Astros southpaw Happ takes hill vs. LA

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09/10/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.A. Happ can add to Los Angeles' misery this evening when the Astros continue their four-game set against the free-falling Dodgers at Minute Maid Park.

Happ, who was 12-4 as a rookie for Philadelphia last season, won his third straight start on Sunday in Arizona, as he held the Diamondbacks to a pair of runs and six hits in seven innings, upping his mark on the year to 6-2, while lowering his earned run average to 2.86.

"When I am pounding the strike zone and not walking guys things usually go a lot better for me," said Happ, who was acquired by the Astros as part of the Roy Oswalt deal. "It keeps my pitch count down and lets me have a lot bit more in the tank for when a tough situation comes up. It's definitely nice to get through seven innings."

This will be Happ's first-ever start against the Dodgers, whose struggles continued in the opener of this set on Thursday when Chris Johnson's three-run homer in the sixth inning carried Houston to a 3-2 win.

The Dodgers had jumped out in front on a two-run home run from Andre Ethier in the first inning, but eventually fell for the sixth straight time.

Bud Norris (7-8), who had been winless in his previous three starts, gave up two runs -- one earned -- on three hits over six innings to pick up the win for the Astros, who have won three in a row and five of six.

"The rest of my game was awful," said Johnson, who went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts. "I put Bud [Norris] in a hole in the first inning by making an error, and then [Andre] Ethier hit a homer. Bud pitched well except for that one pitch. I was glad I could do something to help us out after that."

Ted Lilly (8-10) went six frames in the start, giving up three runs on seven hits.

"I didn't get the job done when the game was on the line," Lilly said. "Pitching out of jams is part of what you do. You're not going to win too many games if you can't pitch out of jams."

Heading to the hill for the Dodgers tonight will be righty Hiroki Kuroda, who is 10-12 on the year with a 3.39 ERA. Kuroda absorbed the loss on Sunday against San Francisco, as he allowed three runs and six hits in eight innings.

He beat the Astros the last time he faced them and is 2-0 in four starts versus in this series with a 2.55 ERA.

The Dodgers swept a two-game series from the Astros back in May.

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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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