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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 5/29/2010
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 6/14/2010)

1. Tampa Bay Rays (34-16) – The Rays still hold the best record in baseball despite just winning five of their last ten games. Tampa Bay has a +92 run differential on the season, scoring 259 runs, which is the most in the American League. Tampa Bay is led offensively by Evan Longoria, with his .328 batting average, along with 10 homeruns and 41 runs batted in. David Price has been the staff ace with 7 wins, and also a robust earned run average of 2.57. The Rays will finish the series with the White Sox on Sunday, then head to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays for a three game series finishing up Wednesday. On Friday, the Tampa Bay Rays will start a series in Texas, against the Rangers.

2. Cincinnati Reds (30-20) – The hottest team in all of baseball has been the Cincinnati Reds. Cincinnati has won four straight games to take a two game lead in the NL Central. The Reds have hit a homerun in 17 straight games, which is a franchise record. The Reds lead the NL, and all of baseball with 264 runs scored. Cincinnati has made hay at home on the year, winning 19 of 29 games. Joey Votto has heated up to a .312 batting average and 33 runs batted in, as well as Scott Rolen – with 11 homeruns. Cincinnati will look to sweep the Astros on Sunday afternoon, then head to St. Louis for a three game series with the Cardinals. After taking Thursday off, Cincinnati will head to Washington, to take on the Nationals.

3. New York Yankees (29-20) – The Yankees, despite being 4.5 games out of first place have the second best record in the American League. New York has split the first two of a four game series with Cleveland over the weekend. The Yankees will send A.J. Burnett to the mound Sunday. New York has been pushed offensively by Robinson Cano and his .359 batting average, along with 10 homeruns and 37 runs batted in. The Yankees lead the American League with a .281 batting average. New York will finish their series with Cleveland Monday, then welcome Baltimore for three and start a three game series at Toronto on Friday.

4. Minnesota Twins (29-20) – The Twins hold a 3.5 game lead in the American League Central over the Detroit Tigers. Minnesota has won three straight, after losing the first two to the Yankees. The Twins will send Scott Baker to the mound on Sunday in an attempt to sweep the series over Texas. Minnesota has been led offensively by Justin Morneau. Morneau is batting .371, along with 11 homeruns and 36 runs batted in. As a team, the Twins are third in the AL with a .274 batting average. The Twins will finish their home series with Texas on Sunday, then head to Seattle for four and Oakland for three this week.

5. San Diego Padres (29-20) – The Padres, with the best earned run average in the National League hold a two game lead over the Dodgers. San Diego has split the first two games of a three game series at home with Washington. The Padres have a 2.98 earned run average,  but their offense, batting .242 are the 3^rd worst in the NL. John Garland leads the starting staff with 6 wins and an ERA of just over 2.00. The Padres will finish their series with Washington on Sunday, and then welcome the Mets to town for three. On Thursday the Padres will take a day off, before playing in Philadelphia over the weekend.

6. Philadelphia Phillies (28-20) – Coming off the perfect game from staff ace Roy Halladay, the Phillies enjoy a 1.5 game lead on the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Philadelphia has struggled to score, scoring just 4 runs in their last 5 games, including none in a three game sweep to the Mets. The Phillies, as a team have scored 231 runs, which ranks 7^th in the NL. Left hander Jamie Moyer will look to help the Phillies sweep Florida on Sunday in Miami. Following that, the Phillies will head to Atlanta for three starting Monday. Philadelphia will take Thursday off, and then welcome the San Diego Padres for a four game series that extends until Monday.

7. Toronto Blue Jays (29-22) – The Toronto Blue Jays are hanging tough within the American League East. Trailing Tampa Bay and New York, Toronto holds a record of 7 game above .500. The Blue Jays have won two straight games, both over Baltimore. The Blue Jays will send J.C. Romero to the mound on Sunday, in an attempt to sweep the Orioles. Toronto is led offensively by Vernon Wells, and his .302 batting average, along with Jose Bautista and his 15 homeruns and 40 runs batted in. The Blue Jays, after Baltimore leaves town, will welcome the divisional leading Tampa Bay Rays for three games. The Blue Jays trail Tampa Bay by 5.5 games. After taking Thursday off, the Blue Jays will host second place New York Yankees.

8. St. Louis Cardinals (28-22) – The St. Louis Cardinals have some problems within their personnel. The Cardinals have two starting pitchers on the disabled list, and now have a rotation with three rookies in it. St. Louis also has fallen on hard times offensively, especially Saturday with the shut-out by Carlos Silva of the Cubs. The Cardinals are in second place in the NL Central, trailing Cincinnati by two games. The Cardinals will send Adam Wainwright, one of the two staff aces on the team to the mound against Ryan Dempster on Sunday in the rubber game of the three game series. St. Louis will welcome Cincinnati to town for three on Monday. Over the weekend, St. Louis will welcome the Milwaukee Brewers.

9. Los Angeles Dodgers (27-22) – The Dodgers, despite missing top offensive player Andre Ethier has moved to second place in the NL West, trailing San Diego by just two games. The Dodgers have the second best batting average in the NL, at .269. The Dodgers and Rockies have split the first two games in Denver, with the rubber match on Sunday afternoon. Los Angeles will send Clayton Kershaw and his 4-3 record to the mound. The Dodgers will start a seven game home stand on Monday, as they play the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three game series, followed by a weekend series for four with the Atlanta Braves.

10. San Francisco Giants (26-22) – The Giants struggles continue at the plate. San Francisco as a team is batting just .261 as a team, with ranks 7^th in the NL. Pablo Sandoval has been the top offensive player for the Giants, but is just batting .291. The Giants have won three straight games, and will look to sweep the Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon. Todd Wellemeyer, will look to even his record to 4-4 in the game. After Arizona leaves town, the Colorado Rockies come in on Monday for a three game series. After taking Thursday off, the Giants will head to Pittsburgh for a weekend series.

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11. Atlanta Braves (27-22) – After a very slow start to the 2010 season, Bobby Cox has his Braves in the mix within the NL East. The Braves have won eight of their last ten games, and are just 1.5 games behind Philadelphia. Atlanta has seen rookie Jason Heyward blast 10 homeruns and also knock in 36 runs to spark the offense. The Braves have scored 234 runs, which ranks sixth in the NL. The pitching for Atlanta has been average, as they have a team ERA of 3.89. The staff ace thus far has been Derek Lowe. He has won seven games, while Tim Hudson has an ERA of 2.24. The Braves will look to sweep the Pirates on Sunday, then welcome divisional leading Philadelphia to Turner Field on Monday. On Thursday, the Braves and Dodgers will start a four game series in Los Angeles.

12. Boston Red Sox (28-23) – Despite winning seven of their last ten games, the Red Sox still linger in fourth place in the AL East. The Red Sox will look to split the four game series with Kansas City on Sunday, after dropping the first two. Boston is led by Adrian Beltre and his .342 batting average, along with 34 runs batted in. The Red Sox as a team are batting .266, which ranks sixth in the American League. The problem for Boston has been their pitching. The Red Sox have a team ERA of 4.50, which ranks 9^th in the AL. Boston will take Monday off, after playing Kansas City on Sunday. On Tuesday, the Red Sox and Athletics will start a four game series at Fenway. Over the weekend, Boston will play in Baltimore.

13. Detroit Tigers (25-23) – The Detroit Tigers have lost four straight games to fall to 3.5 games back of the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. Detroit will look to snap the losing streak and beat Oakland on Sunday, against Dallas Braden. The Tigers are led offensively by Miguel Cabrera and his .339 batting average, along with 13 homeruns and 44 runs batted in. The Tigers, as a team are batting .266, which is fifth in the American League. The Tigers after finishing the series Monday with Oakland, will host Cleveland for a three, then head to Kansas City over the weekend, for a three game set against the Royals.

14. Texas Rangers (26-23) – Texas has lost three straight games to fall a ½ game back of Oakland at the top of the AL West. The Rangers hope to avoid the three game sweep on Sunday in Minneapolis, against the Twins. Texas has seen a solid first season from Vladimir Guerrero, as he is batting .335, along with 12 homeruns and 43 runs batted in. Texas is fourth in the National League in batting average; .267, along with 7^th in ERA with a 4.18. The Rangers, after they leave Minnesota will take Monday off, before starting a three game series at US Cellular Field in Chicago, against the White Sox. On Friday, Texas and Tampa Bay will start a three game series in Arlington.

15. Oakland Athletics (27-23) – The Athletics, despite being out scored 201 – 199 on the season have moved to first place in the AL West. The Athletics hold a slim ½ game lead on the Rangers. Oakland won the final two games in Baltimore, and has won the first two in Detroit. The Athletics and Tigers will play Sunday, and again on Monday to complete the four game series. Following that, the Athletics will head to Boston for games, Tuesday – Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, Oakland will host the Minnesota Twins. Oakland has scored 199 runs this season, which is the fourth worst in the American League.

16. Colorado Rockies (26-23) – Behind Ubaldo Jimenez and his excellent start to the season, the Colorado Rockies are right in the mix within the NL West. Despite being in fourth place, Colorado only trails San Diego by three games. The Rockies have split the first two with the Dodgers, and will send Jhoulys Chacin to the mound on Sunday. Monday, the Rockies and Giants will start a three game series with Jimenez and Tim Lincecum mixing it up for Memorial Day. Colorado will take Thursday off, and stay on the road for a weekend series in Arizona. The Rockies have a team batting average of .263, which is the fifth best in the NL.

17. Washington Nationals (25-25) – Through 50 games, the Washington Nationals sit with a record right at .500. The Nationals are in the mix within the NL East, which may be baseball’s most competitive division. The Nationals trail Philadelphia by just four games in the division. The Nationals are led by Josh Willingham and his 10 homeruns, 34 runs batted in and 29 runs scored. Washington has scored 214 runs, which is 11^th in the NL. On the pitching side, Washington has a team ERA of 4.34, which is also 11^th in the National League. Livan Hernandez has been a god send for the Nationals rotation, with a 2.08 earned run average. After Washington and San Diego play their rubber game on Sunday, the Nationals will head to Houston for a four game series. Over the weekend, Washington will host the red-hot Cincinnati Reds.

18. New York Mets (25-25) – Also at .500 on the season, the New York Mets. Despite all their injuries, they trail the divisional leading Phillies by just four games. The Mets will look to avoid a three game sweep in Milwaukee on Sunday. In the first two games, the Mets were shut-out, and then allowed 8 runs on Saturday. New York has a .250 batting average, which ranks 13^th in the National League. The leading hitter for New York has been Jason Bay, who is batting .299, and leading the team with 33 runs scored. The Mets will head to San Diego on Monday, for a three game series against the Padres. After taking Thursday off, the Mets will host divisional foe Florida on Friday.

19. Florida Marlins (24-26) – The Marlins are scratching their heads, looking for what happened to their bats, after going all game Saturday without a runner on base. The Marlins have fallen to last place in the NL East, after losing four straight games. The Marlins have scored 224 runs, and allowed 211, but still sit with a sub .500 record. The Marlins are led offensively by Cody Ross, and his .301 batting average, along with Dan Uggla’s 12 homeruns and Jorge Cantu’s 36 runs batted in. The Marlins will look to avoid a three game sweep on Sunday against Philadelphia on Sunday, and then host the Milwaukee Brewers for four games starting Monday. On Friday, the Marlins and Mets will start a three game series at Citi Field.

20. Chicago Cubs (24-26) – The Chicago Cubs are counting their blessings for right handed starting pitcher Carlos Silva. Silva is 7-0 on the season, with a 3.12 earned run average. Silva struck out 11 Cardinals batters on Saturday in the 5-0 win. Chicago is 6.5 games behind Cincinnati, in third place in the NL Central. Chicago’s offense has been led by Alfonso Soriano, with his 9 homeruns and 27 runs batted in. Marlon Byrd is batting .303 for a team that is batting .262 as a team. The Cubs, after the rubber game against St. Louis will head to Pittsburgh for three games. After taking Thursday off, the Cubs will head to Houston on Friday for a three game series.

