for the fifth time in their last six tries.

Florida, though, sits nine back of the Braves in the division.

Josh Johnson continued his strong run despite receiving a no-decision, striking out 11 in 6 1/3 innings and yielding just one run on five hits with a single walk.

Leo Nunez (4-2) struck out the side in the top of the ninth and received the win, while Gaby Sanchez provided a pair of hits and drove in a run.

Atlanta has won four of its six matchups with the Marlins this season.

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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.

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

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