Hamels shines as Phils down Brewers in opener
Baseball Betting Lines
10/01/2008 -
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cole Hamels hurled eight shutout innings
as Philadelphia downed Milwaukee, 3-1, in Game 1 of their National League
Division Series at Citizens Bank Park.
Hamels (1-0) used great location and a dominating change-up to keep an
undisciplined Brewers lineup off-balance throughout. He allowed just two hits
and one walk while striking out nine batters. The left-hander retired the
first 14 batters he faced before Corey Hart lined a clean single to right with
two outs in the fifth inning.
"Obviously his power changeup is as good as there is in baseball from any
left-hander," Brewers manager Dave Sveum said. "And he had a pretty decent
breaking ball, even though he didn't throw it a lot, but it's probably the
best breaking ball we've seen in a while from what we've seen in our scouting
reports and stuff. But, I mean, that changeup is as good as I've seen before
and obviously he had everything working today."
Phillies closer Brad Lidge struggled mightily in the ninth, however, and
surrendered a run before allowing the tying runs to reach second and third
with two outs. The flame-thrower then fanned Hart to end the contest.
Chase Utley had a two-run double for the Phillies, who managed just four hits
but won their first postseason game since 1993.
"A lot of times in post-season it's about pitching," Philadelphia manager
Charlie Manuel said. "The pitchers, they're really bearing down and they're
focused and they're concentrating on what they want to do. That's what happens
sometimes. Hitters, they might be a little tight and anxious. And they don't
put the runs across the board they usually can do."
Philadelphia was swept in the Division Series last year by the eventual NL
champion Colorado Rockies and are making consecutive playoff appearances for
the first time since 1980 and '81.
The Brewers were playing postseason baseball for the first time since winning
the American League pennant in 1982.
Milwaukee pitcher Yovani Gallardo (0-1) became the first pitcher in major
league history to start Game 1 of the postseason for his team after appearing
in less then 10 games during the regular season.
The 22-year-old right-hander was making just his second appearance since
ACL surgery in May and was let down by his defense. Gallardo, who was on a
strict pitch count, lasted just four innings and allowed three unearned runs
on three hits while walking five and striking out three.
"Besides the walks, I think he had decent stuff," Sveum said. "He felt pretty
strong. That young man battled and did a fine job for us and kept us in the
ball game."
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is set for Thursday in Philadelphia with the
Phillies' Brett Myers toeing the rubber against Milwaukee ace CC Sabathia.
The Phillies jumped on top with three runs in the third thanks to some
shoddy Milwaukee defense. Carlos Ruiz led off the frame with a single up the
middle and Hamels followed by laying down a bunt to try and advance the
catcher. Bill Hall bobbled the ball but still made a solid throw in plenty of
time to get Hamels. Rickie Weeks, couldn't handle the throw, however, and
Philadelphia had runners on at first and second for the top of its order.
Gallardo flirted with getting out of the trouble by getting Jimmy Rollins on a
pop up to left and fanning Jayson Werth. But, Utley followed with a hard hit
ball to center that Mike Cameron flubbed, enabling both runners to score.
Normally a superb fielder, Cameron took a bad path to the ball in windy
conditions and had to lunge to make the catch. The ball went in-and-out of his
glove and Utley was credited with a two-run double.
"If it isn't caught, nobody can not catch it except Mike Cameron," Sveum said.
"So I never question anything he does in center field. He's as good a center
fielder as I've ever been around in my 27 years in the game."
The play seemed to rattle Gallardo and, after intentionally walking the
dangerous Ryan Howard, the young starter walked Pat Burrell and Shane
Victorino to force in another run and make it a 3-0 game.
The Brewers best scoring chance off Hamels was in the sixth when Craig
Counsell slapped a one-out single up the middle and Cameron followed by
drawing a walk. Hamels settled down from there, punching out Hall and then
getting Ryan Braun to pop out to end the inning.
Hamels hit the 100-pitch mark after the eighth inning and the Phillies went to
Lidge in the ninth, opening the door for the Brewers. The closer managed to
fan Cameron looking but pinch-hitter Ray Durham singled to right and came
around to score when Braun sliced a double down the right field line and Utley
dropped the relay throw. Prince Fielder followed by striking out, but J.J.
Hardy walked and both runners then advanced into scoring position when Lidge
uncorked a wild pitch.
Hart stepped to the plate with an opportunity to deadlock things with a single
but struck out swinging to end the game.
"I have all the confidence in the world in Lidge," Hamels said. "I knew it was
something where I knew if I could get through the eighth, I knew Lidge could
seal the deal. That's something where I wanted to get him a save and I know he
wanted to get me a win, and we were able to do that."
Game Notes
The Phillies also won five of the six regular season meetings between the two
clubs...Philadelphia's last previous postseason win was a 2-0 victory over
Toronto on October 21, 1993...The Brewers last postseason win was against St.
Louis on October 17, 1982 in Game 5 of the World Series...Phils outfielder Pat
Burrell was in the lineup a day after he left batting practice with back
discomfort. He went 0-for-2 with a walk.
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Betting the NFL preseason
Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
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“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
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