Soto's homer in eighth lifts Cubs past Astros

Baseball Betting Lines

09/06/2010 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geovany Soto's two-out homer in the eighth proved to be the difference, as the Chicago Cubs opened a three-game series against the Houston Astros with a 5-4 victory at Wrigley Field.

Soto launched his 17th home run of the season and the 10th go-ahead shot of his career, as the Cubs improved to 9-4 under interim manager Mike Quade. Marlon Byrd added a two-run shot, while Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt each drove in a run in the win.

Casey Coleman allowed four runs, eight hits and five walks in a six-inning start, and Andrew Cashner (2-5) earned the win for a scoreless eighth inning. Carlos Marmol notched his 28th save with a perfect ninth.

Chris Johnson homered for the Astros, who came into this series with 11 wins in their last 14 games. Michael Bourn added two hits and two walks, while Jeff Keppinger and Hunter Pence each drove in a run.

Wandy Rodriguez wasn't involved in the decision after yielding four runs and eight hits while walking one and fanning six in seven innings. Wilton Lopez (5-2) gave up Soto's homer to take the loss.

After Cashner retired the Astros in order to keep the game tied heading to the bottom of the eighth, Soto launched a pitch out of the stadium and onto the streets of Chicago beyond left-center for a 5-4 Cubs lead.

Marmol closed out the game by retiring Bourn, Keppinger and Pence in order.

Houston jumped on top early with a four-run second inning.

Johnson began the inning with his seventh homer, and Matt Downs drew a one-out walk. Jason Castro followed with a base hit that left runners on second and third after Alfonso Soriano's error in left.

Rodriguez flied out, but Downs scored and Castro went to third on a wild pitch. Bourn walked to put runners on the corners, and Keppinger and Pence followed with back-to-back RBI singles to put the Astros ahead, 4-0.

The Cubs answered with three runs in the third and one in the fifth to tie the game.

Darwin Barney started the third with a single and moved to second when Rodriguez uncorked a wild pitch with two outs. DeWitt plated Barney with an infield single, and Byrd launched a two-run homer to left for a 4-3 contest.

Another base hit from Barney began the fifth, and two batters later, Baker's RBI double tied the game.

Game Notes

The Astros still lead the season series, 8-5...The Cubs recorded nine hits, the first time they had under 10 in eight games...Chicago has won four of five overall.

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March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets

With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship.  Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92.  After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points.  Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1.  Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years.  With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed.  UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern.  Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier.  OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak.  Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four.  It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta.  But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.

Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props.  Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000.  Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.

MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:

EAST National Championship Region
Arkansas 300-1 50-1
Belmont 1000-1
Boston College 100-1 40-1
Eastern KY 1000-1
George Washington 75-1
Georgetown 10-1 3-2
Marquette 100-1 40-1
Michigan State 100-1 25-1
New Mexico St. 500-1 200-1
UNC 6-1 6-5
Oral Roberts  500-1
Texas 15-1 5-1
Texas Tech 200-1 5-1
USC 75-1 20-1
Vanderbilt 100-1 30-1
Washington State 40-1 15-1
WEST
Duke 50-1 10-1
Florida A&M 1000-1
Gonzaga 200-1  40-1
Holy Cross 300-1
Illinois 300-1 60-1
Indiana 75-1 40-1
Kansas 5-1 13-10
Kentucky 100-1 40-1
Niagara 1000-1
Pittsburgh 40-1 8-1
Southern Ill. 50-1 12-1
UCLA 10-1 3-2
VCU 500-1 100-1
Villanova 100-1 40-1
VA Tech 50-1 15-1
Weber St 1000-1
Wright St 1000-1 300-1
MIDWEST
Arizona 50-1 30-1
Butler 40-1 30-1
Davidson 300-1
Florida 4-1 4-5
Georgia Tech 75-1 25-1
Jackson State 1000-1
Maryland 30-1 6-1
Miami-OH 300-1
Notre Dame 100-1 20-1
ODU 500-1 100-1
Oregon 40-1 6-1
Purdue 300-1 60-1
Texas A&M CC 1000-1
UNLV 100-1 30-1
Winthrop 500-1 100-1
Wisconsin 15-1 7-2
SOUTH
Albany 200-1
BYU 200-1 40-1
Central CT St. 1000-1
Creighton 100-1 35-1
Long Beach St. 500-1 200-1
Louisville 40-1 10-1
Memphis 30-1 4-1
Nevada 75-1 35-1
North Texas 500-1
Ohio State 7-1 6-5
Penn 500-1
Stanford 200-1 50-1
Tennessee 100-1 20-1
Texas A&M 12-1 11-5
Virginia 75-1 18-1
Xavier 100-1 40-1

Field                                              100-1

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