Atlanta Braves Baseball Bet Blog News and Info

Atlanta Braves Announce Coaching Changes For 2007

2006-10-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

After experiencing their first losing season since 1990, the Braves will now undergo the biggest coaching staff overhaul in manager Bobby Cox's tenure.

After third-base coach Fredi Gonzalez was officially announced as the new Marlins' manager on Tuesday afternoon, the Braves announced that Bobby Dews and Pat Corrales will also be absent from their 2007 coaching staff.

Dews, 67, who had been the club's bullpen coach, and Corrales, 65, had been the longest-tenured coaches on Cox's staff.

Brian Snitker will replace Gonzalez, and Eddie Perez will now serve as the bullpen coach. Chino Cadahia will take over for Corrales as the bench coach.

Dews, who has been in the organization since 1974, has been offered the opportunity to take on a special advisory role that would allow him to serve as a coach at home games and during Spring Training. While the Braves are on the road, he'd provide assistance with the club's Minor League affiliates.

It's a position that Schuerholz has developed specifically with Dews, who before joining the Atlanta staff in 1996 gained plenty of developmental experience as a roving Minor League instructor and manager.

Last week, Corrales said he'd like to return next season. But Schuerholz indicated that the veteran coach had told the team that he didn't intend to come back next year.

With Gonzalez getting the Marlins job, there's a chance Corrales could end up in Florida as the bench coach. The two enjoyed a good relationship during Gonzalez's four seasons as Atlanta's third-base coach.

Perez, who played in Atlanta from 1995-2001 and 2004-05, got his first coaching experience at Double-A Mississippi this year. The Braves were pleased with his ability to provide leadership and assistance to the youngsters.

Snitker, who managed at Triple-A Richmond this year, has been in the Braves organization since signing a professional contract with them in 1977. He's spent much of the past 25 seasons as one of the club's Minor League managers. His experience at the Major League level came when he was Atlanta's bullpen coach in 1985 and again from 1988-90.

Cadahia, who had been the club's Minor League field coordinator since 1997, has gained the utmost respect from the players who he's helped developed. His organizational skills and knowledge have led one Major League general manager to proclaim him capable of being a big-league manager.
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Adapted from the article on the Major League Baseball website.

Another tough day for Braves' bullpen

2006-06-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON -- Just when it looked like things couldn't get any worse for the Braves, they were reminded that their Sunday night flight from Houston to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., would take them through Tropical Storm Alberto.
"The hits keep coming for the Atlanta Braves," said a further discouraged Chipper Jones after the Braves ended their four-game series at Minute Maid Park on Sunday afternoon with a 14-4 loss.
About the only thing the Braves could enjoy after allowing more runs than they have all season was the fact that Horacio Ramirez had escaped serious injury after being hit with a Lance Berkman line drive a few hours before.
But when an organization that has won 14 consecutive division titles has lost 11 of its past 14 games, it's rather difficult to look for the positives. Instead, they're forced to wonder if it's even possible for them to erase the 10-game lead the Mets have gained over them in the National League East.
This marks the first time the Braves have been 10 games out of the race since July 22, 1993, four days after Fred McGriff was obtained. That team won 54 of its final 73 games to win the NL West title. But without a McGriff-like addition to this current bunch, there likely won't be a 15th consecutive division title.
"It's obviously a very discouraged ballclub right now," Jones said. "To a man, there's only a handful of guys who are proud of the way they've played. Other than that, everybody is pretty much down in the dumps."
All the struggles the Braves encountered while winning just two of 10 games during their last homestand followed them to Houston, where they lost three of four to an Astros team that, entering the series, had won just four of their previous 15 games.
"Really, things aren't going our way right now," Ramirez said. "It seems that we're not getting any breaks. I think most of that stuff evens out over the course of the season."
Fortunately, Ramirez will be around to help the Braves as they attempt to break out of this serious funk. Although he was struck in the head with Berkman's second-inning liner, he suffered just a contusion and should be ready to make his next start.
Obviously, he's hoping it will be more memorable than this one, in which he allowed six earned runs and seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. His biggest mistake came with an elevated fastball that Jason Lane drilled for a two-out, three-run homer in the first inning.
Berkman's liner, which ended up in right field, scored two runs and gave the Astros a 7-1 lead. So there's more than one reason why this was an afternoon Ramirez would like to forget. In his previous three starts, he'd allowed a total of four earned runs in 22 innings.
With Ramirez forced to exit, manager Bobby Cox was forced to use six relievers, and most of them provided solid outings.
Such couldn't be said in reference to former closer Chris Reitsma. The veteran right-hander retired just two of the 10 batters he faced in the sixth inning. Along the way, he allowed five earned runs, surrendered seven hits and ended his day by plunking Willy Tavares with a pitch.
"They didn't miss his mistakes," Brian McCann said of Reitsma, who now has a 9.11 ERA.
Eric Munson's three-run home run highlighted Houston's five-run sixth inning and capped his two-homer performance, which also included a shot to begin the third inning against Oscar Villarreal.
"We hit the ball real good," Cox said. "We hit some balls extremely hard all day long. We just didn't have a good day pitching."
Edgar Renteria paced the Braves' 11-hit attack with three singles and his eighth homer of the season. But his second four-hit performance of the season, combined with the solo homers Jeff Francoeur and Jones provided in the third inning against Wandy Rodriguez, was far from enough to prevent yet another loss.
"It was a tough series," Jones said. "We couldn't get anybody out and couldn't score enough runs."

Big inning sinks Braves

2006-06-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON -- It occurred two innings earlier, went to the other side of the field, accounted for one less run and didn't exactly come amid the same stressful situation that the postseason brings.
But given what the Braves have endured over the past 11 days, the three-run sixth-inning homer Lance Berkman drilled off John Thomson on Thursday night created a sting just slightly less painful than the one created when he hit his eighth-inning grand slam off Kyle Farnsworth in Game 4 of last year's National League Division Series.
Returning to Minute Maid Park for the first time since that 18-inning game ended their postseason run last year, the Braves saw Berkman prolong their recent frustrations with his bat and arm during a five-run sixth inning that the Astros used to claim a 7-4 win.
"It's just one game, but it's magnified now because of how we've been playing," said Jeff Francoeur, after this setback gave the Braves their ninth loss in 11 games.
Berkman's grand slam in last year's NLDS stirred a comeback the Astros used to win that marathon affair and propel themselves to their first ever World Series. This three-run shot, his second of the night off Thomson, simply added anguish to a Braves club which had won six of nine before encountering this skid.
Long known as one of the Astros' Killer B's, Berkman also provided some sting in the top half of the sixth inning, which began with Atlanta loading the bases with no outs against Houston starter Andy Pettitte. Berkman ensured the veteran lefty would escape unharmed when his strong throw to the plate retired Jeff Francoeur, who had tagged from third base on Thomson's fly ball to right field.
Providing a further reminder of last year's forgettable Game 4 loss was the fact that Berkman's throw was handled by Astros catcher Brad Ausmus, whose two-out ninth-inning homer off Farnsworth tied Game 4 and forced the extra nine innings.
As Francoeur attempted to run him over, Ausmus bobbled the throw into his bare hand and made the tag. After watching the video after the game, the Atlanta right fielder said the correct call was made.
"I didn't know he was bobbling it as he was coming [across the plate]," Francoeur said. "It was a bang-bang play and nice throw by Berkman."
Berkman's 16th career multihomer game, which also included a 425-foot opposite-field shot to begin the fourth inning, provided plenty of damage. But things might have been different if the Braves had capitalized on the fact that Pettitte allowed two singles and issued a walk before getting Todd Pratt to look at strike three ahead of Thomson's unrewarded fly ball.
"That was a big run for us," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Bases loaded and no out, we get none. ... It's gone that way. No excuses, but that's the way it's gone."
Thomson, who had posted an 11.09 ERA in his previous four starts, limited the Astros to three hits through the first five innings. But with the momentum having changed at the end of the previous half inning, he allowed consecutive singles to begin the bottom of the sixth.
"We were still up 2-1 going into the bottom half of that inning," Thomson said. "There was probably a little bit of momentum change there. I've got to be able to go back out there and turn it back to our favor. I didn't do my job, basically."
Berkman, who had four hits (none for extra bases) in his previous 10 career at-bats against Thomson, followed those two singles with his three-run shot over the right-field wall. His grand slam off Farnsworth was perfectly placed over the short porch in left field.
"He kills us," Francoeur said of Berkman, who during the regular season has hit .308 (33-for-107) against the Braves. "He put some good swings on the ball and hurt us."
The sixth inning got uglier, when Chris Reitsma entered after the Berkman homer. After issuing two consecutive walks, the right-hander, who has seemingly lost his closer role, retired the next two batters. The second out came on Ausmus' sacrifice bunt, which moved the runners into position to score on pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro's two-out, two-run single.
All of the frustration added during the sixth inning ruined a good night from Chipper Jones, who contributed an RBI single in the fifth inning and a two-run homer in the seventh. The Braves' only other run came with Francoeur's fourth-inning solo shot off Pettitte.
With Brian McCann likely back in the lineup on Friday night, the Braves are hoping things will soon change. As each day passes, it seems things can't possibly get any worse.

Braves Are Swept by Diamondbacks

2006-06-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Damion Easley said he's just trying to keep the Arizona Diamondbacks on track.Tony Clark homered twice, Easley added a three-run drive, and Arizona beat the Atlanta Braves, 9-3, Sunday to complete the first four-game sweep at Turner Field.
"I'm just trying to keep the train moving," said Easley, who has four homers in his last two games. "The pitches I thought I could hit, I put in play."Arizona completed a 7-3 trip with the sweep. The Phillies swept four games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on May 5-8, 1995. Before this weekend, that was the last time the Braves had been swept in a four-game series — home or away."That was probably the worst series we've ever had here that I can remember," Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said.Clark, who began the day hitting .164, was four for five to lift his average to .208. Jeff DaVanon led off the game with a homer and added a two-run single in the second inning as Arizona took a 4-0 lead against Jorge Sosa.

Arizona D’Backs vs. Atlanta Braves

2006-05-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 2nd 2006 7:30 PM ET
Turner Field

The Cubs were already celebrating and the Braves spoiled the party which often happens in baseball a game is not over until the last out. Chicago was winning 5-2 at the end of the seventh, but was unable to keep that lead and a couple of errors in the eight cost them the game.