21. Los Angeles Angels (24-27) – After coming away with a huge win on Saturday night, the Angels offense took a huge hit. After slugger Kendry Morales hit a walk-off homerun to beat the Mariners on Saturday, he broke his leg jumping onto home plate in a crowd of Angels players. Morales leads the team with 11 homeruns and 39 runs batted in on the season. Los Angeles will also be missing Torii Hunter, who got hit in the hand with a pitch on Saturday. The Angels are in third place in the AL West, trailing Oakland by 3.5 games. Los Angeles will look to take two of three over Seattle on Sunday, and then head to Kansas City on Monday to take on the Royals. On Friday, the Angels and Mariners will mix it up in Seattle.

22. Chicago White Sox (21-28) – The Chicago White Sox, after the Ozzie Guillen/Mark Buehrle melt down, still have yet to find the groove to get them going. The White Sox are 21-28 overall and 8 games behind the Minnesota Twins. Chicago has seen solid offensive contributions from Alex Rios and Paul Konerko, but overall, the White Sox offense has been poor. Rios leads the team with a .304 batting average, while Konerko has blasted 14 homeruns and drove home 33 runs. The White Sox have the worst team batting average in the AL; at .235. After the White Sox and Rays play their final game on Sunday, Chicago will take Monday off, then host Texas and Cleveland for three games each.

23. Milwaukee Brewers (21-28) – One of the most disappointing teams in the National League have been the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers are seven games under .500, and 8.5 games out of first place in the NL Central. The Brewers have scored 248 runs, which ranks 2^nd, but also have allowed 272, which is the worst in the NL. The Brewers team earned run average is 5.12. Milwaukee and the Mets will play the final game of a three game series on Sunday. Following that, the Brewers will head to Miami for four games against the Marlins, then to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals in a weekend series.

24. Kansas City Royals (21-29) – The Royals appear to be heading for their seventh straight season below .500. The Royals, at 21-29 are 8.5 games out of first place, in fourth place in the AL Central. Kansas City won the first two in Boston, but fell on Saturday. The Royals and Red Sox will play the final game of the four game series on Sunday. The Royals will send Bruce Chen to the mound to slow down the Red Sox offense. Kansas City as a team is batting .280, which ranks second in the AL. The Royals have scored 223 runs, while allowing 248. The Royals will start another four game series on Monday, when the Los Angeles Angels come to town. On Friday, Kansas City and Detroit will start a three game series at Kaufman Stadium.

25. Cleveland Indians (18-29) – The Cleveland Indians have scored 188 runs on the season, which is the third worst in the American League. Cleveland scored 13 runs in a two run win over the Yankees yesterday. The Indians will send Justin Masterson to the mound for the third of four on Sunday. Cleveland has been led offensively by Shin-Soo Choo, who has hit 7 homeruns and drove home 25 runs. The Indians have the worst earned run average in the American League; at 4.69. Cleveland, after leaving New York Monday will head to Detroit for three games, and Chicago for three games against the White Sox.

26. Seattle Mariners (19-29) – Possibly the most disappointing team in the American League could be the Seattle Mariners. At ten games below .500, Seattle is 7 games out of first place. The Mariners have been real poor on the road, winning just 7 of 23. Seattle and the Angels will play the rubber game of the three game series on Sunday with Ian Snell taking the mound. Ichiro Suzuki is having yet another sensational season for the Mariners, leading the team with a .337 batting average. The Mariners will welcome the Minnesota Twins to town on Monday for a four game series. On Friday, the Mariners will start a three game week-end series with the Angels of Los Angeles.

27. Pittsburgh Pirates (20-30) – The Pirates have given up the second most runs in all of baseball; 291. The also have scored the second fewest, only above Houston in all of baseball as well. Those numbers combined to a season record of ten games below .500 through 50 games. Pittsburgh has lost four straight games, and eight of their last ten overall. The Pirates rank 15^th in the NL with a 5.45 earned run average, and opponents are hitting .283 against them. The Pirates will look to avoid a three game sweep on Sunday in Atlanta. Following that game, the Pirates will head back home and welcome the Chicago Cubs to town. After taking Thursday off, the Pirates will host the San Francisco Giants over the weekend.

28. Arizona Diamondbacks (20-30) – The only team with worst statistical pitching numbers than the Pirates – the Pittsburgh Pirates. Arizona has allowed 310 runs on the season, and has a team earned run average of 5.95. After getting swept by the Colorado Rockies in Denver, the Diamondbacks will look to avoid another sweep; this time at the hands of the Giants on Sunday afternoon. Arizona will send Ian Kennedy to the mound. Arizona has scored 248 runs as a team, which ranks third in the National League. The top offensive player for Arizona has been Mark Reynolds, with his 39 runs batted in. Arizona will continue their road trip on Monday in Los Angeles, against the Dodgers. Following a day off Thursday, the Diamondbacks will host the Colorado Rockies for three over the weekend.

29. Houston Astros (16-33) – With the worst record in the National League, the Houston Astros may look to ship several of their top players during the 2010 season. With talks about Roy Oswalt leaving Houston, names like Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee have also emerged. The Astros have lost the first two in a weekend series to Cincinnati, allowing 27 runs in two games. Hunter Pence leads the team in homeruns (8) and runs batted in (23). Houston is last in batting average (.230) and runs scored (149). The Astros will host the Washington Nationals for a four game series starting on Monday. On Friday, Houston will welcome divisional foe Chicago to town.

30. Baltimore Orioles (15-35) – With the worst record in all of baseball, the Baltimore Orioles come in as the 30^th ranked team in MLB. Baltimore has won just 6 of 27 games on the road this season, including the last two in Toronto. The Orioles rank 9^th in team batting average, with .250, while scoring just 174 runs, second worst in the AL. Baltimore’s Ty Wigginton has hit 13 homeruns, drove home 32 runs, and scored 23 times – all team leading. The Orioles will stat a three game series in New York on Tuesday, and then welcome the Boston Red Sox to town on Friday.

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 5/10/2010
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 5/24/2010)

1. Tampa Bay Rays (22-9) – Despite being no hit on Sunday, Tampa Bay still holds the best record in baseball. At 22-9, Tampa Bay leads the American League East, just slightly ahead of the Yankees. Tampa Bay has scored 174 runs, which ranks second in the AL. Their pitching has been solid as well, anchored by Matt Garza and his 5 wins, and David Price’s sub 2.00 earned run average. Evan Longoria is leading the team in batting average (.325), homeruns (7), runs batted in (23) and runs scored (28). The west coast trip will continue Monday for the Rays. The third city will be Los Angeles, where the Angels await the Rays. After taking Thursday, Tampa Bay will host the Seattle Mariners for a three game series.

2. New York Yankees (21-9) – The Yankees, after winning the first two over the Red Sox, fell on Sunday. New York, with a win, would have taken over the top spot in the American League East. New York leads in almost all offensive categories; batting average (.283), runs scored (175), OBS (.375), SLG (.468) and OPS (.840). They have also seen solid pitching, as the team has a combined ERA of 3.42. New York will continue their seven game road trip on Monday, for a four game series in Detroit against the Tigers. On Friday, the Yankees will come back home and host the Minnesota Twins. Robinson Cano is putting up MVP like numbers, with a .333 bating average, along with 9 homeruns and 22 runs batted in.

3. Minnesota Twins (21-11) – The Minnesota Twins continue their red-hot play, winning seven of their last ten games. After sweeping Detroit, the Twins beat the Baltimore Orioles two out of three over the weekend. Minnesota has enjoyed the third best pitching in the American League, anchored by Francisco Liriano and his 4 wins and 2.36 earned run average. Offensively, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer are leading the team. Morneau leads with 7 homeruns, while Cuddyer has drove him 23 runners. The Twins will host the White Sox Tuesday and Wednesday, then play three in the Bronx against the Yankees over the weekend.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (19-12) – The Philadelphia Phillies won the battle of the “two best teams in the NL” when they took three of four from the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this week. Philadelphia holds a two game lead over the Mets and Nationals atop the NL East. The Phillies have the largest run differential in the NL, with +45. Their 160 runs scored is third best in the league, while they are hitting .271 as a team. Jayson Werth is batting .349 for the Phillies, while Chase Utley continues his power surge, with 8 homeruns. The Phillies will start a three game series in Colorado on Monday. After taking Thursday off, the Phillies will play three in Milwaukee over the weekend.

5. San Diego Padres (18-11) – The Padres hold a slim ½ game lead at the top of the NL West. San Diego and San Francisco will battle it out for first place this week, starting Tuesday in San Francisco. Following that trip, the Padres will host the Dodgers for three over the weekend. The Padres have enjoyed quality starting pitching, with the second best earned run average in the NL, 2.70. The San Diego bats need to find some awakening, as they are batting just .244, for 12^th place in the NL. Adrian Gonzalez leads the team with 6 homeruns and 17 runs batted. Chase Headley leads the team in batting average (.325) and runs scored (20).

6. St. Louis Cardinals (20-12) – After losing three of four in Philadelphia, the Cardinals were able to bounce back and win two of three in Pittsburgh, including scoring 11 runs on Sunday. St. Louis still sits with the best record in the National League, and the largest divisional lead; of 3.5. Adam Wainwright picked up his fifth win of the season, and his earned run average is just slightly over 2.00. The Cardinals pitching has been outstanding, leading the NL in ERA, with a 2.71. The offense has been inconsistent, but rookie third baseman David Freese has been sharp, hitting .320. The Cardinals are taking Monday off, then hosting divisional rival Houston for three games starting on Tuesday. On Friday, the Cardinals will play in Cincinnati, a team they have beat four out of six times so far this season.

7. San Francisco Giants (18-12) – At 18-12, the San Francisco Giants are in second place in the National Leagues West. The Giants trail San Diego by just ½ game. The Giants were able to manage one win away from the three game series in New York, by winning 6-5 on Sunday. The Giants have seen spectacular pitching, with a 2.97 earned run average. That mark ranks them third in the NL. The Giants have scored 134 runs on the season, which ranks 9^th. Barry Zito has had a fantastic season, leading the team with 5 wins, and sub 2.00 earned run average. The Giants will host the Padres for a three game series starting Tuesday, and then welcome Houston to town over the weekend.

8. Toronto Blue Jays (19-14) – Toronto continues to hold on near the top of the American League East. At 19-14, the Blue Jays are four games behind the Rays for the top spot. The Blue Jays have won eight of their last ten, including Sunday’s 9-7 win over the Chicago White Sox. The Blue Jays are led offensively by Alex Gonzalez and his 10 homeruns and 27 runs batted in. The Blue Jays will travel to divisional rival Boston for a three game series starting on Monday. After taking Thursday off, Toronto will host the Texas Rangers for a three game series.

9. Detroit Tigers (17-14) – The Tigers, at 17-14 have fallen 3.5 games back of the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. Detroit, after getting swept by the Twins, split two in Cleveland over the weekend. The Tigers have seen great offensive production from Miguel Cabrera, who has hit 7 homeruns and drove home 33 runs this season. The Tigers are sixth in the AL with 149 runs scored, while they have given up 146. Detroit will start a rough week, hosting the Yankees for four on Monday and Red Sox for three on Friday.

