Betting Odds - Graffiti - Podcast

(Friday, August 17th)

Final Score: Atlanta 13, Buffalo 10

Orchard Park, NY - Rookie tight end George Cooper caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Chris Redman late in the fourth quarter to give the Atlanta Falcons a 13-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills in preseason action at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Joey Harrington started at quarterback for Atlanta in place of Michael Vick and completed 4-of-7 passes for 31 yards with an interception in limited action.

As the Falcons look to distance themselves further from the Vick situation, the drama surrounding the case continued Friday. Vick’s two remaining co- defendants pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy dogfighting charges Friday, leaving the signal caller as the lone co-defendant still maintaining his innocence. Whether Vick continues that stance, with the possibility of all three co-defendants testifying against him in court, or accepts a plea deal and likely jail time, remains to be seen.

Redman ended 11-of-21 for 90 yards with an interception while third-string quarterback D.J. Shockley left the game in the fourth quarter with a left leg injury.

J.P. Losman played into the second quarter for Buffalo and went 7-of-13 for 78 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Rookie Trent Edwards replaced Losman and was effective, throwing for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Rookie Marshawn Lynch, who is expected to get the bulk of the carries this season for Buffalo, rushed for 16 yards on five attempts.

After a scoreless opening quarter, the Bills struck first as Rian Lindell booted a 48-yard field goal for the game’s first points with 11:30 left in the second stanza.

Billy Cundiff’s 32-yard field goal with 5:31 to play until halftime tied the game at 3-3, and the Falcons moved in front about three minutes later as Cundiff drilled a 46-yarder.

The Bills grabbed a 10-6 lead early in the third quarter as Edwards completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Roscoe Parrish.

With just 2:44 remaining in the contest, Redman found Cooper in the end zone to put the Falcons in front.

Hi GUYS, this is Professional Handicapper Tommy Mac talking to you today from my office here in beautiful San Jose Costa Rica..overlooking the panoramic view Sabana Sur Park..and thanks for your interest in my VIP Late Steam Phone Service..our VIP Coaches Club or my on-line Guaranteed Crush Shots for the 2007-08 Football season.

Needless to say guys, we are very excited about this football season, and we are releasing right now a new offer never released before by Crush Shot Sports in the 14 years I’ve been in business doing this night and day, for the last 14 years now..365 days a year…

I have something to offer you..that we KNOW no one else in the industry can offer you…

In this 9min Betting Odds - Graffiti - Podcast, these are just a few of the highlights covered

- NO MATTER what level of player you are, we have a way that you can get on board with our information and CRUSH your bookie this football season..

- My ONLINE guaranteed crush shots for only $15

- VIP Late Steam Hotline Service

- VIP Coaches Club and what you will get not available to the public

- How the TSI TSI flys on the wall down here 5 of the biggest sportsbooks report to my staff here daily here..

- Behind the Counter Moves in Vegas and Front Row Plays here in Costa Rica

- How we consistently get the BIG money..and avoid the losing streaks

- How and why this is a limited offer and we will be shutting it down again shortly

Tommy Mac

 Standard Podcasts [9:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download | Hits (351)

By Sniper, Contributing Editor to Bonusbabe.com

Although it’s the top tournament players that get the media exposure and become household names that all the young players want to emulate it’s the cash games where the real players can be found.

While it may be viewed as a challenge to take on and beat the best players in the world in most other sports, in poker cash game play to make money is the most important thing. You could be the tenth best player in the world, but if you only ever play on a table with the top 9 players you will be a loser.

Even though many people have side jobs to help support their bankroll, making sure you have enough money for the game at hand is crucial.

The general rule that most good players follow when playing a cash game is that you need at least 10 chances to win an all-in on a cash table, meaning that you must have a bankroll that can handle at least 10 buy-ins before even thinking about sitting down to play. Most of the time, I keep a bankroll that gives me at least 30 buy-ins, to ensure that I never go bust.

Omaha Hi Lo Strategy

Smart Omaha Hi/Lo players find this poker game to be one of the most beatable, for a steady low variance earn rate. The reason for this is because Omaha Hi/Lo strategy is so difficult, due to the complexities involved in calculating odds, that very few players can learn to master this game.

