Kyle Busch Favored in NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Saturday

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The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series takes a mini-break this weekend with the non-points Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night, and coming off his first victory since last fall Jimmie Johnson is among the main favorites at 7/1 to win at Bovada’s motor sports odds.

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The All-Star Race is a 90-lap shootout with the winner getting $1 million. The 28th edition of this event will be the first to feature a fifth segment. That 10-lap stint will be preceded by a mandatory pit stop, and the winners of the previous four 20-lap segments (all with optional pit stops available) will be guaranteed to enter the pits in the top four starting spots provided their cars stay on the lead lap during the event. The winner of the first 20-lap segment will be positioned to come down pit road first before that 10-lap finale, the winner of the second 20-lap run will go second on pit road and so on.

Thus the pit crews are even more important than normal this weekend. No tire changes are obligatory in the final pit stop, leading to the likelihood that one or more teams may decide to take fuel only. Thus the final pits are expected to be stop and go, and it’s unlikely the winner will come from outside the first two rows. Carl Edwards led the final 10 laps last season, and five of the past seven All-Star Race winners have led at least the last 10 laps.

Johnson could have an advantage this year because his team won Thursday’s Pit Crew Challenge and thus game the No. 48 team first choice on pit-stall selection for Saturday’s race. Johnson has won this race twice, last in 2006.

Kyle Busch was second in 2011 to Edwards. Busch, who has never won this race, is the overall favorite at 11/2 and Edwards is at 9/1. Busch won the pole for the second straight year, but the last pole winner to take this race happened 20 years ago. Tony Stewart also is a 13/2 favorite and won here in 2009. Jeff Gordon (12/1) has the most wins of any active driver with three.

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Ledet Out On American Idol, Leaving Sanchez And Phillips

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We’re down to the final tow contestants on the 11th season of American Idol, and the duo that has dominated the competition since the beginning are left standing, while the third-place performer would have probably went further in another season.

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20-year-old Josh Ledet was next to exitAmerican Idol, although there are a number of “experts” and fans that feel he should have gone on to win it all with his soulful sound. However, Ledet, who is from Louisiana, was undaunted by his elimination and feels as though he can be successful without winning American Idol, and he definitely showed what he could do with performances of Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind”, John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama”; that’s a lot of variety and that could have opened a few eyes.

But we’re left with 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez and 21-year-old Phil Phillips, and the latter received a few song choices that were right up his alley: “Beggin’” by the Four Seasons, “Disease” by Matchbox Twenty and Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight”. That led a few fans to insinuate that Phillips is destined to be the next American Idol as he was given songs that were suited to his pop/rock sound. Sanchez had Mariah Carey’s “My All”, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith (who is headed by judge Steven Tyler and he said Sanchez’s version was better than the original) and “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson Five. Again, these choices seemed to be suited to Sanchez’s big-room voice, which angered some Ledet fans.

Stay tuned for next week when the 11th American Idol will be decided. Males have won the last four editions of the show and six times overall, so Phillips may have a slight edge going into the finale.

Bovada Sportsbook has updated the odds so bet American Idol right now!

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Preakness Stakes Betting Odds: Top Contenders & Long Shots

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Today’s the day! The running of the 137th Preakness Stakes will be the talk of the town and Bovada has all the horse race betting covered from start to finish, with updated race day odds, including the top contenders and the long shots for victory.

Four of the last five Preakness races have been won by a length or less. The 1-3/16 miles race is shorter than the Kentucky Derby, which justifies Derby runner-up Bodemeister coming in the best odds to win today at 3/2, while right behind him is winner I’ll Have Another at 3/1, going for the second jewel in horse racing’s Triple Crown.

Went the Day Well rounds is third on the odds list at 6/1, just ahead of Creative Cause at 13/2.Daddy Nose Best sits at 14/1 and rounds out the top five selections as far as favorable odds go.

These five horses will run from posts five through 9 which, historically, have provided the best chances for victory.

