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Diamondbacks play first of three in AtlantaBaseball Betting Lines05/14/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the National League's three last-place teams begin a three-game weekend series tonight when the Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Turner Field to face the host Atlanta Braves. Arizona is last in the NL West at 14-21, already 8 1/2 games behind San Diego, while the Braves bring up the rear in the East and are trailing Philadelphia by 4 1/2 games. A symbol of the early-season struggles, Japanese right-hander Kenshin Kawakami, takes the mound to start the set for the Braves. The 34-year-old has been on the short end of decisions in all six of his starts this spring, including a 5-3 loss at Philadelphia on May 9 in which he gave up seven hits and five runs in 6 2/3 innings. He was 7-12 with a save as a major-league rookie last season, posting a 3.86 earned run average in 156 1/3 innings. Thus far in 2010, batters are hitting .295 against him. Kawakami lost one start to the Diamondbacks last season after surrendering five hits and three runs in five innings. For Arizona, former first-round draft pick Ian Kennedy aims to restart a brief win streak. The 21st pick in the 2006 draft by the New York Yankees, Kennedy strung together road defeats of the Chicago Cubs and Houston on April 29 and May 4, allowing 14 hits and four earned runs in 14 2/3 innings. He dropped his last start, 6-1, to Milwaukee, however, after giving up six hits and two runs in seven innings. Kennedy, who has never faced Atlanta, made one big-league appearance with the Yankees last season and pitched an inning of relief. He was 0-4 with New York in 2008 and is 3-6 lifetime in 21 outings. On Wednesday in Milwaukee, Brooks Conrad hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs as Atlanta downed Milwaukee, 9-2, in the finale of a three- game set from Miller Park. Eric Hinske finished with two hits and an RBI while Jason Heyward drove in a run and scored three times for the Braves, who swept the series and have won four of five overall. Derek Lowe (5-3) gave up just six hits and a pair of runs over his six-inning start, winning for the second time in three outings. Meanwhile in Phoenix, Hiroki Kuroda pitched into the eighth inning and Manny Ramirez smashed a three-run double as the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks with a 6-3 victory at Chase Field. Adam LaRoche knocked in three runs for Arizona, which went 0-6 on its homestand, having been outscored 52-15 against Milwaukee and Los Angeles. It was the worst homestand for the Diamondbacks since losing all 11 games, July 15-25, 2004 against the Dodgers, Giants, Astros and Rockies. Edwin Jackson (1-5) was charged with seven hits and six runs in 6 2/3 innings and lost his fourth consecutive start. The right-hander had four walks and eight strikeouts. Atlanta won four of the seven matchups in the season series last year.
<< NL Central supremacy on the line in Cincinnati
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The suddenly streaking Cincinnati Reds host the suddenly slumping St. Louis Cardinals tonight in game one of a three-game meeting of the top two teams in the National League Central at Great American Ball Park. The host Re
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rich Harden tries to extend his unbeaten streak to five starts this evening when the Texas Rangers open a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Harden did not get a decision on Saturday against Kansas
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Big 12 Conference betting odds Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State Work left to do: Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on. Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough. Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.
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