Penny struggles, still leads Dodgers past Mets

Baseball Betting Lines

07/21/2007 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Kemp crushed a three-run home run in a five-run fourth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers recovered from a shaky outing by Brad Penny to beat the New York Mets, 8-6, at Dodger Stadium.

Penny (12-1) went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs -- three earned -- on six hits, with a pair of walks and five strikeouts. With the win, he became the first starting pitcher to open a season 12-1 for the Dodgers since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

The right-hander, who is now 7-0 over his last 11 starts, is trying to avoid the second-half letdown that ruined his season last year. He went 10-2 before the All- Star break in 2006, but went just 6-7 in the second half with a 6.25 ERA.

Kemp finished with a pair of hits, three RBI and two runs scored for the Dodgers, who had dropped the first two games of this four-game series. Juan Pierre also had two hits and knocked in a pair of runs, extending his hitting streak to 14 games.

Jorge Sosa (7-5) gave up six runs and eight hits over four innings for New York, which had won three of four coming in. Carlos Beltran and David Wright both contributed two-run home runs.

The Mets jumped on Penny for two runs in the second. Wright drew a leadoff walk, and Carlos Delgado singled before a throwing error by Andre Ethier put runners at second and third with no outs. Ramon Castro's sacrifice fly scored Wright, and after a Marlon Anderson groundout, a base hit by Lastings Milledge plated Delgado for a 2-0 edge.

Wright doubled the lead with a two-run homer in the third, but the Dodgers cut it to 4-1 in the home half when Penny doubled and came home on Pierre's two-out single.

Los Angeles then rallied to take the lead in the fourth. James Loney and Wilson Betemit ripped consecutive one-out singles, and Ethier's base hit cut it to 4-2. Kemp then deposited a hanging breaking ball into the left field stands for a three-run homer, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

Rafael Furcal kept the inning alive with a two-out, ground-rule double, and Pierre followed with a two-bagger just inside the line at third to make it 6-4.

Russell Martin's fielder's choice grounder in the sixth resulted in a pair of unearned runs for an 8-4 margin. With the bases loaded and one out, Martin hit a grounder to third, and, without a play at the plate, Wright fired to second. The out was recorded, but Ruben Gotay was then charged with a throwing error trying to cut down Furcal at the plate.

Beltran's two-run homer in the eighth cut it to 8-6, but the Mets were shut down the rest of the way by Jonathan Broxton, who struck out Wright and Delgado to end the inning.

Broxton also pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

Game Notes

Penny is the first Dodgers starter to win seven consecutive decisions since Kevin Brown won nine straight from April 29 to June 17, 2003...The Mets placed second baseman Jose Valentin on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured right tibia and recalled infielder Anderson Hernandez from Triple-A New Orleans...Wright's home run was his first career long-ball against the Dodgers.

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Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds.  The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.

Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.

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Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.

World Series odds

Adam Dunn 15-1

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Vladimir Guerrero 40-1

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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.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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