Lackey shines as Angels edge Devil Rays

Baseball Betting Lines

09/19/2007 - Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Lackey pitched eight-plus solid innings as the LA Angels of Anaheim downed the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 2-1, in the second of a three-game set at Angel Stadium.

Lackey (17-9) gave up just one run on five hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts for the Angels, who have won three of their last four and reduced their magic number to four to clinch the AL West.

"You like to try and get it done as quick as you can," said Lackey about the pennant chase. "We're still trying to win games because they are still meaningful."

Howie Kendrick drove in a run while Garret Anderson went 3-for-4 with a run scored in the win.

"Offensively we really had a rough night," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "John (Lackey) really lifted us up tonight. It was one of the best games he pitched this season. It really helps getting that good starting pitching that goes deep into the game."

Jason Hammel (2-5) was the tough-luck loser as he gave up just two runs on seven hits in six innings of work while Jorge Velandia drove in the lone run for the Devil Rays, who have lost six of their last eight games.

The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the first as Chone Figgins led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third as Brendan Harris couldn't handle the throw and then crossed the plate on a wild pitch from Hammel.

Tampa Bay didn't get its first hit of the game until Velandia doubled with one out in the fifth, but Lackey got Josh Wilson and Akinori Iwamura to fly out and end the inning.

The Angels gave themselves some insurance in the sixth with a run. Anderson led off with a double and moved to third on Maicer Izturis' groundout. After Casey Kotchman was intentionally walked, Kendrick hit a grounder to shortstop and beat out the double play attempt to allow Anderson to cross the plate for a 2-0 lead.

The Devil Rays threatened in the eighth as they had runners at first and second with just one out, but Lackey struck out Greg Norton and Carlos Pena to end the frame.

Lackey gave up a leadoff ground-rule double to B.J. Upton to start the ninth and he stepped off the mound to a roaring applause from the fans.

Francisco Rodriguez took the mound and struck the first two batters out, but then walked Dioner Navarro and Velandia followed with a single to left to score Upton. However, Rodriguez struck out Wilson to finish the game and pick up his 36th save of the season.

Game Notes

Lackey is 8-1 in 10 career starts against Tampa Bay...It was the 40th stolen base of the season for Figgins...Attendance was 36,313...Los Angeles is 5-2 against Tampa Bay this season, with a 4-0 record at home. The Angels are 11-4 in the last 15 meetings with the D-Rays.

Wwwteamtalk Baseball Betting News

<< Ibanez's grand slam lifts M's over A's
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Raul Ibanez belted the fifth grand slam of his career to lead the Seattle Mariners to an 8-7 win over the Oakland Athletics at McAfee Coliseum. Ibanez ended with five RBI for Seattle, which has captured t

<< Mets continue slide with loss at RFK
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ronnie Belliard's three-run go-ahead homer highlighted a five-run fifth inning, as Washington defeated the struggling New York Mets, 9-8, at RFK Stadium. Belliard ended 3-for-4 with two runs scored and A

<< Padres maintain wild card lead in win over Pirates
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Khalil Greene went 3-for-3 with two RBI as the San Diego Padres maintained their wild-card lead by winning the second game of a four-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-

<< McCann, Braves keep pace with third straight win
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian McCann singled in the eventual winning run, as the Atlanta Braves downed the Florida Marlins, 4-3, in game two of a three-game series at Turner Field. The Braves, who won their third straight, trail

<< Owings two-hits Giants as D-Backs maintain West lead
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Micah Owings tossed a two-hit shutout, as the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks blanked the San Francisco Giants, 5-0, to resume a three-game series at Chase Field. Owings (7-8), just 1-2 in his previou

Pinch-hitter Barajas helps Phillies outlast Cardinals >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pinch-hitter Rod Barajas knocked in the go- ahead run in the 14th inning as the Philadelphia Phillies outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-4, in the middle game of a three-game set at Busch Stadium. Chas

