College Football Game of the Week

This week's game of the week on the college gridiron features two top ten teams from college football's best conference, the SEC. On Saturday night at 7:45, the #6 LSU Tigers (2-0, 0-0) will travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on the #10 Auburn Tigers (3-0, 1-0). This is a matchup of two of the best defenses in all of college football, so expect an old fashioned low scoring ballgame between these two. This is what to look for in this huge game:

When LSU has the ball: LSU will continue to split time at the quarterback position, playing both Andrew Hatch and Jarrett Lee. Both have been effective this season, as Hatch is 17 for 31 with 202 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception (113.8 QB rating). The quarterback with the most upside of the two, Lee, is 16 for 28 with 200 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception (133.6 QB rating). Look for LSU to use the sophomore Lee more in this game, as he possesses a better arm and more speed to either run or throw the ball past this speedy Auburn defense.

In their running game, LSU has been very successful this season. Junior Charles Scott has 23 carries for 262 yards (11.4 ypc) and 4 touchdowns to lead all LSU running backs. Scott likely will not find as many holes as he did against Appalachian State and North Texas, so don't look for him to have the game his stats may be suggesting. LSU may also rotate in Keiland Williams, the talented running back who currently has 10 carries for 41 yards.

On defense, Auburn is very stout against both the run and the pass. Led by DB Jerraud Powers (18 tackles, 1 interception), DE Antonio Coleman (12 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks), LB Tray Blackmon (11 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack), LB Merrill Johnson (11 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack), and DT Zach Clayton (3 TFL, 1 sack), the Auburn defense has allowed just 15 points in their three games. They have held opponents to a 1.8 yard per carry average and allowed just 482 yards through the air. Look for them to stifle an LSU offense that is replacing its starting quarterback, running back, and wide receiver, and hasn't faced a major test yet. It could be a long day for the LSU offense.

When Auburn has the ball: The Auburn offense has been absolutely horrible this season. Quarterback Chris Tate is 44 for 75 (58.7 % completed) for 472 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception (113.3 QB rating) has been decent, but Auburn has no receiver above 98 yards. Running the ball has been a little more fruitful for Auburn. Ben Tate has 48 carries for 278 yards (5.8 ypc) and 1 touchdown while backup Brad Lester has 38 carries for 148 (4.2 ypc) and 1 touchdown. However, Auburn will likely be without Lester, who was injured in last week's 3-2 win over Mississippi State. Look for their offense to really struggle moving the ball against a strong LSU defense.

LSU's defense has been extremely good once again this season, even after losing All-America DT Glenn Dorsey. The LSU defensive line is one of the best in all of college football, boasting DT Ricky Jean-Francois (3 tackles), DT Al Woods (4 tackles), DE Tyson Jackson (3 tackles, 1 TFL), and DE Kirston Pittman (3 tackles). The LSU line has helped the Tigers allow just 2.1 yards per carry this season. Safety Harry Coleman leads LSU with 10 tackles. Coleman has teamed with corners Chris Hawkins (8 tackles), Phelon Jones (8 tackles), Jai Eugene (7 tackles), and safety Chad Jones (7 tackles, 0.5 TFL) to give LSU one of the best secondaries in college football. LSU has also gotten very good production from linebackers Perry Riley (7 tackles, 0.5 TFL) and Denny McCray (7 tackles). Look for them to completely shut down the struggling Auburn offense.

Final Prediction: LSU Tigers: 10, Auburn Tigers: 3

Brett Who?

With Brett Favre traded to the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers has wasted little time in making a good first impression on Packers fans. Rodgers has huge shoes to fill, as Favre was a legend in Green Bay, but he has done and excellent job making Packers fans stop regretting the Favre trade and start focusing on this season.

Rodgers has played extremely well in his first two games as the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. The four-year pro from California has thrown for 60 passes, completing 42 (70% completion percentage) for 506 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Rodgers has a QB rating of 117.8, fifth best in the NFL. He has definitely not backed down from extremely high expectations and has made sure the Packers are not going to take a step backward after last season's NFC Championship game loss.

Aaron Rodgers has had an excellent beginning to the newest chapter of his career, the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. He has shown a lot of poise and ability thus far. However, this season is only 2 games old. Can he keep it up? He has a huge test next week against the Dallas Cowboys, a team many consider to be the Super Bowl favorites. If Rodgers can win that game, Green Bay fans can officially resume thinking of themselves as Super Bowl favorites as they did with Favre at the helm last season.

