MLB 2006: Astros, Cubs get boost in arms raceby Mark RothsteinRocket ready to return With his minor-league stint now complete, Roger Clemens is scheduled to join the Astros' staff for his 2006 season debut on Thursday night versus the Minnesota Twins. Clemens started one game each at the A, AA, and AAA levels over the past two weeks. In the first outing the righthander allowed one run over three innings at Single-A Lexington. The Rocket gave up three hits, walked none, and struck out six in the game. Next time out, Clemens tossed six scoreless innings for Double-A Corpus Christi, giving up just two singles and striking out 11 opposing batters. And on Friday Clemens gave up three runs over 5 2-3 innings in a start for Triple-A Round Rock, allowing five hits and walking three batters in the contest, but also striking out five batters along the way. But Clemens isn't the only Astros starting pitcher who has returned to the mound over the past week. Roy Oswalt, who went on the disabled list on May 30 with a strained back, returned to the team on June 14 and promptly picked up a road win over the Chicago Cubs. Oswalt gave up three runs on eight hits over six innings in that outing. For the quickest and easiest depositing methods available, sign-up today at BetUS.com, "for over 14 years they have been the Pioneers and World-wide Leaders in Online Sports, Poker, Casino and Racebook Gaming!" Always receive great odds, huge bonuses and fast payouts only at BetUS.com! BET ON FOOTBALL! Deposit $300 and get $100 in Bonuses! Overall, Oswalt is 6-3 on the season with a 3.21 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 87 innings pitched. However, the righthander had been stuck at five wins since May 3, when he defeated the St. Louis Cardinals. In the month of May, Oswalt went 1-2 in six outings, allowing 15 runs on 42 hits in 38.2 innings. Oswalt built up a 4-1 mark in six April starts. So if Oswalt is back on track (he next starts on Tuesday versus the Twins), and Clemens can pitch like The Rocket of old, the Astros could find themselves climbing back into contention for the NL Central division title and the league's Wild Card berth. Even now the Astros are one of the hottest teams in the league, thanks in large part to a recent schedule of games against the struggling Braves and the lowly Cubs and Royals. The Cubs, though, are hoping that the return of starting pitcher Mark Prior can shake them out of their season-long doldrums. Prior made his 2006 season debut on Sunday versus the Detroit Tigers, as his strained shoulder was finally deemed healthy enough to allow him to re-join the team. And how did the righthander fare in his first game back? Click here for the 2008 World Series betting odds and the 2008 baseball World Series predictions by Tom Morgan! In a word, poorly. Prior was hammered for six runs in the first inning, and seven earned runs in total in 3 2-3 innings of work. All of the Tigers' runs off Prior came via the home run, as Curtis Granderson, Carlos Guillen, Chris Shelton, and Vance Wilson all took him deep on the day. The Cubs, though, will write off that rough outing to simply rustiness. Chicago could also be getting starter Kerry Wood back from the disabled list this week, depending on how well his sore shoulder responds to bullpen sessions. Wood didn't make his 2006 debut until May 18, when he was knocked around for four runs on five hits over five innings versus the Nationals. He did strike out six in that game, though. Wood's next two outings were better. The righthander allowed only three runs on two hits in five innings against Florida on May 23, and limited the Reds to one earned run on five hits over six innings on May 29. His June 6 outing, where he gave up four runs on seven hits in 3 2-3 innings versus the Astros, was his last before going back on the DL. Can Prior and Wood combine to push the Cubs into playoff contention? It might be too late for that sort of talk, since Chicago currently boasts one of the worst records in the league and would have to leap-frog all sorts of teams to be a contender. The team might have to settle for hoping that the pitching duo can stay healthy the rest of the way. And that might be the hope of the Milwaukee Brewers as well regarding starter Ben Sheets. No timetable has been set for the righthander's return to the rotation, although recent bullpen sessions have been encouraging. It's possible the Brewers' ace could return to the mound just after the All-Star Break, assuming he doesn't suffer a setback. The Brewers aren't in as deep a hole as the Cubs are in the division standings, but they're trailing three other teams in the NL Central and are definitely a long shot to creep into contention in 2006. And with the Astros on the rise and the Cards expected to be strong all year, there won't be much reason to rush Sheets back before he's ready. For MLB odds click here. Comments or Questions? Email FaceOff@BetUS.com. --- by BetUSradio at 1800-sports.com on June 19, 2006
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