Cardinals fall to Nats, lose ground in NL Central
Baseball Betting Lines
08/29/2010 - Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Lannan spun 7 2/3 solid innings and Mike Morse belted a two-run home run as Washington continued to put a crimp in St. Louis' playoff push with a 4-2 win Sunday to close a four-game series.
Lannan (6-6) yielded a lone run on eight hits while fanning four and not issuing a walk and chipped in with a key two-run double for the Nationals, who claimed three of four in the set. Drew Storen gave up a home run in the ninth but recorded the last four outs to earn his third save of the year.
Morse and Adam Dunn each finished with a pair of hits and two runs scored as the hosts evened the season series at three games apiece.
Adam Wainwright (17-9) absorbed the loss after giving up four runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over five frames for the Cardinals, who fell a season-high five games behind Cincinnati in the National League Central.
Dunn and Morse opened the second with singles but stayed put when the next two hitters struck out. However, Lannan helped his own cause with a double to left to score both runners to put the Nats on top.
Dunn drew a two-out walk in the third and scored when Morse followed with his long ball to left.
St. Louis got on the board in the seventh when Matt Holliday led off with a double and scored after ground outs by Pedro Feliz and Jon Jay.
Lannan was removed after a two-out single by Aaron Miles in the eighth and Storen came on to strike out Albert Pujols to end the inning.
The rookie right-hander got the first out in the ninth before Feliz homered just out of the reach of a leaping Willie Harris in front of the wall in left field. Storen, though, retired two of the next three hitters to end the game.
Game Notes
St. Louis' Colby Rasmus was in the original starting lineup but was scratched shortly before first pitch. He has not started the last 12 games due to a strained calf and has only two at-bats since August 17...Wainwright dropped to 9-2 in day games this season and 3-2 in eight career meetings, six starts, against the Nats...St. Louis is 52-29 in games started by Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia...Holliday extended his hitting streak to 11 games...Washington is 11-5-2 in series play at home since April 23...Saturday and Sunday marked the first time during the month of August the Nats have won consecutive games.
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Heisey scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error in the bottom of the eighth inning as Cincinnati coughed up a late lead and then came back to beat Chicago, 7-5, in the rubber match of a three-g
<< Maier, Royals clip Tribe
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mitch Maier homered and drove in two runs,
helping the Kansas City Royals salvage a three-game series with a 6-2 win over
the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.
Alex Gordon added two hits, while Ki
<< Rayburn's homers and Porcello's pitching help Tigers pound Jays
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rick Porcello spun seven solid innings and Ryan
Raburn belted two home runs, finishing with four RBI, as the Detroit Tigers
pounded Toronto, 10-4, to salvage a split of a four-game series at Rogers
Centre.
<< Dickey, Mets take series with Astros
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - R.A. Dickey worked seven-plus solid innings
and helped his own cause with a two-run single, as the New York Mets earned a
5-1 decision over the Houston Astros in the rubber match of a three-game
series
<< Jets LB Pace has broken foot, could be out six weeks
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Jets linebacker Calvin Pace
has a broken foot which will cause him to miss the team's September 13 season
opener against Baltimore.
According to the Jets official Twitter page, Pace wi
Farragut, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Kirk fired a five-under 67 on Sunday to win the Knoxville Sentinel Open by two shots and capture his second Nationwide Tour victory of the season. Kirk, who also won the Fort Smith Classic, finished
McCann's homer caps Atlanta's comeback win over Marlins >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian McCann hit a game-ending home run to
cap off a furious Braves rally, as Atlanta recovered from a five-run deficit
in the eighth to stun Florida, 7-6, in the rubber match of a three-game
series.
Nationals extend Hernandez through 2011 >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Nationals pitcher Livan Hernandez
agreed to a one-year contract extension on Sunday through the 2011 season.
Hernandez is 9-9 this season with a 3.49 earned run average in 27 starts.
Since re
Cervelli, Yankees take series from slumping White Sox >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Francisco Cervelli collected four hits and
scored the decisive run on Brett Gardner's single in the top of the third
inning, as the New York Yankees edged the Chicago White Sox, 2-1, in the
rubber
Wie captures 2nd LPGA Tour win in Canada >>
Winnipeg, MB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michelle Wie shot a two-under 70 Sunday to
capture her second LPGA Tour win at the Canadian Women's Open.
Wie, who entered the final round tied for the lead with Jiyai Shin, finished
with a 12-under 276
El Duque expected to throw Tuesday
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.
Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.
El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.
MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds.
Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.
New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.
Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''
Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.