The comparisons will never end for the rest of his career. Aaron Rodgers will likely never escape the shadow that a legend like Brett Favre casts on his shadow. However, if he plays to his potential, he can be accepted as the next great Packers quarterback instead of Brett Favre's replacement. A long trip in the playoffs, something very possible with the talent Green Bay has, would give Rodgers a good start in coming out of Favre's shadow as soon as this season. Does Rodgers have the poise, guts, and talent to get the Pack to the Super Bowl? We will soon find out and this Sunday's game against Dallas will be a telling sign.

O-Verrated

Wow, at least we didn't have to wait for the National Championship Game for this to happen and at least it wasn't by yet another SEC team. This time, it only took until the third week of the college football season to figure out Ohio State was the most overrated team in all of college football. In 2006, Ohio State rolled through a cupcake schedule that featured only two ranked teams, Texas without Vince Young and a Michigan team on the downside. Then when it came down for the Buckeyes to play a team that had actually earned its way to the National Championship Game, the Florida Gators, Ohio State was trounced 41-14.

In 2007, the Buckeyes kept singing the praises of a new year and a fresh start. Ohio State had a slightly harder schedule, played four ranked teams, however each was ranked 19th or lower when the Buckeyes played them. Ohio State lost one game that season, a 28-21 loss to unranked Illinois in their second to last game of the year. Somehow, the Buckeyes still found a way to sneak into the National Title Game once again. They promised a close game and even a win, yet the LSU Tigers dominated them by a score of 38-24.

This season, Ohio State scheduled a game at the Los Angeles Colisseum to face the mighty and top ranked USC Trojans to make sure they wouldn't get wiped out in the National Championship Game again. After being demolished from all angles by the Trojans by a score of 35-3, the Buckeyes dropped from 5th ranked to 13th, a generous ranking considering how poorly the Buckeyes played. On defense, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez threw for 4 touchdowns on a 17 for 28 day, along with his 172 yards passing. Trojan running backs ran for 164 yards on 32 carries, 105 of which came from Joe McKnight on just 12 carries.

On offense, Ohio State struggled in every facet of the game. Quarterback Todd Boeckmann was 14 of 21, but for just 84 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Ohio State ran the ball 34 times for just 71 yards, a 2.1 average. One could make an argument that Ohio State was at a disadvantage because star running back Beanie Wells didn't play because of injury. However, a "top-flight" program should be able to be able to plug a capable backup in to do a decent job. Ohio State, despite its billing as a top-flight program, was unable to bring in an effective running back in place of Wells, cementing itself as a second-tier program.

THE Ohio State Buckeyes, as they refer to themselves as, are THE most overrated team in America. The number 5 team in the nation should have been able to at least put up a fight against USC last week, but the truth is Ohio State was not worth its ranking for yet the third year in a row. At least it didn't take until the final game of the year this season for us to figure it out. By shredding the Buckeye defense and manipulating Ohio State's offense, USC embarrased Ohio State and showed America just how bad Ohio State really is. It's too bad they got so much attention and credit in the first place.

Are They For Real?

First, they knocked off unsuspecting No. 17 Virginia Tech. Then they beat No. 8 West Virginia. So were these wins flukes, or are the East Carolina Pirates truly a force to be reckoned with? The answer will lie in whether the Pirates will be able to handle the Tulane Green Wave with the game not in the national spotlight.

It looks like the now number 14 ranked Pirates are for real. They absolutely shut down Heisman candidate Pat White, sophomore sensation Noel Devine, and the rest of the West Virginia offense. The Pirate offense, has looked very good so far. Quarterback Patrick Pinkney has a QB rating of 166.96, and is 41 for 51 (80.4 completion percentage) with 447 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The running game has also looked strong. Jonathan Williams leads the team with 117 yards (4.3 ypc) and 3 touchdowns. Brandon Simmons has 104 yards (3.2 ypc) to give East Carolina a solid 1-2 punch.

East Carolina likely will have no more ranked contests for the rest of the year. However, that does not mean they won't be challenged. They play September 20th at NC State, October 11th at Virginia, and November 20th at UCF, all games which will be a major challenge to a shot at an undefeated season and a BCS bowl game. It looks like the Pirates have the talent to win the rest of their games. However, with their toughest challenges on the road, and the pressure that would come with being undefeated, look for them to falter at least once or twice.

