Peavy, Padres aim to get back on track against Phillies

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07/22/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jake Peavy will try for his first win in over a month when his San Diego Padres conclude a four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon at Petco Park.

Peavy's last victory came on June 19 against Baltimore, and the right-hander has gone 0-3 in four starts since. Peavy dropped two of his three starts prior to the All-Star game -- allowing three runs in each of the two setbacks -- before falling to 9-4 on the year with a defeat at the hands of the Mets on Tuesday.

Against New York, the right-hander was again tagged for three runs on six hits over six innings of a 7-0 loss, lifting his earned run average to 2.30 that is still second best in the majors.

Peavy, who is also tops in the National League with 130 strikeouts, is 2-1 in four career starts against the Phillies with a 2.60 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings.

The All-Star starter will hope to fair better than David Wells, who was tagged for seven runs on seven hits in just 4 1/3 innings of the Padres' 12-4 setback to the Phillies on Saturday.

Milton Bradley hit a two-run homer as San Diego lost its second straight game and fell one game behind the Dodgers, who downed the Mets yesterday, for first place in the National League West.

Ryan Howard went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBI in Philadelphia's rout. Wes Helms, Greg Dobbs and Carlos Ruiz each had two RBI for the Phillies, who have won two straight after losing their previous two.

Jamie Moyer (8-8) snapped a personal three-game losing streak as he gave up four runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings of work.

The third-place Phillies currently trail the Mets by five games for the top spot in the NL East.

Hoping for another offensive explosion, J.D. Durbin will take the hill today for the Phillies coming off his first career victory. That win came on Tuesday when Durbin tossed six innings of one-run ball, working around six hits and two walks in a 15-3 rout of the Dodgers.

Durbin is playing with his fourth team this year -- he was released by Minnesota, Arizona and Boston -- and will make just his fourth big league start this afternoon and third with the Phillies.

The right-hander is 1-2 on the season with a 9.00 ERA. That includes a one- game stint with the Diamondbacks in which he allowed seven runs in just two- thirds of an inning back on April 4.

San Diego and Philadelphia are meeting for the first time with this series since the Padres won four of six games during the 2006 campaign. The Phillies, though, are 15-6 in their last 21 matchups with San Diego.

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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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