Zambrano overcame early wildness and held Atlanta hitless for 6 2/3 innings before pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit lofted a fly that right fielder Jacque Jones lost in the glare. His back to the wall, he could only throw up his arms as the ball hit the ivy-covered wall for a double.

In the eighth the Braves loaded the bases with no outs then tied the game and manage to get another run to get the lead, the Braves closer Mike Remlinger pitched the ninth and held the Cubs to no runs in that inning giving the victory to Atlanta.

It was a game in which the Braves never gave up and that pay off pretty good earning a much needed win to sum up in the standings.

Lineup
1. Marcus Giles, 2nd B. 2. Edgar Renteria, SS. 3. Chipper Jones, 3rd B. 4. Andruw Jones, CF. 5. Adam LaRoche, 1st B. 6. Jeff Francoeur, RF. 7. Matt Diaz, LF. 8. Todd Pratt, C. 9. John Thomson, P.

Orlando Hudson expected to have the day off; instead he ended up having a great day. Inserted into the lineup a few minutes before game time, Hudson tied a career high with four hits to lead the Diamondbacks to an 8-7 victory over Pittsburgh and a sweep of their three-game series.

"My body wasn't prepared for it," Hudson said. "I was tight going out there."

Well thanks to Hudson the D’Backs are still having a great season so far, first place in the NL West and they don’t want to give up that spot and they won’t if they continue to play like this winning important games when it’s needed for the sake of the franchise.

This week they’re headed to Atlanta to try and win at least one game of the series, which will keep them atop of the NL West. It’s expected that this game will be very popular for sports betting fans, that always enjoys the thrill of these MLB games.

Lineup
1. Craig Counsell, SS. 2. Eric Byrnes, CF. 3. Chad Tracy, 3rd B. 4. Conor Jackson, 1st B BA. 5. Shawn Green, RF. 6. Andy Green, LF. 7. Orlando Hudson, 2nd B. 8. Chris Snyder, C. 9. Miguel Batista, P.

Dodgers down Braves in series opener

2006-05-29T16:38:00.000-07:00

Ramon Martinez finished 3-for-4 with a home run and a career-high five runs batted in to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Atlanta Braves, 12-5, in the opener of a three-game series at Turner Field.
Kenny Lofton went 3-for-4 with two runs scored for the Dodgers, who have won nine of their last 11.
Brad Penny pitched well until the Braves' four-run fifth, allowing a total of five runs on nine hits with one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings. Joe Beimel (2-0) came on in relief to earn the win with a perfect 1 2/3 innings of work.
"My shoulder's hurting," Penny said. "It was killing me last game, they know it's killing me this game. I'm out there pitching hurt. The first jam I get into all year and I don't get a chance to get out of it. I want a chance to get that inning out of the way."
Edgar Renteria went 3-for-5 with a run scored for the Braves, who had a four- game winning streak snapped. John Thomson (2-4), who was leading the NL in ERA before getting roughed up in three straight starts, gave up seven runs on seven hits with three walks and one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings.
"I thought I made pretty good pitches while I was out there," Thomson said. "One of those days when you're making certain pitches and they're getting enough of the bat on it to be slow enough or find a hole and when you make a little mistake and they get a little extra on it and it goes in the outfield."
The Dodgers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, as Rafael Furcal and Lofton singled to lead off the frame. Nomar Garciaparra followed with an RBI single and J.D. Drew reached on a throwing error by Renteria, which allowed Lofton to score. Matt Kemp reached base safely after grounding into a fielder's choice.
Willy Aybar reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Garciaparra, aided by another throwing error, this time by third baseman Chipper Jones. John Thomson was then intentionally walked to load the bases and Russell Martin hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Kemp.
LA continued to control the game through the second with three more runs, as Furcal doubled and advanced to third on Lofton's bunt single. Garciaparra hit an RBI single and Drew walked to load the bases. Kemp plated Lofton on a sacrifice fly and Martinez singled home Garciaparra to keep the bases loaded, as Lance Cormier came on the mound to stop the bleeding.
Atlanta managed a run in the bottom of the second, as Ryan Langerhans doubled and Todd Pratt singled him home. The Dodgers added another run in the fourth as Martinez hit an RBI single after Kemp had walked and stolen second.
After Penny had retired eight straight batters, Atlanta posted three straight first-pitch doubles and three straight singles in the fifth with one out to cut its deficit to 8-5, prompting Beimel to come on in relief of a furious Penny. The move immediately paid off as Beimel got Adam LaRoche to ground into a double play on his first pitch.
The Dodgers responded with a run in the sixth, as Oscar Villarreal replaced Cormier to start the sixth but Drew doubled and later scored on a Kemp single. They added three runs to their cushion in the ninth as Martinez blasted a three-run shot over the left-field wall for the final margin.

Quarterly Report on Major League Divisional Races (NL WEST

2006-05-24T14:38:00.001-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Now that most teams have played around forty games, let’s look on in the Divisional Races:

NL WEST

Here’s a division where all the teams are in the hunt for the title. Not much has been determined in the first quarter of the season except that the division is not nearly as bad as many thought it would be. All four teams currently have winning records and they are only separated by 2.5 games.

Arizona has been led by Brandon Webb (7-0), who is probably the early leader in the NL CY Young race. Unfortunately, the rest of their pitching staff has about a 6.00 ERA. Jose Valverde (13 saves), Luis Vizcaino (3.38 ERA) and Brandon Lyon have led a bullpen that is improved over last year’s version. After a miserable start, Shawn Green has been on a torrid pace and Chad Tracy was recently rewarded with a $13 million plus contract extension for his fine work. The offense has been a moneyball fan’s dream: Craig Counsell (.387 OBP), Conor Jackson (.372) and Luis Gonzalez (.387) have certainly managed to get on base. Most analysts of the minor leagues rank Arizona near the top of the list and they are going to need to dip into their system to get some rotation help if they are to win the division or compete for the wildcard.

Colorado has been one of this year’s early surprises. One of the best bets in recent years was against the Rockies on the road, but they have dramatically improved this year. The skepticism usually associated with their gaudy numbers are not valid this year as guys like Brad Hawpe who is hitting .340 overall is hitting .383 on the road. Matt Holliday has added 11 dingers and Garrett Atkins has filled out what has been a very productive, albeit no name, middle of the order. In Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook, the Rockies have developed two nice young starters. Brian Fuentes (10 saves, 1.45 ERA) is having his second straight good year. The Rockies appear to finally have a sound plan in place. In a division that will beat up on each other, you can’t count the Rockies out.

The Dodgers have gone the high risk/high reward strategy the last couple of years. Nomar Garciaparra is the perfect example. He has hit .369, but injuries have limited him. J.D. Drew has 8 homers and 33 RBI so far, but don’t you wish wagerweb.com let you bet on whether or not he would make it through the season? Kenny Lofton (.350 OBP) keeps chugging along, but the Dodgers are waiting for Furcal (.244) to get going. Brad Penny has been pitching well (4-1, 2.53), but also has a dicey injury history. Will Eric Gagne be healthy and effective for the second half of the year? Like Arizona, the Dodgers have a strong farm system. Unlike Arizona, they may be willing to trade a few to fill holes.

Most of the attention surrounding the Giants has been around Barry Bonds. The fact that Bonds is hitting close to .250 and still has an OBP close to .500 speaks volumes about the Giants offense, especially without Moises Alou. The starting rotation led by a resurgent Jason Schmidt (3.07 ERA), the recently returned to action Noah Lowry (3.38 ERA) and Jamey Wright (3.38 ERA) have pitched well enough to keep them in contention, but it would seem another bat is needed for them to stay in the race.

The San Diego Padres recently won 15 out of 18, but still appear to be the weakest team in the division. Mike Piazza has hit 6 homers and has hit better of late, but 15 RBI for a cleanup hitter is just not going to cut it. The challenges of Petco aside, this team has a definite power outage. Only Khali Green has joined Piazza in hitting over 5 homeruns to this point. As usual, Brian Giles continues to get on base with an OBP over .400 and Trevor Hoffman (7 saves, 1.20 ERA) and Scott Linebrink (3.27 ERA) lead a strong bullpen.

So it will come down to Arizona’s farm system, Colorado’s youngsters, The Dodger’s health, The Giants pitching and San Diego’s ability to keep doing it with mirrors. Stay tuned.

Quarterly Report on Divisional Races --- NL CENTRAL

2006-05-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

After a few weeks and with some surprises, the NL Central has begun to look a lot more as expected, particularly at the very top.

With a lineup containing the best player on the planet, the Cardinals have recently started to pull away and
seem well on their way to their third straight division title. Pujols’ numbers are mind-boggling (22 homers and 54 RBI). Barring an injury or a stunning slump, he’s practically locked up the MVP Award in May. Underrated David Eckstein has an OBP of .390 and provides the kind of spark few leadoff hitters can match. While injuries and age have slowed Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen to some degree, they are both still dangerous hitters. Juan Encarcion and Yadier Molina have been disappointments, but the rest of the lineup has picked them up so far. Chris Carpenter has continued to pitch like an ace and starters Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, and Jason Marquis form a solid rotation that always keeps the Cardinals in the game. After a slow start, closer Jason Isringhausen has rounded into form. Only injuries will keep the Cards from playing in October.

Losers of 10 of their last 15, the “Big Red Mirage” are starting to play like their talent level indicates they should. Bronson Arroyo has been an outstanding acquisition and is obviously thrilled not to have to face those tough NL lineups, but you simply can’t send out such a mediocre starting rotation and expect to stay in the race. I told you a few weeks back to bet against them and those who listened are a bit richer today.

The Astros got off to a hot start before their starting pitching went through a horrid stretch. Roy Oswalt remains one of the league’s top pitchers and Wayne Rodriguez has been a nice surprise, but Andy Pettitte has struggled, Brandon Backe is out for the year, and the rest of the rotation has been inconsistent. Brad Lidge has struggled (mostly with his control), but expect him to turn things around. Morgan Ensberg hit home runs in six straight games early in the year and Lance Berkman would be an MVP candidate in a league without Pujols. Also, very quietly, Brad Ausmus has put together a very good year (.418 OBP). The Astros could stay in the wildcard race and may soon get the kind of help that could rocket them to the finish line.

The Brewers are fun to watch. They lead the majors in home runs, and youngsters Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Bill Hall mix nicely with veterans Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, and Corey Koskie. The only thing is they may be too dependent on getting home runs and they strike out too much. A bit of small ball might help them at times. Getting Ben Sheets healthy would help a rotation that has one underrated star (Chris Capuano) and mostly back-of-the-rotation types. Derrick Turnbow is showing he’s no fluke, but the bullpen lacks depth. This year’s trendy sleeper pick will stay around a while, but ultimately doesn’t have enough for the playoffs.

