Dodgers banking on big second half from Penny

Baseball Betting Lines

07/21/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brad Penny nearly reprised his role as the National League's starting pitcher in the All-Star Game for a second consecutive season. The Los Angeles Dodgers are now hoping that their burly ace doesn't repeat his subpar second-half performance of 2006.

Although Penny was nudged out by San Diego's Jake Peavy for the NL's starting nod of this year's Midsummer Classic, he certainly made a strong case for the honor. He entered the break with a 10-1 record and 2.39 earned run average in 18 starts, while surrendering a mere three home runs over 116 2/3 innings of work.

Penny posted similar numbers (10-2, 2.91) en route to earning last year's starting assignment in Pittsburgh. That appearance turned out to be the high point of the 28-year-old's season, as he slumped to a 6-7 record with an uncharacteristic 5.25 ERA following the break.

The hard-throwing right-hander appears determined not to duplicate that disappointing performance this time around, and if Penny's initial start of the 2007 second half is any indication, he won't be. He threw seven dominating innings against a potent Philadelphia Phillies lineup on Monday, yielding only a run on four hits while striking out eight batters in the Dodgers' 10-3 victory.

Penny showed no ill effects from a recent blister problem that cut short his final first-half start. He was able to throw 104 pitches on the evening, 70 of which found the strike zone.

"Great plays were made that kept me out of trouble, he said afterward. "I threw strikes. I felt better as the game went on."

The Dodgers are going to need Penny to maintain his level of excellence with the club's once-formidable rotation currently in a state of flux. Derek Lowe has been struggling badly in recent weeks, Jason Schmidt is out for the season and Randy Wolf is temporarily on the shelf with a sore shoulder.

Factor in an expected lack of available starting pitching at the trade deadline, and it looks like Los Angeles will be relying heavily on Penny to keep pace with the Padres and Diamondbacks in the competitive NL West.

DYNAMIC DUO

Lately the Dodgers have received tremendous production out of right field, where youngsters Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have been splitting time at the position.

Ethier, the left-handed member of the platoon, is batting .522 (12-for-23) with two home runs and 10 RBI over the last eight games. Kemp is presently riding a six-game hitting streak in which the 22-year-old has gone 11-for-21 (.524) with a pair of homers, two triples and seven RBI.

The biggest challenge for manager Grady Little has finding enough time for the budding sluggers in a crowded outfield that also includes clutch veteran Luis Gonzalez and speedster Juan Pierre.

"We've got guys battling for playing time, but you have to know what's expected of you and what your role is," Ethier recently told the team's official site. We have four outfielders swinging the bat well, and we know what's expected. There's no wondering why one guy plays and one guy's on the bench. We each have each other's backs."

IN WITH THE OLD

Los Angeles added an arm to its bullpen prior to Wednesday's series finale with the Phillies, as grizzled vet Roberto Hernandez was recalled from Triple- A Las Vegas to serve as the 12th pitcher.

The 42-year-old, who has 326 career saves to his credit, began the season with Cleveland but was released by the Indians last month after compiling a lackluster 6.23 ERA in 28 appearances. The Dodgers signed Hernandez to a minor-league deal shortly afterward.

While it's possible the right-hander could make a solid contribution to the relief corps, Hernandez's addition more than likely signals the Dodgers' willingness to trade for bullpen help prior to the July 31 deadline. Kansas City's Octavio Dotel has been mentioned as a possible target to serve as a bridge to All-Star closer Takashi Saito.

Los Angeles could use a fresh arm in the 'pen, though, as its starting pitchers have averaged just five innings over the first seven games following the All-Star break. Rubber-armed relievers Jonathan Broxton and Joe Beimel have appeared in five of those contests.

INJURY REPORT

Wolf will have a 20-pitch bullpen session on Friday, the lefty's first time throwing off a mound since he was placed on the DL on July 4, and is expected to make a rehab start for the Dodgers' Class A affiliate, the Inland Empire 66ers, sometime next week. Barring any setbacks, he should be ready to rejoin the rotation in early August.

