Aurilia, Lincecum help Giants defeat Cubs

Baseball Betting Lines

07/03/2008 - San Francisco, CA (Baseball Betting) - Rich Aurilia drilled a three-run homer to lift the San Francisco Giants to an 8-3 win and a split of a four-game series with the Chicago Cubs.

Aaron Rowand went 2-for-4 with two runs scored while Jose Castillo went 2- for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Giants, who have won four of six overall.

Tim Lincecum (10-1) continued his stellar season and won his sixth straight decision, giving up three runs on seven hits in six innings of work. His last and only loss of the season occurred on April 29 against Colorado, a span of 13 starts.

Mark DeRosa drove in a pair of runs while Sean Gallagher (3-4) lost his third straight decision, giving up four runs -- three earned -- on four hits in five innings of work for the Cubs, who have dropped six of their last eight games.

"The last three series, beginning with Baltimore, we have not pitched very well at all," said Chicago manager Lou Piniella. "We've given up some runs. Maybe it was a result of Zambrano's absence. We'll see."

The Cubs got on the board in the first inning as Reed Johnson led off with a double and later came home on a Derrek Lee single.

However, the Giants answered with four runs in the second. Rowand led off with a single and moved to second on John Bowker's groundout. Castillo followed with a double to plate Rowand and later came home as Lincecum helped his cause with an RBI single. Fred Lewis then hit a triple to the gap in left-center to score Lincecum. Ray Durham then reached base on an error by Geovany Soto and Lewis came home for a 4-1 lead.

Chicago was able to get men on base over the next three innings, but were unable to bring any home.

However, the Cubs made it a one-run game in the sixth. Lee led off with a double and later moved to third on Jim Edmonds' single. After Soto struck out, DeRosa punched a double to left-center to bring home both runners and make it a 4-3 contest.

San Francisco, though, solidified its lead in the seventh as Aurilia delivered a pinch-hit, three-run home run for a 7-3 advantage.

The Giants tacked on another run in the eighth on an RBI single from Omar Vizquel for an 8-3 advantage.

Sergio Romo retired the Cubs in order in the eighth inning while Osiris Matos repeated the feat in the ninth to finish the game.

Game Notes

The Giants host Los Angeles for three games starting on Friday...The Cubs play a three-game set in St. Louis starting on Friday...It was the third pinch-hit home run of Aurilia's career and his first since June 12, 2003 against the White Sox...Gallagher is 0-4 in his last eight road starts...Attendance was 40,511.

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American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6  

The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.

Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com.  "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.

It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis.  It's like Week 1 of the NFL.  Pre-season means nada!

We do know the 24 finalists however.

Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24.  He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway.  He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien. 

Brandon Rogers - Who?

Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition.  He should go a good distance.

Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was.  And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition.  He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice!  People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way. 

"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks.  He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes.  But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.

A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”

Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes. 

"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate.  "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past.  He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far.  Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."

Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts) 

And the others:

Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter

The girls

"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis.  "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has.  The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive.  I think she will go far."

Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.

"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams.  Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth.  "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.

Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.

Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.

Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan

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Last two contestants will be?

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