Cozetti is getting the least amount of action, entering the Preakness with a field-worst 40/1 chance. Pretension will run from post 3 and has the second-worst odds at 35/1. However, he’s running from the same post as the great Secretariat, so maybe that will help. Or not.

Bet on the Preakness Stakes at the Bovada Racebook!

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Preakness Stakes Brtting – The Guiding Principle that Identifies Winners of Triple Crown Races

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By Steve Davidowitz | There is an old adage that pretty much sums up how each of the Triple Crown races is won: The Fittest Horse Wins the Kentucky Derby; the Fastest Horse Wins the Preakness Stakes; and the Best Horse Wins the Belmont Stakes.

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If you go back and research dozens of Triple Crown races, you will find that this simple prescription describes quite accurately the overall talent of numerous Triple Crown race winners. Last  year, for example, ANIMAL KINGDOM trained so well at Churchill Downs that he clearly was the fittest horse among the 19 who started in the Derby.

SHACKLEFORD, who won the 2011 Preakness, certainly was the fastest of the Triple Crown horses. And while Animal Kingdom seemed to be the best horse heading into the Belmont Stakes, he did not win because he was badly interfered with at the start and never recovered — despite attempting to rally boldly on the final turn.  That race was also contested on a muddy track, which, all by itself, can turn form upside down.

As a footnote to the 2011 Belmont Stakes, it was revealed soon aftrerwards that Animal Kingdom had endured an injury and would not be able to race again until the winter of 2012.

In 2010 SUPER SAVER had the best workouts of any horse during Derby week and he also proved to be a superior off track performer, giving trainer Todd Pletcher his only Kentucky Derby victory from more than two dozen tries.

While I might argue that 2010 Preakness winner LOOKIN AT LUCKY was not only the fastest horse, but the best as well, ‘Lucky’ did not run in the Belmont, which was the obvious reason the pattern had no meaning that year.

Is I’ll Have Another the fastest horse heading into the 2012 Preakness Stakes?

As I said, we can go back many years and see where the seemingly simplistic pattern actually has been among the best handicapping approaches to Triple Crown races one could possibly want to consider.

Delving a bit deeper, we can look at the horses who won both the Derby and Preakness as horses who not only were supremely fit for the 1-1/4 mile Run for the Roses, but also proved to be the fastest horse in the slightly shorter, 1-3/16 miles Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

When these ‘double winners’ failed to complete a Triple Crown sweep in the grueling 1-1/2 mile race in New York that is properly called the ‘Test of the Champion’, they were adding subtle power to the guideline.

Somewhat rarer have been instances when a horse won the Kentucky Derby, lost the Preakness, but rebounded to win the Belmont. In those cases fitness married class, while speed took a back seat to the equation.

Riva Ridge was just such a horse. In 1972 he went wire to wire in the Kentucky Derby even though he brought a stretch running profile to the race. He was supremely fit and ready to express his fitness to win the first jewel in the Triple Crown and he could handle losing the Preakness with a weak performance on a wet track and recovering his top form on a dry surface at Belmont Park to dominate the Belmont Stakes.

As many know, it has been 34 years since a single Thoroughbred horse was able to sweep through the American Triple Crown.

AFFIRMED certainly was the fittest, the fastest and slightly the best over the gallant ALYDAR in 1978; SEATTLE SLEW was without question the fastest, fittest and the best in 1977; and few would dispute that the great SECRETARIAT was all three and then some in 1973.

As we look at the horses who will be running in today’s 137th Preakness Stakes, I’LL HAVE ANOTHER might very well have been the fittest horse on Derby Day given his strong workout schedule in Southern California for America’s most famous race.

Today, however, he goes into the Preakness looking as if he is not as fast as BODEMEISTER, who showed exceptional speed for nearly 1-1/4 miles. Going in, it looks like ‘Bode’ is going to prove to be the fastest horse in this year’s Triple Crown chase.

If Bodemeister falters in the late going today, he will be judged as a horse who showed too much speed prematurely and did not have enough left within him to win a classic race.

