Lee leads Astros over Angels in LA

Baseball Betting Lines

06/20/2007 - Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Lee homered and knocked in four runs while Hunter Pence had three hits including a tie-breaking two-run homer, as the Houston Astros downed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 9-5, in the second of a three-game interleague set.

Craig Biggio logged two hits, bringing his career total to 2,992. He needs eight more to become the 27th player in history to record 3,000 hits. Orlando Palmeiro had four hits for the Astros, who finished with a season-high 17 hits.

"We needed those 17 hits tonight," said third baseman Mike Lamb, who recorded his sixth multi-hit game in a row, going 2-for-4. "They're a battling team. You can never relax against those guys. They're a joy to watch. I appreciate their effort both as an opponent and as a fan."

Starter Jason Jennings (1-1) earned his first win in seven starts with the Astros despite allowing five runs -- four earned -- on 11 hits, while walking one and striking out four in 5 2/3 innings. Houston has won four of five.

"It was an ugly first two innings for both teams," said Jennings. "I then started pitching inside more and tried to keep them honest. I was able to throw a couple of zeros at the end and our bullpen did a great job."

Angels starter Bartolo Colon (6-3) struggled, going six frames, surrendering seven runs on 11 hits, while walking three and striking out three. Dustin Moseley allowed two runs on three hits in one inning of relief.

Reggie Willits had three hits and Howie Kendrick doubled twice for the Angels, who lost for just the second time in seven games one night after a 10-9 victory in which Chone Figgins drove in the game-winning run in the ninth.

The Angels got on the board in the first when Willits led off with a single to right, stole second, advanced to third on Orlando Cabrera's single and scored on Vladimir Guerrero's sacrifice fly.

Los Angeles added to its lead in the second. Kendrick doubled to right and Shea Hillenbrand singled to left before Robb Quinlan reached first on Mark Loretta's fielding error scoring Kendrick.

After Jose Molina grounded into a fielder's choice, Willits hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Hillenbrand.

Lee's two-out, three-run homer to center in the top of the third, which scored Palmeiro and Pence, tied the game at 3-3. Palmeiro led off with a single and Pence singled with one-out before both scored on Lee's 12th home run.

The Angels, though, recaptured the lead in the home half. Guerrero doubled to left and scored on a Gary Matthews single to right. Kendrick followed with a double to left scoring Matthews and Los Angeles led, 5-3.

Houston tied the game in the fourth. Biggio singled to right, scoring Eric Munson, and later scored on Lee's sacrifice fly.

After Biggio led off the sixth with a single, Pence drilled a two-run homer into the seats in right, putting the Astros ahead 7-5.

Houston extended its lead to 9-5 in the seventh on RBI singles by Munson and Palmeiro.

Game Notes

Lee hit his major league-leading 11th sacrifice fly, tying his career high...The Astros have scored 37 runs over their last four games...Lee's 59 RBI tie him with Prince Fielder for the NL lead...Houston's Chris Burke, who pinch-ran for Luke Scott in the fifth, struck out with the bases loaded against Chris Bootcheck to end the eighth...The Angels lost for just the fourth time in their last 17 home games...The Angels are 10-4 in interleague play this season, while Houston in 8-6...Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

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Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.