No Limit Hold’em Strategy

If you can’t stand playing sitting back and waiting forever for a decent hand, then No Limit Hold’em is your poker game. The structure of No Limit Hold’em allows you to play a wider selection of hands, because it doesn’t cost much to enter a pot, in comparison to how much you can win. Still, you have to be careful after the flop, because you can lose your entire stack in one hand.

Razz Strategy

Razz is like played out like Stud Hi/Lo, without the high. The goal is to get the lowest possible five card hand, with A2345 being the nuts. Suits don’t have any effect, and pairing cards hurts you, because you at least need five unique cards for a hand. Razz becomes a game of psychological warfare that revolves around figuring out what your opponents hidden cards are.

Heads Up Poker Strategy

Playing one on one will take most of the variables out of the game and let the better player shine in the long run. A strong understanding of your opponent, mixing up your playing style, and utilizing various poker tactics are key to playing successful heads up poker. You should focus heavily on game selection and going after weaker opponents when choosing a heads up cash game.

San Jose Costa Rica - Betting Odds - Graffiti Wall has been officially moved to it’s new home domain at: www.betting77.com

Here we will be able to better serve our Graffiti Wall Odds readers and expand the site into NEW directions that will greatly enhance your betting information and abilities.

BETTING ODDS - GRAFFITI - PODCAST will remain here at this URL strictly for our week to week podcasts.

Thanking you the daily readers for your continued support

President CEO

Tommy Mac

RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) — Kansas City running back Priest Holmes has a message for holdout Pro Bowler Larry Johnson: If you don’t want the job, I’ll take it.

Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowler himself, has been out of football since 2005 after suffering what many figured was a career-ending injury.

He created a stir in July with his surprise return to the Chiefs, and said this week his comeback attempt is going well as he works himself back into game shape.

Tuesday, he was on the practice field in pads, taking handoffs and absorbing hits from assistant coaches using blocking pads.

Afterward, Holmes said he’s ready to fill the 27-year-old Johnson’s shoes — at least financially.

“Somebody has to get the money,” he said. “Hey, if L.J. wants to leave the money out there, guess I’m going to take it. If he wants to come get it, it’s rightfully his to take. He’s earned it. But if he chooses not to come back, well, somebody has to take it. Why won’t it be me?”

Johnson has been a no-show at camp as he seeks an extension to the seven-year deal he inked in 2003, which he can void down to a five-year deal after the final game of the 2007 season because of playing time incentives.

Johnson is demanding compensation in the range of $28 million guaranteed, insisting he be paid as much as San Diego Pro Bowler LaDainian Tomlinson. Johnson is scheduled to earn $1.7 million this season, and Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson has said Johnson would be fined more than $14,000 for every day he misses.

One of the NFL’s greatest runners until his injury, Holmes rushed for a team-record 5,933 yards after signing as an unrestricted free agent in 2001. He scored 27 touchdowns in 2003 to set what was then an NFL record.

The 33-year-old running back had been on the physically unable-to-perform list since a devastating tackle by San Diego’s Shawne Merriman on Oct. 30, 2005, left him with head and neck trauma. After extensive tests, doctors warned of a possibility of further injury, perhaps even paralysis — a danger that may still lurk.

“This is about perseverance and having a great story to tell,” Holmes said. “I think that all the valuable years I’ve put into my tank, there’s a lot in me still.”

Some NFL observers were dubious about Holmes’ motives for returning, especially in light of Johnson’s holdout.

“‘Dubious’ is a great word,” Holmes said. “But dedication is a little bit more defined in concrete. I mean, we have what’s called ‘making it rain.’ We have the dog fighting. We have so many things that have cast a negative light on the NFL. This is just a great story to show guys that regardless of what situation you’re in, you can persevere.”

Holmes, who received a clean bill of health from Kansas City’s doctors before reporting to camp, last played a full season in 2003. He played in eight games before missing the remainder of 2004 with a hip injury, then played in seven games in 2005 before the helmet-to-helmet hit from Merriman.

Holmes said seeing highlights of himself this summer during a football camp made him start thinking about returning to the Chiefs.

“Once I saw myself, the first thing I looked at it was as if I was a fan,” he said. “I said, ‘Man, I did that? Oh, that’s a nice run. Oh, I love that touchdown move right there. I got to do that again.”‘

He continues to go through individual workouts on a side practice field.

“I haven’t had any setbacks so far,” Holmes said. “The biggest thing with football is taking all the contact and then continuing to run.”

