Old-timer's day: Moyer, Phillies top Maddux, Padres

Baseball Betting Lines

08/16/2008 - San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamie Moyer was masterful through seven frames of shutout ball and Pat Burrell hit the game-winning home run, as Philadelphia edged San Diego 1-0 in the opener of a three-game set from PETCO Park.

Moyer (11-7) allowed just three hits and two walks with two strikeouts to earn a much-needed win for Philadelphia. The veteran lefty has surrendered three runs or less in each of his last 13 trips to the mound. He is the first Phillie to accomplish the feat since 1967, when Chris Short put together a streak of 23 consecutive quality starts.

"I felt like I had command of pretty much everything tonight," Moyer said. "I was able to get some quick outs and keep the pitch count down."

Greg Maddux (6-9) equaled Moyer's effort over seven innings, giving up just the Burrell homer -- one of five hits -- with no walks and four strikeouts. The crafty right-hander fell short of gaining his fourth straight victory following a career-high 14 starts without one.

Philadelphia began this seven-game swing with a two-game edge on rival New York for first place in the NL-East, but the club now finds itself one game back of the Mets on the heels of a four-game sweep by the Dodgers. The Mets, meanwhile, own a four-game winning streak.

San Diego continued its season-long struggle dropping three of the last four to settle at 47-75, good for the second-worst record in the NL.

Moyer and Maddux were dealing from the outset with six innings of shutout ball. The Phillies moved a runner to third with one away in the second while the Padres did the same with two away in the sixth, but both came up empty.

"That was a pitching clinic," Padres manager Bud Black said. "That's two guys who really know the game. Two tremendous students of the game."

Philadelphia scored the game's first and only run on a Burrell solo home run to left-center in the seventh.

Philadelphia threatened again in the eighth as San Diego trotted out three different pitchers in relief of Maddux to foil an inning that started with Jayson Werth reaching on an error and Jimmy Rollins following with a single. Wilfredo Ledezma was key in getting Chase Utley and Ryan Howard swinging to escape unscathed.

Ryan Madson entered in the eighth and recorded the first two outs before Scott Hairston laced a single to left. J.C. Romero took over and got Brian Giles to ground out, ending the inning.

Brad Lidge closed it out for his 29th save in as many opportunities this season by getting Kevin Kouzmanoff to line out to center and then retiring both Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley on strikes.

Game Notes

Philadelphia leads the season series 3-1 and took four of seven matchups from San Diego last season including three of four at PETCO. Overall, the Phillies are 12-3 in their last 15 trips to San Diego...Maddux remains one win shy of tying Roger Clemens for eighth on the all-time list with 354 wins while Moyer moved into a tie for 51st place on the all-time wins list with 241, matching Herb Pennock...Lidge has converted 32 consecutive save opportunities dating back to last season.

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Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

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