D-Backs, Haren hope to sweep Mets out of Arizona

Baseball Betting Lines

07/21/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Diamondbacks have lost all of Dan Haren's last six starts and hope that trend ends tonight in the finale of a three-game series versus the New York Mets at Chase Field.

Haren is 0-4 with a 4.58 earned run average in his last six starts and hasn't tasted victory since consecutive wins on June 7 and 12. He previously toed the rubber in last Thursday's 12-1 debacle at San Diego in which he allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings.

The right-hander fell to 7-8 in 20 starts this season to go along with a 4.60 earned run average. Haren will shoot for his second career win over the Mets, as he is 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA in five career matchups (4 starts) with New York.

Arizona has won the first two installments of this series and is coming off last night's 3-2 victory behind rookie starter Barry Enright, who fired eight innings of one-run ball and struck out eight batters. Enright also drove in a run at the plate, while Juan Gutierrez managed to pick up his third save despite giving up a run in the ninth inning.

"I was attacking hitters from the beginning," Enright said. "The first two guys got on, but I never lost that aggressiveness."

Justin Upton hit a solo home run and Gerardo Parra stroked an RBI triple for the Diamondbacks, who posted a 13-2 win Monday to snap a four-game losing streak. The D'Backs are aiming for their first sweep of the Mets since taking all four meetings from Aug. 3-5, 2002. The two teams played a doubleheader in that series.

The Diamondbacks haven't recorded a sweep since winning all three matchups with Houston from Aug. 28-30 of last season.

New York will try to salvage the finale of this series and fell to 1-5 on its 11-game, three-city tour out west. In last night's defeat in the desert, Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey suffered the loss for permitting three runs and seven hits in seven innings.

"When you go out against a team that you feel is inferior to your own and you don't get it done, it's hard," Dickey said on the team's site. "It's sad, because you don't get that many chances to do something special."

Angel Pagan and Josh Thole both homered for the Mets, who have lost eight of 10 games overall and are 4-11 in the last 15 road games. New York has been held to four runs or less in 11 straight games, going 3-8 in that span, and will also visit Los Angeles for four games on the road swing. It is 5-11 in July after going 18-8 in June.

The Mets fell 6 1/2 games behind Atlanta for the National League East lead and will pin pitching duties on Jonathan Niese tonight. Niese will try to stop a two-start losing streak and was 5-0 with a 2.43 earned run average in six appearances before losing back-to-back trips to the hill.

The slide began on July 7 in a 3-1 loss to Cincinnati, as he pitched seven innings of three-run ball with eight K's. Niese then dropped another hard-luck loss in last Thursday's 1-0 defeat at San Francisco, where he permitted the only run of the game through seven frames.

Niese, a left-hander, is 6-4 in 16 starts this season to go along with a 3.44 earned run average. He has never faced the Diamondbacks.

New York and Arizona are meeting for the first time since the Diamondbacks won five of seven meetings a year ago.

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Matt Kenseth And Kevin Harvick Favorites To Take NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship

(September 15)—The NASCAR season has hit the homestretch with the opening event on this year’s Chase for the Cup taking place this weekend at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With 10 races remaining to determine the Cup Series champion, leading online sportsbook MySportsbook.com today announced odds on all 10 Chase qualifying drivers capturing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

One of the largest sportsbook sites on the Internet, MySportsbook.com currently lists the top two drivers in the point standings as the early favorites to win the Nextel Cup. Entering the Chase for the Cup with a slim five-point lead in the point standings, 2003 NASCAR champ Matt Kenseth has been made a slight favorite to win his second Cup at 7/2 betting odds. 2001 Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Harvick has betting odds listed at 5/2 and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon is listed at 6/1 to capture the Nextel Cup this year.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who won six NASCAR titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands at 8/1 to breakthrough with his first Cup victory. Staying with the family theme, MySportsbook.com lists 2005 Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch at 14/1 to succeed big brother Kurt’s 2004 NASCAR title. While Kasey Kahne was the final driver to qualify for the Chase with a third place finish last week, the oddsmakers give him a fighting chance at 10/1 mainly due to several mile-and-a-half tracks remaining on the schedule. Despite going winless on the NASCAR circuit this season, Jeff Burton enters the Chase at 5/1 to capture the Cup title. Meanwhile, rookie Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win the championship, while veteran driver Mark Martin enters the Chase for the Cup as a 15/1 long shot to win his first NASCAR title in his 24th and final season.

MySportsbook.com will offer comprehensive Nascar betting lines on every race remaining on the Nextel Cup series including driver match-ups, props and odds to win each race. For a complete list of NASCAR odds, please visit www.MySportsbook.com.

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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

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