Suddenly surging Astros sweep catatonic Cards

Baseball Betting Lines

09/01/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer as part of a four-run fifth inning, as the Houston Astros completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 5-2 win at Minute Maid Park.

Michael Bourn added a single, RBI and run scored for Houston, which has won nine of its last 11. Carlos Lee chipped in with a sacrifice fly.

Nelson Figueroa (4-2) took the win after throwing five innings. The veteran yielded two runs on six hits, walked three and struck out one. Brandon Lyon worked a perfect ninth inning to record his 11th save of the season.

Matt Holliday accounted for the offense with a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who have dropped five straight and went 2-8 on their 10-game road trip. St. Louis fell 7 1/2 games behind Cincinnati for the top spot in NL Central. The Reds host Milwaukee later Wednesday.

Jeff Suppan (1-7), fresh off the 15-day disabled list from a groin injury, was making his first start since defeating Pittsburgh on July 31. In this one, the right-hander allowed four runs on three hits walked four and fanned a batter in five frames.

St. Louis opened the scoring in the first as Skip Schumaker led off the game with a double, but was erased on Aaron Miles' fielder's choice. Two batters later Holliday clubbed a two-run shot to left.

The Cards left the sacks full in the third, before Houston responded with four in the fifth to go in front for good. With runners on first and third and one out, Bourn's deep sac fly to center got the Astros on the board. After Jeff Keppinger walked, Pence's three-run homer just inside the left-field foul pole made it 4-2.

Lee's sac fly in the seventh brought in Bourn to give the hosts a three-run cushion.

Four Astros relievers combined to work three scoreless innings and Lyon threw a perfect ninth to polish off the win.

Game Notes

Houston has now won 10 of 15 meetings with the Cardinals this season...Suppan fell to 3-9 in 20 career meetings -- 17 starts -- against Houston...Figueroa improved to 3-1 in 13 career games -- five starts -- versus St. Louis...Bourn extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

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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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