Haren hopes to stop slide in Arlington

Baseball Betting Lines

09/07/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oakland Athletics ace Dan Haren will try to stop a personal two-game losing streak when he takes the mound tonight in the opener of a three-game series against AL West-rival Texas at Rangers Ballpark.

Haren is 14-6 with a 2.87 ERA in 29 starts this season, but the All-Star pitcher is mired in a two-start slump. In his previous performance on Saturday against Detroit, Haren allowed five runs and 11 hits over six innings of a 6-1 setback at McAfee Coliseum.

The righty is 3-3 with a 4.03 ERA in eight career starts against Texas.

Oakland salvaged the finale of a three-game series at the LA Angels of Anaheim with a 6-2 victory on Wednesday at Angel Stadium. A's starter Joe Blanton recovered from a shaky start to pitch eight solid innings and gave up two runs, both in the first inning, with just one walk and three strikeouts.

Mark Ellis hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs, while Donnie Murphy went 3-for-4 with a solo blast and two RBI for Oakland.

Texas has won four of five and took the final two games of a three-game series versus the Kansas City Royals at Rangers Ballpark. In Wednesday's 3-2 win, Hank Blalock went 2-for-3 and knocked in a pair of runs. Michael Young added two hits and an RBI in the winning effort.

Rangers starter Vicente Padilla tossed six scoreless innings of two-hit ball to pick up the win.

The Rangers will send Edinson Volquez to the hill for Friday's series opener versus the A's. Volquez made his 2007 debut on Saturday against the LA Angels of Anaheim and recorded the victory in five innings of work. He yielded three runs and seven hits during a 7-6 triumph at Angel Stadium.

Volquez opened the 2007 campaign at Bakersfield and went a combined 14-2 with a 2.55 ERA for Triple-A Oklahoma and Double-A Frisco. The righty, who is 2-10 in 15 appearances (12 starts) in his brief career, owns an 0-2 record with a 7.00 earned run average in two lifetime starts against Oakland.

The 2007 season series between the A's and Rangers is tied at six games apiece.

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

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