Back in first: Phillies edge Marlins to grab top spot in NL East

Baseball Betting Lines

09/07/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Placido Polanco's eighth-inning two-out RBI single was the difference, as Philadelphia nipped Florida, 8-7, in the third installment of a four-game series.

The victory, coupled with Atlanta's loss at Pittsburgh, lofted the two-time defending NL champs into first place in the NL East by a half-game over the Braves. The Phillies hadn't seen the top of the division since May 30.

Raul Ibanez finished 3-for-4 with a homer and drove in three runs, while Shane Victorino and Ryan Howard also added solo shots for the Phillies, who have taken seven of their last nine overall.

Ryan Madson (5-2) allowed Florida's tying run to score in the top of the eighth, but picked up the win by getting the final four outs.

Logan Morrison doubled twice and knocked in a run for the Marlins, who have dropped two in a row since taking the opener of a day-night doubleheader on Monday. Mike Stanton finished 2-for-4 with a solo shot in defeat.

Jose Veras (2-2) was charged with the loss after allowing the game-winning hit.

In the eighth, Stanton's solo homer off Jose Contreras made it 7-5, then Brad Davis doubled with one out. With two outs, Emilio Bonifacio singled, and Davis scored on a Jayson Werth throwing error, which sent Bonifacio to second. J.C. Romero came in only to balk Bonifacio to third, then walked Morrison, paving the way for Madson. The lanky right-hander uncorked a wild pitch to score Bonifacio with the tying run before fanning Hanley Ramirez.

Veras gave up a two-out single to Victorino, who stole second before coming in when Polanco punched a hit through the right side. Chase Utley walked and Howard barely missed a three-run shot that was caught in front of the center- field wall, but the Phils snagged a one-run edge, 8-7.

Madson fanned Dan Uggla swinging and got Gaby Sanchez on a flyout to left before walking Stanton. Wes Helms then went down swinging on a high and outside 1-2 fastball to end the game.

The Phils broke through in the second, as Howard doubled and scored on a Jimmy Rollins base hit.

Florida came back with two in the third as Bonifacio singled and went to second on Blanton's error on a Morrison grounder. After a groundout moved up both runners, Uggla plated one with a grounder to first and Sanchez added an RBI single.

The Fish tacked on one more in the fourth as Cameron Maybin started with a triple and scored on a Davis groundout.

Ibanez reached the seats in left-center with one out in the home half, then the home team picked up three in the fifth to move ahead 5-3 on a Victorino leadoff homer, a two-out solo shot from Howard and an RBI hit by Ibanez.

Florida trimmed its deficit to 5-4 in the seventh. Bonifacio walked with one out then Morrison drove him in with a double off Antonio Bastardo. Morrison advanced to third on a wild throw home, but Chad Durbin cleaned up the mess by getting Ramirez on a foul out and Sanchez on a flyout.

Polanco singled to start the home half, moved to second on a passed ball, reached third on a groundout and scored after an intentional walk to Howard on a Rollins sac fly. Ibanez followed with an RBI triple, and the home team had what appeared to be a safe 7-4 edge.

Game Notes

Philadelphia has won nine of 14 from Florida this season and evened their record against the Marlins at home to 4-4...Late Monday, the Phillies recalled outfielder John Mayberry, Jr. from Triple-A Lehigh Valley...The Phils also scratched outfielder Domonic Brown with a quadriceps injury...Bonifacio ended with three hits and scored three runs...Polanco had three hits, and Howard crossed the plate three times...Philly starter Joe Blanton allowed six hits and four runs over 6 1/3 innings, and Florida hurler Chris Volstad yielded five runs and nine hits over five full frames.

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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.