If I’LL HAVE ANOGTHER wins  today, we may grant him dual status as the fittest and the fastest horse in America, but he will still have to prove he is the best when we conclude our coverage of the Triple Crown at Belmont Park in New York on June 9.

If anyone tries to tell you that horse racing is a dying sport, that race horses are not four-legged athletes…that no one really cares how this and any other Triple Crown possession  turns out… just ignore them. They have not a clue.

Post time for the 137th Preakness Stakes is 6:18 p.m. Eastern Time.
The race will be broadcast on NBC with coverage beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Bovada’s got all your Triple Crown odds.

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2012 Preakness Profile: I’ll Have Another

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2012 Preakness Profile: I’ll Have Another

There’s no bigger race to win for a horse than the Kentucky Derby, and only one horse each year that can claim that win. This year it was I’ll Have Another in a mild upset. He settled off the torrid pace, but out of trouble behind the lead speed.

Mario Gutierrez is incredibly raw so it was easy to expect little from the jockey, but he was the biggest surprise on the day. He masterfully swung his horse out after a mile, sense the pace perfectly, tracked down Bodemeister in the deep stretch, and pulled away to win by almost two lengths.

It was a far more mature, professional race than you would have expected from horse or rider. It was certainly not a fluke.

Career highlights

The colt broke his maiden in his first try last July, and then he was second behind Creative Cause in the Best Pal at Del Mar a month later. He next went to Saratoga to run in the Hopeful against top East Coast runners. That was likely as a prelude to a Breeders’ Cup appearance, but the race was a disappointing sixth and he took the rest of the fall off.

When he returned in February in the Robert Lewis at Santa Anita he was a forgotten horse who went off at 43-1. He won that one impressively, though, and moved into the elite picture on the West Coast.

He didn’t have enough earnings to make the Derby, but his connections took a risk and held him out of action until the Santa Anita Derby. He basically needed to win to get a ticket to Kentucky.

And win he did.

He eked out a nose win over a very game Creative Cause. Even with that win, though, he still wasn’t seen as the top West Coast horse heading into the Derby — or even the top horse out of the Santa Anita Derby.

Jockey: Mario Gutierrez

This is a story right out of a Disney movie.

Gutierrez is a 25-year-old Mexican who had been riding in the minor leagues at Hastings Park in Vancouver. In the offseason of that circuit he had tried his luck on the Southern California circuit.

Things had not gone well, though, and he was about to go back to Vancouver. He was working horses one morning when owner Paul Reddam saw him and decided to give him the mount in the Robert Lewis because the top riders were on horses seen to have a better chance.

Gutierrez won, was promised the Santa Anita Derby mount, and decided to stay in California.

He had won just 14 races all year before the Kentucky Derby and should have been totally overwhelmed by the experience. He rode the race as well as any guy could have, though, and now he’s a Kentucky Derby champion who should have much fewer issues finding good mounts in the future.

The question now is how well he will handle being the hunted man in the Preakness instead of the guy that no one was paying attention to.

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

He’s one of the true characters of the sport — a guy who is easy to cheer for.

This is his first Triple Crown victory, but not his first taste of top three year old action. He had the top two year old of 2005 — Stevie Wonderboy — but he was injured before the Derby. Square Eddie may also have been the Derby favorite if he hadn’t been injured. Great Hunter and Liquidity both ran in the 2007 Derby, but both disappointed.

O’Neill’s biggest horse was the older gelding Lava Man, who won more than a dozen graded stakes before retiring in 2010. He now works as a pony horse for O’Neill, and ponied I’ll Have Another in the post parade at the Derby.

Pedigree

His sire, Flower Alley, was not ready for the Triple Crown trail in 2005, but he matured later to win two of the biggest East Coast races of the summer in the Jim Dandy and the Travers.

He’s early in his stallion career, but I’ll Have Another is a very good start, and there are clear indications that his offspring will have strong stamina traits like he did. The Derby distance was clearly not an issue, and the Belmont should be within his capabilities if he gets there.

