Prado, Braves rough up Hamels, Phillies
Baseball Betting Lines
07/01/2009 - Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Prado was at it again, scoring three runs and driving in two more runs after a four-RBI evening on Tuesday, as Atlanta poured it on Philadelphia, 11-1, at Turner Field.
Gregor Blanco scored twice, Chipper Jones drove in three runs, Brian McCann knocked in two and Matt Diaz hit a two-run home run for Atlanta, winners of three straight. Jair Jurrjens (6-6), who suffered from a lack of run support in June, turned over to a new month by coming within eight outs of a no- hitter.
Paul Bako broke up the no-hitter with two outs in the seventh, slicing a single into right field. Jurrjens finished the frame, allowing one run on just the one hit to go along with six strikeouts and four walks.
Cole Hamels (4-5) continued a frustrating campaign, surrendering seven runs on nine hits with two walks and one strikeout over four-plus frames. Last season's World Series MVP has given up 11 earned runs over his last 8 2/3 frames.
Greg Dobbs drove in the lone Phillies run with a sacrifice fly, and Jimmy Rollins is now hitless in his last 27 official at-bats. The Phillies have lost the first two games of this series and now sit just a half-game in front of fast-charging Florida in the mediocre National League East.
Hamels was hurt by the bottom of the order in the third and the two men who have suddenly found their strokes in this series -- Blanco and Prado. The pitcher Jurrjens blooped a single to right with one out, then Blanco hit a ball that deflected off Hamels' leg for an infield base hit. Prado followed with a sharp double past Dobbs in left, scoring both runners.
Jones continued the onslaught with a base hit to center, scoring Prado for the 3-0 lead. The Phillies got one back without a hit in the fourth, as Jayson Werth walked with one out, moved up two bases on a wild pickoff throw from Jurrjens and scored on Dobbs' sacrifice fly to left.
Atlanta opened the floodgates in a sixth-run fifth. Blanco and Prado were at it again with a walk and single, and Jones doubled them both home with a sinking liner into open space in left-center field. McCann then roped an RBI single to right, ending Hamels night in favor of Tyler Walker. He fared no better, giving up a two-run opposite field homer to Diaz and the first career home run for Diory Hernandez, whose shot made the score 9-1.
The Braves added two more in the eighth on run-scoring singles by pinch-hitter Yunel Escobar and McCann, respectively.
Game Notes
Jurrjens had not won since May 29th, losing his last four decisions...Hamels has not posted a victory since June 4th...Rollins is now batting .205...Hamels' ERA now sits at 4.98...Attendance: 25,212.
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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).
Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.
A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.
Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.
"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.
De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.
The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.
The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.
De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.
Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.
But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.