10. Oakland Athletics (17-15) – Dallas Braden made history on Sunday, throwing a perfect game against the top hitting team in the Major Leagues. The win for the A’s was their second straight over the Rays. Oakland is just one game back of Texas at the top of the American League West. Braden leads the team with four wins and an earned run average of 3.33. Oakland has seen solid pitching, with a team ERA of 3.90 and opponents batting just .245 against them. Offensively, Oakland has struggled, with a .251 batting average. The Athletics will take Monday off, before head out for a six game road trip. The road trip will include stops in Texas and Los Angeles (Angels).

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11. Washington Nationals (17-14) – The Washington Nationals have continued their solid start to the 2010 season. At 17-14, the Nationals are just two games out of first place in the NL East. Washington took two of three over the weekend over the Marlins, and will now go to New York for a three game series. After the series ends, the Nationals will come home for a four game series at home with the Rockies. Washington has been led by Josh Willingham, with 6 homeruns, 20 runs batted in and 18 runs scored. Tyler Clippard, out of the bullpen has pitched in 16 games this season, and won 6, with 7 holds and a 0.76 earned run average.

12. New York Mets (17-14) – The Mets dropped the final game of a three game series with the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. New York, at 17-14 is tied in second place with Washington, two games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. New York has struggled offensive, hitting just .236 as a team, with 132 total runs scored, but the pitching has been solid. The Mets have a team ERA of 3.55, which ranks them fourth in the NL. Mike Pelfrey leads the team with four wins and an ERA of 2.65. New York will host Washington for three starting Monday, then head to Miami to take on the Marlins for four over the weekend.

13. Boston Red Sox (16-16) – The Red Sox were able to salvage the final game of a three game series with the Yankees to climb back to .500 on the season. Boston swept the Angels in four games at the start of the week to move above .500. The Red Sox are seven games behind the Rays in the AL East. Boston’s pitching has been horrid this season, ranking last in the AL with a 5.11 earned run average, along with opponents batting .269 against pitchers. The Red Sox have seen another solid season from second basemen Dustin Pedroia, as he leads the team in homeruns (7) and runs batted in (27). Boston will host the Blue Jays for a three game series, starting Monday. After taking Thursday off, the Red Sox will play three in Detroit, against the Tigers.

14. Texas Rangers (18-14) – Winners of four straight games, the Texas Rangers are atop the American League West. The Rangers are coming off a four game sweep at home, over the Kansas City Royals. Texas ranks fifth in the American League with a 3.74 team earned run average, and 8^th with a .253 batting average. The Rangers will welcome leading homerun hitter Nelson Cruz on Thursday, after a stint on the disabled list. Cruz leads Texas with 7 homeruns. The Rangers will take Monday off, and host Oakland for three starting Tuesday, before heading on the road for a weekend series in Toronto.

15. Colorado Rockies (15-16) – Ubaldo Jimenez picked up his first loss of the season on Sunday, as the Rockies offense was shutdown by Dodgers’ starter Clayton Kershaw. Colorado has been led offensively by Carlos Gonzalez and Ian Stewart. Gonzalez leads the team with a .318 batting average, while Stewart has knocked 6 homeruns on the season. The Rockies are in third place in the NL West, four games behind the leader – San Diego Padres. Colorado will start a seven game home stand on Monday, when they welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to town for a three game series. On Thursday, the Rockies will host Washington, for the start of a four game series spanning until Sunday.

16. Milwaukee Brewers (15-16) – The Brewers got healthy over the weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks pitching. Milwaukee scored 26 runs in a three game sweep. The series moved the Brewers to 15-16 overall and third place in the NL Central. They currently trail St. Louis by 4.5 games. Ryan Braun has put up MVP type numbers; batting .365 with 6 homeruns and 28 runs batted in. The Brewers, with 173 runs have scored the most in the NL. Pitching has been where the Brewers have taken a hit, as they rank 12^th in the NL with a 4.88 ERA. Milwaukee will look to keep the win streak alive on Monday against the Atlanta Braves. On Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies will come into Milwaukee for a three game series.

17. Florida Marlins (14-17) – The Marlins won the first game of a three game series in Washington D.C, but then fell in the final two. Those two losses sent the Marlins to 14-17 overall and fourth place in the National League East. Florida trails the Philadelphia Phillies by five games in the division. Hanley Ramirez is leading the team in batting average (.308) and homeruns (7). Florida, as a team is batting .260, and have scored 142 runs. Florida will start a three game series at Wrigley Field in Chicago against the Cubs on Monday. On Thursday, Florida will host divisional rival New York for a four game series spanning until Sunday.

18. Arizona Diamondbacks (14-18) – Arizona, fresh off a three game sweep from the Milwaukee Brewers have fallen to 14-18 overall. The Diamondbacks with the sweep dropped to last place in the NL West, 5.5 games behind the Padres. The Diamondbacks have been horrible in the pitching department, with a 5.49 earned run average. Opponents are hitting .282 against the Arizona pitching, which is second worst in the NL. The Diamondbacks will host divisional foe Dodgers on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Following that series, the Diamondbacks will take Thursday off, and then play in Atlanta over the weekend.

19. Cincinnati Reds (16-15) – After losing the opening game of the series, Cincinnati took two of three from divisional rival Chicago. The Reds pushed above .500, and put them just 3.5 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Central. The Reds are led by Joey Votto, with .315 batting average, 7 homeruns and 20 runs batted in. Cincinnati is batting .253 at homes, for 11^th in the NL. Reds pitching ranks 14^th in the NL with a 5.36 earned run average. Cincinnati will head to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates for three starting Monday. The Reds will take Thursday off, and then host the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend. The Reds have lost four of six from the Cardinals thus far in 2010.

20. Chicago Cubs (14-18) – The Chicago Cubs just lost five of six on a road trip to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The lone bright spot was the call-up of shortstop Starlin Castro, who blasted a homerun and triple in his rookie debut. The Cubs are in fifth place in the NL Central, six games behind the front running Cardinals. Chicago has hit the ball, with a .275 batting average, which places them third in the NL, but have had problems on the mound, as their team ERA is 4.40 and opponents are hitting .263 against them. Both of those numbers rank the Cubs 10^th in the NL. Chicago will host the Florida Marlins, starting on Monday for three, before taking Thursday off. Over the weekend, the Cubs will look to get revenge on divisional for Pittsburgh.

21. Chicago White Sox (13-19) – The White Sox are coming off losing three of four to the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend. That sends the White Sox to 13-19 overall, and in third place in the American League Central. Much of the White Sox problem has been offensively, where they are batting just .226 as team, 13^th in the AL. Alex Rios leads the team with a .324 batting average, while Paul Konerko has bombed 13 homeruns and drove in 27 runs. The White Sox also rank 11^th in team ERA, with a 4.61. Chicago will play a two game series Tuesday and Wednesday in Minnesota, before taking Thursday off, and play three more in Kansas City over the weekend.

22. Los Angeles Angels (14-17) – The Angels, after their rough series in Boston, beat the Mariners two in a row, before falling on Sunday. The Angels are 14-17 overall, and in third place in the American League West. They trail the Rangers by 4.5 games in the division. Kendry Morales leads the team in batting average (.287), homeruns (7) and runs batted in (22). The Angels have struggled pitching, with a 4.98 earned run average. The Angels are going to host the Tampa Bay Rays Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, before taking Thursday off. On Friday, the Angels will host the Oakland Athletics for a three game series.

23. Los Angeles Dodgers (12-16) – The Dodgers, in fourth place in the National League West picked up a big win Sunday over Colorado, to win two of three in the series. Los Angeles got great pitching from Clayton Kershaw, to give Ubaldo Jimenez his first loss of the season. The Dodgers need the pitching improvement, as they have a combined 5.04 earned run average. Surprisingly, the Dodgers are leading the NL in batting average, at .277. Andre Ethier is the early season MVP as he leads in batting average (.383), homeruns (10) and runs batted in (32). The Dodgers will head to Phoenix on Monday to take on the Diamondbacks in the first of a three game series. After taking Thursday off, Los Angeles will head to San Diego, to play the Padres over the weekend.

24. Pittsburgh Pirates (14-17) – In an effort to get above .500 for the first time in 20 years, the Pittsburgh Pirates have started 14-17. Pittsburgh, after sweeping the Cubs, lost two of three to the first place St. Louis Cardinals. Within the NL Central, Pittsburgh is in fourth place, 5.5 games out of first place. The Pirates have been good in low scoring, close games, as their -82 run differential shows that is proof positive. Youngster Andrew McCutchen is batting .333 with 4 homeruns to lead the Pirates offense, which is hitting just .243 as a team. The Pirates will host the Cincinnati Reds Monday – Wednesday, then take Thursday off and head to Wrigley Field in Chicago over the weekend.

25. Seattle Mariners (12-19) – Losers of eight of their last ten games, the Seattle Mariners have fallen to seven games below .500 through the first 1/6^th of the MLB season. The Mariners snapped their nasty losing streak on Sunday, knocking off the Angels 8-1. Seattle is led in hitting by Ichiro Suzuki, as he is batting .326, and has 15 runs scored. The Mariners as a team are hitting just .225, worst in the American League. The Mariners are 5.5 games behind Texas in the American League West.

26. Atlanta Braves (13-18) – Despite being out scored on the season by just 12 runs, the Atlanta Braves are five games below .500 to start 2010. In Bobby Cox’s last season as the manager of the Atlanta Braves, his team is batting just .231, which ranks them 15^th in the National League. Rookie Jason Heyward has been one of the lone bright spots offensively, blasting 8 homeruns and driving in 26 runs. Atlanta will start a three game series in Milwaukee on Monday, and then take Thursday off, before host the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend.

27. Cleveland Indians (11-18) – The Indians are coming off a split of two games with the Detroit Tigers over the weekend. At 11-18, Cleveland is 8.5 games behind the Tigers in the American League Central. The Indians have been carried offensively by Shin-Soo Choo, with a .315 batting average, four homeruns, 19 runs batted in and 16 runs scored. The Indians as a team are batting .241, which ranks them 11^th in the AL. The Indians will take Monday off, and then head to Kansas City on Tuesday and Baltimore on Friday.

28. Kansas City Royals (11-21) – The Kansas City Royals have lost five straight games, and seven of their last ten overall. The Royals have dropped to 10 games out of first in the American League Central Division. The Royals have hit the ball effectively, ranking third in the AL with a .274 batting average. The pitching has been horrid, compiling a team earned run average of 5.11, the second worst in the AL. Jose Guillen leads the team in homeruns (8) and runs batted in (21) and runs scored (18). The Royals will host divisional rival Cleveland on Tuesday – Thursday, and then another divisional team; the Chicago White Sox will come in over the weekend.

29. Houston Astros (10-21) – With the worst record in the National League, the Houston Astros are looking for ways to rebuild this season. There have been early talks of Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and possibly Roy Oswalt leaving town by August. The Astros are in last place in the NL Central, 9.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Houston snapped their three game losing streak on Sunday, downing the San Diego Padres 4-3. The Astros rank last in the NL in batting average, with a .225 and runs scored, with just 81. The Astros will head to St. Louis on Tuesday and play a three game series against the Cardinals, before traveling out to San Francisco for the weekend.

30. Baltimore Orioles (9-23) – With the worst record in baseball,  the Baltimore Orioles are looking for as many positives as they can. Ty Wigginton is one of them, leading the team in homeruns and RBI’s, with 10 and 20 respectively. The Orioles have struggled both on the offensive side and on the mound. The Orioles are batting .246 and have a team ERA of 4.51. Both of those statistics rank the Orioles 10^th in the American League. Baltimore is 13.5 games out of first place in the American League East. The Orioles will host the Seattle Mariners Tuesday – Thursday, and then welcome the Cleveland Indians to town over the weekend.

