Rory Gold

MLB Betting – Reds Aim To Bounce-Back After Historic Beat Down

22-1 sounds more like an online NFL betting result and less like the final score of a baseball game, but that was the home-away numbers in the box score at the end of last night’s Cincinnati Reds-Philadelphia Phillies contest.

I’m betting management on the Reds side wasn’t too pleased to see the Phillies keep on hitting throughout the game. The Phillies scored 10 runs in the first inning and were up 16-1 when they added six more runs – including a grand slam – off of Reds utility man Paul Janish, who was forced in to pitch. We’ll see if tempers boil over.

Cincinnati Reds @ Philadelphia Phillies

Sportsbook betting odds: Phillies -145

The Cincinnati Reds have lost two straight games and have now dropped below .500 at 40-41. That’s the bad news. The good news is that they are still just 3.5 games out of first place in the NL Central and can get back on track with a win tonight.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies are cruising right now and the defending World Series champs have won four straight. The scary part might be that might that Jimmy Rollins, who was the 2007 NL MVP, is finally getting going.

Rollins, who batted .207 in April, .238 in May and .167 in June, has finally gotten going in July. He had 26 RBIs in his first 304 at-bats but has six in his last 22 at-bats.

In July, Rollins is hitting .455 and he’s starting to get in a rhythm.

J.A. Happ will start for the Phillies and he has been a nice surprise so far. The rookie has a 5-0 record with a 2.96 ERA. He’s also allowed just two earned runs in his last two starts, which has spanned 16 innings.

Happ will take on Aaron Harang, who has really struggled on the road this year. Harang has an overall ERA of 3.86 and a home ERA of 2.83 but when he pitches on the road, that number inflates to 4.94. Harang is 0-4 with a 4.65 ERA in his last seven starts.

Over his last five starts, Harang has alternated good and bad. He has three starts where he has lasted seven innings or more and sandwiched in between are two outings where he lasted just 4.2 innings and two innings.

The Phillies are hot so stick with him for now.

Daily Sportsbook Betting Pick: Phillies -145