Astros, Pirates start series in Steel City

Baseball Betting Lines

06/03/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Phil Dumatrait will try to make it two strong starts in a row tonight when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Houston Astros in the first game of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Dumatrait entered 2008 without a major league victory, but picked up his second of the season with seven innings of two-hit ball against Cincinnati on May 29, allowing an unearned run and striking out nine in a 7-2 Pirates win.

The 26-year-old had reached the big leagues with the Reds last season but was 0-4 with a 15.00 earned run average in six starts over 18 innings.

He dropped his first decision with the Pirates this year, but has since won two of three, including a scoreless 5 2/3-inning effort against St. Louis on May 7, in which he allowed three hits and struck out five.

Dumatrait has never faced the Astros.

Lefty Wandy Rodriguez made his second start in a month-in-a-half for Houston.

The 29-year-old was touched for six hits and three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Cardinals on May 28, dropping a 6-1 decision.

Rodriguez downed Florida for his lone win of the season on April 13, scattering five hits and allowing a single run over seven innings of a 5-1 Astros triumph.

He's made eight lifetime starts against the Pirates and is 2-3 with a 5.65 ERA in 43 innings, walking 15 batters and striking out 46.

On Monday in St. Louis, Adam Wainwright was well on his way to another dominant start, but Pittsburgh scored four runs in the seventh and added the game-winning tally on Jason Bay's RBI single in the eighth to post a 5-4 victory over St. Louis in the finale of a four-game series.

Matt Capps collected his 11th save of the season with a scoreless ninth, while Franquelis Osoria (3-1) picked up the victory with 1 2/3 scoreless frames. Wainwright, meanwhile, went eight innings and gave up five runs on seven hits to take the loss.

Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny gave up four runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts over six frames.

On Sunday in Milwaukee, Dave Bush threw seven stellar innings to lead the Brewers to a 10-1 victory over the Astros to complete a three-game sweep.

Mark Loretta provided Houston's only offense with his first home run of the season. Shawn Chacon (2-1) lasted just one inning and allowed four runs on two hits.

The Astros have lost five in a row on their nine-game road trip and were outscored 19-3 during the sweep at Miller Park.

Pittsburgh won 10 of its 15 matchups with the Astros last season.

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Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.

The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.

Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.

MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)

Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)

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