Running style

He won his maiden wire-to-wire, but he seems happier when settled just off the pace before making his move at the top of the stretch. That will likely be his approach in the Preakness, though he could be tested if Bodemeister decides to let it fly up front.

If I’ll Have Another is forced to chase him too soon it could be a problem. He moved to the front earlier than ideal in the Best Pal and ran out of gas late.

Prognosis

If all goes according to plans then the Preakness should be a two-horse race.

Personally I think that Bodemeister is the better horse, but this horse has proven that he is very legitimate and will be a factor as well.

He’ll be bet heavily — likely as the second choice — and deserves the attention. In my mind a win isn’t the most likely scenario, but it would be far from a shock. He’ll factor into the stretch drive for sure.

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Casual 2012 Preakness Stakes Preview: Sex, Drugs, and Black-Eyed Susans

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Kegasus is apparently Kenny Powers holding a funnel or a Shofar, can’t really tell.

Nonetheless the Preakness is at its heart a horse race, and though not sexy, it is sometimes an opportunity for you to get rich quick so you can purchase shares of Facebook. So let’s check out the field and see if we can make some cash, shall we?

Preakness preview and picks after The Jump:

The first rule of thumb for all Preakness wagering is that since historically, there isn’t much coin to be won on this race, you have to get creative. Four of the last ten Kentucky Derby winners have won the Preakness and of the other six, three finished second, one third, one flopped and one was the heroic Barbaro, RIP. Why should you listen to my advice on this race after I steered you into a financial abyss in the Derby? That’s your call, though out of the 6 horses I was able to narrow the Derby field down to, 4 finished in the top 7 and 5 in the top 10. SO WHAT IF I DIDN’T HAVE THE WINNER, DAMMIT.

Here’s the 2012 Preakness field:

1. Tiger Walk – 30/1
Cool name for an exhibit at the National Zoo or a philandering golfer’s stroll up a fairway at Augusta, but this is a damn TRIPLE CROWN RACE and this horse simply hasn’t shown me that much. Tiger finished 4th in the Wood Memorial, a result that wouldn’t be that bad had the winner of the Wood (Gemologist) not flopped in the Derby to finish 16th. Career best Beyer of 90 and making his first start at Pimlico.
Verdict: TOSS.

2. Teeth Of The Dog – 15/1
Another cool name and I suspect much like ‘I’ll Have Another’ did at the Derby will draw some money from the drunken dolts the occupy the Preakness infield. NO OFFENSE. This horse isn’t terrible, has improved speed figures in last three races and grabbed 3rd in the aforementioned Wood Memorial.
Verdict: Of the new shooters, he may have the best chance to grab a piece of the action at the bottom of exotics.

These bros will likely be wagering on Teeth of the Dog.

3. Pretension – 30/1
This horse is coming off a victory on Derby day, except it was in a race called the Canonero II in which there were five freaking horses and the pace was slow as dogshit. HOW DO I KNOW DOSGHSIT IS SLOW, YOU ASK?
Verdict: TOSS.

4. Zetterholm – 20/1
Sounding like the name of a Nazi officer, Zetterholm has won his last three races but only has a career best Beyer of 85 and I don’t think will like that he is being asked to take on the greater distance than he is used to. “Vy you askeeng me to run zis distince you asshole trainer? I vill run one mile and you vill like eet! Germany has declared war on the Jones boys.”
Verdict: TOSS.

5. Went The Day Well – 6/1
Lost in the great run by Bodemeister and great final kick by I’ll Have Another is WTDW’s run in the Derby, which earned him a 97 Beyer in the come from behind effort to grab 4th. Maryland native WTDW has now run consecutive 93+ Beyers and seems to be coming into form. With a smaller field at Pimlico and less muck to run through on his way to the top of the stretch, WTDW could do some damage here. Wouldn’t surprise me if Went The Day Well runs a big race here to pull the upset, and I’m hoping he’ll have better value than 6-1 at post time.
Verdict: Contender. Include in any trifecta or superfecta wagers.