Chiefs offensive lineman Brian Waters, an eight-year veteran and a good friend of Holmes, said players are keeping an eye on the running back’s progress.

“We know just by watching him run, he’s still got a lot of his abilities,” Waters said. “His quickness is strong. It’s going to be a mental thing, for sure, but we’ll see. I’ve seen him come back from serious injuries before and have a great season, so nothing would surprise me coming from that man.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have announced that Chris Simms is to be listed as inactive for the game against the New England Patriots on Friday.

Commentary: The story coming out of the St. Petersburg Times has Simms still suffering after-effects from his splendectomy surgery undergone in September. Simms has problems with his proprioception, described in part by Wikipedia as “the sense that indicates whether the body is moving with required effort, as well as where the various parts of the body are located in relation to each other.” So, sort of a drawback for an NFL quarterback. The Times is also convinced that Simms will soon be out of Tampa Bay completely.

Fantasy Football Impact: Simms, bad. Jeff Garcia, good.

Unfortunately, fans in New England will have to wait a bit longer to see Randy Moss‘ first game with the Patriots. Because of a hamstring injury that has hampered Moss throughout training camp, the 10th-year man is likely out for the Pats’ preseason opener in Tampa Bay this Friday.

Commentary: Over the last decade the 30-year-old Moss, whom New England acquired from Oakland for a fourth-round pick during April’s draft, has hauled in 676 receptions for 10,700 yards and 101 touchdowns, and he’s expected to be quarterback Tom Brady’s first-ever bona fide No. 1 target. In the past, the Canton-bound Brady has turned several wideouts into much better players than they really were, but he may not have to do that with Moss, who’s also probably on his way to the Hall of Fame.

Fantasy Football Impact: Fantasy owners should definitely keep an eye on Moss’ status throughout the preseason. He’s been somewhat injury-prone during his career and is coming off a weak season with the Raiders (42 catches, three touchdowns in 13 games). Despite Moss’ career credentials, using anything higher than a third-rounder on him could prove to be an error in a New England offense that loves to spread the ball around to several targets.

San Jose Costa Rica - As of this afternoon - Betting Odds - Graffiti Wall has been officially moved to it’s new home domain at: www.betting77.com

Here we will be able to better serve our Graffiti Wall Odds readers and expand the site into directions that will greatly enhance your betting information and abilities.

BETTING ODDS - GRAFFITI - PODCAST will remain here at this URL strictly for our week to week podcasts.

Thanking you the daily readers for your continued support

President CEO

Tommy Mac

Chicago, IL - Tom Glavine made good in his second run at history on Sunday, notching his 300th career victory in the Mets’ 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs at historic Wrigley Field.

Glavine (10-6) was charged with two runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout over 6 1/3 innings, becoming just the 23rd pitcher in major league history to reach the illustrious plateau. He was given a standing ovation by the capacity crowd as he walked off the field to end the sixth, and again when he departed for the final time in the seventh.

Glavine also reached the coveted mark five nights after the bullpen flushed his bid for a hard-earned victory against Milwaukee at Miller Park. The Brewers rallied against the New York bullpen on Tuesday after Glavine had left the contest with his team holding the lead.

Glavine’s wife Christine and the couple’s four children were in attendance at Wrigley, sitting just a few rows off the field near the Mets’ dugout. Along for the trip were his parents, brothers, sisters, and other family and friends, who piled onto the field and embraced Glavine when the game ended.

“Now that its over there’s that sense of relief,” said Glavine. “There’s a sense of accomplishment, and I think for the most part the emotion I have is relief. I think at some point in time, I don’t know when, the historic side of it will sink in.”

Carlos Delgado doubled twice and knocked in four runs and Luis Castillo had four hits and scored two runs for the NL East-leading Mets, who have won four of their last five games. Castillo, however, left the game in the eighth inning suffering from heat exhaustion.

Jason Marquis (8-7) was saddled with the loss after giving up five runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings for Chicago, which has dropped three of four and sits a game behind Milwaukee in the Central.

The contest also marked the return of Cubs right-hander Kerry Wood, who was activated from the 60-day disabled list on Friday and made his first appearance of the season in tossing a scoreless seventh.

Wood’s return may have been good news for the Cubs, but the bigger concern for the club was the loss of All-Star outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who suffered a right quad strain running the bases in the third inning.