First the Red Sox, then the White Sox, now the Cu … stop right there. Derrek Lee’s injury has revealed just how impotent the rest of the Cubs lineup is. Juan Pierre has an OBP of .271. Aramis Ramirez is hitting only .231. It’s ugly on the North Side. Greg Maddux’s May has been very different than his April and still no sign of Mark Prior. Dusty Baker must be on edge. No playoffs here, folks.

The Pirates were expected to be an improved team this year, but their starting pitching has failed them. Zach Duke has hit a bit of a tougher time facing teams the second time around, and whatever happened to Oliver Perez, who was thought to be a fast rising star? Not much hope in the Steel City either.

So early on, it looks like it’s the Cards division to lose and the Astros waiting for Roger Clemens to make them serious wildcard contenders.

Fantasy Tip of the Week

2006-05-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

By Chris Goudey
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

We are about 1/3 of the way through the 2006 MLB season, and whether you are doing well or are struggling, this is a crucial time. You know what categories you need to improve on and one of the best ways to improve your standing is to pick up guys who have started off slowly but are due to break out. Here is a list of players to target who have had a bad spring but should soon get as hot as the weather:

Batters:
Marcus Giles, 2B, Atlanta –He is historically a .300 hitter who is currently hitting .235. He’s a perfect buy-low candidate.

Manny Ramirez, OF, Boston – Usually good for 40 HRs and 130 RBIs, he is currently in single-digits in HRs and very low in RBIs. He is the ONE player who is due to go crazy in the month of June.

Juan Pierre, OF, and Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Chicago Cubs – Both players have seen their value decrease with the injury to Derrek Lee. Pierre isn’t scoring or hitting as well as normal, and Ramirez’s numbers are all down. When Lee returns, watch these numbers start to rise.

Ken Griffey Jr., OF, Cincinnati – IF he can stay healthy, a power surge is coming.

Todd Helton, 1B, Colorado – Now over his mysterious stomach ailment, he should be sending many homers into the Mile-High air shortly.

Reggie Sanders, OF, Kansas City – Should be good for at least 15 homers and 15 steals in the upcoming months.

Garret Anderson, OF, LA Angels – The Angels’ offense has been horrible so far, so look for Anderson to have more RBI opportunities as they begin to heat up.

Jeff Kent, 2B, LA Dodgers – Kent is always good for 25 HRs and 100 RBIs, so take advantage now and reap the rewards later.

Cliff Floyd, OF, NY Mets – Floyd has really struggled so far, barely batting over .200. That won’t continue.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NY Yankees – Along with Manny Ramirez, he is the highest-profile player on this list. Look for A-Rod to really explode soon. He is too good a player not to.

Jimmy Rollins, SS, and Bobby Abreu, OF, Philadelphia – It’s amazing the Phillies have done as well as they have with two of their biggest players slumping. Abreu is about to bust out, so snag him quickly. Rollins is the best SS in the NL, but you wouldn’t know it judging from his numbers so far. He will hit over .300 and get you at least 20 steals the rest of the way, so grab him now!

Jason Bay, OF, Pittsburgh – He’s already started to break out, but if you can find an owner who isn’t paying attention, go get those 20-25 HRs and 75-80 RBIs that are coming.

Richie Sexson, 1B, and Adrian Beltre, 3B, Seattle – These two were supposed to be the Mariners’ power duo of the future, but it just hasn’t happened….yet. Look for both of these guys to get it together soon and help Ichiro out.

Jim Edmonds, OF, St. Louis – With only 5 HRs so far, Edmonds is a very good candidate to bust out. He’s normally good for 35, so look for him to get at least 25 more for the year…IF he can stay healthy, which is always his biggest issue.

Carl Crawford, OF, Julio Lugo, SS, and Aubrey Huff, 3B, Tampa Bay – All 3 of these guys have had slow starts due to injury (Lugo/Huff) or just a sub-par performance (Crawford). All 3 should start to pick it up together.

Mark Teixeira, 1B-DH, Texas – With only 4 HRs so far, Big Tex is my bet to hit the most homers in the AL from here on out. He is simply too good a player not to have a huge hot streak and in the 100-degree Texas heat, the ball simply flies out of the stadium.

Jose Guillen, OF, Washington – This is a talented player if he can keep his head on straight. He was projected to have 30 HRs and 100 RBIs, so pick him up now and hope he stays on the straight and narrow. The numbers will come if he can.

Obviously not all of these players will break out and start to hit immediately, but they have done much better historically than this year. Next week, I’ll take a look at some pitchers to acquire that fall under the same classification.

Quarterly Report on Major League Divisional Races (NL EAST)

2006-05-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Now that most teams have played around forty games, let’s look at the Divisional Races:

NL EAST

The Mets, Phillies, and Braves have gone through hot streaks (seemingly, coinciding with the times when they had games against the division’s weak sisters, the Marlins and the Nationals).

The Mets got off to a hot start, but have slowed down a little bit as the injury bug has hit the back of their rotation. Look for them to make a trade or rush phenom Mike Pelfrey, as they have finally given up on Jose Lima, with Jeremi Gonzalez soon to follow. If the Mets can fix the back of the rotation behind Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine, they will be the team to beat as their bullpen trio of Aaron Heilman, Duaner Sanchez, and Billy Wagner has been sensational, and their balanced lineup led by Carlos Delgado, David Wright, and Carlos Beltran is solid.

The Braves got off to a tough start, as Tim Hudson and Jeff Francoeur struggled early, but both have turned things around. The Braves always seem to come up with bullpen finds (check out Kenny Ray’s stats so far this year), but they still need to find a solid closer at some point in order to win this division. The lineup has been solid, as the Jones Boys keep putting up big numbers, Edgar Renteria is playing like one of the league’s top shortstops again, and Brian McCann has been a revelation on offense. The Braves should hang around and push the Mets for the Division title or at least compete for a wildcard berth.

The Phillies recently had a nine game winning streak, and ended play on Saturday with a four game losing streak, so this is a streaky team. Their pitching killed them early as Jon Lieber, Cory Lidle, Gavin Floyd, and Ryan Madsen all struggled. Lieber has pitched better, of late, and the Phillies hope recent call up Cole Hamels can join Lieber and ace Brett Myers as a strong top three in the rotation. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Bobby Abreu are the core of a powerful lineup. The bullpen could use some reinforcements, despite Tom Gordon’s surprising early season success. The Phillies should stick around in both the division and wildcard race, but, ultimately, they may fall short due to their pitching.

The Marlins and the Nationals?

The season is already over for them.
The Marlins can take some consolation from the fact that they are developing some good talent like Hanley Ramirez and Josh Willingham. They face a big decision as to whether they want to trade off their remaining superstars, Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. If Willis is traded, the balance of power in baseball may shift.

The Nationals can look to acquire some of their own prospects for the likes of Jose Vidro, Livan Hernandez, and Alfonso Soriano. After a solid season last year, injuries to John Patterson and Luis Ayala have killed a Nationals pitching staff with very little depth.

One thing we have learned is that there is a wide gap between the top three teams and the bottom two. Knowing the division may come down to how well they feast on the weaker teams, consider betting on the Mets, Braves, and Phillies when they face their weaker opponents.

“Ain’t no sucker like Jim Duquette”

2006-05-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

A baseball trade is basically a wager by two general managers that the player each acquires will be better than the one he gives up. It may or may not work out well. That’s gambling.

Now that Scott Kazmir is off to a great start at 5-2 with a 2.94 ERA and Victor Zambrano has just undergone season-ending surgery, it might be a good time to review how Jim Duquette, the Mets GM at the time, broke every single rule of gambling.

NEVER BET MORE THAN YOU CAN AFFORD
When the Mets traded Scott Kazmir, their farm system was almost completely bare. The only true blue-chip pitching prospects at the time were Phil Humber, who has since undergone Tommy John surgery, and Alay Soler, a Cuban defector who just made it to the U.S. this season and is currently pitching at AA. This year the Mets are throwing out such retreads as Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez as they wait for Mike Pelfrey and the next wave of prospects to be ready. Do you think they would rather have sent out Jose Lima – or Scott Kazmir, to try and sweep their arch-rival Braves last week?

NEVER BET WHILE INTOXICATED
Right around the time of the trade in 2004, the Mets had just swept their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees, in an exciting three-game series. The Mets, who had been dead in this town since 2000, finally had some juice. They were close to first place and back on the back page. Of course, they still had a .500 record and not much talent. But Duquette, drunk on the city’s enthusiasm, wanted to “win now” no matter what the future cost.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK
You wouldn’t bet on a Falcons game without checking if Michael Vick was hurt, would you? Yet Mr. Duquette failed to adequately check into Victor Zambrano’s injury before the trade. Zambrano admitted he has been hurt the entire time he has been a member of the New York Mets. The week the trade was made, Zambrano skipped a start because of arm stiffness. Shouldn’t some alarms have gone off? Duquette blamed Tampa doctors for downplaying the injury, but you don’t need to be able to read medical charts to know something might be amiss.

LOOK FOR VALUE
Barbaro, who was such a good bet on Derby Day, might not be such a great bet for the Preakness. You won’t get enough in return. A lefty who throws 97 MPH has more value than a barely over .500 pitcher with control problems. Had Mr. Duquette waited until the off-season, he might have received Tim Hudson or Mark Mulder in return.

KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY
This is the one Mr. Duquette clearly missed. Tampa officials were said to be laughing to themselves when they realized what they were getting. Mr. Duquette should clearly have just walked away. Next time you’re in Baltimore and you’re looking for someone to round out your poker game, look up Mr. Jim Duquette because there ain’t no sucker like the one who doesn’t know the rules.

“It’s Not Rocket Science”

2006-05-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Wagerweb.com has posted odds offering bettors the chance to predict which Major League Baseball team Roger Clemens will return to.

Clemens is clearly enjoying the attention he is garnering from his four suitors. Let’s take a look at how Clemens has played this situation thus far, and how it will play out at the end.