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 4/25/2010
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1. Tampa Bay Rays (13-5) – The Tampa Bay Rays come into Sunday’s action tied for the best record in baseball; 13-5. Tampa Bay has been successful via their offense that has slugged 107 runs; tops in the major leagues. The Rays offensively have been led by Carl Crawford and his .319 batting average. B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist have done their share to assault American League pitching thus far as well. Tampa Bay currently holds just a ½ game lead on the New York Yankees for the top spot in the American League East. The Rays, after finishing their series Sunday with the Jays, will take Monday off, then host Oakland and Kansas City to finish up the first month of the season.

2. New York Yankees (12-5) – The Yankees are in the midst of a nine game road trip; which is their longest this month. After winning two out of three in Oakland, the Yankees seek the rubber game of a three game series at Angel Stadium on Sunday. New York trails Tampa Bay by just a ½ game for the American League East lead. The Yankees have allowed just 59 runs on the season, led by their two left handed starting pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte. New York will take Monday off, and then play a three game series in Baltimore. Following the road trip, the Yankees will come back home and play a weekend series with the Chicago White Sox.

3. Philadelphia Phillies (11-6) – The best team in the National League appears to be the Philadelphia Phillies. Charlie Manuel’s team has the combination of pitching and powerful and timely hitting that defines champions. After winning the 2008 World Series, and falling in 2009 – Philadelphia looks to get back to the October Classic for the third straight season. The Phillies have seen their ace Roy Halladay win all four of his starts to begin the season. Halladay, in those starts, has accumulated 28 strikeouts and has an ERA of 0.82. Philadelphia will continue their nine game road trip, after leaving Arizona on Sunday, as they head to San Francisco for three to start the week. Following the trip, Philadelphia will come back home and host the New York Mets over the weekend.

4. Minnesota Twins (13-5) – Minnesota, along with Tampa Bay, has the best record in all of baseball. The Twins won their second straight over Kansas City on Saturday night; in 12 innings. The Twins have a three game lead over Detroit coming into play on Sunday. Justin Morneau is leading the team in homeruns, with 3, as catcher Joe Mauer is batting a team high .381. Minnesota has out scored their opponents 98-66 through the first 18 games of the season. The nine game road trip will continue for Minnesota, after leaving Kansas City they will make their second stop in Detroit on Tuesday, and Cleveland on Friday.

5. San Diego Padres (11-6) – The biggest surprise in all of baseball to this point has been the San Diego Padres. Winners of eight straight games, San Diego holds a one game lead over San Francisco for the top spot in the National League West. The Padres have enjoyed three straight games where slugger Adrian Gonzalez has knocked one over the boards. San Diego has the best pitching statistics in the national league, ranking 1^st in ERA and WHIP, and 2^nd in batting average against. San Diego will look to finish the three game sweep in Cincinnati on Sunday, before heading south to Miami, to take on the Marlins. On Thursday, San Diego will be back home, in time to face the Brewers in a four game series, finishing up on Sunday.

6. St. Louis Cardinals (10-7) – The St. Louis Cardinals won their first five series of the season, winning 2 out of 3 in them all. The streak was snapped Saturday when the Giants blanked St. Louis 2-0. The win was the Giants second straight over the Cardinals. Albert Pujols and the Cardinals will look to avoid the sweep on Sunday. St. Louis has shown inconsistency in scoring runs, as they rank 12^th in the National League. The pitching has been solid for the Cardinals, behind aces Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. The team’s 2.87 earned run average, ranks them second in the NL. After completing the series with the Giants on Sunday, St. Louis will start a seven game home stand on Monday, starting with four against the Atlanta Braves, followed by a visit for three by the Cincinnati Reds.

7. Oakland Athletics (11-8) – Oakland enjoys a 1.5 game lead in the American League West over the Seattle Mariners. The Athletics have enjoyed playing at home, winning 8 of 13 there, while going just 3-3 on the road. The Athletics will play the rubber match of a three game set with Cleveland on Sunday, and then hit the road. On Tuesday, Oakland will play in Tampa Bay, against the Rays, and then Friday the Athletics and Blue Jays meet north of the border. Oakland has seen a power surge from Kurt Suzuki, who already has four homeruns and 11 runs batted in.

8. Florida Marlins (10-8) – The Florida Marlins are getting a red-hot start out of second basemen Dan Uggla. Known more for his power, Uggla has kicked the season off with a .333 batting average, along with his four homeruns and 11 RBI’s. The Marlins offense ranks 5^th in the National League with 87 runs. Florida, after being postponed in Denver on Friday played a doubleheader Saturday, splitting the two games. The teams will play the final game of the three game series on Sunday. Following the trip to Denver, the Marlins will be home Monday to host the San Diego Padres. After taking Thursday off, Florida will welcome divisional rival Washington Nationals to town on Friday.

9. San Francisco Giants (10-7) – With possibly the best pitching in the National League, the San Francisco Giants are off to a 10-7 start. After getting swept by San Diego, the Giants have held the Cardinals to just 1 run in 2 games, winning the first two. They will attempt the three game sweep on Sunday behind Matt Cain. The Giants rank 1^st in the National League in batting average against (.219) and OPS (.617), along with 2^nd in ERA (2.82). San Francisco will continue their nine game home stand, starting Monday, when the National League East leading Philadelphia Phillies come to town. The final three games of the home stand will be over the weekend, against divisional foe Colorado.

10. Detroit Tigers (10-8) – In an attempt to keep pace with the Minnesota Twins atop the American League Central, Detroit is off to a 10-8 start. The Tigers have played 12 of their first 18 games on the road this season. They have two more games in Arlington, before coming home on Tuesday to host Minnesota and the Angels for the week. The Tigers rank first in the American League in on base percentage, with a 3.72. They are 2^nd in batting average, as they are hitting .278. Detroit’s main cog has been Miguel Cabrera. He leads the team with a .361 batting average, along with 4 homeruns, and 22 runs batted in. The Tigers, despite the 10-8 record, have been out scored by their opponents 85-84.

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11. Toronto Blue Jays (10-8) – The Toronto Blue Jays will look to win two of three in Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Blue Jays are making an effort to stay near the top with the two powers within the division; Yankees and Rays. Toronto has gotten solid offensive numbers from Vernon Wells, who is batting .306 with 7 homeruns and 13 runs batted in. The Blue Jays will head back home on Monday, to start a seven game home trip. Monday the Red Sox will come to town, and then on Thursday, a four game series with the Oakland Athletics will begin.

12. Boston Red Sox (8-10) – The Red Sox have struggled to start the season, with an 8-10 record. On Sunday, the Red Sox will look to pick up a three game sweep over the Baltimore Orioles. Boston has struggled both offensively and pitching, as the team is just 11^th in earned run average, with 4.61.  Their team batting average is .250, which is 7^th in the American League. Dustin Pedroia is leading the team with a .284 batting average, along with five homeruns and 13 runs batted in. The Red Sox will head north of the border on Monday to take on the Blue Jays. After taking Thursday off, the Red Sox will head to Baltimore to take on the Orioles.

13. Colorado Rockies (9-9) – The Colorado Rockies are hovering around .500 through the first 18 games of the season. Colorado split a doubleheader Saturday at home with the Florida Marlins. The Rockies and Marlins will finish up their series Sunday. On Monday, the Rockies will welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to town, and then on Friday will head to San Francisco to take on divisional foe – the Giants. The Rockies are 5^th in earned run average, with a 3.54, led by Ubaldo Jimenez and his 0.95.

14. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (9-10) – The Angels, with their 9-10 record, are just two games behind the Oakland Athletics for the top spot in the American League West. They are hitting .257 as a team, as that ranks them 6^th in the National League. The pitching has not been up to the usual standards for Angels baseball, as they rank 12^th in the American League with a 4.63 earned run average. Joel Piniero, coming over from St. Louis has been decent for the Angels, with two wins and a 3.42 earned run average. The Angels, after finishing their series with the Yankees on Sunday will host the Cleveland Indians for three on Monday, and then play in Detroit for three over the weekend.

15. Los Angeles Dodgers (8-9) – The Dodgers, who come into Sunday ranked first in the National League in both batting average (.297) and runs (103) managed just 5 runs in the first two games of a series in Washington D.C., against the Nationals. The Dodgers will look to take two of three on Sunday. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have been the main cogs in the Dodgers lineup, as Ethier is batting .356, while Kemp has 7 homeruns and 20 runs batted in. Los Angeles has struggled pitching, as they are 13^th in the NL with a 5.12 earned run average. The Dodgers will stay out east and play at Citi Field against the Mets, Monday through Wednesday. On Thursday, the Dodgers will host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first of a four game series.

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16. Chicago Cubs (8-10) – The Cubs are looking to get back on track, after winning just 6 of their first 16 games in 2010. Chicago beat Milwaukee on the road in the first two games of a three game series. The Cubs big news of the week was sending starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen. Ted Lilly came back to the starting rotation and pitched very well in the win over the Brewers. New comer Carlos Silva has been solid, compiling a 0.95 earned run average through the first three weeks of the season. The Cubs will host the Nationals for three and Diamondbacks for four this week at the friendly confines.

17. Milwaukee Brewers (8-10) – The Milwaukee Brewers will look to avoid a three game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. The Brewers have been out scored 13-2 in the first two games of the series. This comes after the Brewers pounding the Pirates 36-1 in three games on the road. The Brewers rank second in the National League with a .281 batting average, along with 99 runs. Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun is batting .366, with 5 homeruns and 20 runs batted in. The Brewers will host the Pittsburgh Pirates starting on Monday, before they head to San Diego for a four game set on Thursday.

18. New York Mets (9-9) – The New York Mets are looking to improve upon their 70 win season in 2009.  They are off to a better start, but still hovered around .500. The Mets rank 14^th in the National League with a .230 batting average and 13^th with 74 runs scored. New York’s offense sees Jeff Francouer lead the team in many categories, including batting average (.279), homeruns (3) and runs batted in (10). New York will look to complete a three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night baseball. Following that game, New York will host the Los Angeles Dodgers for three games starting Monday. On Friday, the Mets will play in Philadelphia, against the Phillies.

19. Atlanta Braves (8-9) – The Braves have lost four straight games, and will look to snap that streak on Sunday Night Baseball. Atlanta has been out scored 75-70 in their first 17 games. The pitching has been average for the Braves, as they rank 4^th in the National League with a .237 batting average against. Rookie Jason Heyward has paced the offense, with 4 homeruns and 16 runs batted in. The team batting average for Atlanta is poor, at .227, ranks 15^th. The Braves will finish up their series Sunday night and then head to St. Louis for a four game series with the Cardinals. On Friday, Atlanta will host the Houston Astros for the start of a three game series.

20. Washington Nationals (9-9) – Washington was pleased to see rookie Luis Atilano earn his first professional winning, shutting down the Dodgers offense on Friday night. The future looks bring for the Nationals, and 2010 has been a decent start to the season. At .500 on the season, Washington is tied with the Mets for third place in the National League East. Ivan Rodriguez, in his first season with the Nationals is batting .411, while Josh Willingham has pounded 3 homeruns and drove home 11 runs. The Nationals will head to Chicago on Monday to take on the Cubs, and then on Friday, in Miami, against the Marlins.

21. Seattle Mariners (9-9) – The Mariners have climbed back to .500, despite losing the first two in Chicago. The Mariners have made hay at home this season, winning seven of nine. On Sunday, the Mariners will look to avoid the three game sweep from the White Sox. Following that game, Seattle will head to Kansas City to face-off with the Royals. On Friday, Seattle will be back home, to host the Texas Rangers. Seattle ranks third in the American League with a 3.41 earned run average, along with fourth in quality starts; with 11.