It was Glavine who helped his own cause in the second, lining a base hit up the middle that gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. The two-out rally started with a walk to Lastings Milledge, who stole second before Glavine slapped a 1-0 pitch back up the middle, where it was fielded and dropped by Cubs centerfielder Angel Pagan.

Chicago tried to answer with a two-out rally in the third, as Soriano poked a base hit to left. Ryan Theriot followed with a ground ball to center, and attempting to reach third, Soriano pulled up lame halfway to the bag. He was tagged out by Mets third baseman David Wright and had to be assisted off the field by the team trainer.

New York added two more in the fifth to give Glavine some breathing room. Castillo ripped a leadoff single, then raced to second on Wright’s fly ball to the warning track in center. Delgado’s double into the right-field corner plated Castillo, and following a wild pitch by Marquis, Shawn Green lofted a fly ball over Mark DeRosa’s head in right to give New York a 3-0 lead.

The hit parade continued in the sixth, as Milledge opened the frame by lacing a double down the line in left. Glavine grounded out, moving Milledge to third before he scored on a single by Jose Reyes.

Scott Eyre came in to replace Marquis and allowed a hit to Castillo before intentionally walking Wright. A ground out by Delgado then scored Reyes to make it 5-0.

The Cubs cut it to 5-1 in the sixth on an RBI double by Aramis Ramirez, then chased Glavine for good in the seventh after Pagan belted a one-out double to left. Guillermo Mota came on and allowed a single to Jason Kendall before Pedro Feliciano yielded two more runs on an RBI ground out by pinch-hitter Jacque Jones and a run-scoring double by Mike Fontenot.

New York put the game away in the eighth against Will Ohman, as Delgado doubled home a run for the second time and Paul Lo Duca chipped in with an RBI single.

Reyes tripled and scored on a sac fly by Delgado in the ninth, and Billy Wagner recorded the final three outs to start the celebration for Glavine.

With Glavine’s quest for No. 300 now in the books, a milestone weekend for Major League Baseball also came to a close. On Saturday afternoon New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez belted his 500th career home run. San Francisco’s Barry Bonds then tied one of the most coveted records in sports Saturday night, belting his 755th career homer, equaling the all-time mark set by Hank Aaron.

“You try not to get ahead of yourself, not to talk too much about today before you get here,” Glavine added. “That was a delicate balancing act tonight. You try not to get too far ahead of yourself regardless of what the score is. With two outs and Billy on the mound, I guess I felt pretty good about this thing finally being over.”

“I’ve been in this spot so many times. Ultimately, you just trust the work you put in and the preparation you put in.”

Game Notes

Glavine, who won his first game with the Atlanta Braves on August 22, 1987, is just the fifth left-hander in the majors to win 300 games…Wood is expected to be used primarily out of the bullpen for Chicago…The Mets have won five of seven this season from the Cubs and are 12-7 in the series since the since the start of the 2005 campaign…The game was delayed in the bottom of the eighth when home plate umpire Marty Foster was hit with a foul ball and briefly lost vision in his left eye…Attendance was 41,599.

(Sunday, August 5th)

Final Score: New York 8, Kansas City 5

Bronx, NY - Hideki Matsui and Melky Cabrera each homered and drove in two runs, leading the New York Yankees to an 8-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals and a sweep of the three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Alex Rodriguez, a day after finally reaching the 500-homer club, went 0-for-4 with a sacrifice fly as the designated hitter. Bobby Abreu chipped in three hits with a pair of runs batted in for New York, which hadn’t swept a series since taking three straight against Arizona from June 12-14. Mike Mussina (7-7) pitched into the seventh to win his third straight start. He gave up two runs on nine hits with no walks and three strikeouts over six- plus innings. Mariano Rivera got the last four outs for his 17th save. Gil Meche (7-9) lost his third straight start. The Kansas City righty was roughed up for six runs on six hits and five walks with two strikeouts in just four-plus innings. Joey Gathright went 4-for-4 with an RBI single, while Ross Gload added two hits with a two-run homer in defeat. The Royals have lost five of their last six.

