Basketball Betting

NL West: Andre's been a giant for Dodgers

Baseball Betting Lines

05/07/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When the Chicago Bulls needed a shot in the clutch the entire universe knew who was getting the ball.

Baseball is a bit different and fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers have been getting their own Michael Jordan-like heroics from outfielder Andre Ethier. Ethier made a name for himself last year with several walk-off home runs and added to that list last night in a 7-3 win over Milwaukee with a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Ethier has 11 game-winning hits under his belt and is also putting up numbers good enough for the Triple Crown. Entering Thursday's game versus the Brewers, Ethier led the National League with a .366 batting average, 26 RBI and a .699 slugging percentage. He is currently tied for the NL lead in homers with 10 and earned even more praise from legendary manager Joe Torre.

"With the opportunities he's had and as many times as he's done it, I don't remember anybody being as heroic as him of all the guys I managed," said Torre, who's mentored such stars as Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera and Tino Martinez.

Similar to Mr. Wolf out of the scene 'The Bonnie Situation' from the movie Pulp Fiction, let's not get carried away about Ethier quite yet. He's a good ballplayer and is leading a banged-up Dodger squad right now, but Ethier can't pull the team (12-16) out of the NL West basement alone. He is riding a seven- game hitting streak in which he owns five homers and 13 RBI.

In injury news for the ballclub, shortstop Rafael Furcal is slowly progressing from a left hamstring injury and could be back in the lineup by the end of next week. The strong-armed infielder is expected to make a few rehab stints with Triple-A Albuquerque. Outfielder Manny Ramirez, sidelined since late April with a calf issue, could see action this weekend against the Rockies and went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored Thursday in his second rehab start for Class-A Inland Empire.

Rookie hurler John Ely almost posted his first career win last night, but closer Jonathan Broxton killed that buzz by giving up two runs in the ninth before Ethier bailed him out. Ely was impressive in his second major league start and threw 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball with a career-high seven K's and no walks. Ely was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in the offseason trade for Juan Pierre and has only made three starts at the Triple-A level.

The Dodgers will resume their 10-game homestand Friday with the first of three straight games versus the rival Rockies.

IS SAN FRAN'S ROTATION TOPS IN NL?

Forget about the pitching rotations in St. Louis and Philadelphia because there's an arms race brewing in the Bay area.

It starts with two-time defending NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and continues with surprising left-hander Barry Zito. Someone must have spiked the water system in San Francisco with a revitalizing tonic because Zito's been on fire ever since he stepped foot on the mound this season. The left-hander and 2002 AL Cy Young Award recipient is 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA in six starts and has held opposing hitters to a .182 batting average.

Zito has given manager Bruce Bochy no less than six innings per outing and threw seven innings of one-run ball on May 5 at Florida. He was bailed out by reliever Sergio Romo in that one, however, for his third straight win and moved within one more consecutive victory of tying his career high, established between May and June of the 2006 season as a member of Oakland.

Lincecum is 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA in six starts and Matt Cain is starting to regain his old form, having won back-to-back starts since opening the campaign 0-1 over his initial four trips to the hill. Jonathan Sanchez is 2-2 in five starts and owns a 2.48 ERA. He has alternated wins and losses over his past four starts and is the second left-hander in the rotation. Todd Wellemeyer is still trying to find his niche in his first season with the Giants and is 1-0 over his last two starts since beginning the year 0-3 with an 8.16 ERA.

Once the first-place Giants (17-10), who are second in the majors with a 2.79 ERA and fifth with 17 victories, get Wellemeyer going the rest of the National League West must be alert. Besides Ubaldo Jimenez of Colorado and Dan Haren in Arizona, there's not too much competition in the division.

In other teams news, Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria missed four games with a groin injury and returned to the lineup on Thursday. Renteria, though, left the game against Florida in the third inning after aggravating the problem and may land on the disabled list.

YOUNGSTER GONZALEZ MAKING STRIDES FOR ROX

Colorado Rockies starting outfielder Carlos Gonzalez averaged 87 games played in each of his first two seasons. This year should be different.

A lot different.

The speedy lefty has hit safely in 10 of 11 games and leads the Rockies in batting average (.317) and RBI (20), is second with four stolen bases and currently stands third with three home runs. Gonzalez admitted earlier this week that his timing was disrupted after the unexpected death of club president Keli McGregor and a rainout. His batting order has been shifted under manager Jim Tracy and understands how important it is to take care of business within the division.

"It's very special because we're in the same division, and last year we had a bad record against our division [33-39 against the National League West]," Gonzalez said after a win over Arizona this week. "These games make a difference. We have to beat the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, the Giants and San Diego."

Gonzalez and the Rockies (14-14) will close out their 12-game tour through the NL West this weekend with three straight games against Los Angeles in Hollywood. So far they're 4-5 on the excursion.

Jimenez, meanwhile, has won his first six starts of the season and sports a ridiculous 0.87 earned run average, The first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Colorado History, Jimenez has given up just one run over his last four starts, spanning 29 1/3 innings pitched.

D'BACKS RETURN TO THE DESERT

The Arizona Diamondbacks are four games off the lead in the National League West Division and will return home for six games starting with tonight's opener of a three-game series versus the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Diamondbacks (14-15) finished their 11-game road trip 6-5 after winning three in the four-game series with Houston. It just recorded a 6-3 victory last night behind Haren's 10th career complete game. Haren went the distance for the first time this season and limited the Astros to three runs -- two earned -- and seven hits with nine strikeouts.

"The team needed it," Haren said on the Diamondbacks' site. "I needed it."

Tony Abreu finished with a career-best four hits and knocked in a run, while Kelly Johnson homered for the 10th time this season for the D'Backs, who hope that Edwin Jackson can get back to form. Jackson's first season in Arizona hasn't gone as planned, and he'll try to bounce back from two rough outings tonight. After throwing six shutout innings in a no-decision at San Diego on April 16, Jackson has gone 0-2 with a 13.82 earned run average in his last three outings.

Jackson has dropped two starts in a row and was reached for eight runs and 11 hits in four innings of a 10-5 loss at the Cubs on Sunday. The right-hander has given up 18 total runs and 22 hits in his last two trips to the hill.

Slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds has homered just twice in his last 11 games. He hopes to get on track this weekend against Milwaukee, a club he owns four homers and 11 RBI against in 20 career games (63 at-bats).

STREAK IS OVER FOR FRIARS

The San Diego Padres had won five straight series before dropping two of three midweek meetings versus the NL West-rival Colorado Rockies.

Their bullpen was strong over the stretch of wins until Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Colorado in 12 innings. San Diego needed six relievers after starter Clayton Richard lasted five innings, allowing three runs and six hits, and the loss was pinned on Tim Stauffer, who gave up a leadoff home run to Ian Stewart in the top of the 12th.

"I guess I would rather take one bad game every couple of weeks than having it happen more often," said Padres closer Heath Bell. "If that happens once every couple of weeks, we'll be fine."

Stauffer had a streak of 17 1/3 shutout innings come to an end. Luke Gregerson extended his current scoreless innings streak to 14 with a perfect inning Wednesday night.

San Diego (17-11), which is only a half-game behind San Francisco for the top spot in the division, had only one hit over their final five innings. That has to change tonight in the opener of a three-game series at Houston, and consistency is a must since the team has alternated wins and losses over the past six games.

The Padres will visit the Giants for three games early next week.