Finished?

When Tom Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 of the NFL season against the Kansas City Chiefs, many felt the New England Patriots season went down with it. However, they may have forgotten about the rest of the Patriots roster, New England's coaching staff, and backup quarterback Matt Cassel. Brady's injury gives this bunch even more motivation to prove the world wrong and win a Super Bowl this season.

Even without Tom Brady, the Patriots still have one of the best and most talented rosters in all of football. Laurence Maroney (835 yards, 4.5 yards per carry in 2007), Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk make up one of the most versatile and deep backfields in the NFL, something that will be vital to New England without Brady. Their receiving core, led by Randy Moss (98 catches, 1493 yards, 23 touchdowns in 2007) and Wes Welker (112 catches, 1175 yards, 8 touchdowns in 2007) is also deep and reliable. On another note, Moss is probably the best receiver in the NFL, giving Cassel a big target to find whenever he will drop back to throw. The Patriots also boast a great offensive line, which features RT Nick Kaczur, LT Matt Light, LT Logan Mankins, RG Ruch Hochstein and C Dan Koppen. The line will give Cassel plenty of time to throw in the pocket.

On defense, the Patriots still should be able to hold teams from scoring enough to win many games, even if their offense struggles a bit. Their huge, strong defensive line features Vince Wilfork (48 tackles in '07), Richard Seymour (23 tackles, 1.5 sacks in '07), and Ty Warren (53 tackles, 4 sacks in '07). The Patriots linebackers are also some of the best in the league. Adalius Thomas (78 tackles, 6.5 sacks in '07) and Mike Vrabel (77 tackles, 12.5 sacks in '07) give both speed around the edge, versatility, and strength from the outside linebacker positions. In the middle, talented rookie Jerod Mayo and 13 -year veteran Tedi Bruschi (92 tackles in '07) give New England a solid and smart tackling machine. While their secondary may struggle a little bit, New England's front 7 give them a chance to shut down any offense.

New England Head Coach Bill Belicheck and his staff are likely one of the best, if not the best coaching staff in the NFL. They come up with so many confusing defensive schemes and ways to motivate players. Don't think for a second that Belicheck won't use the Brady injury as motivation for the rest of the troops. He is a motivational mastermind and the Patriots will not quit, no matter what the situation is. There is no doubt he will have his team ready to play this Sunday against the rival New York Jets.

Finally, doubters should not look past Matt Cassel. Cassel has not made a start since his high school career. He has thrown just 57 career passes in the NFL (35-57, 405 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 85.8 QB rating). However, he did look very impressive coming of the bench in last Sunday's win at Kansas City, completing 13 of 18 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Cassel could be the second coming of Tom Brady, who went from sixth-round pick at Michigan to future Hall of Fame quarterback. Cassel was a seventh rounder from USC. If he continues to impress, the Patriots may consider themselves very fortunate to have drafted two starting quarterbacks in the sixth round or later during this decade. Cassel has the ability to be a good starter in the NFL and has learned from one of the best of all-time in Brady on how to be a starter. Look for him, as well as the rest of the New England Patriots players and coaching staff to step up and surprise people with a strong season.

456

The streak began on May 15th, 2003. For almost 5 straight seasons and 456 consecutive games, Boston Red Sox fans have flooded Fenway Park to stadium capacity. Now, on September 8th, 2008, the Boston Red Sox will hold the Major League record for consecutive sellouts, beating the Cleveland Indians previous mark of 455 consecutive games, which ended in 2001.

For a fan, going to Fenway Park is an addiction. Once you go, you need to go back as soon as possible. It's a must-see for any baseball fan, but tickets are almost impossible to come by because of the loyalty of Red Sox Nation. The park fills up fast because of the quirks that make it the best stadium in baseball. The 96 year old ballpark features the Green Monster, Pesky Pole, Fisk's Pole, the red seat in the right field bleachers, and many more sights for fans who want to really get a picture about baseball history. If Fenway was not such a great ballpark, it would have been replaced a long, long time ago.

