Amid chaos, Mets try for series win against Rockies

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08/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While Colorado is hoping to make a late charge for a postseason spot, things just keep getting worse for New York, especially closer Francisco Rodriguez.

The Rockies, looking to win in Queens for just the fifth time in 27 games, go for their first series win there since 2002 this afternoon over the fading Mets at Citi Field.

Colorado was shut down in Tuesday's opener, losing a 1-0 decision to extend its miseries in New York. Things weren't going much better last night as the Rockies managed just one run off of Mets starter Jon Niese over seven innings.

However, the Rockies got to the Mets' bullpen on the way to a 6-2 victory. Melvin Mora hit a two-out, go-ahead grand slam off Manny Acosta in the eighth frame, the fourth of his career, and Clint Barmes added an insurance run in the inning with an RBI single.

Colorado's pitching staff did their part in retiring the final 15 batters they faced, improving the Rockies to 3-3 on a seven-game road trip while keeping them five games behind the wild-card leading Giants.

"To shut them down and not allow any other commotion to get created after we hit the grand slam, job well done," Colorado manager Jim Tracy said.

The Mets, meanwhile, managed just Angel Pagan's two-run homer in the first inning as they lost for the sixth time in nine games and are eight contests back in the wild-card race.

All-Star David Wright went 0-for-4 at the plate with four strikeouts and is just 2-for-33 at the plate over his last nine games.

"The offense is struggling, we're scuffling as a team," Wright said. "I'm not having much fun right now. It takes a pitch or two, you feel comfortable in there and all of a sudden you get going ... hopefully that's soon."

To make matters worse, Rodriguez's status is up in the air after he was taken into police custody at Citi Field following the game. According to multiple reports, Rodriguez, who did not pitch last night, was charged with assault after punching his father-in-law, who was taken to the hospital, in the face in the family room at the stadium.

Johan Santana will try to calm the waters this afternoon and has won four of his last five decisions. The left-hander had allowed 11 runs over his previous two starts before limiting the Phillies to just five hits and three walks over 7 1/3 scoreless innings on Saturday to win a tight 1-0 contest.

Santana, 31, improved to 9-6 on the season with a 3.06 earned run average.

The Rockies counter with Jason Hammel, who snapped a four-game winless drought (0-3) with a victory over the Pirates on Friday. The 27-year-old righty was charged with just three hits over six innings, one a three-run homer, and is 8-6 on the year with a 4.38 ERA.

Santana and Hammel have both faced their respective opponent just once before, with the two squaring off on July 30 of last year. Santana got the win with seven shutout innings of four-hit ball with eight strikeouts, while Hammel was hit with the loss for yielding five runs and seven hits over just 1 1/3 innings of work.

Despite Colorado's struggles in New York, the club has won six of the last nine overall meetings between the clubs. The Rockies haven't won a series in Queens since May 10-12, 2002.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.