22. Cleveland Indians (8-9) – Following a slow start, the Cleveland Indians have climbed back towards .500 within the American League Central. The Indians are led offensively by Shin-Soo Choo, who leads the team in batting average (.300), homeruns (4), runs batted in (13) and runs scored (10). The Indians offense, as a team has struggled, ranking 14^th with a .223 batting average. Following the final game in Oakland on Sunday, the Indians will head to Anaheim to take on the Angels for three. On Friday, the Indians will host the American League Central leading Minnesota Twins.

23. Texas Rangers (7-10) – Despite a good start from Vladimir Guerrero, and his .371 batting average, the Texas Rangers have started the season 7-10. Texas is in last place in the American League West, trailing the front running Oakland Athletics by three games. Nelson Cruz has provided the power for Texas, bombing 7 homeruns and driving in 17 runs. The Rangers and Tigers are playing the third of a four game series on Sunday. On Monday, they will play the final game of the series in Arlington. On Tuesday, the Rangers will welcome the White Sox for a three game set. Over the weekend, Texas will head out West to Seattle to take on divisional foe – Mariners.

24. Arizona Diamondbacks (7-10) – Winners of just one of six games on the road this season are the Arizona Diamondbacks. After losing two of three at home to St. Louis, the Diamondbacks will look to win the 2^nd of 3 over Philadelphia on Sunday. The Diamondbacks are led by Kelly Johnson, and his .327 batting average, along with 6 homeruns. The offense ranks fifth in batting average (.267), fourth in runs (90) and fourth in OBP (.792). Arizona will head to Denver on Monday for a three game series; followed by a trip to Chicago for a four game- weekend set.

25. Houston Astros (7-10) – After such a bad start, the Astros are moving their way back to the .500 point in the season. The Astros took two of three from the Marlins at home, and will look to sweep their divisional foe Pittsburgh on Sunday. Houston has gotten solid offensive numbers from Jeff Keppinger. He is hitting .327, with 6 runs batted in. The Astros have scored a league worst 50 runs on the season. Houston will take Monday off, then welcome the Cincinnati Reds to town for a three game set on Tuesday. Over the weekend, Houston will head to Atlanta, to take on the Braves.

26. Pittsburgh Pirates (7-10) – After getting off to a quick start, the Pittsburgh Pirates have lost five straight games. The worst of those losses came on Thursday afternoon, when the Milwaukee Brewers pounded them 20-0. Pittsburgh will look to avoid a three game sweep in Houston on Sunday afternoon. The Pirates rank last in the National League with an earned run average of nearly 7. They also rank last in batting average against, as opponents are hitting .304 against Pirate pitchers. Pittsburgh will play in Milwaukee for three starting Monday, and then head out west to take on the Dodgers for four.

27. Chicago White Sox (7-11) – The White Sox, after a 5-11 start, have found some energy over the weekend, winning two straight games via the walk-off homerun. Friday night it was veteran Andruw Jones, while Alex Rios did the honors on Saturday. Rios is batting .281 with 3 homeruns and 9 runs batted in for Chicago. The White Sox will seek a three game sweep of the Mariners on Sunday afternoon. After taking Monday off, the White Sox will head to Texas for a three game set, then a trip to the Bronx, to take on the Yankees.

28. Cincinnati Reds (7-11) – The Reds, at 7-11, are towards the bottom of the National League Central Division. They will look to avoid a three game sweep at home, from the Padres on Sunday. Following the Padres, Cincinnati will take Monday off, before heading out to Houston and St. Louis. The Reds have struggled offensively, batting just .238, ranking 12^th in the National League. The pitching has also been poor, as they rank 15^th with a 6.19 earned run average.

29. Kansas City Royals (6-11) – At the bottom of the American League Central, are the Kansas City Royals. The offense has been sharp for Kansas City, as they rank first in the American League with a .296 batting average. The pitching has been just as bad, with a 5.55 earned run average, which ranks last in the American League. Jose Guillen has mashed six homeruns and drove home 15 runs batted in, along with scoring 13 runs. The Royals are looking to avoid the sweep at the hands of the first place Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Following that series, the Royals will host Seattle for three, and then head to Tampa Bay for a four game series.

30. Baltimore Orioles (2-16) – The Baltimore Orioles have won just 2 of 18 games to start the season. Baltimore will look to avoid a three game sweep over the weekend in Boston on Sunday. Ty Wigginton has been the lone bright spot for the Orioles offense, batting .333, with 6 homeruns and 12 runs batted in. The pitching has been awful for Baltimore, ranking 13^th in ERA, batting average against and OPS. After the road trip, the Orioles schedule will get no easier, as they host the Yankees for three and the Red Sox for three.

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1. Philadelphia Phillies (4-1) – The Phillies lead all of baseball with 41 runs through five games. After winning two of three on the road in Washington, Philadelphia has won the first two in Houston, over the Astros. Ryan Howard has struck out just one time this season, and has 3 homeruns, 10 runs batted in, and a .542 batting average. Jamie Moyer picked up a win on Saturday night, for a win in his fourth decade in professional baseball. The Phillies, after finishing the series in Houston will start their home season on Monday with visits from Washington and Florida next week.

2. Minnesota Twins (5-1) – The Minnesota Twins are 5-1, winning their first 5 games of the season. The Twins lost to Anaheim in their season opener, then beat them three straight, and now have won the first two from divisional rival Chicago. Jason Kubel hit a two run homerun on Saturday to lead the Twins to a 2-1 win over the White Sox, giving Scott Baker his first win of the season. The Twins have received two homeruns and four runs batted in from Justin Morneau, along with a .381 batting average. The Twins will finish their series in Chicago on Sunday, then come home and open up their new stadium. The Boston Red Sox will play in Minneapolis Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and the Kansas City Royals will come in over the weekend.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (4-1) – The Cardinals have won four of their first five, all over divisional foes. St. Louis took two of three from Cincinnati, and have taken the first two from Milwaukee. The Cardinals and Brewers will finish their series on Sunday Night Baseball. Albert Pujols started hot hitting two homeruns on opening day, giving Chris Carpenter a win. Adam Wainwright and Brad Penny followed up with solid starts and rookie Jaime Garcia pitched six strong on Saturday. The Cardinals are led by Matt Holliday’s .476 batting average, while Yadier Molina leads with 7 runs batted in. The Cardinals will start their home season next week with the Houston Astros and New York Mets coming into town.

4. San Francisco Giants (4-1) – The Giants took their first loss of the season on Saturday night at the hands of the Atlanta Braves. Edgar Renteria has started the season on fire, with a .524 batting average. Tim Lincecum, after striking out 7 in the opener over Houston will look to lead the Giants to a series win on Sunday afternoon. San Francisco will welcome Pittsburgh to town starting Monday, then head on the road over the weekend for three games in Los Angeles.

5. Detroit Tigers (4-1) – The Detroit Tigers are off to a quick start, winning four of their first five. The Tigers went to Kansas City and won two of their first three, then beat the Indians in the first two games of their series. Magglio Ordonez leads Detroit with a .476 batting average, along with 2 homeruns and 7 runs batted in. The Tigers pitching has only allowed 14 runs in 5 games to start the season. Detroit will host the Kansas City Royals for three games starting Monday, then head to Seattle for a weekend series.

6. New York Yankees (3-2) – The defending World Series champions have lost the first game of both series they have played this season. To start the season, the Boston Red Sox downed them 9-7, but New York came back with 6-4 and 3-1 wins. On Friday, the Tampa Bay Rays edged the Yankees 9-3, but the Yankees came back with a 10-0 win behind C.C. Sabathia’s 1 hitter. Robinson Cano is off to a quick start, hitting .381 with 2 homeruns and 6 runs batted in. New York will take Monday off before playing their home opener on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. On Friday, the Yankees will welcome the Texas Rangers to town.

7. Tampa Bay Rays (3-2) – The Tampa Bay Rays will look to win their second series of the season on Sunday against the New York Yankees. The Rays started the season beating Baltimore twice, and falling in the final game. Evan Longoria is off to a good start for Tampa Bay, hitting .333 with two homeruns and five runs batted in. Tampa Bay will start a road trip on Monday in Baltimore that will see them heading to Boston for a set over the weekend.

8. Oakland Athletics (4-2) – The Oakland Athletics will look to beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a weekend series; on Sunday. After winning the opening series over Seattle, the Athletics are off to a solid start. Oakland has scored 30 runs, allowing 21 in six games played this season. Offensively, the Athletics are led by Daric Barton, and his .421 batting average, and 7 runs batted in. Oakland will head out to Seattle for a three game set starting on Monday, before coming back home Thursday and hosting Baltimore for four over the weekend.

9. Toronto Blue Jays (4-1) – Despite not having Roy Halliday as the opening day pitcher for the first time in a decade, the Toronto Blue Jays have started the season with four out of five wins. The Blue Jays lost their season opener at Texas, then won the next two, and also have defeated the Orioles in the first two in Baltimore. Toronto’s Vernon Wells has started the season with a .412 batting average, along with 4 homeruns and 7 runs batted in. Toronto will start a four game series at home with the White Sox on Monday, and then welcome into town the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim over the weekend.

10. Florida Marlins (3-2) – With Hanley Ramirez in the three spot in the lineup, Florida has won three of their first five games to start 2010. Florida won two of the first three against divisional foe New York, and has split the first two against the Dodgers. The second win over Los Angeles was a come from behind win, where the Marlins scored three runs in the ninth inning. Ramirez is batting .368, with a homerun and 3 runs batted in. The Marlins will start a four game series with the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, before heading on the road to Philadelphia for a weekend series.

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11. Atlanta Braves (3-2) – The Braves were able to down the San Francisco Giants on Saturday to move to 3-2 overall. Jason Heyward started his career with a homerun against the Cubs, and now have two, along with seven runs batted in. Derek Lowe has been outstanding winning both of his starts on the season. Atlanta has outscored opponents 30-16 in the early going. Atlanta, after finishing the three game series in San Francisco, will head to San Diego on Monday for a three game set, before coming back home Friday to take on the Colorado Rockies.

12. Boston Red Sox (2-3) – Boston, led by Dustin Pedroia’s two homeruns and 6 runs batted in, have started the season with two wins in five games. The Red Sox pitching has allowed 23 runs, while the offense has scored 25 runs. Friday’s game, a loss to Kansas City, was spoiled by the bullpen, who allowed the Royals to rally late for a win. The Red Sox will head to Minneapolis to open up Target Stadium on Monday, and play a three game series. On Friday, Boston will come back home and host the Tampa Bay Rays, in an AL East battle

13. Arizona Diamondbacks (3-2) – The Diamondbacks have gotten a solid start from Kelly Johnson, who is hitting .353 with 2 homeruns in the first five games. Chris Young leads the team with 7 runs batted in, as Arizona has won three of their first five games. The Diamondbacks won two out of three in San Diego, and they are looking to win the same amount over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Arizona will take Monday off, before playing at Los Angeles on Tuesday and then San Diego on Friday.

14. Los Angeles Dodgers (2-3) – The Dodgers had a chance to start 3-2, but fell to 2-3 with their 9^th inning loss on Saturday night. Los Angeles, without closer Jonathan Broxton was unable to close the door with a slew of relievers. After the Dodgers finish the series in Florida, they will head home and start their home season on Tuesday against Arizona. Following that, the Dodgers will host their divisional rivals – San Francisco Giants. 

15. Milwaukee Brewers (2-3) – The Milwaukee Brewers were looking to see Trevor Hoffman’s 594^th career save on Friday night, but young outfielder Nick Stavinoha had other plans, hitting a two run homerun with two outs and two strikes in the top of the 9^th. Milwaukee beat Colorado two out of three in the first series of the year, and will face Chris Carpenter on Sunday night to avoid a three game sweep from defending divisional champions. The Brewers, after finishing the series with St. Louis will head to Chicago, to open up the Cubs home season, for a three game set. Following that series, the Brewers will head to Washington D.C. to take on the Nationals.