6. Creative Cause – 6/1
CC went off as a 12-1 shot in the Derby and was one of my picks to possibly win the race, and though he ultimately finished 5th AND FAILED ME he ran a game race as he always does. Last five Beyers are 92, 92, 102, 95 and 97 and there’s no reason to think he won’t be in the mix coming down the stretch once again. And if he doesn’t I will be first in line to purchase Creative Cause Glue next year.
Verdict: Contender. Include in any trifecta or superfecta wagers.

The Preakness infield is a fun place for girls to hang out! via cache.deadspin.com

7. Bodemeister – 8/5
Yeah yeah yeah, we get it. He probably should have won the Derby if his idiot jockey hadn’t bolted him to the lead and not let off the gas the entire way around the track and SAPPING HIS WILL TO LIVE down the stretch. Bode set the fastest fractions in Derby history yet couldn’t hold on in the final few yards because he was simply out of gas. The good news for Bode here is twofold: First, this race is shorter! And second: this race is shorter! Breaking out of the 7 post, Bode will have no trouble at all dictating what race he wants to run, and being that this is a more manageable field distinctly lacking in any speed that will force him to gun it to the lead from the outset, I suspect Bode to be right there at the top of the stretch with plenty in reserve coming for home. This race might be a replay of the Arkansas Derby where Bode led the field at the top of the stretch and then kicked it into high gear to dominate by 9 lengths. Then again, he might have nothing left after the two monster races in Arkansas and Kentucky and coming off the quick two week layoff. In any case, expect to see Bob Baffert’s face and majestic white mane a lot on television tomorrow.
Verdict: Contender. Include at top of wagers.

8. Daddy Nose Best – 12/1
I was suckered into dropping money on this guy in the Derby after his relatively impressive run to win the Sunland Derby and reports that he had been practicing well at Churchill. Despite the 20 horse shitshow that is the 1st leg of the Triple Crown, DNB had a nice trip through the mess and was in a great position to make a move. Then alas, he never fired and finished 10th.
Verdict: Giving him one more chance because I am an idiot and will include in exotics.

9. I’ll Have Another – 5/2
Excellent post position for the Derby champ, who completely blew my battle-tested theory of ‘tossing the Santa Anita Derby champion from Kentucky Derby consideration’ out of the water. IHA will be gunning for the second leg of the crown from the 9 post, with Bode on his inside. This will again allow IHA to stalk the pace and make his move late, with the big question being whether it will be enough to catch Bode. My guess is no, but I also guessed that Nerlens Noel had a damn “G” shaved into the back of his head.
Verdict: Duh.

10. Optimizer – 30/1
No truth to the rumor that Optimizer will be starring in next summer’s blockbuster Transformers sequel as the horse who has no business running in these Triple Crown races and gets blown up with a laser by a Decepticon. Also no truth to the rumor that Optimizer is the horse that took Fab Melo’s exams for him at Syracuse. That horse was named Laurie Fine. Also no truth to the rumor in that last comment, because the last thing I need is a defamation suit thrown at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON, even though by contractual agreement I believe that would be SB Nation’s problem and not mine. Also, SB Nation apparently owns all of our Casual content and the rights to casualhoya.com. I will sign anything.
Verdict: TOSS.

11. Cozzetti – 30/1
Cozzetti was one of my favorite characters on ‘The Wire’, though I always thought he would return to his philandering ways once he was elected Mayor of Baltimore. It’s weird seeing him now in ‘Game of Thrones’. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s now two ‘philandering’ references in this opus, which is par for the course for any casual Preakness preview.
Verdict: TOSS.

OK, so where are we.

2. Teeth of the Dog
5. Went The Day Well
6. Creative Cause
7. Bodemeister
8. Daddy Nose Best
9. I’ll Have Another

6 horses! One too many for my liking to play around with in the Preakness, so I’m going to bounce the 8 horse Daddy Nose Best because I don’t think his closing style will play well at Pimlico and I’d rather take a chance on a pony with better value.