Final Score: Toronto 4, Texas 1

Toronto, ON - Dustin McGowan pitched into the ninth inning and Matt Stairs hit two RBI doubles as the Toronto Blue Jays topped the Texas Rangers, 4-1, to sweep a three-game series at Rogers Centre. McGowan (8-5) scattered eight hits over eight-plus innings, allowing only one run while striking out six and walking one. Stairs went 3-for-3 against his former team, and Jeremy Accardo put out the fire in the ninth for his 20th save of the season for the Blue Jays, who had dropped four of six entering the series. Brandon McCarthy (5-8) took the hard-luck loss, giving Texas six strong innings, allowing six hits and two runs while fanning four. Frank Catalanotto led off the game with a homer to account for the only run for the Rangers, who have dropped four straight.

Final Score: Chicago 3, Detroit 1

Detroit, MI - Gavin Floyd hurled six-plus shutout innings as Chicago finished its first three-game sweep of the season by besting Detroit, 3-1. Floyd (1-1) scattered seven hits and did not walk a batter, while striking out six to record his first victory as a member of the White Sox. Four relievers combined to finish things. Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth to record his 32nd save. Josh Fields, Jerry Owens and Darin Erstad each drove in a run for the White Sox, who have won four straight games. Magglio Ordonez homered to account for the struggling Tigers only offense. Detroit has now lost five straight and 11 of their last 13 but remained just one-half game behind Cleveland after the Indians were whitewashed by the Minnesota Twins, 1-0. Jordan Tata (1-1) followed up his successful major league debut with a less impressive affair. Tata allowed only two runs over seven innings against Oakland in his first big league start but managed to last only five innings against the ChiSox, surrendering three runs on five hits while walking four and fanning just two.

Final Score: Baltimore 11, Tampa Bay 3

St. Petersburg, FL - Miguel Tejada, Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora all homered as Baltimore routed Tampa Bay, 11-3, in the finale of a three-game set at Tropicana Field. Corey Patterson finished 3-for-5 with three runs batted in for the Orioles, who took two of three in the set. Jay Gibbons was 4-of-5 with a run scored. Baltimore’s ace, Erik Bedard (12-4), allowed three runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings of work and won his eighth straight decision. The crafty left-hander did not walk a batter and fanned 11. Chad Bradford and Danys Baez finished things with a combined 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Carl Crawford was 4-for-5 with a homer for the Devil Rays, who have lost three of their last five games. B.J. Upton also homered for Tampa Bay. Andrew Sonnanstine (1-7) was rocked for seven runs on eight hits in just 3 2/3 innings of work en route to the loss.

Final Score: Minnesota 1, Cleveland 0

Minneapolis, MN - Scott Baker dominated for eight innings and combined with Joe Nathan on a five-hit shutout, as Minnesota edged Cleveland, 1-0, in the third of a four-game set at the Metrodome. Baker (6-4) allowed only four hits to outduel Fausto Carmona. Baker fanned four and walked a pair for the Twins, who won their second in a row and their sixth in eight games. Alexi Casilla’s RBI double accounted for the lone run of the game. Carmona (13-6) yielded only five hits and a run, with five walks and five strikeouts for the reeling Indians, who have dropped two in a row and nine of their last 13 games. Thanks to the poor play of the Indians and Tigers of late, the Twins have closed to within 4 1/2 games of the first-place Indians, who own a half-game lead over the Tigers in the American League Central.

Final Score: LA Angels of Anaheim 4, Oakland 3

Oakland, CA - Casey Kotchman went 3-for-4 with a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim defeated the Oakland Athletics, 4-3, in the finale of a four-game series at McAfee Coliseum. Garret Anderson finished with two hits — including a triple — and three RBI, and Orlando Cabrera had a pair of hits and two runs scored for the Angels, who earned a split in the series, snapping a brief two-game losing skid. John Lackey (14-6) worked 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits while striking out five and walking a pair. Francisco Rodriguez walked a pair in the ninth, but earned his 27th save of the season. Dan Johnson hit a two-run homer, his 11th of the season, and Jack Cust had two hits and scored twice for Oakland, which had a two-game winning streak halted. Kiko Calero (1-5) took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits, while walking one in 2/3 of an inning. Starter Dan Haren allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings pitched. He struck out six and walked three. Final Score: Boston 9, Seattle 2