THE EASY MARK:
Roger Clemens enjoyed opening day in Arlington Stadium, sitting next to owner Tom Hicks. When Clemens was introduced and shown on the scoreboard, the fans went crazy. Do the Rangers, who have gone all these years searching for pitching, really have a shot at Roger Clemens? Well, the Rangers are an improved team, with Kevin Millwood leading some young up-and-coming pitchers. And it would do wonders for Clemens’ legend to ride into Arlington on his horse and lead them to their first World Series Championship. Is it going to happen? No. Why would Clemens pitch in a hitter’s park for a team which, despite their improvements, is not a serious World Series contender? More likely, Roger was paying attention when Tom Hicks bid against himself to sign Alex Rodriguez to his franchise-crippling $250 million dollar contract. This is exactly the type of guy you want to draw into the bidding. Wagerweb.com has the odds on Clemens going to the Rangers at 6-1. Trust me, it’s far longer than that.

AN OFFER HE CAN’T REFUSE:
Roger Clemens still keeps in touch with buddies Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, and there were reports that Jeter had his ear during the World Baseball Classic. And if Clemens is looking for a sure bet to get to the playoffs, it’s been a while since the Yanks sat out October. Can Clemens return to the Yankees? Probably not. Roger Clemens already got a Hummer as a retirement gift, and you have to figure, after feasting on weaker National League number eight hitters, and pitchers’ feeble attempts to catch up to his fastball, he might not be dying to face more formidable American League lineups. If Randy Johnson keeps looking his age, can George Steinbrenner make Roger Clemens an offer he can’t refuse? Could happen, but George will never let Clemens skip road trips in fear that all of his stable of superstars will demand the same special treatment. At 1:2, this is not a good bet.

FINISH WHERE HE STARTED
Imagine the nostalgic feeling of coming back where you began your career, and leading that team to a World Series. What a perfect symmetry to a career. Almost like a movie script. Only the impact of leading the Red Sox to a World Series is not nearly what it was two years ago. The Red Sox already have had a hero who started in their organization come back and lead them to the Promised Land. And that hero wore a bloody Red Sock. How can Clemens possibly top that? Besides, if the Red Sox really get close, Mr. Steinbrenner may very well make him an offer he can’t refuse. At 1:1, I just can’t see this as a good bet.

FINISH WHAT HE STARTED
The first year, Clemens led the Astros to the playoffs. His second year, he helped them to their first World Series. Why not finish what he started? The Astros are off to a great start. Besides, the Mets, Cardinals and, possibly the Phillies, who can you remotely predict can stop them from at least getting there? His best friend Andy Pettitte has mentioned the possibility of retirement after this year (Don’t bet on that, though). Houston offers him a chance to stay close to home and it lets him skip those pesky road trips. They have already made him a generous contract offer. The odds are 2:1. After all that analysis, it must come down to this: If you could work closer to home, travel less, and not have to work as hard, for similar money, what would you do? Come on, this may be Roger Clemens, but it is not rocket science. Bet the 2:1 on him returning to the Astros. It may be the best bet available on the entire website.

Florida Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves

2006-05-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 15th 2006 7:05 PM
ET Turner Field

The Braves didn’t want to get swept by the Mets in a three game series that was held in New York. In order to do that they needed a strong pitching performance that was delivered by John Smoltz. He showed no signs of being bothered by pitching after three days' rest, giving up just three hits in six strong innings to help the Braves beat the Mets 13-3.

"We had to win this game and I had to be at the top of my game," Smoltz said, he also drove two runs and scored after leading the seventh with a double.

The Braves really needed this win to avoid a swept that would’ve brought the teams morale down, affecting the next games they have to face. The Braves now with a 13-18 record need to get back on track if they want to have a chance of going to the playoffs this year. It’s still early in the season and the Braves have a team capable of getting back from any circumstance, hopefully they’ll find a rhythm that we’ll allow us to see them in the postseason.

Lineup1. Marcus Giles 2nd B, 2. Edgar Renteria SS. 3, Chipper Jones, 3rd B, 4. Adam LaRoche 1stB, 5. Jeff Francoeur RF, 6. Brian McCann C, 7. Brian Jordan LF, 8. Ryan Langerhans CF, 9. John Smoltz, P.

For the first time in eight year the Cardinals swept the Florida Marlins in Miami in last weeks series between these two teams. The Marlins, who have the youngest team and lowest payroll in the majors, were swept for the third consecutive home series. They've lost 10 consecutive home games, one shy of the club record set in 1999.

"We're young," Marlins manager Joe Girardi said. "We almost have to be perfect to win games. When you're not, this is what happens."

Scott Olsen (1-2) allowed six hits, four walks and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings. Only one Florida starter in the past six games has gotten through five innings. "Today was probably the best I've felt all year," Olsen said.
"I don't think I beat myself. I think they beat me. That's a little more comforting."

The Marlins are still a work in progress that’s not ready for great things this year or even the next. But there will come a time when all this young talent acquire some experience and starts playing like a really good Major League team. For the series against the Braves in Atlanta most of the sports books will have the Braves as favorites in most games but Florida might give a surprise trying to get out of the hole they’re in right now.

Lineup1. Hanley Ramirez SS, 2.Daniel Uggla 2nd B, 3. Miguel Cabrera 3rd B, 4. Josh Willingham LF, 5. Joe Borchard RF, 6.Mike Jacobs 1st B, 7. Reginald Abercrombie CF, 8.Matt Treanor C, 9.Scott Olsen, P.

MLB: Braves Face Big Deficit Early in NL East

2006-05-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Braves put a positive spin on losing two of three games to the New York Mets.
The Braves left New York on Sunday with a 13-3 win over the Mets to avoid a sweep. They also avoided falling 10 games behind New York in the NL East. It's certainly better to trail the New York by eight games, but eight is still a big number.
"What everyone will always tell you, when you're chasing a team, whatever deficit it is, if you've got enough games to play that team you always feel like you can come back," said John Smoltz, the winning pitcher Sunday. "But the games that you lose now make it difficult."
The Braves wasted seventh-inning leads in losses to the Mets on Friday and Saturday.
"Baseball is one of those momentum, confidence, streaky games where no matter how close you keep playing a team, if they keep winning those games, they have a mental edge on you," Smoltz said.
The Braves (13-18) have won 14 consecutive division titles, but they are much closer to the bottom than the top of the National League Championship. Only three NL teams have fewer wins. Two of the three _ Washington and Florida _ are in the East.
The good news is the Braves' next 10 games are against Florida and Washington. Atlanta opens a three-game series at Florida on Tuesday night.
The Braves have looked like also-rans in head-to-head battles with the Mets and Phillies. Atlanta is 1-4 against Philadelphia and 4-5 against the Mets.

Baseball’s First-Month Awards

2006-05-05T08:15:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

The calendar has turned on the first month of the 2006 baseball season. While there is plenty of season left, it’s a good time to evaluate who has the early lead on baseball’s top awards.

American League MVP:

1) Jim Thome – While he has slowed somewhat since his sizzling start, Jim Thome has been the best acquisition any American League team has made. Many questioned what he had left, but he put any doubts to rest immediately by homering in his first 2 games and 6 times in his first 10 games. His 10 homeruns and 24 RBIs are tops on the American League’s most talented team.

2) Jason Giambi – His .542 OBP is fantastic as Giambi continues to expand on last year’s comeback- player-of-the-year performance. While he leads the AL in walks with 27, Giambi is not just being passive, as he also leads the AL in RBIs with 27. Only his statuesque defense and stubbornness about embracing the DH role make him second choice.

3) Vernon Wells – The Blue Jays went on baseball’s biggest shopping spree, this off-season, but one of their incumbent players has turned in his best effort so far. With 9 homers, 25 RBIs and a .374 batting average, Wells is carrying a heavy load as Toronto tries to prove that they can keep pace with the Red Sox and The Yankees.

National League MVP:

1) Albert Pujols – Provided he stays healthy, it appears as though this award will be his to lose for many years to come. His record-breaking 14 homeruns in April and 32 RBIs have led the Cardinals to another great start.

2) Lance Berkman – The reason for the Astros’ slow start, last April, was likely because they missed Berkman’s bat. Berkman has had a fast start, this year (10 homeruns, 31 RBIs and .240 BA), and so have the Astros.

3) Carlos Delgado – The best acquisition any National League team made, this off-season, Delgado has really carried the load (10 homeruns and 21 RBIs) while Beltran was injured and Cliff Floyd slumped.

American League Cy Young:

1) Jose Contreras – His 4-0 record and league-leading 1.45 ERA still leads a pitching staff that makes the White Sox the best bet to win the AL Pennant at the sports book.

2) Curt Schilling – Baseball’s biggest loudmouth is once again able to “walk the walk.” His 4-1 record, 2.88 ERA and durability (40.2 IP) have led the Red Sox to an early tenuous hold on first place in the AL East.

3) Kenny Rogers – The ace on a staff of promising young guns, veteran Rogers has done everything you can ask for the Tigers (4-2, 2.59 ERA and a great 0.98 WHIP).

National League Cy Young:

1) Greg Maddux – Talk about giving a club a lift. Once again frustrated by injuries to Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the cursed Cubbies are thrilled by Maddux’s early renaissance (5-0, 1.35 ERA).

2) Pedro Martinez – The daily updates by a panicked New York press corps on Pedro’s toe during spring training are long forgotten as Pedro has been fantastic (5-0, 0.89 WHIP). He already has beaten the hated Braves twice.

3) Bronson Arroyo – Wow, after the AL East, this is sure easy. Arroyo (5-0, 2.06 ERA) has led the way for baseball’s biggest early season surprise.

Rookies of the Year:

American League:

Jonathan Papelbon – Thrown into the Boston pressure-cooker, Papelbon leads the AL in saves (10) and has yet to allow a run in over 15 innings.

National League:

Prince Fielder – Unlike his father, Cecil, Prince didn’t need to serve some time in the Japanese League to find his stroke. Fielder’s .343 average leads all rookies.

