Musik News » Albies struck him in the hamstring, slipped

Two teams hoping to make this year's postseason field will square off in Phoenix on Friday when the Arizona Diamondbacks (71-56) host the Seattle Mariners (72-56) as solid home favorites at sportsbooks.Despite having one more win http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-jonny-venters-jersey , the Mariners find themselves 5.5 games behind the World Series champion Houston Astros in the American League West, while the Diamondbacks lead the National League West by 1.5 games over the Colorado Rockies thanks in part to a three-game winning streak. MLB betting line: The Diamondbacks opened as -157 favorites (wager $157 to win $100); the total is at 8.5 runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 4.0-2.4, Diamondbacks (MLB picks on every game)Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.Why the Mariners can pay on the MLB linesSeattle simply cannot afford to lose any series the rest of the regular season in order to make the playoffs as one of the two AL Wild Card teams. The Mariners trail the Oakland Athletics by 4.5 games for the second and final wild-card berth, and they will send 28-year-old Nicaraguan Erasmo Ramirez (0-2, 5.49 ERA) to the hill in hopes of winning the series opener.While his numbers do not look good overall on paper, Ramirez has pitched well in his last two starts and allowed just one run and seven hits in 10 innings, with Seattle winning both games against the Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers. Why the Diamondbacks can pay on the MLB linesArizona will have a definitive edge in the pitching matchup with Zack Godley (13-6, 4.44 ERA) toeing the rubber at home. The 28-year-old has performed much better at Chase Field than he has on the road, going 6-2 there with a 3.33 ERA.In the previous three seasons, Godley was a better pitcher away from home, so he seems to have turned things around. He has been outstanding in his last two home starts too, giving up a total of two runs and seven hits in 14.1 innings versus the Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers. Both resulted in team wins Matt Moore Jersey , although he walked away with one no-decision.Smart betting pickThe Diamondbacks have gone 8-5 in their last 13 interleague games, according to the OddsShark MLB Database, after winning their last three against AL West opponents. Meanwhile, the Mariners have struggled in interleague play this season, losing nine of their past 12 versus NL foes. That is a clear advantage for Arizona in this spot. MLB betting trendsSeattle is 2-4 in its last six games.Seattle is 1-5 in its last six games when playing Arizona.Arizona is 4-1 in its last five games at home.All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app. LOS ANGELES (AP) — With Sandy Koufax sitting in the front row, Clayton Kershaw pitched the best postseason game of his career, motivated partly by being passed over as the Dodgers‘ Game 1 starter.He responded with a postseason career-high eight innings of two-hit ball in his team’s second straight playoff shutout, and Manny Machado slugged a two-run homer as Los Angeles beat the Atlanta Braves 3-0 on Friday night for a 2-0 lead in their NL Division Series.“I think that it was one of the best outings that I’ve seen,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He was in complete control.”The Dodgers used a nearly identical formula to win 6-0 in Game 1 behind Hyun-Jin Ryu, who allowed only four two-out singles over seven innings, and home runs by Joc Pederson, Max Muncy and Enrique Hernandez.Kershaw was even better. The left-hander struck out three and walked none in the longest scoreless playoff outing for a Dodgers pitcher since Jose Lima tossed a complete-game shutout in Game 3 of the 2004 NLDS against St. Louis.“Maybe a tick, for sure,” Kershaw said of earning some extra satisfaction. “But Ryu threw so unbelievable last night that you just want to match him. That’s all I was trying to do.”Ryu and Kershaw became the second pair of Dodgers starters to have consecutive postseason games with seven-plus scoreless innings. Jerry Reuss and Burt Hooton did it in 1981 http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-alex-avila-jersey , against Houston and Montreal.The Dodgers joined the 1921 New York Yankees as the only teams to open a postseason series with back-to-back shutouts, according to STATS. They recorded their first consecutive shutouts since Games 2 and 3 of the 2016 NL Championship Series against the Cubs.Los Angeles can sweep the best-of-five series in Game 3 on Sunday in Atlanta, where the Baby Braves will be looking to score for the first time this postseason.