05/10/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta lefty Chuck James looks for a third straight victory tonight, when the Braves enter PNC Park for the second installment of a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
James opened his 2008 season with a shelling at Colorado, losing a 12-6 decision after allowing five hits and six runs in just three innings of work.
He has been better since, however, allowing just nine hits and five runs in 10 innings while defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers and Florida Marlins as the host at Turner Field.
The 26-year-old Atlanta native has started twice against the Pirates in his career, going 1-0 after tossing 13 scoreless innings and allowing just three hits. In that stretch, James has walked six batters and struck out seven.
Pittsburgh goes with fellow southpaw Tom Gorzelanny, who got back on the winning side of the ledger in his last start.
The 25-year-old had dropped two straight mid-April decisions before rebounding to allow just one hit over five scoreless innings in a 13-1 rout of the New York Mets on April 30.
He faced the Braves in his initial outing of 2008 and took a loss after allowing six hits and three runs over six innings of what wound up as a 10-2 Atlanta triumph.
Gorzelanny is 0-1 lifetime against Atlanta in two starts, surrendering 12 hits and seven runs in 12 innings while walking four and striking out 10.
On Friday, Freddy Sanchez ripped a bouncer up the middle to plate the game- winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Pirates edged the Braves, 3-2.
The Pirates blew a one-run lead in the eighth, but a two-out single by Doug Mientkiewicz put runners of the corners in the ninth. Sanchez drove a 2-1 pitch past reliever Jeff Bennett, and Brian Bixler marched home for the clincher.
Sanchez accounted for all three RBI in leading Pittsburgh to its fourth straight victory. Ryan Doumit added two hits in the win.
Pirates starter Ian Snell allowed just two hits and one run, while surviving six walks in seven innings of a no-decision. Matt Grabow (2-1) earned the win by getting out of a ninth-inning jam in his only inning of work.
The Braves had their six-game win streak snapped, as Brian McCann went 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and a walk. Jeff Francoeur knocked in both Atlanta runs.
Tom Glavine, whose last win came on September 8 last season, threw seven quality innings, giving up two runs on five hits and four walks while not factoring into the decision. Bennett (0-2) was credited with the loss by only recording one out in the final inning.
Pittsburgh won two of three games against the Braves from March 31-April 3 at Turner Field. Atlanta went 5-1 in last season's series, with a 2-1 record at PNC Park.
<< Carlisle gets four-year deal to coach Mavs
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rick Carlisle has come to terms on a four-year
contract to become head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks website posted a story late Friday night that confirmed the
signing, which is expected
<< Roddick, Stepanek retire, sending Djokovic, Wawrinka to Rome final
Rome, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic and Swiss
Stanislas Wawrinka advanced to the final of the $3.5 million Italian Masters
Saturday after both their semifinal opponents retired.
Sixth-seeded American Andy
<< Red Wings aim for 2-0 lead against visiting Stars
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The top-seeded Detroit Red Wings will try to take a two
games to none lead in the Western Conference finals tonight, when they welcome
the Dallas Stars for Game 2 at Joe Louis Arena.
The Red Wings came out with a strong pe
<< Cavs, Celtics resume best-of-seven series in Cleveland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics attempt to take a commanding 3-0 lead
over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, as
the teams meet tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.
On Thursday, Paul Pierce paced a balanc
Dempster leads Cubs vs. D'Backs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Ryan Dempster will try to rebound from his
first loss of 2008 today, when the Chicago Cubs entertain the Arizona
Diamondbacks again in the middle contest of a three-game weekend series at
Wrigley
Astros continue trek at Los Angeles >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Astros opened their 10-game road trip on a good
note, and will try to stay on track tonight in the second test of a three-game
series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.
The Astros, who have won s
Phillies take on slumping Giants again >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jimmy Rollins' return to the Philadelphia lineup sparked
his team to victory. Today, Rollins and the Phillies will resume their road
trip out west with the second installment of a three-game series against the
San Fra
Padres' Maddux goes for win No. 350 vs. Rockies >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Greg Maddux will try again for career win No. 350 when he
leads the San Diego Padres tonight in the second test of a three-game series
versus the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park.
Maddux has lost two straight starts and
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.
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