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Braves-Phillies Preview

2006-05-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies both look to extend their winning streaks to a season-high four games when they begin a two-game series Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies (12-14) matched their season-high win streak on Tuesday with a 7-5 win over Florida, while Atlanta (12-14) won three straight for the first time in 2006 with a 5-4 victory over Colorado.
Philadelphia had dropped three in a row prior to its run, and Atlanta had a five-game skid before its win streak.
''We want to prove that we're going to be someone to deal with in (the NL East),'' said Marcus Giles, who had four hits, including a run-scoring double with two outs in the eighth inning that gave the Braves the win.
Giles was hitting .195 entering Tuesday's game.
''You can't say you're hitting the ball good when you're hitting about .180,'' he said. ''But I did feel like I was hitting better than that.''
Edgar Renteria extended his hitting streak to 17 games - an Atlanta record for the start of the season - and is batting .375.
''I have patience,'' Renteria said. ''I'm waiting for my pitch, and I've been lucky they've been throwing the pitch where I've been looking for it and I've hit. When you have things going you get hits. When you're struggling you hit the ball hard right at somebody. You have to take advantage when you can.''
John Smoltz (1-2, 4.09 ERA) will be looking for his first win since April 15 when he takes the mound Wednesday for Atlanta. The right-hander is 0-1 in his last two outings, allowing six runs and 15 hits over 12 innings.
Smoltz is 13-12 with a 3.51 ERA and 11 saves in 60 games against the Phillies.
Aaron Rowand hit a bases-loaded triple in the seventh inning Tuesday as the Phillies again rallied for a win. Philadelphia came back from a 5-3 deficit with a four-run seventh inning one game after rallying from 5-1 down against Marlins' starter Dontrelle Willis in the same inning to win 8-5 Monday.
''It builds confidence,'' Rowand said. ''When you do it, the next time you're put in that situation you know you can.''
Brett Myers (2-1, 3.23) looks to rebound from his first loss of the season for Philadelphia. The right-hander had won his previous two starts and pitched well in his last outing, but lost 3-1 at Pittsburgh on Friday.
Myers faced Atlanta on April 10, but didn't receive a decision after allowing three runs and seven hits over five innings in Philadelphia's 5-3 loss. He is 3-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 12 starts against the Braves.
Atlanta is 10-9 at Citizens Bank Park since it opened in 2004.
This series concludes Thursday with a matchup of right-handers as Philadelphia's Cory Lidle is scheduled to face Atlanta's John Thomson.

Bonds’ alleged cheating scandal hurting baseball history

2006-05-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

By Bill Kugelberg
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Having just finished reading Game of Shadows – the alleged tell-all book in which the authors claim to have records detailing Barry Bonds’, as well as other athletes’, use of performance-enhancing drugs – it has become crystal clear that Bonds cheated, continues to cheat, and could not care less about it.

Bonds just about says this when he claims in his grand jury testimony that he hasn’t played in a baseball game since college when he attended Arizona State University. Basically, what he’s saying, and what he continues to say, is that he is an entertainer and not a competitor. He conveniently forgets how his alleged cheating has impacted the other players in the game, both past and present. And how, every night, in every stadium he plays in, he is the only person who is in on this little secret.

When I go to a game, I’m not there to be entertained. I’m there to see the team I support try to win. And when I make a wager on a team, I’m not doing it for the entertainment; I’m doing it to win. If I go to Vegas and play blackjack or craps, I consider that to be entertainment. While I would like to win, and I don’t believe the outcome has been predetermined, I still understand the odds are against me coming away a winner.

But Bonds apparently doesn’t see playing baseball as a competition. It sounds as though he views it as our opportunity to watch an “entertainer” stand up there and be walked two or three times a game and, maybe, just maybe, see him grace our presence with a home run. Get over yourself, Barry. Not only are you coming off like a pompous ass, you are also making an impact on the game that the record books will reflect forever.

For example, since 1999, when his steroid use is alleged to have begun, the San Francisco Giants have won or finished second in the NL West every year, except for last year when he spent just about all of the season on the disabled list, and they finished third. Take away Bonds’ production, or fill in the production that most players would contribute, and the Giants find themselves in a different position. Also, as he approached 40 years old, his numbers would naturally decline, not go up. With that factored in, the Giants truly would be hurting for production from Bonds.

Just ask Albert Pujols, who has finished second to Bonds in National League MVP voting twice, how Bonds’ steroid use has impacted his post-season award possibilities.

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Unfortunately, the players who have truly been impacted by Bonds’ steroid use are the players who finished playing the game years ago. Bonds, along with Mark McGwire, has succeeded at setting the bar so high that no one will be able to approach their records. In doing so, they have made the average fan believe that 40 home runs a season is nice, but not Hall of Fame-worthy. One player who has been affected by this is Andrew Dawson. Dawson hit 438 home runs and drove in 1,591 RBIs. He also played baseball for 21 years and has 2,774 hits with 8 Gold Gloves and 314 stolen bases. With close to 10 knee surgeries, Dawson should have been the one allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs, not Bonds.

One thing I love about Bonds is that he refuses to even admit that Game of Shadows exists. The book has been out for about three months now and I have yet to hear of a lawsuit filed on Bonds’ behalf that contests the contents of the book. And yet everyone just casually goes about their sports day, without a care that Bonds continues to cheat because, as an entertainer, he feels he can.

As the book explains, Bonds has never had to stand before anyone and explain his actions – not even when he was a kid. He was always the best player on the team, received the benefits that comes with that title, and he continues to expect that to be the case. Regardless of how it impacts his body, the other players in the game, the kids growing up who are learning the game, or the record books – Bonds is concerned with one thing – reaping the financial advantages that being an “entertainer” in baseball provides.

And regardless of who has to pay to make that happen, Bonds is only too happy to stand there and take the paychecks and accolades that come with it. I’ve often wondered how he sleeps at night, knowing that he has an advantage that many other players don’t have – that he has cheated to get to where he is. And the only answer I can come up with is that when you are on the stage and being an entertainer, it’s just acting. It’s not who you really are – so you can get away with more. The question I have for Bonds is, when the show is over and you walk off the stage – who are you then?

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Next week on TV (5-1/5-7)

2006-05-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Kline
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Both the NBA and the NHL close out the first round of their playoffs. In baseball, you’ve got the Orioles and the Blue Jays, matching up in what has to be one of the biggest questions of the baseball season. One of these teams might hang on to challenge the Yankees and Red Sox, but probably not both, making this early season tilt a little more interesting.

*All times Eastern.

Monday, May 1
NFL Europe, Berlin at Rhein (3 p.m., NFL Network)
Stop arguing about who your team drafted and check in on the sport’s minor league with this mid-afternoon match-up. Though NFL Europe might not get the attention of its big brother, the league offers a good chance to figure out which back-up players might break through come the fall.

Tuesday, May 2
Yankees at Red Sox (7:05 p.m., DirecTV, regional)
Every Yankees versus Red Sox match-up gets covered like a playoff game in Boston and New York, so expect tempers to flare in this tilt. The Sox have had the early season advantage, but that’s nothing new, as the Sox always have a division lead in the Summer – the question is whether they can hold it in the Fall.

Wednesday, May 3
Boxing (9 p.m. ESPN2)
Sharmba Mitchell takes on Jose Luis Cruz in a 10-round welterweight tilt. Cruz plays the role of the fighter on the way up, taking on former two-time champion Mitchell, who wants one more shot at the gold. Mitchell was knocked out in the sixth round in his last fight, but that was against Floyd Mayweather – one of the best in the division – so he’s aiming to prove that was a fluke and knock Cruz off the ladder of contention.

Thursday, May 4
Wachovia Open (4 p.m., USA)
A Tiger-less field should leave this one pretty wide open. Vijay Singh attempts to repeat as champion, a title he took last year in a three-way playoff with Sergio Garcia and Jim Furyk.

Friday, May 5
College Volleyball (Midnight, ESPN2)
Catch the men’s semifinal of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament. This might be your last chance to see some of your favorite players before they turn pro and head out on the lucrative men’s volleyball tour.

Saturday, May 6
Kentucky Derby (6 p.m., NBC)
Horse racing only matters three times a year to the average fan, but the Kentucky captures the best of the sport. Because it’s the first Triple Crown race, every Derby winner stands the chance of being the first horse to bring home racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.

Sunday, May 7
Premier League Soccer (5 p.m., FOXESP)
Two of the big powers in the Premiership face off as Newcastle battles Chelsea in an attempt to cut into Chelsea’s overall lead in the standings. Chelsea did just fall in the FA Cup semifinal, but their big lead in the regular season standings makes clinching the title almost inevitable.

Daniel Kline’s book “50 Things Every Guy Should Know How To Do” is available in bookstores nationwide. He can be reached at dan@notastep.com.

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Fantasy Baseball Breakdown

2006-04-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

By Mike Brody
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
The Six-Month Grind
We’re three weeks into the 2006 baseball season, and if your fantasy team looks anything like mine, you’re ready to unload half of your roster. I know it’s hard, but be patient. The worse thing you could do right now is panic and make a bad trade or drop a good player.
Baseball, more than any other sport, is driven by statistics. It’s a long season with a lot of ups and downs for most players. In the end, the numbers usually even out. If you stick with your guys long enough, they should come around and start producing like you expected them to.
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Off to a Hot Start
While it’s very difficult to watch your team stumble out of the gate (as I’m writing this, my offense is a collective 0-15 today and I’m about ready to have a fire sale), there was a reason why you drafted these guys. If you were lucky enough – or smart enough, depending on how you look at it – to draft Chris Shelton, Jonny Gomes or Nick Swisher, you’re probably at the top of your league, right now. But are these guys really going to lead the league in home runs?
Manny Ramirez hit his first two home runs of the season, last weekend. Mark Teixeira and Richie Sexson have three and two homers, respectively, through the first three weeks. These guys are all perennial 40-home-run-hitters, and barring injury, you can be sure that they will get their numbers by the season’s end.