Seattle, WA - Manny Ramirez homered and knocked in a pair of runs and Josh Beckett pitched into the seventh inning for his 14th win of the season, as the Boston Red Sox crushed the Seattle Mariners, 9-2, in the finale of a three-game set at Safeco Field. Beckett (14-5), who had lost back-to- back starts for the first time this season coming in, gave up just one run on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts and two walks for the Red Sox, who have won four of five. J.D. Drew added an RBI triple for Boston, while David Ortiz walked three times, scored twice and stole his second base of the season. Jose Guillen collected three hits for the Mariners, who have dropped two straight after winning six of seven. Miguel Batista (11-8) was saddled with the loss after yielding three runs — two earned — on five hits through six innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked five. Final Score: Atlanta 6, Colorado 5 (10 innings)

Atlanta, GA - Yunel Escobar hit a game-winning single in the 10th inning, as the Atlanta Braves edged the Colorado Rockies, 6-5, in the finale of a three-game series at Turner Field. The scoring went silent from the seventh inning on, until Atlanta mounted an attack in the bottom of the 10th. Jeff Francoeur started the rally with a one- out double off Taylor Buchholz (5-4), and Matt Diaz was intentionally walked to set up the double play. Escobar stepped in next and slapped a base hit to left on an 0-2 count to plate Francoeur and end the game. Escobar finished with two RBI while Chipper Jones fell a triple shy of the cycle for the Braves, who won the last two games to claim the series. Chuck James got the start and allowed four runs over five innings of work. The bullpen allowed just one run the rest of the way, with Oscar Villarreal (2-1) working the 10th for the win. Aaron Cook opposed James and allowed five runs — three earned — on 10 hits over 5 1/3 frames for Colorado, which has dropped three of five. Ryan Spilborghs homered twice and Todd Helton knocked in a pair in defeat.

Final Score: Florida 6, Houston 5

Miami, FL - Cody Ross went 2-for-2 with a double and two runs batted in as the Florida Marlins held on to defeat the Houston Astros, 6-5, in the finale of a three-game series at Dolphin Stadium. Ross came in to replace Miguel Cabrera, who left the game in the third inning after getting hit with a pitch on the left elbow. Alfredo Amezaga finished with two runs batted in and Hanley Ramirez hit his 19th homer of the season and scored two runs for the Marlins, who took two of three in the series. Florida has won two straight and three of its last five. Scott Olsen (9-9) had a solid outing in earning the win, giving up three runs on six hits, while fanning eight over 7 1/3 innings pitched. He also walked a batter. Carlos Lee had an RBI double and a three-run homer for the Astros, who have lost two in a row and five of their last seven. Houston starter Matt Albers (2-5) struggled through 4 1/3 innings of work, allowing five runs on five hits. The right-hander struck out a career-high six and walked three.

Final Score: Washington 6, St. Louis 3

Washington, DC - Dmitri Young hit a two-run double in the eighth, as the Washington Nationals put up three in the inning to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-3, in the finale of a three-game series at RFK Stadium. Young ended with three RBI and Nook Logan scored and drove in a run for the Nationals, who went a perfect 6-0 on their homestand by sweeping both the Cardinals and the Reds. Matt Chico yielded three runs on six hits over five innings of work. The bullpen shut down the St. Louis offense from there, with Ray King (1-0) recording the win and Chad Cordero tossing a perfect ninth for his 23rd save of the year. Adam Wainwright pitched seven decent innings — allowing three runs on eight hits — and also hit his second career home run for St. Louis, which has dropped five in a row. Final Score: Philadelphia 8, Milwaukee 6 (11 innings)

Milwaukee, WI - Wes Helms hit a two-run double in the 11th inning as the Philadelphia Phillies came back to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-6, to salvage the finale of a three-game set at Miller Park. The Phillies, trailing by five runs in the ninth, took advantage of two Milwaukee errors to send the game into extra innings. Jayson Werth had a two-run home run and Tadahito Iguchi added three hits and two runs scored for the Phillies, who snapped a brief two-game losing skid. Brett Myers (2-3) earned the win in relief, pitching 1 1/3 innings, giving up only one hit while striking out a batter. Jose Mesa recorded his first save of the season. Starter Adam Eaton struggled through 4 1/3 innings of work. The right-hander gave up six runs on nine hits. He walked three and struck out three. Geoff Jenkins went 4- for-6 with three RBI and rookie Ryan Braun hit his 20th homer of the season for Milwaukee, which had a two-game winning streak halted. Manny Parra (0-1) was tagged with his first major league loss. The left-hander gave up two runs on two hits, while walking a pair in one inning pitched. Jeff Suppan started and pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing only one run on five hits, while striking out three.