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16. Los Angeles Angels (2-4) – The Angels, who are off to a slow start, are hoping for better pitching as the season progresses. Through six games this season, the Angels have allowed 35 runs, including back to back games of 10 runs given up. The Angels are led by Hideki Matsui, who came over from the Yankees, and is hitting .417 with 2 homeruns and 5 runs batted in. The Angels will start their road season on Tuesday, when they head out east to take on the World Series Champion New York Yankees. Over the weekend, the Angels will go north of the border and play the Toronto Blue Jays in a three game series.

17. Chicago Cubs (2-3) – The Chicago Cubs, despite their bullpen problems still have optimism, with their solid starting pitching. After Carlos Zambrano’s terrible opening day start, the Cubs have seen their starters pitch very well against Atlanta and Cincinnati. The Cubs are looking to win their first series of the season Sunday in Cincinnati. Following that game, the Cubs will come home and open up Wrigley Field with a game against Milwaukee. Following the Brewers, the Houston Astros will come to town for a three game, weekend series. The Cubs are led offensively by Derrick Lee’s .313 batting average, and Marlon Byrd’s two homeruns.

18. Colorado Rockies (2-3) – Despite out scoring their opponents 25-20 on the season. The Colorado Rockies are 2-3 in the early going. Colorado started losing two of their first three at Milwaukee, and have split the first two at home with the Padres. Ian Stewart has been the hot bat for Colorado in the lineup. He is hitting .421 with 2 homeruns and 5 runs batted in. The Rockies will take Monday off, before hosting the New York Mets on Tuesday, and then head south to Atlanta, for a weekend series with the Braves.

19. Cincinnati Reds (2-3) – The Reds are seeking a series win Sunday over the Cubs, after falling two of three to St. Louis to open the season. Joey VOtto leads the Reds in batting average, while Drew Stubbs leads in runs batted in; with five. The Reds will play their first road game on Monday, when they start a four game series in Florida. Over the weekend, the Reds will head to Pittsburgh, to take on their divisional rival Pirates.

20. Pittsburgh Pirates (3-2) – The Pirates are off to a 3-2 start, after beating the defending NL West Champion Los Angeles Dodgers two out of three. On Sunday, Pittsburgh is looking to take a series in Arizona. The Pirates were able to rock Diamondbacks ace Dan Haren on Saturday, in a 6-3 win. Garrett Jones, the Pirates slugger, leads the team with 3 homeruns and 6 runs batted in. Pittsburgh also is enjoying a .375 batting average from shortstop Ronnie Cedeno. The Pirates will stay out west and start a three game series on Monday in San Francisco. Over the weekend, Pittsburgh will host the Cincinnati Reds, for a three game series.

21. Texas Rangers (2-3) – Vladimir Guerrero has gotten off to a quick start as the designated hitter for the Texas Rangers. Guerrero is hitting .474 in the first five games of the season. Nelson Cruz has also been hot for Texas, hitting four homeruns and driving in eight runs. As a team the Rangers have scored just 20 runs, so Cruz has accounted for 40% of the runs knocked in. Texas, after finishing their season with Seattle on Sunday will head to Cleveland on Monday, for a three game series. Over the weekend, the Rangers will head to the Bronx to take on the Yankees.

22.  New York Mets (2-3) – Despite out scoring opponents 25-17 through five games, the New York Mets are 2-3. New York will look to win a three game series over Washington on Sunday, after falling 4-3 on Saturday. The Mets Jeff Francoeur leads all offensive players with a .444 batting average, along with 2 homeruns and 6 runs batted in. The Mets will play their first road game on Tuesday, when they play in Colorado, against the Rockies. After visiting Colorado, the Mets will stop by St. Louis for a three game set with the Cardinals.

23. Cleveland Indians (2-3) – Cleveland took two of three from the Chicago White Sox to start the year, but fell in the first two of a three game series in Detroit. The Indians are looking to avoid the sweep on Sunday. Monday, the Indians will head home and play their home opener against the Texas Rangers. The Chicago White Sox will come to town on Friday for a three game weekend. The Indians have scored just 14 runs in 5 games to start the season.

24. Kansas City Royals (2-3) – The Royals, after winning the opening game of a three game series with Boston, are seeking a series win on Sunday. Rick Ankiel has started the season with a .400 batting average, coming over from St. Louis. He also has a homerun and five runs batted in the first five games of the season. Kansas City has scored just 17 runs in five games, while the pitching has allowed 28. The Royals, after Boston leaves town will head to Detroit and Minnesota next week, for series against divisional foes.

25. Seattle Mariners (2-4) – After winning their first game of the season, the Mariners lost four straight games. Seattle was able to bounce back and beat Texas on Saturday to snap the losing streak. The Mariners are led by Franklin Gutierrez’ .435 batting average, while Casey Kotchman has started his Seattle career well, bashing a homerun and driving in six. Seattle has been out scored on the season 26-19 through six games. The Mariners will look to win the three game series with Texas on Sunday, and then open their home season on Monday, against the Oakland Athletics. On Friday, Seattle will welcome Detroit to town for a three game set.

26. Washington Nationals (2-3) – Washington, with very little expectations coming into the 2010 season have gotten off a 2-3 start. After taking on the red hot Phillies, and winning 1, the Nationals have split the first two with the New York Mets. Washington will look to win their first series of the season Sunday against Johan Santana and the Mets. Josh Willingham is batting .421 for the Nationals, while Washington was pleased with Livan Hernandez’s first start, as he threw seven scoreless innings in a win. The Nationals will play the Phillies again, starting Monday, in Philadelphia. Friday the Nationals will host the Milwaukee Brewers for a three game set.

27. Chicago White Sox (1-4) – The White Sox will need to win Sunday to avoid a three game sweep at the hands of divisional rival Minnesota. Chicago won it’s opening day game over Cleveland, but then dropped four straight. The White Sox have struggled to score, scoring just 16 runs in five games. Mark Buehrle threw a 7 inning shut-out in his first appearance of the season, and is set to take the mound Sunday. The White Sox will play their first road series, starting Monday in Toronto. The series is a four game series. Over the weekend, the White Sox will visit Cleveland to take on divisional foe – Indians.

29. San Diego Padres (2-3) – San Diego needed 14 innings to down the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night, but the win gave them their second of the season. The Padres have seen slugger Adrian Gonzalez hit two homeruns in the early going, while Chase Headley is batting .429. Chris Young won his first start of the season, striking out five guys in six innings, allowing no earned runs. The Padres will finish their series with the Rockies on Sunday, and then welcome the Atlanta Braves to town Monday. San Diego will then host the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three game home series starting on Friday.

29. Baltimore Orioles (1-4) – Fans in Baltimore fear this could be a long season, especially among the American League East. Winners of just one of their first five games, the Orioles will look to avoid a three game sweep at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Baltimore has seen catcher Matt Wieters start the season with a .409 batting average, but the offense has produced just 17 runs in five games. Baltimore will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to town on Monday, followed by a four game road trip over the weekend in Oakland.

30. Houston Astros (0-5) – The Houston Astros have been just dreadful in their first five games. After getting swept by San Francisco to start the season, Houston will send Roy Oswalt to the mound to avoid a sweep, and 0-6 start at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros have scored just 12 runs, and allowed 35 through five games. Houston is without slugger Lance Berkman, who hopes to return soon. The Astros schedule will get no easier, starting Monday, when they start a three game series in St. Louis, against the Cardinals. On Friday, the Astros will invade Wrigley Field to take on the Cubs.

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NFL/College Football News Clippings Cycle:

• NY.com; Ahmad Bradshaw’s MRI Reveals Cracked Bone in Foot
• ESPN.com; SEC To Fine / Suspend Coaches For Criticizing Refs
• Fox Sports; Tennessee Titans Will Give Vince Young Another Shot
• KansasCity.com; Chiefs And Larry Johnson Working On Settlement
• Husker Extra; Pelini Not Ready To Name A Starting Quarterback
• St. Louis Today; Rams Wide Receiver Eager To Show He Can Play
• NBC Pro Football Talk; Bart Scott Wants To Hurt Chad Henne
• The 506; FOX’s NFL Regional Early Game Listings – Late Game Listings
• The 506; CBS’s Sunday NFL Regional Game Listings
• Contra Costa Times; Raiders Teammates Back Russell
• Times Daily; Bowden Rumors Abound

Blogisphere & Football Opinion/Entertainment Cycle:

• Bankroll Sports; Week 8 NFL Power Ratings
• BetUS Locker Room; SEC Power Poll Rankings For Week 9
• BetUS Locker Room; College Football Games of the Week
• Sparty & Friends; Top 10 NFL Players of the Past 30 Years
• Rumors & Rants; Lovie Smith Is Now Officially On The Hot Seat
• Fanhouse; Tatum Bell Thinks His USFL Team Would Beat Tampa Bay
• Sports Illustrated; 49ers Give Smih Chance – Will They Use Him Correctly?
• NFL Spin Zone; Blown Call May Have Saved The Saints Perfect Record
• Club Seat; Can Someone Please Find Donovan McNabb A Rulebook
• Sports Chump; What to Watch in This Weekend’s Football Action
• Fanhouse; Week 8 NFL Power Ratings

Amatuer Handicappers & Bloggers Free Football Picks:

• Free Week 8 NFL Picks From; The Chickenhawk
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• Free Pac 10 Football Picks From; Ted Miller of ESPN.com
• Week 8 NFL Pick Em’ Picks From; Derek Lofland of FF Maniax
• Free College Football Picks From; Mike of Borderline Fantastic
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• Free Week 8 NFL Picks From; Chris Cipriano of Cippin on Sports
• Free Week 8 NFL Picks From; Matt Bowen of National Football Post
• Week 8 NFL Survivor Picks From; Scott Simon of Sports Judge Blog

Week 8 NFL Fantasy Football Cycle:

• Sharapova’s Thigh; Week 8 Fantasy Football Roundup
• Camel Clutch Blog; Week 8 Start ‘Em / Sit ‘Em
• ESPN.com; Matthew Berry’s Week 8 Engineered To Win (Video)
• Top Fantasy Football; Week 8 Quarterbacks Start ‘Em / Sit ‘Em
• Midwest Sports Fans; NFL Injury Updates For Week 8
• Hawk Fantasy Sports; Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups
• Pro Football Weekly; Ten Most Intriguing Players Of Week 8
• Razzball; Game Day Theory Sleeper Math

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*Baseball Records & Team Rankings are as of 8/16/2009
(Our Next Major League Baseball Power Ratings Update: 8/29/2009)

1. New York Yankees (74-44) – The Yankees have extended their lead in the American League East to a robust 7.5 games. New York is a season high 30 games over .500 heading into Monday’s action. The Yankees failed to complete a four game sweep on the road in Seattle, but three out of four on the road will work for Girardi and the team. Derek Jeter has bumped his batting average to .323, as Mark Teixeira leads in power numbers with 30 homeruns and 86 runs batted in. Free agent pick-up C.C. Sabathia leads the pitching staff in wins (13), earned run average (3.64) and innings pitched (170.2). The Yankees continue their long road trip on Monday when they start a three game series in Oakland. After they finish out west, New York will come back home to take on the Red Sox in a huge late August four game set at Fenway Park.