Waiting for the Right Time
Everyone’s heard the cliché “buy low, sell high.” It’s sound advice. Knowing the right time to deal that guy who’s off to a hot start is the key to making this happen. There’s no way Shelton, Gomes and Swisher are going to keep up the pace they’ve set so far – Shelton’s already started to slow down – but how can you not ride their hot streaks a little longer? Just don’t wait too long if you’re planning on dealing them.
Knowing players’ trends is another key in making the right deal at the right time. Some players are traditionally slow starters, like Ramirez and Jim Edmonds, and trading for them at the end of their slow start could mean big stats for you the rest of the way. A lot of hitters heat up when the weather does too, so they could be busting out of these slumps any day now.
On the Rise
Targeting players who are showing signs of breaking out is another key to making the right roster adjustments. Here are a few players who might be available and could definitely help some teams:
Josh Barfield – The rookie second baseman has excelled since being moved to the No. 2 spot in the Padres lineup. He’s got his average over .300 and has 2 HRs and 6 steals. Grab him if he’s still available.
Ty Wigginton – Playing for his third team in four years, the journeyman third baseman seems to have found a home in Tampa Bay. He’s taken advantage of Aubrey Huff’s knee injury and already has 8 home runs and 20 RBI. Playing in hitter-friendly Tropicana Field should help, too. Ride him while he’s hot. Brad Hawpe – The Colorado Rockies outfielder has established himself as the everyday right fielder and is firmly entrenched in the heart of the Rockies lineup. He’s batting over .340 and already has slugged 5 HRs. The 2000 College World Series MVP is well on his way to a .300-30-100 season. You never can go wrong having a Rockie in your lineup.
The Pitching Hole
While there is plenty of time to make up ground on offense, falling behind in the pitching categories – especially ERA and WHIP – can be a killer. Avoiding those complete disasters in the early season is a key to remaining competitive on the mound.
With pitchers, it’s all about the matchups. Don’t be afraid to bench one of your better pitchers for a riskier play if the matchup is right. Throwing a marginal starter against Kansas City or Pittsburgh is always better than having just about any starter face the Yankees or pitch at Colorado.
Whether you find yourself at the top of your league or at the bottom of the pack after these first three weeks, don’t stop looking to make your team better. Stocking your bench with productive players who could be used as trade bait is always a good idea. The inevitable injuries will come, and having players to step in during those times will help you avoid having to make a desperate deal. Bet MLB Baseball Player and Game Propositions @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook

Michael Brody
Writer/EditorWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
Mike has been writing and reporting on sports for 14 years.
He started his career as a sports writer and radio broadcaster at Cal State Northridge. Mike has written for the Los Angeles Daily News and has been a writer/editor for KNBC in Los Angeles, where he worked on the nightly sportscast with Fred Roggin. He also wrote and edited material for NBC network specials and has more than 10 years of online journalism experience. Although he lives in Southern California, Mike was born and raised in the Boston area and is a diehard fan of all the Boston professional teams.

Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers

2006-04-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 26th, 2006 1:00 PM ET

Atlanta Braves
RHP John Thomson has pitched 11 consecutive innings as a starter this baseball season without giving up an earned run, this situation makes sports betting fans think about betting the opposite team. Thomson expects to be able to throw his customary 100 or so pitches in his next start. He wasn't able to stretch himself out in spring training as he normally would, due to tenderness behind his right elbow.
Manager Bobby Cox shuffled his lineup Tuesday night against the Mets, trying to make up for the loss of SS Edgar Renteria's offense. 2B Marcus Giles was back in the top spot in the batting order, with SS Wilson Betemit batting second. Pete Orr, filling in at third base, was dropped from leadoff to the eighth spot.
CF Andruw Jones' right arm hurts from his wrist to his shoulder, thanks to a couple of crashes into outfield walls catching balls. Also from having been hit by a pitch in the chest near his right arm by Padres RHP Jake Peavy on Saturday. But the aches didn't stop Jones from hitting two homers and driving in four runs Tuesday.
1B Adam LaRoche is striking out roughly 4 out of every 10 at-bat. So far he has been able to deliver when it counts -- witness Tuesday's three-RBI game -- and he'll take that, but he wants to learn to focus more consistently without runners on base.
Milwaukee Brewers
RHP Mike Adams and RHP Chris Demaria were summoned from Triple-A Nashville to add arms to a badly depleted bullpen. With RHP Rick Helling on the disabled list and RHP Dan Kolb unavailable due to elbow stiffness, the overworked relief corps was down to a low number of available pitchers.
OF Corey Hart and RHP Jared Fernandez were optioned to Nashville to make room on the roster for RHPs Mike Adams and Chris Demaria. Hart had been limited to three pinch-hit appearances as the fifth outfielder, and Fernandez was ineffective (13.50 ERA) in two mop-up appearances out of the bullpen.
LHP Doug Davis was hammered for nine runs in 2 2/3 innings by the Astros. It was the highest run output against him since Aug. 9, 1999, when Toronto scored 10 runs in 2 1/3 innings.
INF Bill Hall started at shortstop in place of J.J. Hardy, who had been slumping at the plate. After a strong start, Hardy had collected only six hits in 30 at-bats (.200 average) in the three-city trip to St. Louis, New York and Houston.
The Brewers, who stressed defensive fundamentals during spring training after finishing last in fielding in the NL last season, are off to another poor start in the field. They have committed at least one error in 11 of their 14 games for a total of 13

Waiting for Take-Off

2006-04-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

By J.D. Jackson
Wagerweb.com Contributing Writer

You would not know it by their 10-4 record through the first two-and-a-half weeks of play, but the Houston Astros need Roger Clemens pitching for them.

It’s not too often that you read about a team needing a 43-year-old pitcher to have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, but Clemens is not a pitcher who comes along that often. At 42, he put together one of his more stunning seasons in his illustrious 22-year career by going 13-8 with a 1.87 ERA, striking out 185 batters and walking just 62 in 211.3 innings. While Chris Carpenter won the Cy Young for the National League, last season (Clemens finished third behind Carpenter and Dontrelle Willis), his 2005 was one of his three or four best seasons over the course of his career (better than his 2004, in which he did win the Cy Young Award). His 1.008 WHIP was the second-best in his career (bested only in 1986), his 1.87 ERA was the best in his career, and his 44 earned runs allowed was also the best in his career with a minimum of 100 innings pitched. And he was 42.

Clemens tired down the stretch. He labored his way through the playoffs, going 4-3 while helping guide the Astros to the World Series. It was clear that Clemens had worn down, and an injured Clemens posted a 13.50 ERA in his lone outing as the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox. Had Clemens not been injured and tired, the history books might remember the 2005 season a little differently.

Without Clemens, this season, Houston is winning games by mashing the ball, which is not something that the ’Stros are accustomed to. They are second in the National League in team average, fourth in home runs, tied for second in runs scored, and second in OPS. This is largely the same team that finished near the bottom in all of those categories in 2005. Though Roy Oswalt continues to prove that he is an ace pitcher, and Brandon Backe has surprised early on, Andy Pettitte has struggled to a 1-2, 6.35 ERA start. Wandy Rodriguez has started off well, but he is a guy who would come out of the bullpen, ideally. Ezequiel Astacio, the Astros’ emergency starter in the 2005 playoffs, has been downright pathetic in his two appearances, this season. The presence of Clemens allows everyone to shift down a spot in the rotation: Oswalt becomes the #2, Pettitte becomes the #3, Backe becomes a #4, and then the Astros can choose between Rodriguez, Astacio, or Taylor Buchholz for the fifth spot. The rotation goes from being second-best in its own division (behind the Cardinals’ deep rotation) to becoming the best rotation in the game, simply by adding Clemens. Assuming that the Cardinals turn it on like they are able to do, assuming the Mets continue to play spectacular baseball while the Braves play their normal brand of solid ball…the Astros without Clemens will have a hard time winning even the Wild Card. The offense just is not good enough, and the pitching just is not deep enough.

The possibility still exists, of course, that Clemens will rejoin the Astros in May. That period exists because the Astros did not offer Clemens arbitration. There are other teams, though less realistic, in the mix. The Red Sox have spoken to Clemens, but here’s to doubting that you will ever see Clemens back in a Red Sox uniform. It is awfully hard to cross a river when you have burned just about every single bridge that leads back to the other side. The Texas Rangers are also interested and seem more than willing to pay any amount of money required to get Clemens to pitch in Arlington. It is just not evident that Clemens reciprocates those feelings, though pitching for the Rangers would satisfy his requirement of staying close to home. The Yankees have called, as well, but Clemens left the Yankees to return home; it is unlikely that Clemens would leave home to return to the Yankees.

Besides that, Clemens’ leaving the Astros for any of those teams would leave a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. Clemens went to Houston to pitch specifically for the Astros. He wanted to be close to his home, close to his family, and able to spend more time away from the game while still competing. In other words, while he was getting paid the highest salary of his career ($18 million in 2005), Clemens was not doing it for the money. The man has made $121 million over the course of his career in salary alone. If he became the latest Yankee hired gun, it would be a disgusting act to many, many people.

No, the only place where Clemens truly fits is in Houston. And though there was some tension about the Astros’ not waiting on Clemens’ decision about retirement and not offering him arbitration, it is apparent that Clemens would return to Houston in May after taking the first month of the season off. It would allow Clemens to continue resting, the entire month of April, essentially adding a month onto his stamina and effectiveness in 2006, assuming that he is healed completely (and after a 1-1, 2.08 ERA, 0.81 WHIP in two starts during March’s World Baseball Classic, it is safe to assume that he is the same old Rocket). For Houston, the equation is simple: Clemens equals another trip deep into the playoffs, while no Clemens might mean no playoffs at all for 2005’s National League Champions.

Even at 43, Clemens still makes all the difference in the world.

MLB early season observations

2006-04-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

By Brad Halfond
Wagerweb.com Contributing Writer

Is there a more dominant threat to opposing pitchers in the National League than Albert Pujols?

The monster slugger has lit up scoreboards early in the season and sent several managers home wondering why they ever challenged the 26-year-old future Hall of Famer.

Pujols’ nine dingers lead the league and this guy must be now considered, along with Alex Rodriquez, one of the best players in baseball. Pujols clearly leads the list of standout individual performances as the 2006 baseball season gets underway.

Other players making an early impact in the senior circuit include David Wright, the steady third baseman on the resurgent New York Mets, and Ryan Langerhans of the Atlanta Braves. Both of those teams should stay in the hunt for the NL East title as the Mets will try to break the stranglehold on the division that Bobby Cox and Atlanta have maintained for more than eleven years.

But back to Pujols. We kind of had a hint that this would be his year from the way he ended the 2005 season with that massive blast that gave the Redbirds a victory over Houston in game five of last year’s NLCS.

Now Pujols has a new stadium to play in, fans who love and adore him, and the serious potential to reach 60 home runs this season. The only thing that Pujols needs is for his Cardinals to reach the heights that the White Sox did last year and win their first World Series title since 1982.

A few hundred miles to the north is the sleeping giant known as the Milwaukee Brewers. This is a team that has already surprised some with its ability to come back; if they can get their bats heated up with the weather, they could challenge for a wild card berth.

Overall, the early theme of the 2006 season might be parity. The Cardinals lost pitching and won’t be as dominant this year, while the NL West should continue to be mired in mediocrity. Unless the New York Mets can keep up their hot start and add an arm or two in mid-season, this league is definitely up for grabs.

It’s still too early to tell what will happen in the American League, but the usual contenders are starting to emerge. The Red Sox have their energetic new pitcher, Josh Beckett, and Curt Schilling appears to be at full strength, while the Yankees are going to rely on the older arms of Mussina and Johnson. Boston has more speed in 2006, while New York’s bullpen is practically brand new.