“I see the frustration those guys have against this guy,” Braves starter Anibal Sanchez said of his teammates facing Kershaw.Kershaw got bypassed as the Game 1 starter in favor of Ryu after the three-time Cy Young Award winner had started eight of the Dodgers’ past 10 postseason openers. Roberts said it was done to give both Ryu and Kershaw five days of rest between starts.“This guy is a potential Hall of Fame player,” Roberts said. “So to have the noise around him, but when it comes to his day to start and to help his club win a game, I had no concern that anything was going to affect him.”One more victory would put Los Angeles in the NLCS for the third straight year. The Dodgers beat the Cubs last season and lost to them in 2016.Kershaw ran out to the mound as though he was going to pitch the ninth, bringing cheers from the sellout crowd of 54,452. But when Roberts went out to pull his ace after 85 pitches, fans booed.Roberts deked to force the hand of Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, who ended up wasting Tyler Flowers before sending up Lucas Duda as the pinch-hitter.“I felt that that was a way that you can use their two best hitters off the bench and get our guy in there,” Roberts said.Kershaw was fine with it, too.“The plan all along was if they burned their bench, which is what we wanted to do and Flowers came out, that Kenley had the ninth http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-darwin-barney-jersey ,” he said. Kenley Jansen gave up a one-out single to Ronald Acuna Jr. before earning the save. Machado hit a two-run shot on a 3-0 pitch from Sanchez with two outs in the first. Joc Pederson doubled leading off. Yasmani Grandal homered on an 0-2 pitch from Sanchez leading off the fifth to make it 3-0. Acuna doubled to deep left-center on Kershaw’s first pitch. He became the first Braves runner to reach third base in the series when Johan Camargo grounded out to Kershaw.After Acuna’s double, Kershaw retired 14 consecutive batters until Ender Inciarte reached on an infield single with two outs in the fifth. Ex-Dodger Charlie Culberson grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop, with Inciarte out at second.“He has a feel for everything and when his curveball’s on, it’s going to be a good night for him,” Culberson said. “He’s one of the best, and he showed it.”Kershaw was sharp on defense, too.He chased around to grab a ball hit by Camargo and fired to first in time for the initial out of the fourth.One inning later, Kershaw did a 180-degree spin after a comebacker by Ozzie Albies struck him in the hamstring, slipped on the grass and made the throw to first for the second out of the fifth. A trainer briefly came out to check on Kershaw, who threw one warmup pitch to prove he was fine.“It just got me in a good spot, kind of in the belly of the leg right there,” Kershaw said, “so maybe a little sore tomorrow, but I should be good.”The Dodgers backed Kershaw with a double play to end the sixth after he plunked pinch-hitter Lane Adams leading off and Acuna Jr. grounded into a fielder’s choice.“A lot of great plays all the way around,” Kershaw said.The Braves’ offense was anemic again.Other than Acuna’s double and his single in the ninth Bartolo Colon Jersey , they were limited to a two-out single by Inciarte in the fifth. Freddie Freeman was hitless with a strikeout in four at-bats. Nick Markakis went 0 for 3 with a strikeout, and Albies was 0 for 3.“You can’t blame any one person,” Snitker said. “I mean, it’s just our whole lineup is having a hard time.”KERSH’S KIDSKershaw juggled daughter Cali and son Charley on his lap in the postgame interview room. With a pacifier in his mouth, Charley bopped the microphone with his hand a couple of times and Cali smiled at the crowd of reporters and cameras.“Y’all are supposed to be in bed,” Kershaw said, clearly pleased to have his hands full.UP NEXTWith their season on the line, the NL East champion Braves are likely to start RHP Kevin Gausman on Sunday. He came over from Baltimore before the July 31 trade deadline in a six-player deal and was 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 10 starts for Atlanta.The Dodgers are going with rookie RHP Walker Buehler, who was 8-5 with a 2.62 ERA this season. Buehler last pitched on Monday, allowing one hit in 6 2/3 innings and striking out three in the NL West tiebreaker victory over the Rockies.