Astros swarm Padres; bees delay game

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07/02/2009 - San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wandy Rodriguez threw seven strong innings to help the Houston Astros take a 7-2 win over the San Diego Padres in an unusual finale of a four-game set.

Rodriguez (7-6) gave up just one run on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts for the Astros, who have won six of their last eight. Geoff Blum hit a three-run home run and drove in four while Lance Berkman scored three times and drove in one in the win.

Scott Hairston and Everth Cabrera each drove a run while Kevin Correia (5-6) was tagged for all six runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts over five innings of action for the Padres, who have dropped six of the last nine games.

What made this game stand out was a delay in the top of the ninth due to a swarm of bees.

With Miguel Tejada at the plate with two outs in the frame, Padres left fielder Kyle Blanks began walking toward the infield as the bees became thick in the air.

The rest of the players soon left the field as the game went into a delay until a beekeeper arrived at the park.

The swarm eventually centered around a ballgirl's jacket on a chair near the stands and fans were evacuated from several sections near the swarm.

When the beekeeper arrived, he sprayed down the jacket and, after a 52-minute delay, the game resumed.

Houston jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Michael Bourn led off with a single and Berkman later drew a walk. A single from Carlos Lee loaded the bases and Blum followed with an RBI single. Hunter Pence then grounded into a fielder's choice that saw Berkman score.

In the third, the Astros made it a 3-0 game as a single from Lee scored Berkman, who had doubled prior to Lee's at-bat.

San Diego had a golden opportunity to score in the third as the team had the bases loaded with no outs. However, Adrian Gonzalez hit into a fielder's choice that saw Correia forced out at home and Kevin Kouzmanoff then hit into a double play.

Houston padded its lead in the fifth as Tejada led off with a single, Berkman later walked and Blum smacked a 2-1 pitch into the left field stands for a 6-0 advantage.

The Padres finally got on the board in the fifth as Cabrera hit a two-out single and Hairston followed with a double to center to score Cabrera.

San Diego had men on first and third with no outs in the eighth, but Kouzmanoff struck out and Blanks hit into a double play to end the inning.

The game then went into a delay due to the bees, but when it resumed Berkman hit an RBI double to left that scored Bourn for a 7-1 lead.

Cabrera hit into a fielder's choice to plate Edgar Gonzalez in the bottom of the ninth.

Game Notes

The Padres welcome the Dodgers to San Diego for a three-game set starting on Friday...Houston begins a three-game series in San Francisco on Friday...The Astros took six of seven against the Padres in the season series...San Diego went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine men on base.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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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.

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