One thing Fenway Park gives is extreme home-field advantage. The Red Sox already have a major advantage with their knowledge of how to handle balls hit off the Green Monster, or balls hit into the Fenway Triangle 421 feet away in center field. Also, the team gathers hitters like Mike Lowell for instance, whose swings are tailor-made for Fenway Park. However, the greatest advantage Fenway Park allows if utilized, are the fans. It is a small ballpark, but the fans are right on top of the action, and they make themselves heard. After 456 consecutive sellouts at Fenway, Red Sox Nation has given its team the most loyal fanbase in possibly the world, one of the most knowledgable fan bases in baseball, and finally, the best home-field advantage in all of baseball. Sox fans make it as tough as possible on the visiting team, all while putting all of their support into their hometown Red Sox.

It is important to point out, that during the streak, the Red Sox have had arguably the best five-year run in franchise history. In 2003, the Sox had not won a World Series in 85 years and had not been to the ALCS since 1986. Although they lost a heartbreaker in Game 7 to the hated New York Yankees, the Sox still managed to get to that point. The next year, the Red Sox made their remarkable comeback, winning the ALCS despite being down 3-0 to the Yankees in the series. Even though the Sox were down in the series, the atmosphere at Fenway was as spirited as ever. It allowed the Red Sox players to feed off of the fans and gain the confidence to complete the greatest comeback in the history of sports.

In 2007, the Boston Red Sox won their second World Series Championship in four years, another Championship run that received major contribution from Red Sox Nation. Fan support has grown even more, making Fenway has spirited as ever this season. The Red Sox have no doubt benefitted from all the support. They sit just .5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East, with a chance to take over the lead if they beat Tampa Bay tomorrow night at Fenway. There is no doubt that Fenway Park will enjoy consecutive sellout number 457 tomorrow night, as the streak of Red Sox Nation continues. Only the best fans in the world could pack a ballpark for 456 consecutive games, and Red Sox fans have done it. No matter what, there is always something to play for at Fenway Park.

Look At The Little Guy Cleaning Up

It's about time someone does. For his entire career, almost everyone except Terry Francona, Theo Epstein, and the rest of the Red Sox brass has doubted his abilities and looked the other way. Their reasons? Dustin Pedroia, all 5-foot 9 and 180 lbs. of him, has heard them all. Either he was too small, too weak, too slow, not a good enough defender, his swing was too big, or it was a combination of everything. It is about time somebody has looked his way because Pedroia has officially proved all of his doubters wrong.

The little guy with the big swing is the hottest hitter in baseball now. Ever since becoming the cleanup hitter for the Boston Red Sox on August 30th against the Chicago White Sox, an 8-2 win, Pedroia is hitting .620 with 3 doubles, 3 stolen bases, 2 home runs, 8 runs batted in, and 6 runs scored in 5 games. The little guy has raised his batting average to .333, good enough for the best in the American League and his on-base percentage to .378.

The little guy without any power now has 17 home runs, second-most for second baseman in the American League. He has raised his slugging percentage to .505, also second among AL second baseman. Pedroia has knocked in 76 runs, tied for the most among AL second baseman. To put it simply, Dustin Pedroia has become one of the best all-around hitters in baseball.

For those that thought was too slow and not a good enough defender to play in the Major Leagues, Pedroia has proved them wrong as well. He has a respectable 17 stolen bases this season, and has scored the most runs in the Major Leagues with 110. On defense, Pedroia likely will win a Gold Glove once the season is done. He has made just 6 errors on the season, and owns a .991 fielding percentage, tied for second among AL second baseman.

The little guy that once was an afterthought because well, some people thought he was too slow, too small, too weak, not a good defender, and had too big of a swing, has become a candidate for American League Most Valuable Player. Quite frankly, Pedroia should win. There is no American League player having a better season than Pedroia is. No one plays harder than Pedroia and absolutely no one deserves the AL MVP Award more than this fiery, scrappy second baseman. It is time for MVP voters to start looking at the little guy. It turns out Dustin Pedroia can play.

Races Coming Down To Wire

As of now, five of the six divisions in Major League Baseball have at least one team within 5 games of the division leader. The only team that has basically wrapped up a spot in the playoffs is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So how will the divisions shake out? Here is how the National League West division will finish:

National League West- This division may have the tightest race the rest of the season, as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers are currently tied for first place with records of 61-59. The Dodgers should hold an upperhand in the race. While both teams are young, the Dodgers have a little more experience and a manager by the name of Joe Torre, who won four World Series championships while managing the New York Yankees. The newest Dodger, Manny Ramirez, also won two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox in the past 4 years, so he knows what it takes to get to the playoffs and succeed there.