2. Los Angeles Angels (70-45) – The Angels have won seven of their last ten games, and kept their lead in the American League West at 4.5 games over the Texas Rangers. Los Angeles is 36-22 when playing at home, while winning 34 of 57 on the road. The Angels got a big boost when outfielder Torii Hunter came back from the disabled list. He went 2-6 in his return, which was his first game since July 7^th. Juan Rivera has taken over as the teams batting leader, with a .312 batting average, while Kendry Morales has blasted 25 homeruns on the season. Jered Weaver has been the pitching staff for the Angels, winning 12 games, while pitching 153.0 innings. The Angels will finish their four game series at Baltimore on Monday. Los Angeles will look to finish the series winning the final three games. After they leave Baltimore, the Angels will head to Cleveland and Toronto for three game sets.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (70-48) – At 22 games over .500, the Dodgers are shaking off the ideas of their struggles. Despite going 4-6 in their last 10 games, Los Angeles continues to lead the NL West by 5 games over the Colorado Rockies. After losing two of three to Arizona, the worst news of the recent weeks has been the loss of starter Jason Schmidt and then the scary injury of Kuroda, after getting hit in the head with a line drive. Matt Kemp is leading the offense with a .311 batting average, while Andre Ethier has hit 24 homeruns, and drove in 80 runs. Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw are doing the job on the mound for LA, as Billingsley has picked up 11 wins, and Kershaw has an ERA under 3.00. The Dodgers will start a huge three game series with the Central leading St. Louis Cardinals starting on Monday. Following that series, the Cubs will come to Los Angeles for a four game weekend series.

4. Philadelphia Phillies (65-49) – The Phillies continue to have a strangle hold on the National League East. Philadelphia currently sits 4.5 games ahead of a surging Marlins team and 5.5 ahead of an Atlanta team that will not go away. The Phillies, mysteriously are 29-29 at home this year, but have won 37 of 57 road games. Philadelphia has feasted on NL Central teams winning 18 of 24 overall against the division. The Phillies are getting quality offensive performances from Shane Victorino (.313), Ryan Howard (30 homeruns, 91 runs batted in) and Chase Utley (82 runs scored). The Phillies, after finishing a two out of three series at Atlanta, will now come home and take on the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three game series, starting Tuesday. The Phillies will then play at New York for a weekend set.

5. Texas Rangers (66-50) – With a weekend series win over the Boston Red Sox, the Rangers took over the American League Wildcard. Currently, Texas leads Boston by just ½ game. Texas is trying to figure out what they are going to do at the catcher position, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia going on the disabled list. Ian Kinsler has continued his hot season, as he has hit 25 homeruns, and drove in 66 runs. Kevin Millwood has been solid on the bump for Texas, with 9 wins, a 3.31 earned run average, and leads the team in innings pitched with just under 150. The Rangers will look to continue their winning streak on Monday when they host the Minnesota Twins in the first of a four game series. Following Minnesota coming to town, the Rangers will head Southeast and take on the Tampa Bay Rays on the road.

6. St. Louis Cardinals (67-52) – The St. Louis Cardinals have been the hottest team in the Major Leagues as of late, as new comers Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa have keyed the offense, along with triple crown candidate Albert Pujols. Pujols is leading in homeruns and runs batted in, and third in batting average coming into Monday’s play. Along with the MVP candidate, St. Louis also has a shot at crowing a CY Young, with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Carpenter is second in the NL in earned run average with a 2.27 and Wainwright leads the NL in wins with 13. The Cardinals lead the NL Central by a full five games, which is the high water mark of the season for St. Louis. The Cardinals will head west, starting on Monday as they take on the Los Angeles Dodgers, for a three game series. Over the weekend, the Cardinals will look to repeat the three game sweep of the San Diego Padres, this time for four, and on the road.

7. Boston Red Sox (66-51) – The Red Sox dropped the final two of the series at Texas to fall to half game behind Texas for the American League Wildcard lead. Boston is looking for more production from slugger David Ortiz, who has yet to get going in 2009. Jason Bay, after his quick start, continues to lead the team in homeruns, with 25, and runs batted in (83). Boston will begin a three game series on the road in Toronto on Tuesday, and then start a huge weekend series with the New York Yankees on Friday. Boston currently trails the Yankees by seven games in the American League East.

8. Colorado Rockies (65-53) – The Rockies remained in the lead in the wildcard standings, after picking up a win over the Florida Marlins on Sunday. Colorado leads the wildcard over San Francisco by one game, and the Marlins by two. Todd Helton leads the team in batting with a .318 average. Troy Tulowitzki and Brad Hawpe are also putting up solid numbers, with 23 homeruns and 70 runs batted in. Colorado is looking towards the NL West crown, as they come into Monday’s action just five games behind the Dodgers. The Rockies and Nationals will start a three game series in the nation’s capital on Tuesday, and then Colorado will come back home and play a huge three game weekend series with the Giants.

9. San Francisco Giants (63-54) – The Giants remain just six games behind the Dodgers in the NL West, but more importantly, just a game behind Colorado within the wildcard. San Francisco has two of the top five candidates for Cy Young in righthanders Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. Cain leads the team in wins with 12, while Lincecum leads all NL pitchers with a 2.19 earned run average. Rookie first base men Pablo Sandoval leads the team in hitting (.329), homeruns (18) and runs batted in (70). The Giants will finish their four game series on Monday at Citi Field in New York, before heading for three in Cincinnati, followed by a three game set at Colorado.

10. Tampa Bay Rays (63-54) – After losing in the first game of a three game series with Toronto, the Rays bounced back and won the final two. Tampa Bay is turning towards the wildcard, as they trail the New York Yankees by ten full games. Tampa Bay is led in hitting by Jason Bartlett and his .342 batting average, while Carlos Pena leads the team with 31 homeruns. Tampa Bay starts a six game home stand on Tuesday with three against Baltimore and three against Texas.

11. Florida Marlins (63-55) – The Marlins continue to make a run at the Phillies, and also the Rockies and Giants for a playoff spot. Florida has been sparked by all star shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who is leading all NL batters with a .356 batting average. Ramirez also leads the team with 82 runs batted in, 76 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. Dan Uggla leads the Marlins with 21 homeruns. Josh Johnson is putting up near Cy Young numbers, with 12 wins and an earned run average under 3.00. Florida will start a road trip on Tuesday, at Houston, followed by a three game, weekend series at Atlanta.

12. Atlanta Braves (61-55) – Atlanta continues to hang around within the National League East, trailing both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Florida Marlins. The Braves are coming off losing two out of three to the Phillies over the weekend. Atlanta has been sparked offensively by Yunel Escobar, with a .298 batting average, and Chipper Jones, who leads the team with 15 homeruns. The Braves play a single game against Arizona on Monday, and then start a three game series at New York, followed by a home weekend series with the Florida Marlins.

13. Detroit Tigers (62-55) – The Detroit Tigers, at 7 games over .500, have a 2.5 game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central. The Tigers are coming off a two out of three series win at Kansas City, including a 1-0 shut-out, followed by a 10-3 thrashing. Miguel Cabrera leads the Tigers in all three of the top offensive categories, with a .330 batting average, 24 homeruns and 70 runs batted in. Justin Verlander has bounced back with a solid 2009 season, leading the team with 13 wins, and an earned run average of 3.28. The Tigers will start a home series with the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, and then head out on the road in Oakland over the weekend.

14. Chicago Cubs (60-55) – The Chicago Cubs were rained out of Sunday’s action with the Pittsburgh Pirates. That was a game the Cubs wanted to play, as Chicago had won the first two of the series and were poised for a third. The Cubs have fallen five back of the St. Louis Cardinals within the National League Central. The Cubs look to have a few of their starting pitchers back, including Ted Lilly and Carlos Zambrano. Chicago will start a West Coast road trip on Monday, starting with three against the San Diego Padres, and then four over the weekend at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

15. Seattle Mariners (61-57) – The Mariners, at four games over .500, have fallen to 11 full games behind the AL West leading Los Angeles Angels. Seattle avoided a four game on Sunday with a 10-3 win over the Yankees. Ichiro Suzuki leads the team with a .360 batting average, while power hitter Russell Branyan leads in power numbers with 27 homeruns. Felix Hernandez leads the starting pitching staff with 12 wins, and leads the team in innings pitched, with 165.1. The Mariners will start a road trip on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers , and then a weekend series at Cleveland.

16. Chicago White Sox (60-58) – The White Sox remain three games behind the Detroit Tigers at the top of the American League Central. The White Sox failed to sweep the series at Oakland, falling on Sunday 3-2. Alex Rios coming over from Toronto was supposed to spark plug the offensive unit for Chicago,  but two games after being shut-out, the White Sox scored just two runs. Mark Buerhle has been outstanding for Chicago, leading the team with 11 wins, an earned run average at 3.78, all while leading the team in innings pitched, with 166.2. The White Sox will start a series with the Kansas City Royals on Monday, then take Thursday off before hosting the Baltimore Orioles at home over the weekend.

17. Milwaukee Brewers (58-59) – The Brewers were on the verge of climbing over .500, and sweeping divisional rival Houston, until the bullpen faltered and they dropped an 8-5 decision. The Brewers are in third place in the NL Central, eight games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Ryan Braun is having another outstanding season with a .316 batting average, while Prince Fielder is challenging Albert Pujols at the top of the NL runs batted in category with 105, along with 30 homeruns. The Brewers and Pirates will hook up for a three game set in Pittsburgh, starting on Monday, and following an off day on Thursday, the Brewers and Nationals will meet in the nation’s capital.

18. Houston Astros (57-61) – The Astros have fallen to fourth place, and 9.5 games out of first place in the NL Central. Houston avoided a sweep, and snapped a three game losing streak on Sunday, banging around the Milwaukee bullpen to win 8-5. Houston is getting quality performances from aging veterans such as Miguel Tejada (.313 batting average) and Carlos Lee (19 homeruns, 74 runs batted in). Michael Bourn leads all national league players in stolen bases with 44. Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez have both been solid of late in the front end of the rotation, as Oswalt leads in innings pitched with 148 and Rodriguez leads in wins (11) and earned run average (3.05). The Astros will start a home stand  this week, as they host the Florida Marlins for three and the Atlanta Braves for three.

19. Minnesota Twins (56-61) –  The Twins, despite the fact that they are 5 games under .500, continue to sit within striking distance of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. The Twins have struggled of late, losing two straight, and seven of their last ten. The latest rash of losses came in the final two games of a three game series with the Cleveland Indians. Joe Mauer is leading all of baseball with a .377 batting average, and Justin Morneau continues to put up impressive numbers with 28 homeruns, 94 runs batted in, and 79 runs scored. The Twins and Texas Rangers start a four game series in Arlington on Monday, followed by a trip to Kansas City over the weekend.

20. Toronto Blue Jays (55-61) – The Blue Jays continue to hover just below .500, at 55-61. The Blue Jays have lost two straight games, and six of their last ten overall. Toronto traded their top offensive star, Scott Rolen to Cincinnati at the trading deadline, and recently traded outfielder Alex Rios to the White Sox. Aaron Hill leads the team in homeruns with 28 and runs batted in with 80. Roy Halladay continues to lead the starting pitching staff, with 13 wins, an earned run average of 2.65 in 173 innings pitched. The Blue Jays and Red Sox will meet up in Toronto for a three game series spanning from Tuesday – Thursday, and then welcome to Angels to town for a weekend set.

21. New York Mets (55-62) – The Mets simply cannot wait for the 2009 season to end. After the rash of injuries struck New York throughout most of the season, the biggest blow came this weekend when David Wright was struck on the head by a Matt Cain fast ball. Manager Jerry Manuel says Wright may be out for the season, which would probably be a wise choice at this point. Wright was leading the team in batting average, with a .324 batting average, along with runs batted in (55), runs scored (74), and stolen bases(24). New York is eight games under .500 and 12.5 games behind the front running Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets are 5 games over .500 at home, but have really struggled, to the tune of 23-35 on the road. The Mets will finish a four game series with the Giants at home on Monday, and then welcome the Braves and Phillies to down for the rest of the week.

