HOME TEAM IN CAPS
All games are listed pitchers unless stated otherwise.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o
></o>Tampa Bay +1.14 over ST. LOUIS
Adam Wainright has proven to be about as reliable a starter as any in the league. He continues to go out there every fifth day and give the Redbirds quality start after quality start. His 3-2 record is one of the more misleading in the game, as he has pitched well enough to have six or seven wins already. The problem is the bullpen of the Cards, which puts every lead in jeopardy. Jason Isringhausen is on the DL, as of yesterday and so is a slew of other Cardinal relievers leaving a bad pen even worse. Now they’ll face the hottest team in the league that has won eight of nine and that will send a great looking youngster to the mound. Matt Garza threw seven scoreless innings in Monday’s 7-1 win over the New York Yankees. He improved to 2-1 with a 2.19 ERA in four starts since spending more than two weeks on the disabled list with radial nerve irritation in his pitching arm. The Rays bullpen has been solid and their offense continues to strive. This is a dangerous squad, whose hot start is no aberration. Play: Tampa Bay +1.14 (Risking 2 units).
<o
></o>PHILADELPHIA +1.05 over Toronto
The big problem with the Jays is an anemic offense that’s been in neutral since the season started. If you want to get more frustrated then ever all you need to do is wager on the Jays and watch it. Second and third with nobody out you can count on the Jays to produce zero or one run. Man on third one out you can count on the hitter to hit a comebacker, a pop up to the shortstop or to strike out. Anyway, the point is, the Jays just don’t score enough and in a park like this that makes them very vulnerable to easily get outscored. In their current 10-game trip the Jays have scored just 21 times through the first eight contests. They have not scored more then six runs in a single game in over a month. The pitching match-up perhaps favors the Jays, but the Blue Jays lack of offense more then makes up for the slight edge that A.J. Burnett might have over Adam Eaton. Wrong side favored. Play: Philadelphia +1.05 (Risking 2 units).
<o
></o>Minnesota +1.13 over COLORADO
How bad have the Rockies been? Well, here’s a team with the fewest wins in the league that was forced to call up a pitcher with a minor league ERA of 4.85 in 33 innings pitched. Greg Reynolds made his major-league debut at San Diego with the hopes that park would give him some confidence. Instead, Reynolds was hit hard in San Diego, allowing four runs in 5.2 innings. Now he’ll go from the best pitchers park in the majors to the one of the worst and with the Rockies in the midst of a six-game losing streak, things don’t look to get better.
------------------------------------
Darling Jimenez/Yuriorkis Gamboa under 9½ –1.05
Sat. Night HBO. TSN reply at midnight. <o
></o><o
></o>This contest is part of the “Night of the Rising Stars” triple-header from Primm, Nevada (near Vegas). Gamboa is a 9-1 favorite but we are getting tremendous value if we play the ‘total’ in this one, which although a shade under even money, looks about as strong a play as we could ever hope to find. <o
></o><o
></o>Gamboa is a former Olympic Gold Medallist with an extensive amateur background. The 26 yr. old Cuban, now living in Miami, is 9-0 with 8 KO’s and the future looks very bright indeed for the man nicknamed “El Cicon de Guantanamo”, which I believe translates into “Cyclone” in English. He is very strong, fast, exciting, crowd-pleasing and likes to knock his opponents out ASAP! Johnnie Edwards could not make it out of the very first round in his last on ESPN2 and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same result tonight. This youngster resembles a young Mike Tyson (when Tyson was still Tyson!) and he also likes to wear the ‘Reyes’ gloves; which is another angle that works in our favor. There is already talk of a fight against Pacquiao and that gives you an idea of how highly thought of this boxer is. I have seen him fight and he definitely looks like the ‘real deal’!<o
></o><o
></o>His opponent is a 28 yr. old from the Dominican Republic, now living in New York, who is 23-2-2 with 14 KO’s. He looked good early on in his career but when he stepped up in competition, he lost to Miguel Angel Huerta and Fernando Trejo as both were too strong for him. He has rattled off six wins in a row against soft competition and in his latest he got rid of Anchondo via 3<SUP>rd</SUP> round knockout (which got readers of this site to the cashier at a nice price!); sending the 26 yr. old one-time prospect into an early retirement. Anchondo was already proven to not have his heart in the fight game so Jimenez’s win should be taken with a grain of salt. No doubt he has some skills but he will be going up against a juggernaut in Gamboa.<o
></o><o
></o>Perhaps the line has been set at 9.5 rounds because this is a ‘step-up’ fight for Gamboa and Jimenez has never been stopped. That and 15 cents will get us a cup of coffee in a greasy spoon…actually, it’ll cost more today as inflation hits everything. This fight may be a step up for Gamboa but it will be like climbing Mount Everest for Jimenez. Jose Rojas is already scheduled to be Gamboa’s next opponent in Vegas in just over a month’s time…so that should tell us something and at least provide a clue as to how long his people think this fight will last!<o
></o><o
></o>This contest looks to need some sort of cataclysmic event to occur for it to last over 9½ rounds. It is doubtful that we will ever get an opportunity such as this with this fighter so we might as well take advantage now and step in. I believe Gamboa will be a world champion in the very near future.<o
></o><o
></o>I don’t like recommending anything that’s under even money but this one is a rare exception and I believe the value on it is phenomenal…plus it’s in Nevada where if a fighter looks hurt or is taking too many shots, the referee will not hesitate to jump in to stop the fight! Conservatively speaking, this fight should not make it to round 6, let alone past the middle of the 10<SUP>th</SUP>. Actually, I would not be at all surprised if it doesn’t make it out of the first round. When you see these two in the ring, one will look like a heavyweight going up against a flyweight.We’ll see you at the cashier’s cage. Play: Yuriorkis Gamboa/Darling Jimenez Under 9½ –1.05 (Risking 3.15 units to win 3).
