Soriano's two-run homer lifts Cubs over Brewers

Baseball Betting Lines

04/11/2009 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning and the Chicago Cubs held on to edge the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-5, in the second of a three-game series at Miller Park.

Soriano finished 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Kosuke Fukudome had a solo homer, double and two RBI for the Cubs, who dropped a 6-5 decision in the series opener. Aramis Ramirez added a solo shot in the win.

Carlos Zambrano started and pitched to a no-decision for the Cubs. The big right-hander allowed three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and three walks over six innings. Aaron Heilman (1-0) earned the win after going 1 2/3 innings without giving up a run and striking out three. Carlos Marmol notched his first save of the year.

Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer and J.J. Hardy knocked in a pair for Milwaukee, which lost three of four to start the season.

Dave Bush started and went 6 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Carlos Villanueva (1-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs on as many hits in the ninth inning.

With the game deadlocked at 3-3 after 6 1/2 innings, Milwaukee put two on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Angel Guzman started the inning for the Cubs and retired the first batter before issuing back-to-back walks to Corey Hart and Ryan Braun. Neal Cotts replaced Guzman and the lefty promptly issued a free pass to Fielder before being lifted for Heilman.

Hardy then stepped in and laced a two RBI single up the middle, putting the Brewers in front 5-3. Mike Cameron followed by striking out and in the process, Fielder got tagged out while trying to advance to third when the ball got away from Cubs catcher Koyie Hill.

Ramirez's solo homer to left in the eighth got the Cubs to within a run. Then in the ninth pinch hitter Reed Johnson reached on a one-out single and Soriano jumped on a first-pitch changeup from Joey Gathright and hammered it over the left-field wall to put the Cubs in front 6-5.

In the bottom of the ninth, Marmol came on and gave up a one-out base hit to Hart, but recovered to strikeout Braun and Fielder to end the game.

Fielder gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead in the third when the burly slugger belted a 1-2 fastball over the right-field fence, scoring Hart, who singled.

Fukudome's solo blast in the top of the fourth got the Cubs to within a run, but Milwaukee regained a two-run lead in the home half when Rickie Weeks' RBI single brought home Bill Hall.

The Cubs made it a 3-2 game in the top of the sixth when Fukudome hit a double down the right-field line that plated Soriano, who led off the frame with a two-base hit.

Chicago knotted things in the top of the seventh on Soriano's run-scoring fielders' choice.

Game Notes

Chicago won nine of its 16 meetings with the Brewers last season, including five of the seven matchups held in Milwaukee.

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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.