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Oakland Athletics vs San Francisco Giants in their Opener of a Three-Game Set

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The Oakland Athletics were essentially done in by free passes in their opener of a three-game set versus the San Francisco Giants. Oakland, which yielded five walks in the third inning alone Friday, will look to be in better control Saturday when it continues its series against its Bay Area rivals at AT&T Park. San Francisco posted an 8-6 win for its second straight victory and fifth in seven outings.

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While his team was extremely generous, Josh Donaldson certainly wasn’t in a giving mood. In fact, Donaldson handed out some punishment with a home run and five RBIs – and even made a sensational defensive stop on Brett Pill in the seventh inning. Despite his heroics, the Athletics fell for the third time in four games.

Athletics Giants Betting

When: 4:05 PM ET, Saturday, May 19, 2012
Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CS California (Oakland), CS Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Tyson Ross (2-3, 6.25 ERA) vs. Giants RH Ryan Vogelsong (1-2, 2.66)

After spending time as a reliever in previous seasons, Ross authored his best start of 2012 in his last trip to the mound. The 25-year-old scattered five hits over six shutout innings in a 5-0 triumph over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Ross allowed two runs in one inning of relief in his lone career outing versus the Giants.

Vogelsong permitted one earned run for the third straight outing, but his penchant for walking batters left him with only one victory in that span. He scattered three hits Monday, but five free passes ran up his pitch count and he did not receive a decision in San Francisco’s 3-2 win over Colorado. Vogelsong has faced the Athletics on two occasions, but received a pair of no-decisions after registering a 5.40 ERA and 1.80 WHIP.

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1. San Francisco’s Buster Posey was a spectator for Friday’s series opener, but is expected back in the lineup Saturday. Posey, who has three multi-hit games in his last four outings, has tripled in his lone career at-bat versus Ross.

2. Oakland outfielder Josh Reddick entered Friday’s tilt with a sizzling .366 batting average in interleague play. Reddick, who went 0-for-4 in the opener, has yet to face Vogelsong in his career.

3. Pitcher Brad Penny agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Giants. He will report to extended spring training Monday.

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Live Betting MLB – Colorado Rockies against Seattle Mariners

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The Colorado Rockies thought their left-handed star of the future may have come in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, but little did they know he might have already been in the organization. Christian Friedrich will make his third career start when the Rockies host the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. With Drew Pomeranz – acquired from Cleveland last season – in Triple-A Colorado Springs working on his mechanics, Friedrich has provided Colorado with two quality outings, a huge lift to a team which hasn’t received much from its rotation or its heavily used bullpen.

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Friedrich will face a Mariners’ team that hasn’t provided much run support for Jason Vargas with seven runs in his last four starts. Seattle, which won for only the second time in 14 road games with a 4-0 victory on Friday, hasn’t scored much at all for anyone with 23 runs during its 2-6 road trip.

Mariners Rockies Betting

When: 4:10 PM ET, Saturday, May 19, 2012
Where: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports (Seattle), ROOT Sports (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Jason Vargas (4-3, 3.28 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Christian Friedrich (1-0, 1.38)

Vargas allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings in a 6-1 loss at Boston in his last outing. He had allowed four runs in his three previous starts (1-1, no-decision). Vargas is 0-2 with an 18.00 ERA in two outings at Coors Field while with the Mets. The Rockies’ roster is hitting .241 against him, but Michael Cuddyer is 4-for-11.

Friedrich’s first two outings came at Petco Park in San Diego and AT&T Park in San Francisco – both pitcher-friendly venues with home teams lacking offensive punch. He has two walks and 17 strikeouts, including 10 on Monday in a no-decision against the Giants, and threw only 93 pitches in seven innings, 69 for strikes.

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1. Seattle second baseman Dustin Ackley went 0-for-4 on Friday to snap his 13-game hitting streak.

