In a pinch: Edmonds' HR in eighth lifts Brewers

Baseball Betting Lines

07/26/2010 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pinch-hitter Jim Edmonds belted the tie- breaking home run off Bronson Arroyo with two outs in the eighth inning, as Milwaukee edged Cincinnati, 3-2, at Miller Park.

The Brewers, winners of five in a row, had just three hits in the opener of the three-game set, but one was a titanic two-run blast off the bat of Rickie Weeks in the third inning. Starting pitcher Randy Wolf had the other hit, a single just before Weeks' homer off a Miller Lite sign beyond the wall in center field.

Laynce Nix made a costly base-running mistake in the ninth inning, as the Reds suffered their second straight defeat. They also had a six-game winning streak against the Brewers broken.

Wolf allowed five hits and two runs over seven innings. Carlos Villanueva (1-0) pitched the eighth inning to get the win and John Axford survived the ninth for his 15th save.

"Wolf didn't have hit control early and we let him get away," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "You hate to lose a game like that when Bronson was pitching so well."

Arroyo (10-6) pitched his second complete game of the season and 11th of his career. He walked one and fanned five batters, but dropped his second straight start.

Scott Rolen returned to the lineup for the Reds. The third baseman hadn't played since July 16 due to a right hamstring injury. He was hit by a pitch and scored once.

Edmonds pinch-hit for Villanueva in the eighth and sent a 1-2 offering barely foul down the right field line, home run distance. The next pitch was a no- doubter, a blast to the stands beyond the wall in right-center for his eighth homer of the year.

"Obviously coming off the bench isn't the greatest, but I could run only about 20 percent, so I didn't think I was even going to play tonight," Edmonds said. "We're a long way from first place, but it's nice to get a win. It's going to be an uphill battle for us."

Nix clubbed a pinch-hit double to center with one out in the ninth. Ryan Hanigan was up next and hit a bouncer to third base. Nix was caught between bases and tagged out as Hanigan reached safely. Pinch-hitter Chris Heisey then struck out swinging to end the game.

The Reds loaded the bases with nobody out in the second inning. Drew Stubbs struck out, but Hanigan singled to left for a 2-0 game. Arroyo struck out and Orlando Cabrera grounded out to keep two runners in scoring position.

Arroyo was dominant most of the night, except for the third inning. Wolf singled to left with two outs and Weeks crushed an 0-1 pitch for his 21st homer of the season.

Jonny Gomes singled and stole second in the sixth, but Stubbs flied out to right to end the inning.

The Reds wasted a lead-off walk by Brandon Phillips in the eighth.

Game Notes

Arroyo fell to 9-7 lifetime against the Brewers...Edmonds is 10 homers shy of 400 for his career...Gomes had three of Cincinnati's six hits...The Brewers have homered in 15 straight games, the longest stretch for the team since July 1-24, when they did it in a franchise-record 20 straight games.

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.