The betting world could have never predicted what happened in the opening game of this series between the Astros and the Phillies. Ryan Howard was ejected in the 14th inning of a 16 inning game for throwing his bat, and that meant that former Astros pitcher and now Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt had to play left field. It would be a sequence of events that would cost the Phillies the game, and Philadelphia hopes that Ryan Howard can keep his cool the rest of this series.
In Houston, they are already thinking about NFL betting and NCAA football betting. The Houston Texans of the NFL look like they may challenge for a playoff spot this year and the town is buzzing. Ever since the Astros fell out of the playoff chase and then gave up Oswalt to the Phillies, Houston has not been buzzing too much about the Astros.
It is too bad because the Astros have won six of their last 10 which includes a winning streak that was continued with that long first game of this series. But at 15 and a half games back in the standings, the Astros look to have no chance at the NL Central pennant or the NL Wild Card berth.
Ryan Howard’s temper did not help the Phillies at all. Losing the first game of this series kept the Phillies two and half games away from the NL East leading Atlanta Braves. To top it off, the Braves lost that night which means the Phillies lost a chance to gain one game on them. The loss by the Phillies, coupled with a win by the San Francisco Giants, now puts the Giants and Phillies tied for the NL Wild Card berth. The Phillies have a lot to play for in this series.
When the season started, MLB betting experts had the Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals meeting in the NLCS. If that is going to happen, the Phillies need to get back to winning and the Cardinals need to stop losing to teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In this game the Phillies are sending Kyle Kendrick to the mound. Kendrick has an 8-6 record and a 4.58 ERA. He has been spectacular at times, and at other times he looks lost on the mound. This season, Kendrick has nine starts where he has allowed five or more earned runs. The Phillies could use a good Kendrick effort in this game.
The Astros will be sending Wandy Rodriguez to the mound for this game. It has been a tough year for Rodriguez as he has pitched well but holds a 9-12 record and a 4.00 ERA. The defense behind him and the run support when he has been on the mound have both been lacking this season. As an example, in his last start he had 10 strikeouts, only allowed two runs and still lost to the Marlins.
The Astros scored four runs in their 16 inning epic win to start this series. If they can continue to do that, then they have a chance at beating the Phillies, The Phillies need to work at keeping the wheels on the track. Howard’s ejection and Oswalt’s terrible pitching since joining the Phillies are contributing to Philadelphia’s drop in the standings.
Pick: Philadelphia Phillies 4-2