2. Mariners left-hander Lucas Luetge has a team-record 15 straight appearances to begin his major league career without allowing an earned run.

3. The Rockies entered Friday with a 5.67 ERA at home, the worst in the majors.

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MLB Baseball Prediction – Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers

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The Minnesota Twins are riding their first three-game winning streak of the season and are breaking out of a season-long offensive slump. The lowest-scoring team in the American League entering Friday, the Twins broke out for 11 runs for the second time in the last three games in an 11-3 triumph at the interleague rival Milwaukee Brewers. The last two days have also included rare strong starting pitching performances. The Brewers are streaking in the opposite direction, having dropped three straight and five of six.

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Ryan Braun is up to .317 and hit his 11th homer Friday but is getting little help from the rest of the Milwaukee offense. Rickie Weeks went 1-for-3 on Friday to raise his average to .159. The Twins got Justin Morneau back in the lineup Wednesday and immediately began to take off. The former MVP has driven in six runs in the past two games and has combined with Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham to form a strong middle of the order.

Twins Brewers Betting

When: 4:10 PM ET, Saturday, May 19, 2012
Where: Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Carl Pavano (2-3, 5.14 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Yovani Gallardo (2-4, 5.04)

Pavano has allowed four earned runs in three of his last four starts and has not made it through seven innings in any of his last five turns. The veteran right-hander has issued only six walks in 49 total innings but has surrendered 56 hits – seven home runs. Pavano is 2-4 with a 4.77 ERA in 14 career games – 12 starts – against Milwaukee. Ryan Braun is 5-for-14 with a pair of homers off Pavano.

Gallardo has taken the loss in three of his last four turns. He yielded only two runs on two hits last time out but walked six in six innings. The 26-year-old is 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA in four career starts against Minnesota but Mauer and Morneau are a combined 9-for-16 off Gallardo.

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1. Pavano had deep tissue work done on his right shoulder this week back in Minneapolis before rejoining the team Friday.

2. Twins outfielder Ryan Doumit (calf) was available Friday but did not get into the game.

3. Weeks was dropped to sixth in the batting order Friday. He had hit first, second or third in the first 36 games.

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May 19 MLB Odds – Atlanta Braves at Tampa Bay Rays

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So far in 2012, Atlanta has found plenty of success away from Turner Field. The Braves won their major-league leading 15th road game of the season in Friday’s series opener at Tampa Bay, handing the Rays only their fifth loss at home this season. The Atlanta Braves already have won twice at Dodger Stadium and swept defending World Series champion St. Louis in Busch Stadium. Tampa Bay has lost two in a row since winning four straight.

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Friday’s loss dropped the Rays two games behind Baltimore in the American League East. Injuries have ravaged Tampa Bay’s roster as nine Rays are currently on the disabled list. The Tampa Bay Rays start right-hander Alex Cobb, promoted to take the place of Jeff Niemann in the rotation. Niemann suffered a small fracture in his right leg in his last start against Toronto. The Braves lead the National League East by 1½ games and have won six of their past eight.

Braves Rays Betting

When: 4:10 PM ET, Saturday, May 19, 2012
Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Peachtree TV (Atlanta), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Atlanta RH Randall Delgado (2-3, 3.79 ERA) vs. Tampa Bay RH Alex Cobb (2011: 3-2, 3.42)

Delgado has pitched far better than his record indicates. The 22-year-old has allowed only three runs over 20 1/3 innings in his past three starts, but is 0-1 with two no-decisions thanks in large part to poor run support. Delgado has not won since beating the Mets on April 17. Cobb made nine starts for Tampa Bay last season, striking out 37 in 52 2/3 innings. He was 1-4 with a 4.14 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A Durham this season.

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1. Since losing their first four games this season – all on the road – the Braves are 25-11 overall and 15-4 on the road.

2. Cobb struck out eight in five shutout innings for Triple-A Durham in his last start.

3. Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman drove in two runs in Friday’s series opener, giving him 32 for the season.

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