Nats, Pirates open set in the Steel City

Baseball Betting Lines

09/03/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ageless right-hander Livan Hernandez can reach double- digit wins for the 11th time in his big-league career tonight when the soon- to-be-shorthanded Washington Nationals visit the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first of three games at PNC Park.

Hernandez, a 35-year-old Cuban native, picked up the ninth win of a resurgent 2010 season on Aug. 28 against St. Louis, when he allowed eight hits and five runs in 6 1/3 innings of Washington's 14-5 defeat of the Cardinals.

He reached 10 wins for the first time as a 23-year-old Florida Marlin in 1998, then reached 10 or more for nine consecutive seasons between 2000 and 2008.

The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder skidded to nine wins while making 31 starts with the Nationals and New York Mets last season and carrying a plus-5.00 earned run average across 183 2/3 innings.

He is 5-4 in 15 lifetime starts against the Pirates, including a 4-2 win on June 10 in Washington, where he surrendered five hits and two runs in six innings.

The Nationals expect to get a decision today on outfielder Nyjer Morgan, who faces suspension after charging the mound during Wednesday's game against Florida. Morgan had already appealed a seven-game penalty incurred when he threw a ball into the stands in Philadelphia in August.

For Pittsburgh, Texas-born lefty Zach Duke can make it two straight victories in a season where he's lost twice as much as he's won. The 27-year-old beat the Mets, 2-1, in an Aug. 22 start at PNC Park, allowing five hits and one run in seven innings.

He's started once since and picked up a no-decision in the Pirates' 8-7 loss at Milwaukee on Aug. 28.

Duke, who is 1-2 in five starts against Washington, was on the losing side of the June 10 matchup with Hernandez after being touched for eight hits and three runs in five innings.

He's won just four of 16 decisions since starting the season with two straight wins and the Pirates are 8-15 in the 22 games he's pitched.

On Wednesday in Chicago, Kosuke Fukudome finished 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and an RBI as the Cubs set aside Pittsburgh, 5-3, in the finale of a three-game set from Wrigley Field.

Neal Walker had three hits including a solo homer while Andrew McCutchen drove in two runs for the Pirates, who have lost five of six.

James McDonald (2-5) took the loss after yielding eight hits and three runs, fanning six and walking two over five full frames.

In Miami, Wes Helms drove in five runs and Florida blew out the Nationals, 16-10, in a game marred by the aforementioned sixth-inning fracas.

Ian Desmond ended with three hits and two RBI for Washington.

Nationals starter Scott Olsen (3-8) allowed eight hits and nine runs in 1 2/3 innings and lost his sixth straight start.

Washington swept a three-game set from the Pirates back in June.

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Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.

The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.

Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.

MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)

Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)

Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00.

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