If you’re looking for early season surprises in the American League, that honor goes to Chris Shelton of the Detroit Tigers. This kid might revitalize the entire city of Detroit and bring baseball back to a somewhat competitive level. It is very uncommon for an unknown player like Shelton to be hitting with such power. Shelton had hit only 19 home runs in his previous 434 at-bats and now he is leading the league in long balls. Shelton is doing all this from the sixth position, but expect him to move up to the cleanup spot eventually.

The team to watch in the AL is Oakland, with its fearsome trio of Chavez, Thomas, and Bradley. If those guys stay hot and the young arms produce, Oakland will have a great chance to top Anaheim and win the West. The White Sox also have a good chance of repeating, but for the sake of our sanity, I would rather listen to Metallica than Ozzie Guillen any day.

What would the early season be without a mention of Barry Bonds? The Giants slugger has been getting more publicity off the field lately and maybe that is why his hitting and home runs (none yet) are starting to suffer. The other explanation is that Barry is just getting old and all of his various injuries have added up to Bonds becoming not quite the player he used to be. In the end, I’m going to say Barry hits about 25–30 home runs and retires after the season but before he has a chance to pass Hank Aaron for the all-time lead. Would that make Commissioner Selig happy?

Here are some of my observations on the opening weeks of the season around baseball.

New Busch Stadium – I can see the Arch more clearly, but did they even try to make it look different than old Busch stadium?

Giants’ outfield – Pass the Geritol. If these guys last the entire season then McCovey Cove will freeze over.

Pedro – The guy has nerves of steel and will continue to be successful unless a manager steps up and throws a ball near his head. He takes way too many liberties with players, with fewer consequences than any other pitcher I've ever seen.

Soriano – Shhhh …. They don’t want you to play 2B because they have an all-star there already and somebody in management must have watched a film of you bobbling balls in the Bronx for two seasons.

Marlins – and this hasn’t moved yet because….

Upcoming Devil Rays’ name change suggestion – Flounders

Beckett – Okay, we get it, you’re excited and happy that you struck somebody out. Bring that act to the Bronx and see what kind of reaction you will get.

Jeter – How come this guy doesn’t have a bubble gum endorsement contract yet? Hubba Bubba, are you listening?

MLB early season observations

2006-04-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

By Brad Halfond
Wagerweb.com Contributing Writer

Is there a more dominant threat to opposing pitchers in the National League than Albert Pujols?

The monster slugger has lit up scoreboards early in the season and sent several managers home wondering why they ever challenged the 26-year-old future Hall of Famer.

Pujols’ nine dingers lead the league and this guy must be now considered, along with Alex Rodriquez, one of the best players in baseball. Pujols clearly leads the list of standout individual performances as the 2006 baseball season gets underway.

Other players making an early impact in the senior circuit include David Wright, the steady third baseman on the resurgent New York Mets, and Ryan Langerhans of the Atlanta Braves. Both of those teams should stay in the hunt for the NL East title as the Mets will try to break the stranglehold on the division that Bobby Cox and Atlanta have maintained for more than eleven years.

But back to Pujols. We kind of had a hint that this would be his year from the way he ended the 2005 season with that massive blast that gave the Redbirds a victory over Houston in game five of last year’s NLCS.

Now Pujols has a new stadium to play in, fans who love and adore him, and the serious potential to reach 60 home runs this season. The only thing that Pujols needs is for his Cardinals to reach the heights that the White Sox did last year and win their first World Series title since 1982.

A few hundred miles to the north is the sleeping giant known as the Milwaukee Brewers. This is a team that has already surprised some with its ability to come back; if they can get their bats heated up with the weather, they could challenge for a wild card berth.

Overall, the early theme of the 2006 season might be parity. The Cardinals lost pitching and won’t be as dominant this year, while the NL West should continue to be mired in mediocrity. Unless the New York Mets can keep up their hot start and add an arm or two in mid-season, this league is definitely up for grabs.

It’s still too early to tell what will happen in the American League, but the usual contenders are starting to emerge. The Red Sox have their energetic new pitcher, Josh Beckett, and Curt Schilling appears to be at full strength, while the Yankees are going to rely on the older arms of Mussina and Johnson. Boston has more speed in 2006, while New York’s bullpen is practically brand new.

If you’re looking for early season surprises in the American League, that honor goes to Chris Shelton of the Detroit Tigers. This kid might revitalize the entire city of Detroit and bring baseball back to a somewhat competitive level. It is very uncommon for an unknown player like Shelton to be hitting with such power. Shelton had hit only 19 home runs in his previous 434 at-bats and now he is leading the league in long balls. Shelton is doing all this from the sixth position, but expect him to move up to the cleanup spot eventually.

The team to watch in the AL is Oakland, with its fearsome trio of Chavez, Thomas, and Bradley. If those guys stay hot and the young arms produce, Oakland will have a great chance to top Anaheim and win the West. The White Sox also have a good chance of repeating, but for the sake of our sanity, I would rather listen to Metallica than Ozzie Guillen any day.

What would the early season be without a mention of Barry Bonds? The Giants slugger has been getting more publicity off the field lately and maybe that is why his hitting and home runs (none yet) are starting to suffer. The other explanation is that Barry is just getting old and all of his various injuries have added up to Bonds becoming not quite the player he used to be. In the end, I’m going to say Barry hits about 25–30 home runs and retires after the season but before he has a chance to pass Hank Aaron for the all-time lead. Would that make Commissioner Selig happy?

Here are some of my observations on the opening weeks of the season around baseball.

New Busch Stadium – I can see the Arch more clearly, but did they even try to make it look different than old Busch stadium?

Giants’ outfield – Pass the Geritol. If these guys last the entire season then McCovey Cove will freeze over.

Pedro – The guy has nerves of steel and will continue to be successful unless a manager steps up and throws a ball near his head. He takes way too many liberties with players, with fewer consequences than any other pitcher I've ever seen.

Soriano – Shhhh …. They don’t want you to play 2B because they have an all-star there already and somebody in management must have watched a film of you bobbling balls in the Bronx for two seasons.

Marlins – and this hasn’t moved yet because….

Upcoming Devil Rays’ name change suggestion – Flounders

Beckett – Okay, we get it, you’re excited and happy that you struck somebody out. Bring that act to the Bronx and see what kind of reaction you will get.

Jeter – How come this guy doesn’t have a bubble gum endorsement contract yet? Hubba Bubba, are you listening?

Vintage Smoltz blanks Padres

2006-04-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA -- It took almost two full weeks for one of the Braves' starting pitchers to provide a quality start. It might take even longer for them to see one as spectacular as the one John Smoltz provided at Turner Field on Saturday night.
Given the challenge of outdueling Jake Peavy, Smoltz responded by tossing his 16th career shutout, one that he wholeheartedly credits to the defense Andruw Jones and the rest of the Braves provided behind him.
Smoltz's determined effort, combined with an Adam LaRoche homer and stellar glove work by Jones, allowed the Braves to claim a 2-0 victory over the Padres and consequently notch consecutive wins for the first time this baseball season.
"I knew going in Peavy wasn't going to give us much," Smoltz said. "Our defense won the game. I mixed it up enough. Andruw ran down everything he could run down and some. Those are fun games to play when you can win and do it quick."
While constructing the gem that took just two hours and nine minutes to complete, Smoltz surrendered four hits, issued two walks and notched four strikeouts. Peavy was the only Padres player to reach third base, and he did that in the third inning.
This was Smoltz's first complete game since June 25 of last year. The last time he tossed a shutout and surrendered fewer hits came on April 30, 1999, when he tossed a one-hitter against the Reds.
"The scoring chances were minimal," said Smoltz. "That's just the way I feel like I'm going to pitch this year. I think I'm going to win a lot of games. But you've got to win one to get going."
With the effort, Smoltz became the first Braves starting pitcher to record a win this year. Kansas City is the only Major League team that has yet to get a win from one of its starting pitchers.
This obviously has been an odd two-week stretch for the pitching-proud Braves, whose starting staff entered Saturday with an 8.17 ERA. But things might be rounding into form. Tim Hudson pitched into the seventh inning on Friday night and then Smoltz carried that momentum on his way to his 51st career complete-game effort.
"This hopefully will get guys thinking more positively, because the last thing you want to do is try to stop something and worry about the negative things that can happen," said Smoltz, who had been the only Braves starter to complete at least five innings in both of his first two starts of the season.
Smoltz wasn't exactly filled with optimism when he arrived to work with a stiff neck that he began feeling on his way to the park. Nor did he feel good about the fact that he was struggling with his slider. But it didn't take long for him to feel confident about the defense behind him.
After LaRoche gave the Braves the only run they'd need with his second-inning opposite-field homer, Smoltz went to work knowing that might be the only run his offense would produce against Peavy, who allowed two earned runs and four hits in seven innings.
Little did he know that Peavy would also prove to be a nemesis with the bat. His third-inning single gave the Padres their first hit. Then in the fifth inning, he followed a Josh Barfield single with a ringing shot to center field.
With the count 0-2 and the pitcher at the plate, Jones crept toward the infield. But the eight-time Gold Glove winner quickly found himself racing about 35 yards backwards to catch Peavy's shot that would have certainly scored the speedy Barfield.
"Andruw Jones, I thought, played as good of center field as you can humanly play," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.
There were a few other defensive gems provided by the Braves. After Peavy began the third inning with his single, Dave Roberts followed with a sacrifice bunt that slowly rolled down the first-base line. In one fluid motion, Smoltz scooped the ball and flipped to LaRoche at first base. Padres manager Bruce Bochy said it was one of the finest defensive plays he's seen.
Two batters later, Smoltz hung a slider that his old nemesis Brian Giles drilled toward right field for a possible RBI single. But Jeff Francoeur raced toward the right-field foul pole to secure the inning-ending liner in his glove.
"You marvel at their defense," Peavy said. "That's why they do it every year."
Peavy, who grew up in Alabama idolizing Smoltz, was nearly as dominant. Other than the homer he surrendered to LaRoche, his only mistake came when one of his pitches hit Jones in the chest to begin the seventh inning. Two batters later, Francoeur continued his recent offensive barrage with an RBI single.
But his childhood idol was just that much better.
After allowing Barfield to produce a one-out single in the fifth inning, Smoltz retired 10 straight batters. The Padres tallied two of their hits in the final two innings.
"I've seen him that good," Peavy said. "I hate that it had to come against me."