Final Score: Arizona 3, Los Angeles 0

Los Angeles, CA - Brandon Webb hurled his first shutout of the season, extending his scoreless streak to 24 innings, as the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks finished off a three-game sweep of Los Angeles with a 3-0 victory at Dodger Stadium. The win also moved the Diamondbacks (63-50) 13 games over .500 for first time since the final day of the 2002 regular season. Webb (11-8) scattered just seven hits in a complete-game effort, struck out four and did not walk a batter en route to his fifth career shutout. He has won three consecutive starts and improved to 7-4 in 14 road starts this season. He also beat Los Angeles for the third time in 2007. Mark Reynolds and Justin Upton each had two hits and knocked in a run for Arizona, which has won five of its last six games and 13 of 15 overall. The NL West-leading Diamondbacks also moved four games ahead of the Dodgers in the division. Failing to get back in the win column was Los Angeles ace Brad Penny (13-3), who has dropped back-to-back decisions for the first time this season. The bulky right-hander allowed three runs on six hits, fanned five and did not walk a batter over seven innings. Russell Martin and Andre Ethier had two hits apiece for the Dodgers, who have lost four straight and nine of their last 11 games. They’ve also dropped six of their last seven at home. Final Score: San Diego 5, San Francisco 4

San Diego, CA - Barry Bonds, as promised, took Sunday off, and while he remained tied with Hank Aaron for the all-time home run record, his Giants lost again, 5-4, to the San Diego Padres, who completed a three- game sweep of their division rivals. Both teams lost their starting pitchers to injuries, pushing other starters into interesting positions, but it was the Padres that held on after a last-gasp rally by the Giants. Marcus Giles went 1-for-3 with two RBI for the Padres, who won their fourth straight. Justin Germano held the Giants to two hits and two runs over 5 2/3 innings before leaving after a Pedro Feliz grounder hit his right thumb. Doug Brocail (4-1) picked up the win despite allowing two hits in one-third of an inning, but no runs. Trevor Hoffman surrendered a ninth-inning homer to make things interesting, but held on for his 29th save. Bengie Molina belted a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth for the Giants, who have dropped four of five. Noah Lowry left after three innings with tightness in his left forearm. He let up only two hits and a run. Vinnie Chulk (4-3) gave up two hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning. The injuries, to teams coming off two straight extra-inning affairs, forced Greg Maddux and Barry Zito on to the field, Zito as a reliever for the first time in his career, and Maddux as a pinch-runner.

Final Score: New York 8, Chicago 3

Chicago, IL - Tom Glavine made good in his second run at history on Sunday, notching his 300th career victory in the Mets’ 8-3 win over the Chicago Cubs at historic Wrigley Field. Glavine (10-6) was charged with two runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout over 6 1/3 innings, becoming just the 23rd pitcher in major league history to reach the illustrious plateau. He was given a standing ovation by the capacity crowd as he walked off the field to end the sixth, and again when he departed for the final time in the seventh. Carlos Delgado doubled twice and knocked in four runs and Luis Castillo had four hits and scored two runs for the NL East- leading Mets, who have won four of their last five games. Castillo, however, left the game in the eighth inning suffering from heat exhaustion. Jason Marquis (8-7) was saddled with the loss after giving up five runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings for Chicago, which has dropped three of four and sits a game behind Milwaukee in the Central. The contest also marked the return of Cubs right-hander Kerry Wood, who was activated from the 60-day disabled list on Friday and made his first appearance of the season in tossing a scoreless seventh. Wood’s return may have been good news for the Cubs, but the bigger concern for the club was the loss of All-Star outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who suffered a right quad strain running the bases in the third inning.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, postponed

Pittsburgh, PA - Sunday’s game between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates was postponed because of rain. It has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader for August 28 when the Reds next visit PNC Park. The first game of the twinbill is slated to begin at 5:05 p.m. (et). The Pirates have Monday off before heading to the road for six games — three in Arizona and three in San Francisco. Cincinnati also has Monday off before Tuesday’s start of a three-game series against Los Angeles. The Reds won the first two games of this series, 13-4 on Friday and 9-8 in 10 innings on Saturday.