Buchholz seeks to extend win streak in Red Sox-Blue Jays clash

Baseball Betting Lines

08/22/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Clay Buchholz will attempt to win his fifth straight decision today, as the Boston Red Sox conclude a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

Buchholz has emerged victorious in each of his past three starts and has lasted at least seven innings in five consecutive outings. On Tuesday, he tossed seven shutout innings of five-hit ball in a 6-0 blanking of the Angels. He improved to 6-3 with a 2.51 ERA in 10 home starts.

The right-hander has made nine career appearances -- eight starts -- against the Blue Jays, going 5-3 with a 2.79 ERA. Buchholz beat them earlier this month, surrendering one run and five hits over eight innings of a 10-1 victory on August 11th.

Shaun Marcum was the losing pitcher in that matchup with Buchholz, as he allowed eight earned runs, including four homers, in just four innings of work. The right-hander, though, is still 5-3 with a 3.92 ERA in 14 lifetime appearances -- nine starts -- against Boston.

On Monday, Marcum bounced back nicely from that disastrous start, going the distance in a 3-1 win over Oakland. He allow just one hit, a homer, and fanned five in snapping a two-game slide.

Marcum will try to give Toronto its first series win of the season over Boston after the Blue Jays were edged, 5-4, in 11 innings on Saturday.

Jed Lowrie led off the bottom of the 11th inning with the game-winning homer, as Boston outlasted Toronto in the middle test of a three-game set from Fenway Park.

Lowrie crushed a Casey Janssen (4-2) offering into the bullpen in right field, giving the Sox a measure of revenge for being on the wrong end of a 16-2 blowout loss Friday in the series opener.

The hit made a winner of Jonathan Papelbon (5-5), who turned in a scoreless top of the frame.

Victor Martinez finished 3-for-5 and drove in three runs for the Red Sox, who stopped a two-game slide. Daisuke Matsuzaka started and allowed six hits and four runs with eight strikeouts and three walks over eight innings.

Lyle Overbay hit a two-run shot while John Buck and John McDonald knocked in a run each for the Blue Jays, who have lost three of four.

Ricky Romero got the nod for Toronto and gave up nine hits and four runs while fanning eight over seven full frames.

Boston has won 10 of its 14 previous meetings with Toronto so far this season and took two of three bouts between the divisional foes in Beantown back in May. The Blue Jays are just 5-11 in their last 16 games played at Fenway Park.

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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.

Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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