Pirates continue set with Marlins

Baseball Betting Lines

08/17/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Marlins have lost four consecutive games, and an ineffective offense has been a big reason for the team's current woes. They'll try once again to break out of that funk in tonight's clash with a Pittsburgh Pirates squad that will be seeking to record back-to-back wins for the first time in three weeks.

After going a woeful 0-for-27 with runners in scoring position while being swept in a three-game set at Cincinnati over the weekend, the Marlins failed to come through in the clutch as well in a 7-1 defeat to the Pirates in Monday's opener of this four-game series. Florida was 0-for-6 with men in scoring position during last night's contest and managed just five hits for the game.

The Pirates, on the other hand, received three RBI each from Garrett Jones and Pedro Alvarez and seven strong innings from James McDonald in ending a seven- game losing skid. Andrew McCutchen added a pair of hits, including a solo homer, and scored twice in the win.

Pittsburgh had just returned from a winless six-game road trip in which the club had mustered only 11 runs.

"There's certain factors that come into play on the road that -- just certain intangibles that you don't even realize," said Alvarez after Monday's win. "Just being at home is just more comfortable, more at ease. You have the fans behind you. That helps, believe it or not."

McDonald (2-2) certainly helped as well, as the recent acquisition held Florida's sputtering offense to a run and three hits while striking out six batters in an impressive display.

Marlins starter Chris Volstad (6-9) allowed just two runs over the first five innings, but was charged with three runs while failing to record an out in the sixth. The right-hander exited after loading the bases on a single, walk and a hit batsman, and Jones greeted reliever Taylor Tankersley with a two-run double to give the Pirates a 4-1 advantage.

"The walk and then the hit by pitch was the big thing," Volstad said. "McCutchen is going to get his hits...you can't walk the next guy after that. I just dug myself a hole."

While the Marlins try to get back on track offensively, the team should be able to count on a reliable performance from scheduled starter Ricky Nolasco tonight. The right-hander is 8-2 with a 3.76 earned run average over his past 10 outings and has been terrific on the road this year, having amassed an excellent 9-2 record and a 3.59 ERA in 13 games in visiting parks.

Nolasco bounced back strongly from an August 6 start against St. Louis in which he was rocked for seven runs and 10 hits over five innings with a sharp six-inning stint at Washington this past Thursday. He limited the Nationals to six hits and no runs while striking out eight to garner his team-leading 13th victory of 2010.

The 27-year-old was hit hard in a matchup at PNC Park last season, however, surrendering six runs (five earned) in six innings of a loss to the Pirates, and is just 2-3 in seven lifetime appearances (five starts) against Pittsburgh despite a solid 2.45 ERA over that stretch.

The Pirates, who last registered consecutive wins from July 27-28, will turn to the struggling Zach Duke tonight in hopes of building off Monday's verdict. The 2009 All-Star hasn't produced many positive results as of late, though, as he's 2-8 with a 5.95 ERA in a 10-start span beginning in late May.

Duke has had an especially rough August so far, having gone 0-2 with a 5.82 ERA through three starts this month. He did put forth a respectable showing last Thursday at San Diego, allowing three runs -- two earned -- in six innings, but didn't get any help from the Pittsburgh offense in a 3-0 loss.

The 27-year-old has also had trouble when facing the Marlins in the past. In five previous encounters with Florida, Duke is 0-3 with a 5.76 ERA.

The Marlins halted a string of four straight losses at PNC with Monday's win, the first meeting between the teams this season. Pittsburgh won four of six overall bouts with Florida during the 2009 campaign.

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NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.

Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.

Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.

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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&amp;M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6

For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com