Giles' tater lifts Braves over Phils

2006-04-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA -- Although it's his native state, Marcus Giles was one of the many Braves looking forward to leaving California and heading back home where the conditions would be much more pleasing.
Fortunately, so too were the results, thanks to his tiebreaking seventh-inning homer and an all-around productive evening by John Thomson.
Giles's power, combined with the contributions Thomson made with both his arm and bat, allowed the Braves to break out of their funk and claim a 5-3 win in Monday night's home opener against the Phillies.
With 47,332 fans in attendance at Turner Field, Giles made his first homer of the season a rather important one. His seventh-inning shot over the left-center field wall off Ryan Franklin provided the difference for the Braves, who won just three times during their seven-game, season-opening West Coast road swing.
"That was a seven-game road trip and it really felt like two weeks," Giles said. "It's just nice to be home."
Giles, who had his good friend, NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, in attendance, battled a sore left quadriceps muscle throughout the game. But the ailment didn't bother him too much after connecting on the 2-2 delivery from Franklin.
He joked afterwards that he thought about doing a Kirk Gibson impersonation while rounding the bases. But in truth, the moment completely caught him off guard.
"I think I just got as lucky as I ever have in my life, because I don't think I ever saw the pitch," Giles said. "It's just nice to hit a ball on the barrel, and more importantly, it's just nice to see us play good ball."
Also providing a powerful contribution was Andruw Jones, whose fifth-inning solo shot gave him his third homer of the season. On his way to belting a Major League-best 51 home runs last year, he hit a total of three in April.
One day after suffering a blown save, Chris Reitsma contributed to the home-opening victory with a perfect ninth. His effort capped what was a very solid effort on what has been a shaky pitching staff. They allowed a Major League-high 53 runs in the season's first seven games.
"It's nice to get on the mound again and get some success," said Reitsma, who has converted three of his four save opportunities.
For Thomson, it was evident that he felt very comfortable back in the starting rotation. Having been moved out of the bullpen because of Horacio Ramirez's strained left hamstring, he responded by limiting the Phillies to one unearned run and six hits in five innings.
Thomson, who threw 72 pitches and didn't show any signs of tiring until the fifth, might have lasted longer had he not contributed a pair of hits. His fourth-inning, two-run double off Phillies starter Brett Myers gave the Braves an early lead and him an unusual chance to run around the bases.
"He shouldn't have gotten so many base hits," said a jovial Braves manager Bobby Cox in reference to Thomson, who entered this season with a .191 career batting average.
Coming to the plate after Brian McCann and Wilson Betemit provided consecutive two-out singles in the fourth, Thomson found the loud home crowd doing the tomahawk chop. Somewhat surprised, he said he looked toward the scoreboard to make sure it was definitely his turn to bat.
"It felt kind of cool coming up and hearing that," said Thomson, whose mound performance allowed the Braves' starting staff to lower its ERA to 8.66.
Unfortunately for Thomson, his contributions weren't rewarded with a personal win. The Phillies erased a 3-1 deficit with a run against Mike Remlinger in the sixth inning and another against Oscar Villarreal in the seventh.
While the bullpen faltered, it was for the most part rather strong. Ken Ray continued his remarkable story with a scoreless eighth. After running into some two-out trouble and allowing the Phillies to place runners on first and second base, the 31 year-old right-hander responded by striking out David Dellucci.
Before last Thursday, Ray, who was raised in the Atlanta suburbs, hadn't pitched in the Majors since 1999. But in his first four appearances with the Braves, he has allowed just one hit and completed four scoreless innings.
"Our bullpen glued it together really well," Cox said. "I thought we played a great game with our defense, pitching and offense. It's good to win the home opener."
If nothing else, it's certainly good for the Braves to be home.

Bats boost Braves on Opening Day

2006-04-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES -- If the next 161 baseball games are as stressful as this one, Adam LaRoche says that he's going to start looking a lot more like the elder members of the Braves' coaching staff.
Then again, if a significant majority of them end in the same triumphant fashion that this one did, the Braves will gladly accept the resulting stress.
After surviving a nail-biting 11-10 Opening Day victory over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Monday afternoon, the Braves retreated to a happy clubhouse and at least one of them was thinking he may soon have to invest in some hair-coloring formula.
"I don't think they'll all be like this," said LaRoche, who capped a four-run first inning with his three-run homer. "If they are, I'll have a head full of grey hair by the end of the year."
Braves manager Bobby Cox, who saw his team win an Opening Day game for the first time in four years, doesn't have to worry about his hair getting any greyer. His only immediate concern focuses on a bullpen that allowed the Dodgers to score five times in the final two innings.
"It wouldn't stop bleeding," said Cox, whose team once owned an 8-1 fifth-inning lead. "It just kept going. We couldn't bandage it."
After Tim Hudson's fifth-inning struggles led to an early departure, the Braves' bullpen kept things in check through the end of the seventh inning. But the Dodgers opened a wound against Blaine Boyer in the eighth and then just kept pounding away.

Beginning the eighth, Boyer allowed four hits and retired just one of the five batters he faced. The Dodgers scored twice before John Thomson entered and allowed one of his two inherited runners to score. With two outs, two on and given the assignment of holding an 11-8 lead, Chris Reitsma temporarily ended the madness by striking out Dioner Navarro.
"It was a struggle on both sides today," Cox said. "They've got one of the best bullpens in baseball and we've got a good bullpen. Nobody could hold them."
Rafael Furcal, who had three hits in his first game against his former team, resumed the madness by beginning the ninth with a bunt single. Jose Cruz completed his career-best four-hit performance by following with a double. Reitsma then rebounded, inducing three consecutive groundouts, two of which resulted in a run.

Notes: Boyer may be ready for opener

2006-03-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Just a week ago, it was far too unclear for Braves manager Bobby Cox to determine when he might get Blaine Boyer back in his bullpen.
Things have since progressed so well that there's now a chance Boyer could be on Atlanta's Opening Day roster.
"For me, he could pitch right now," Cox said after watching Boyer need just 10 pitches to complete a perfect eighth inning against three proven veterans in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Dodgers at Holman Stadium.
In order to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, Boyer will have to continue impressing in his final exhibition outings and hope that the discomfort, which has been gone for nearly three weeks, doesn't return to his suddenly recharged right shoulder.
"I feel I can do whatever [Cox] wants me to do, and I'm fine with whatever he wants me to do," said Boyer, who battled shoulder inflammation throughout last season's final month and again during the first couple weeks of camp.
While pitching in a big-league game for the first time since Oct. 2, Boyer retired Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra and Bill Mueller with relative ease. He impressed with four knee-buckling curveballs, including one that Kent swung and missed for strike three.
"Blaine looks like he hasn't missed a lick at all, despite all this waiting" Cox said. "His control has been excellent. That's as good of a curveball as I've seen him throw."
A healthy Boyer, who threw eight of his 10 pitches for strikes, will certainly strengthen the middle-relief corps, which also will include Oscar Villarreal and Joey Devine. Before beginning to feel the shoulder discomfort last year, he enjoyed one stretch (Aug. 2-Sept. 3) in which he made 15 consecutive scoreless appearances.
"I have all the confidence in the world that I'm where I need to be," said Boyer, who also looked strong during an intrasquad Minor League game on Thursday.

More trade talks: With Boyer making significant progress, the Braves' bullpen needs have decreased. They could still seek a left-handed reliever. But with Mike Remlinger and Chuck James available to fill that injury-depleted category, the need is not necessarily great.
But there's still a strong belief that the Braves will trade John Thomson before the start of the regular season. They've shopped him to a number of teams, including the Pirates, who have a number of attractive relief pitchers that they could trade to fill their need for a starting pitcher.

There is a belief that the Braves have offered Thomson to Pittsburgh in exchange for Craig Wilson and right-handed reliever Salomon Torres. But a Pirates source said Sunday that he doesn't believe they'd be willing to exchange two players in exchange for Thomson.
If a deal is reached with the Pirates, the source indicated it would be more likely that Thomson would be traded simply for Wilson, who can play first base and the outfield. With Mike Gonzalez entering his first year as a closer, the Pirates are leery of trading any of their top middle relievers.
Two separate hand injuries limited Wilson to 59 games and five home runs last year. But he proved his power potential by totaling 37 home runs over the course of the two previous seasons. He's also proven to be a free swinger, striking out a Pirates-record 169 times in 2004.

Horacio impresses: With Horacio Ramirez and Kyle Davies both enjoying stellar spring seasons, the Braves can trade Thomson with the confidence that their starting rotation will still be very strong.
Ramirez's latest strong performance came on Sunday, when he allowed the Dodgers two earned runs and five hits in six innings. All of the damage he encountered came during the fifth inning, during which Pat Borders and Rafael Furcal both had doubles.
Ramirez surrendered three doubles in his final two innings. But with just one exhibition season start remaining, he feels like his endurance is where it needs to be for the start of the regular season.
"I started to get tired at the end my last time out," Ramirez said. "This time I felt as strong on my last pitch as I did on my first pitch."
Ramirez's inability to command the inside part of the plate was a big reason he surrendered a team-high 31 homers during a disappointing 2005 season. But he's been showing much better command on both sides of the plate and still hasn't allowed a home run this spring.
"It's a lot better," said Ramirez, who ended the second inning by getting Borders to look at strike three on the inside corner. "I'm not making nearly as many mistakes."
Aussie has another G'day: Peter Moylan's story is a nearly unbelievable one. But it's also one that will get even better if he continues to make a steady climb toward Atlanta.
Moylan, a 27-year-old right-hander who just began throwing with a sidearm delivery six months ago, loaded the bases before recording an out in the seventh inning against the Dodgers. But he got the next two batters to ground out and then struck out J.D. Drew to end the inning.
"He didn't lose his composure and then struck out a terrific hitter," Cox said. "He's got a future."
Moylan, who signed a $30,000 Minor League contract with the Braves after pitching for Australia in the World Baseball Classic, has thrown some fastballs that have been clocked at 96 mph. But lately, he's been regularly throwing in the 92-94 mph range.
Braves bits: Adam LaRoche had three hits on Sunday, including a home run that soared over the right-field foul pole and into a tree located approximately 380 feet from home plate. ... Matt Diaz also had three hits on Sunday to raise his batting average to .382. ... Marcus Giles went hitless in three at-bats and is hitting .056 (1-for-18) in Grapefruit League games.
Coming up: The Braves will host the Yankees at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex on Monday night at 7:05 ET. Jorge Sosa will be making his second start since coming back from the World Baseball Classic.

BASEBALL ODDS!!!