Right-hander Chad Billingsley labored through a career-high 113 pitches in five innings of Wednesday's 5-4 win over Philadelphia and aggravated a blister on his finger that could put his next scheduled start in jeopardy. The talented young hurler is tentatively slated to take the mound when the Dodgers open a three-game series in Houston on Monday.

WHO'S HOT

The entire Dodger offense. Los Angeles has racked up 58 runs over its last eight games and compiled 13 hits or more in all but two of those contests. The surge has vaulted the club to the top of the National League in batting average (.278) and third in on-base percentage (.345).

Individually, catcher Russell Martin has gone 9-for-24 (.375) with a .500 on- base percentage in seven games following his first career All-Star appearance. Shortstop Rafael Furcal is batting .364 (12-for-13) with six runs scored since the break.

WHO'S NOT

Lowe was rocked for nine runs and 10 hits before being removed after three innings of Thursday's 13-9 loss to the New York Mets. He hasn't won in five starts since defeating Tampa Bay on June 22, having recorded three defeats and two no decisions over that span.

ON DECK

A four-game series with the NL East-leading Mets resumes Friday at Dodger Stadium, with Brett Tomko (2-7, 5.88) getting the call for Los Angeles opposite Oliver Perez (8-6, 3.13). Penny (11-1, 2.33) will face off against Jorge Sosa (7-4, 3.84) on Saturday, with Mark Hendrickson (4-5, 4.54) slated to start Sunday's finale for the Dodgers. Veteran Orlando Hernandez (6-4, 2.96) will pitch for New York.

Sportsboo Baseball Betting News

<< Fisher returns to Lakers
El Segundo, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Derek Fisher, who was released from his contract with the Utah Jazz in early July so that he could seek the proper medical care for his 11-month-old daughter fighting eye cancer, signed with the Los

<< British Open Second Round News & Notes
Carnoustie, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It has been quite a golfing week for Spain. On Monday, Seve Ballesteros, a three-time champion, and Spain's greatest golfer in history, announced his retirement from competitive golf. He had be

<< Moya upended in quarters of Dutch Open
Amersfoort, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Third-seeded Carlos Moya was upset in three sets by Werner Eschauer in quarterfinals action at the Dutch Open on Friday. Eschauer, an Austrian, survived a first-set tiebreaker loss, and

<< Yashin headed to Russian Super League
Yaroslavl, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former New York Islander Alexei Yashin agreed to a contract to play next season with Locomotiv Yaroslavl of the Russian Super League on Friday. Yashin, who had the last four seasons of his 10-

<< Thumbs down: Twins' Cuddyer placed on DL
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Minnesota Twins right fielder Michael Cuddyer was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday due to a sprained right thumb. Cuddyer suffered the injury when sliding into second base during Tuesd

Dynamo look to add to shutout record at Revs >>
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of first place teams will take the field Sunday night at Gillette Stadium as the Houston Dynamo battle the New England Revolution. The defending Major League Soccer champion Dynamo lead the West

Red Bulls to be without Angel versus United >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York enters the second game of a five-game homestand Sunday when it hosts D.C. United in a Major League Soccer fixture. It will be the second meeting between the Eastern Conferenc

Conference USA - Title game rematch? >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two years ago, Conference USA won just 11% (two of 19) of its games vs. BCS schools, but finished 12-9 ATS. Last season was an improved campaign with a 19% winning percentage against BCS teams with five win

TFC aiming to end road trip on winning note at Crew >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto FC concludes its six-game road trip on Sunday with a visit to Crew Stadium to take on the Columbus Crew. The Canadian side is 1-1-3 on its current trip, including a 0-0 draw last time out against the

Colorado hopes for Rapid improvement in K.C. >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Wizards won for the first time in seven games last week, and will try to continue their winning ways on Sunday when the club hosts the struggling Colorado Rapids at Arrowhead Stadium

FOOTBALL BETTING

Sportsbook Betting

After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.