Both of these teams own solid pitching staffs. The Diamondbacks are 4th in the NL in ERA (3.96) and BAA (.252), 2nd in OPS (.708), and 1st in WHIP (1.27) and quality starts (71). They have one of baseball's best pitchers in Brandon Webb, who currently leads the Majors in wins with 17. Overall, Webb is 17-4 with a 2.88 ERA and 3 complete games. The Diamondbacks also have gotten solid production in their starting rotation Dan Haren (12-6, 3.00 ERA) and Randy Johnson (10-8, 4.18 ERA). Arizona's rotation is very weak other than the three listed above. Their bullpen has done a solid job, however. Closer Brandon Lyon has racked up 25 saves to go with his 2-4 record and his 4.08 ERA. Set-up men Jon Rauch (4-3, 3.07 ERA), Chad Qualls (2-7, 3.50 ERA), and Juan Cruz (2-0, 3.06 ERA) have all been very reliable out of the bullpen.

Top-to-bottom, the Dodgers starting pitching has been better than Arizona's this season. The Dodgers have gotten good production from Chad Billingsley (11-9, 3.07 ERA), Hiroki Kuroda (6-8, 4.02 ERA), Derek Lowe (9-10, 4.11), and Clayton Kershaw (2-3, 3.78 ERA). If Brad Penny (6-9, 6.05 ERA) can turn his season around, the Dodgers will have a very formidable rotation for the rest of the season.

The Dodgers bullpen has also been very good. Closer Jonathan Broxton (3-3, 3.58 ERA, 8 saves) has done an adequate job of filling in for injured closer Takashi Saito (3-3, 2.18 ERA, 17 saves). The set-up men for Los Angeles have been very, very good. Chan Ho Park (4-3, 2.62 ERA), Hong-Chih Kuo (4-2, 1.70 ERA), Joe Beimel (3-0, 1.87 ERA), and Cory Wade (2-1, 2.56 ERA) give Joe Torre a multitude of options to choose from in the late innings. In fact, the Dodgers bullpen has helped give Los Angeles the National League's best team ERA (3.58) and OPS (.691). The Dodgers also have the NL's third-best WHIP, with a 1.30 mark.

Hitting-wise, both of these teams are little weak. Both teams made moves to improve their power, as Los Angeles acquired Ramirez (.317 BA, 25 HR, 84 RBI, .417 OBP, .566 SLG) and Arizona acquired Adam Dunn (.234 BA, 32 HR, 74 RBI, .373 OBP, .525 SLG), respectively. Both teams needed these acquisitions, as their offense ranks in the bottom half of the NL in all hitting categories. For the Diamondbacks, only Orlando Hudson (.305 BA, 8 HR, 41 RBI, .367 OBP, .450 SLG), Conor Jackson (.309 BA, 12 HR, 60 RBI, .390 OBP, .483 SLG), Stephen Drew (.281 BA, 14 HR, 49 RBI, .319 OBP, .481 SLG), and Mark Reynolds (.248 BA, 24 HR, 80 RBI, .326 OBP, .491 SLG) have been decent in their lineup. Everyone else for Arizona has struggled mightily.

The Dodgers lineup has not been much better. It has been a struggle to score runs besides the help they get from Ramirez, Matt Kemp (.299 BA, 13 HR, 61 RBI, .350 OBP, .467 SLG, 28 SB), James Loney (.295 BA, 9 HR, 68 RBI, .352 OBP, .445 SLG), Russell Martin (.289 BA, 10 HR, 53 RBI, .390 OBP, .410 SLG), Andre Ethier (.276 BA, 12 HR, 49 RBI, .342 OBP, .450 SLG), and Jeff Kent (.273 BA, 11 HR, 54 RBI, .325 OBP, .425 SLG). They will need Ramirez to continue to carry the offense if they want a shot at the playoffs.

Overall, the Dodgers look to be a little stronger and more experience, and that should give them a slight edge in this weak division. They have better depth in their starting rotation, a better bullpen, a slightly better offense, and a Manager that is very experienced in getting the most from his teams in Joe Torre. If the Dodgers play up to their potential they should win this division, but the race will likely go down to the final week of the season.