22. Arizona Diamondbacks (54-64) – The Diamondbacks are trying to make a push near the .500 mark in the final month and half of the season. Arizona sits at ten games under .500, and 16.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Arizona is 28-35 when playing at home this season, and 26-30 on the road. The Diamondbacks failed to complete a three game sweep at home over the Dodgers on Sunday, but taking two out of three is a quality series. Arizona will play a single game on Monday at Atlanta, before heading to Philadelphia for three games and Houston for three more over the weekend.

23. Oakland Athletics (52-65) – The Athletics took the final game of a three game series with the White Sox, to salvage one in the three game series. Now the Athletics will host the AL leading New York Yankees for a three game series. Oakland is getting quality production from Adam Kennedy, as he is batting .287. Jack Cust leads the team in homeruns with 16 and runs scored (63). Dallas Braden leads the team in wins, with 8, but is under .500, with 9 losses. The Athletics lost Braden with a rash on his left foot on August 8^th, but appear to have Justin Duchscherer on his way back on Tuesday.

24. Cleveland Indians (51-66) – The best of a poor state of Ohio baseball, the Cleveland Indians are 15 games under .500, and 11  games out of first place. The Indians trail third place Minnesota by 5 games, and 8.5 behind second place Chicago. The Indians are 25-36 when playing at home, and 21-35 on the road. After getting drubbed 11-0 by the Minnesota Twins in the first of a series, the Indians knocked off the Twins in the final two games. The Indians will host the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and then host the Seattle Mariners on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

25. Cincinnati Reds (50-67) – After competing until early July, the Reds have fallen completely flat on their face. Cincinnati has dropped to 17 games below .500, and just 3.5 games ahead of divisional doormat Pittsburgh. The Reds have lost starting pitchers Micah Owings and Edinson Volquez to injury, and also offensive stars Jay Bruce and Scott Rolen. The Reds have continued to be puzzled by the poor performances of starting pitcher Aaron Harang. Harang leads the team with 155.1 innings, and also an earned run average of 4.35, but is 6-14 on the season. Brandon Phillips has become the offensive star for the Reds, leading in batting average (.262), runs batted in (75) and runs scored (58). After losing three of four to Washington, the Reds will host the San Francisco Giants for a three game series, starting Tuesday. After the Reds host San Francisco, they will head on the road for a three game set in Pittsburgh.

26. Baltimore Orioles (48-69) – The Orioles once again look to finish at the bottom of the rugged American League East. Baltimore trails the leading Yankees by 25.5 games, but more importantly for Baltimore, they trail fourth place Toronto by 7.5 games. On Monday, the Orioles traded first basemen Aubrey Huff to the Detroit Tigers. Baltimore will finish a four game series with the Angels on Monday, and then start a road trip that begins Tuesday at Tampa Bay and extends to a weekend series at Chicago.

27. San Diego Padres (49-70) – The Padres dropped their fourth straight game on Sunday, this time in walk-off fashion. After leading 5-4 heading into the ninth inning, Heath Bell surrendered a fifth run, and then allowed a two run homerun to Cardinals rookie Colby Rasmus. The win for the Cardinals completed a three game sweep of the Padres. San Diego has fallen to 21.5 games behind  the Dodgers, and five games back of Arizona, for fourth place in the NL West. The lone bright spot for the Padres has been first base men Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez leads the team in batting average (.279), homeruns (32), runs batted in (72) and runs scored (70). San Diego will host the Chicago Cubs for three starting on Monday, and then a re-match with the Cardinals, for four, over the weekend.

28. Kansas City Royals (46-71) – The Royals look to just play the role of the spoiler in the American League Central. Kansas City will see an array of games with the Central Division leader Detroit, and teams chasing them, Chicago and Minnesota. Kansas City just came off a Sunday win against Detroit. Now the Royals will start a three game series in Chicago with the White Sox. After taking Thursday off, the Royals will host the Minnesota Twins over the weekend.

29. Pittsburgh Pirates (46-70) – The Pirates have fallen to 24 games under .500, and dropped 19.5 games back of the Cardinals, in last place in the NL Central. Pittsburgh is just 18-43 when playing on the road this season. Pittsburgh was saved by the rain, in what separated them from what looked like a three game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates will start a three game series at home with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, and then after taking Thursday off, the Pirates will host the Reds for a three game series over the weekend.

30. Washington Nationals (43-75) – The Nationals are approaching coming out of the bottom, as they are just three wins behind Pittsburgh. Washington has won three in a row, and seven of their last ten, coming off three wins in a row over the Reds. The Nationals main problem has been winning on the road, as they are a lowly 17-42 overall on the road. The big news for Washington is the questionable nature of if they can sign first overall pick Stephen Strasburg, as Monday evening is the deadline. The Nationals are getting solid numbers from power hitting outfielder Adam Dunn. Dunn has proven his ability this season, hitting 31 homeruns and driving in 86 runs. The Nationals are 24.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. Washington will start a three game series on Tuesday with the Colorado Rockies. Following that series, Washington will host the Milwaukee Brewers for three games over the weekend.

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The NASCAR version of the regular season is winding down as only 5 races remain before the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. A lot of well known faces find themselves on the border of the top 12 in the point’s standings who will qualify for NASCAR’s version of the playoffs. Names like Kyle Busch are on the outside looking in while drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya are sitting nicely inside the top 12. However, everything can change over the next few weeks of racing. We take a look at the hottest drivers in NASCAR and rank the best to bet on for the 2009 Sprint Cup Championship.

#1 Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson became only the 2nd person in NASCAR history last season to win 3 consecutive championships. Johnson could become the first person to win 4 straight this season and has looked very strong thus far this season. Johnson has won 3 races this season including a big victory at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis just two weeks ago. However, Johnson impressiveness comes with his consistency. Crew chief Chad Knaus is the best in the business and many wonder how good the #48 team would be without his presence. With Johnson at the wheel and Knaus calling the shots, the team will again be the favorite to win the championship. It is quite impressive to see any type of dominance as competitive as the sport is today. However, Johnson has proven that he is the best and will be chasing an historic 4th consecutive title.

Odds to Win Championship = +300

#2. Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart surprised most the racing world last year when he announced his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing where he had won 2 Championships. The decision to take over as owner of an unproven franchise raised even more questions. However, Stewart has flourished since taken over at Stewart-Haas Racing. The driver of the #14 Old Spice Chevrolet has captured wins on the biggest stages this season including making a big statement by capturing checkers at the All-Star Race in May. Stewart leads all drivers with 12 top 5 finishes on the season and also leads the points. Stewart is destined to make some noise in the race for the championship in his first season as owner giving a scary omen of what could come over the next few years.

Odds to Win Championship = +350

#3. Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon has really turned things around after struggling most of 2008. Gordon got off to a great start earlier this season earning 5 different top 5 finishes in his first 7 races. The driver of the #24 Dupont machine also led the points for a good portion of the early season before surrendering the lead to Tony Stewart. Gordon’s strong finishes tapered off during the beginning of the summer months. However, in the last few weeks Gordon has posted top 10 finishes in 7 of the last 8 races. Gordon dominated NASCAR in the late 90’s resulting in 4 championships even though he has not had equal success over the past few years. However, given notice to the way the savvy veteran has been running this season it makes the possibility for a 5th title more tangible.

Odds to Win Championship = +600

#4. Mark Martin

Mark Martin was a retired 50 year old at this time last year. However, when Martin was given the opportunity to drive the #5 Chevy for the best team in racing at Hendrick Motorsports the offer was too good to pass up. Martin entered this season with hopes of winning races, but most never imagined that he would lead all drivers with 4 victories at this point in the season. If the success were to continue, Martin may finally be able to capture the elusive championship that has avoided him his entire career. Without a doubt, Martin is the best driver to never win a Cup Championship. Martin is only ranked 10th in the standings despite the 4 wins. However, most of the trouble came early in the year from mechanical failures. Not only should Martin be one of the drivers in the Chase, but he would lead the points when the Chase begin due to his number of victories meaning he would be a big threat for his much younger competitors.

Odds to Win Championship = +400

#5. Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch is another driver who has really turned things around this season. Busch who is a former champion found himself 18th in the point standings at the end of last year well outside the top 12 fighting for the championship. However, Busch and the Penske Racing Team have fought back in 2009 recording 11 top 10 finishes and a win at Atlanta. Busch has been very consistent all year and has had very little trouble besides a few run ins with Jimmie Johnson. However, the big question is if anyone will be able to challenge the Hendrick Cars who have been so strong this year and rank 1-4 if you include Tony Stewart who is running Hendrick engines. The most coincidental headline of 2009 is if you were to guess that one of the Busch brothers would be in the hunt for a championship it definitely would not have been Kurt.

Odds to Win Championship = +1500

#6. Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards posted the most wins in the Sprint Cup Series in 2008 with an extremely impressive 9 victories. However, Edwards has yet to find victory lane this season despite running up front for most of the season. Edwards has consistently run around edge of the top 10 this season which is a big drop from where he was last year when the #99 Aflac Ford machine was contending for wins every week. In fact, the entire Rousch Racing stable has been down in terms of performance as the Chevrolet manufactured cars continue to shine. However even with the cars that may not be the strongest in the field, Edwards is one of the most talented young drivers in the sports and gets the most out of his race car. Edwards may not be in the position to legitimately make a run at the championship, but he will likely find a way to finish towards the top of the standings.

Odds to Win Championship = +800

#7. Juan Pablo Montoya

Juan Pablo Montoya is definitely the biggest surprise of the drivers who are currently in the top 12 in points. There were many who doubted the former open wheel driver would be able to continue his strong runs of the past few races. However, Monday’s rain postponed showing at Pocono likely locked him into the Chase despite any major collapse. Montoya has really shined over the last few weeks on some of the flat race tracks. If he can continue to show that kind of strength at the high banks, lookout for an underdog story in the making.

Odds to Win Championship = +3500

#8. Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin pulled of an emotional win at Pocono this past Monday. Hamlin who had stated he should not be racing at is at home with family after the passing of his grandmother, drove the best race of the season to win the Pennsylvania 500. The showing displayed Hamlin picking up a ton of spots in the final laps of the race including coming from 6th to 1st in the final restart to capture the victory. If you follow racing, it may have surprised you to see Hamlin drive the car so aggressively to the front. While it was possibly one of the best performances behind the wheel of his career, it should be little surprise as Hamlin is a very gifted driver. Hopefully, the win could spark the fire to get the #11 FedEx Toyota rolling. If Hamlin gives similar type of effort in the Chase, more wins are to come.

Odds to Win Championship = +1200

#9. Kasey Kahne

Kasey Kahne has perhaps made the least noise of any driver in the top 12 in the standings this season. However, Kahne comfortably sits in the number 7 position in the points. The driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge captured his only victory on the road course in Sonoma, California back in June. Kahne could build on his recent momentum this coming week as the NASCAR circuit takes on another road course at Watkins Glenn. Despite capturing top 10 finishes in 5 of the last 6 races, Kahne must find a way to capture more wins in the final 10 races to make a run at a championship. However, Kahne is known for performing better in the hotter summer months of the season and that has definitely been the case over the past few weeks.

Odds to Win Championship = +1200

#10. Ryan Newman

Ryan Newman was the lone ranger to travel over and team up with Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing this season. However, the change in teams for Newman has worked out for the best just like it has for Tony Stewart. Newman has failed to compete over the past few seasons with Penske Racing. However, Newman has been able to run up front for the majority of the season. Despite a few poor finishes, the #39 team is definitely on the upswing. Even though the team maybe a year or two away from being their best, Newman and company still have all the resources to capture a few wins before the season ends.

Odds to Win Championship = +1800

Complete NASCAR odds to win the 2009 Sprint Cup From BetUS (as of 8/6/09)
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