Zambrano returns to rotation in finale with Bucs

Baseball Betting Lines

06/02/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs hope to get a needed spark from Carlos Zambrano when the fiery pitcher returns to a starting role for tonight's finale of a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates from PNC Park.

Zambrano, a three-time National League All-Star who's averaged better than 14 wins over the past seven seasons, was shifted to the bullpen in late April after going 1-2 with a subpar 7.45 earned run average in four starts. The excitable Venezuelan has pitched significantly better as a reliever lately, having not allowed a run in any of his last five appearances, which prompted manager Lou Piniella to insert him back in the rotation in place of the struggling Tom Gorzelanny.

The accomplished right-hander is 11-8 with a 4.16 ERA in 29 lifetime games (25 starts) against Pittsburgh, but was dealt a loss by the Pirates in relief back on May 14 after giving up a go-ahead three-run homer to Garrett Jones in the eighth inning.

Piniella hopes the switch can help his club solve its continued recent struggles against Pittsburgh. The Pirates have won seven of the eight matchups between the NL Central foes this season, including the first two tests of this three-game set, and are 9-1 in their last 10 encounters with the Cubs. Chicago has lost all five of its games played in the Steel City so far this year as well.

Pittsburgh's mastery of the Cubs continued with last night's 3-2 decision, in which the Bucs went in front on Neil Walker's two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning.

With the Pirates trailing 2-1, Andrew McCutchen drew a one-out walk off Cubs starter Ted Lilly and Walker followed by clubbing an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left for his first major league home run.

"I thought [Lilly] was about to get pulled," Walker said. "I didn't think he was going to face me. Fortunately I had three terrible at-bats against him, so I think that's one of the reasons he stayed in the game. I wanted to be aggressive there, I got a pitch over the plate and I was able to drive it."

Jones also homered in the win and finished 2-for-4 for Pittsburgh, which had lost five in a row prior to rallying for a 2-1 decision in Monday's opener of this series. Octavio Dotel worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 12th save of the season.

The Cubs suffered their third straight defeat and now have dropped five of their last seven tilts to fall to a disappointing 24-29 on the season.

"It's frustrating on everyone," said outfielder Xavier Nady, who went 4-for-4 and accounted for all of Chicago's scoring with a two-run homer in the third inning. "You plan on getting big hits and getting things going. But offensively, we're not doing it, there's no way around it.

Lilly (1-5) worked 7 2/3 innings and surrendered all three runs on six hits, while striking out six and walking four.

While the Pirates have enjoyed great success against the Cubs as of late, that trend hasn't carried over to Zach Duke's starts in this series. The left- hander has lost eight consecutive decisions to Chicago and is winless in his last 13 starts versus the Cubs, having last topped the club back on May 2, 2006.

Duke will also be seeking to bounce back from an awful performance his last time out, when the 2009 All-Star was rocked for seven runs and 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings in a loss at Atlanta last Friday. He had been very sharp in his previous two outings, yielding just two runs -- one earned -- over a combined 13 frames in a May 18 win at Philadelphia and a no-decision against the Braves five days later.

The 27-year-old, who's 4-8 with a 3.67 ERA in 17 career starts against Chicago, has compiled a 3-5 mark with a 5.09 ERA in 11 games this season.

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Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

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Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

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