Italy takes back top spot >>
Zurich, Switzerland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The FIFA/Coca-Cola rankings for the month of September were released on Wednesday, and they saw Italy regain the top spot by moving ahead of both Argentina and Brazil. The Italians win over

Typhoon Wipha wipes out Wednesday's games >>
Shanghai, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FIFA decided to move all four of Wednesday's games to Thursday based on the latest weather reports about typhoon Wipha. FIFA originally moved the Ghana-Norway and Denmark-Brazil co

Davenport wins; Kuznetsova withdraws at China Open >>
Beijing, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lindsay Davenport continued her successful comeback to singles play with another victory on Wednesday, while defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova withdrew from the China Open. Davenport earned a 6-0,

With cameras rolling, Pats don't disappoint >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In the wake of the New England Patriots cheating scandal last week, pundits emerged on all sides of the issue to both defend and condemn the team and its coaches. YouTube videos were crafted, past victims cried bloody murder,

MySportsbook.com, Online Sportsbook and Casino, is celebrating our 9th football season online since our launch in 1997. MySportsbook.com has experienced exponential growth, having taken over $8 billion in Sports and Casino Wagers since we opened our doors.

This year we will accept over $3 billion in wagers. Tens of thousands of winning wagers are created daily for the 300,000 people that have joined our website. In August of 2005, MySportsbook.com was acquired by Sportingbet, a UK company which is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Combined, MySportsbook.com and Sportingbet easily form the world's largest internet sportsbook company and one of the internet's most profitable companies. The acquisition has provided for added transparency and accountability to MySportsbook.com customers and thus provides more safety and security for our customers. Our business is audited by BDO Stoy Hayward, one of the largest auditing firms in London, and our accounts are published quarterly on the London Exchange. We encourage you to take a look around and truly hope you enjoy your experience.

Through advertising deals with the top handicapping sites in the world, MySportsbook.com reaches a global audience and is one of the most commonly visited gaming spots on the Internet.

MySportsbook.com offers the largest selection of casino games and sporting wagers on the Internet. We believe that an educated player is a more responsible gambler, thus we provide you with all of the latest news and handicapping information. MySportsbook.com is your ultimate destination for gaming information and wagering. You can start by signing up in the Casino or Sportsbook. Once you sign up you can use your same login in either the casino or Sportsbook. So do it now and start winning serious money Today!

If at any time you have a question, we have numerous people waiting to help you, so don't be afraid to call our customer service department. We do not take any telephone wagers but we can certainly answer any questions you may have about our service.

MySportsbook.com is officially licensed in Antigua as a preferred licensee recognized by the Directorate of offshore gaming of Antigua and Barbuda.

What more could you ask for from an Online Sportsbook?

Academy Award Betting Odds for Best Picture Offer Great Value

If there is any category that is not an obvious win for any one nominee in this year's Academy Awards, it would be for Best Picture.  Sure the Departed is a 5/7 favorite, but that's hardly anything when we look at Helen Mirren and her "out-of-reach" 1 to 40 odds (which means you would win a whopping $1 for every $40 bet).

For value, take a look at MySportsbook.com Oscars betting odds on my personal favorite, The Queen - a remarkable 12 to 1 long shot.  The film hasn't won any pre-awards for Best Picture (compared to The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine), but there is a tremendous following and it is a strong enough film to warrant a surprise win.

TV Guide advises Oscar watchers should be cautioned not to discount the  drama "Babel" with its strong social themes about overcoming communication gaps among people of different cultures.

"While 'Babel' lost several guild awards to 'Sunshine' and 'Departed,'  it still enjoys loyal support, and historically Oscar voters favor dramas with social messages over comedies like 'Sunshine' and violent crime movies like 'Departed'."

"It hasn't done well in the guilds, which means there isn't much industry support," said Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com, "But several critics are expecting it to win, and that gets my attention." Babel had 7 to 2 odds at press time.

Who is to say independently produced Little Miss Sunshine won't be this year's Crash.  Last year, Crash won for Best Motion Picture, shocking those who bet on gay cowboy flick, Brokeback Mountain, as the favorite to win. 

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