Angels hoping to rebound in second test with Jays

Baseball Betting Lines

08/14/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are grasping for straws at this point in the season, as they are quickly falling out of the race in the American League West.

The Angels, who are currently 8 1/2 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers, will try to bounce back in the win column this evening in the second matchup of a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays at Angel Stadium.

Trying to keep the Angels close with Texas will be Ervin Santana, who has won three of his last four starts. The last time Santana was on the hill, he led Anaheim to a solid win over Kansas City on Monday.

In that victory, the hard-throwing right-hander allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings. Santana scattered six hits in the game, but walked one batter and struck out three.

Earlier this season Santana defeated the Blue Jays, with the veteran hurler going the distance and allowing three runs on four hits, three of which were home runs. Despite his problems with the long ball, Santana still struck out 10 batters in the win.

Santana is 4-3 with a 4.61 earned run average in eight lifetime starts against Toronto.

As for the Blue Jays, they will turn to Brett Cecil, who snapped a three-game winless streak with a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay in his last start on August 6. The southpaw tossed seven strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Cecil also walked two in the contest, but struck out nine batters as well.

Earlier this season the Maryland native made his first career start against the Angels, and in that meeting with the AL West squad, the former Terrapin held the Anaheim scoreless through 7 1/3 innings. Cecil surrendered just two hits in the game and finished with three punchouts.

In last night's opener, Marc Rzepczynski was nearly unhittable over seven innings as the Blue Jays blanked the Angels, 3-0.

Summoned from Triple-A Las Vegas to make Friday's start, Rzepczynski (1-1) scattered two hits to record his first win since beating these same Angels on August 21 of last season. The left-hander collected six strikeouts and did not issue a walk, but did hit consecutive batters in the third inning. He lowered his earned run average from 7.15 to 4.42.

Rzepczynski started in place of Brandon Morrow, who had his turn in the rotation skipped to give him extra rest after his last outing. Morrow set career highs with 17 strikeouts and 137 pitches Sunday, when he came within one out of a no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay.

The Angels' Scott Kazmir (8-10) absorbed the loss after he allowed two runs on four hits and three walks in six innings. Los Angeles had a three-game win streak snapped.

Anaheim has taken five of seven matchups with Toronto this season and won twice against the Blue Jays in a three-game series at home from May 24-26.

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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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