Valentin's RBI single in the 12th leads Reds over Brewers

Baseball Betting Lines

07/24/2007 - Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pinch-hitter Javier Valentin's run-scoring single in the 12th inning gave the Cincinnati Reds a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a four-game set at Great American Ball Park.

Grant Balfour started the frame for Milwaukee and immediately struggled with his control, walking Jeff Conine and Pedro Lopez. David Ross then laid down a bunt and Balfour attempted to get pinch-runner Norris Hopper at third, but his throw was not in time. Valentin then stepped up to the plate and drove the first pitch he saw from Balfour into right field to win it for the Reds.

Cincinnati starter Aaron Harang, who was activated from the bereavement list prior to the game, was brilliant, allowing just one run on seven hits through 10 innings. Harang also struck out 10 while not issuing a walk in the no decision.

Chris Capuano, who came into the game losing his last six decisions, started for Milwaukee and was just as good as Harang. The left-hander went eight strong frames, giving up only one run on seven hits to go along with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Ross finished 2-for-4 with a home run for the Reds, who ended a three-game losing streak. Jared Burton (1-1) picked up his first-career victory after retiring the only two batters he faced in the top of the 12th inning.

Ryan Braun collected three hits including a home run for the Brewers, who have three losses over their last four games. Balfour (0-2) absorbed the loss while Prince Fielder had two hits.

After two scoreless innings, Ross gave Cincinnati the lead after launching a home run over the wall in center to lead off the home half of the third.

Braun answered for the Brewers and tied things at 1-1 after hitting a lead-off homer in the fourth.

After Braun's homer, Harang retired 17 straight Milwaukee hitters before Braun poked a single to left with two outs in the ninth. Fielder followed with a base hit to right to put runners on the corners. Harang, though, kept Milwaukee off the board as he got Johnny Estrada to ground out weakly to first to end the threat.

The Brewers threatened again in the 10th as Kevin Mench and Craig Counsell hit back-to-back singles with one out. Harang battled back and got pinch-hitter Tony Graffanino to pop out to second and Corey Hart to strike out to end the inning.

David Weathers started the 11th for Cincy and quickly loaded the bases. The veteran reliever, though, got Estrada to ground into a double play with the first out coming at home to keep the game tied. Geoff Jenkins was then hit by a pitch to fill up the bases again, but Weathers managed to get out of the jam as he got Mench to fly out for the third out of the inning.

Game Notes

Harang, who threw 121 pitches, has gone 13 straight starts without a loss. He also became the second pitcher in the majors this season to throw 10 innings, joining Toronto's Roy Halladay. The last Reds pitcher to toss 10 innings was Rick Mahler, who did it August 30, 1989...Milwaukee went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.

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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.