Bookmaker odds have favored the San Francisco Giants quite a bit early in the season and the Giants have rewarded bettors with a lot of wins. Caution might be advised though with betting the Giants at the online bookmaker since San Francisco has lost center fielder Aaron Rowand for a couple of weeks with two small fractures in his left cheek.
Bookmaker odds on San Francisco might be tweaked just a little bit since Rowand is one of the Giants’ top hitters. He was hit by Los Angeles pitcher Vincente Padilla on Friday. He is going on the 15-day disabled list. The Giants haven’t decided whether or not Rowand will need surgery but that could be an option. He would likely miss three weeks if he undergoes surgery. “You know Aaron’s mentality. He wants to play,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “If he could, he’d be out there today. But we’ve gotta do what’s right here. “… It’s just dangerous. If he gets hit again, that’s where the concern is.”
Padilla is a pitcher that has a reputation that makes the beaning look bad but he said that he was not trying to hit Rowand. “I’m very sorry,” said Padilla. “I’d like to talk to him. I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding. It was not intentional. I was just trying to pitch inside, but I never pitch a ball close to anyone’s head. And I didn’t want to load the bases.” Padilla’s reputation is not a good one though and even Los Angeles manager Joe Torre realizes that. “You’re right, any time it happens they’ll say that’s his reputation,” said Torre. “You can understand if somebody perceives that. But I didn’t see any reaction over there that leads me to believe they were angry. Major League Baseball has made the umpires sensitive, and they didn’t do anything [no warnings were issued], which I was happy about. I thought the umpires acted appropriately.”
The Giants started the season as one of the best teams vs. the odds at the bookmaker. They were 8-3 heading into Sunday’s finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum looks as good as ever and the rest of the staff has been solid. The lineup has been a major surprise and the Giants have been scoring a lot of runs. Whether that continues with Rowand out of the lineup is something to consider as you bet baseball at the online bookmaker.