Races Coming Down To The Wire

As of now, five of the six divisions in Major League Baseball have at least one team within 5 games of the division leader. The only team that has basically wrapped up a spot in the playoffs is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So how will the divisions shake out? Here is how the National League Central division will finish:

National League Central: As of now, the Chicago Cubs own a 3.5 game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers, and a 6.5 game lead on their archrivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs, although cursed, have to be the favorites to not only win the National League Central division, but also the World Series. The Cubs rank in the top 3 in every single statistical pitching and hitting category except quality starts, where they rank 4th with 63, and stolen bases, in which they rank 8th with 67 swipes. The Cubs have baseball's best bullpen, headed by closer Kerry Wood (4-2, 2.89 ERA, 24 saves 0.99 WHIP, 55 strikeouts in 46.2 innings), and set-up men Carlos Marmol (2-3, 2.95 ERA, 22 holds, 0.98 WHIP, 87 strikeouts in 64 innings) and Jeff Samardzija (1.54 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 12 strikeouts in 11.2 innings). The Cubs also own arguably baseball's best starting rotation, where they trot out Carlos Zambrano (12-5, 3.22 ERA), Rich Harden (6-2, 2.27 ERA), Ryan Dempster (13-5, 2.92 ERA), Ted Lilly (11-6, 4.26 ERA), and Jason Marquis (7-7, 4.73 ERA). Chicago's pitching is very tough to hit against through the entire game, as opponents may see a number of good pitchers.

The Cubs, however, are no slouches on offense either. Alfonso Soriano (.299 BA, 21 HR, 56 RBI, .344 OBP, .574 SLG), Aramis Ramirez (.278 BA, 19 HR, 75 RBI, .379 OBP, .493 SLG), Derrick Lee (.291 BA, 17 HR, 70 RBI, .356 OBP, .475 SLG), Kosuke Fukudome (.269 BA, 8 HR, 42 RBI, .369 OBP, .399 SLG), Geovany Soto (.281 BA, 17 HR, 63 RBI, .358 OBP, .490 SLG), Ryan Theriot (.314 BA, 1 HR, 31 RBI, .390 OBP, .372 SLG), and Mark DeRosa (.276 BA, 13 HR, 66 RBI, .369 OBP, .443 SLG) help pace a team that has scored the second-most runs in the majors, behind only the Texas Rangers. The Cubs have no weak out throughout their entire lineup. They should win this division and make a lot of noise in the postseason.

The Brewers are similar to the Chicago Cubs except for a few components component. Like Chicago, they have a solid middle of the order that features Ryan Braun (.300 BA, 30 HR, 84 RBI, .339 OBP, .586 SLG), Prince Fielder (.278 BA, 26 HR, 78 RBI, .375 OBP, .517 SLG), Corey Hart (.288 BA, 18 HR, 71 RBI, .326 OBP, .502 SLG), and JJ Hardy (.275 BA, 17 HR, 51 RBI, .336 OBP, .462 SLG). However, the Brewers do not have the same production throughout their entire lineup, evidenced by only a .254 team BA (10th in the NL), a .325 team OBP (7th in the NL), and 558 runs scored (7th in the NL).

Also like the Cubs, the Brewers have a very strong starting rotation. C.C. Sabathia (12-8, 3.11 ERA), Ben Sheets (11-5, 2.95 ERA), Jeff Suppan (7-7, 4.70 ERA), and Manny Parra (9-5, 4.02 ERA) help make up a reliable starting rotation, one however, that does sorely lack a reliable 5th starter. The lack of a reliable 5th starter and the continued struggles of their bullpen will likely be the reasons Milwaukee will not win this division, and possibly not the NL Wildcard. Brewers manager has no one outside of closer Salomon Torres (5-3, 2.69 ERA, 22 saves) he can trust in his bullpen. That will continue to be a huge issue as the season presses onward.

The St. Louis Cardinals are likely out of the divisional race, yet they are only 3 games behind the Brewers for the NL Wildcard. Albert Pujols (.347 BA, 25 HR, 75 RBI, .460 OBP, .613 SLG), Rick Ankiel (.286 BA, 22 HR, 61 RBI, .354 OBP, .541 SLG), Skip Schumaker (.298 BA, 7 HR, 35 RBI, .360 OBP, .416 SLG), and Ryan Ludwick (.306 BA, 29 HR, 84 RBI, .383 OBP, .607 SLG) have helped give St. Louis a very good offense that ranks 2nd in the NL in BA (.276), 2nd in OBP (.348), 3rd in runs scored (578), and 2nd in OPS (.775).

Pitching-wise though, St. Louis has struggled mightily, especially in their bullpen. Kyle Lohse (13-4, 3.80 ERA), Braden Looper (10-9, 4.20 ERA), Todd Wellemeyer (9-4, 4.01 ERA), and Joel Pineiro (5-5, 4.82 ERA) have all done solid jobs making up for the loss of injured ace Adam Wainwright(6-3, 3.14 ERA), who should be back sometime in September. The Cardinals bullpen has been trouble for them this season. It is the main reason that St. Louis has slipped in the playoff race and may find themselves on the outside looking in when the playoffs begin. The Cardinals have yet to find a reliable closer, as Jason Isringhausen (1-5, 5.98 ERA, 7 blown saves) and Ryan Franklin (4-5, 3.65 ERA, 7 blown saves) have struggled in that role. Until they can find a reliable closer, the Cardinals playoff hopes will fly away.

Races Coming Down To The Wire

As of now, five of the six divisions in Major League Baseball have at least one team within 5 games of the division leader. The only team that has basically wrapped up a spot in the playoffs is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. So how will the divisions shake out? Here is how the ultra-competative National League East division will finish:

National League East: The Philadelphia Phillies currently hold a 1 game lead on the New York Mets and a 2.5 game lead on the Florida Marlins. The Phillies have to be the favorites to win the NL East. They are the defending division champions, and one of baseball's best bullpens, which features set-up men JC Romero (4-3, 2.16 ERA, 16 holds), Ryan Madsen (2-1, 3.36 ERA, 8 holds), and closer Brad Lidge (2-0, 2.19 ERA, 28 saves). The Phillies also have a tremendous lineup that features 2006 NL MVP Ryan Howard (.240 BA, 32 HR, 98 RBI, .327 OBP, .498 SLG), 2007 NL MVP Jimmy Rollins (.277, 8 HR, 40 RBI, .347 OBP, .449 SLG), and 2008 NL MVP hopeful Chase Utley (.286 BA, 28 HR, 78 RBI, .369 OBP, .559 SLG). Also, while the Phillies don't have baseball's strongest rotation top to bottom by any means, they can still trot out baseball's third-best lefty in Cole Hamels (9-8, 3.35 ERA) every fifth day. Look for Philadelphia to win their second consecutive NL East crown.

The closest challenger to the Phillies is the New York Mets. The Mets are very talented, yet very inconsistent. They have a good rotation that houses baseball's best pitcher in Johan Santana (9-7, 2.85), Mike Pelfrey (10-7, 3.85 ERA), Oliver Perez (8-7, 3.90), and John Maine (9-7, 4.13 ERA). The Mets also have a good lineup that features one of baseball's most exciting players in Jose Reyes (.301 BA, 12 HR, 49 RBI, .362 OBP, .487 SLG, 37 SB), Carlos Delgado (.264 BA, 25 HR, 73 RBI, .346 OBP, .501 SLG), David Wright (.292 BA, 22 HR, 89 RBI, .387 OBP, .517 SLG), and Carlos Beltran (.274 BA, 16 HR, 76 RBI, .369 OBP, .464 SLG). The Mets have a major weakness in their bullpen, which contributes to only the 7th best ERA in the NL, a 4.06 mark. They cannot win this division if their bullpen doesn't pitch well.

Meanwhile, the Marlins are the National League's surprise team. They own baseball's lowest payroll, yet are within striking distance of the Phillies for first place. The Marlins are somehow in this position despite ranking in the bottom half of the NL in every single pitching and hitting category. However, much of their success can be contributed to shortstop Hanley Ramirez (.294 BA, 25 HR, 51 RBI, .383 OBP, .529 SLG, 27 SB), second baseman Dan Uggla (.264 BA, 26 HR, 67 RBI, .353 OBP, .549 SLG), third baseman Jorge Cantu (.284 BA, 20 HR, 64 RBI, .331 OBP, .476 SLG), and starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (11-7, 3.92 ERA). However, the Marlins rely too much on Ramirez, Cantu, and Uggla on offense, and do not have any pitchers that strike fear into opposing hitters, so look for them to fall off as the dog days of August roll onward.