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The Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets hope to begin turning around their dismal seasons when they meet Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Bengals (1-4) have lost four straight, including a disappointing 27-20 loss at Kansas City last weekend coming off their bye week. Cincinnati is mired in last place in the AFC North, a division they won in 2005 before missing the playoffs last year.

It’s also the first four-game skid for Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, who claims he is not feeling any pressure for the poor start. Cincinnati is on its longest slide since a six-game losing streak from Nov. 10-Dec. 15, 2002, the season before Lewis was hired.

“I guess I’ll disappoint the fans if they think there’s heat,” Lewis said. “My only heat is internal and that’s what drives me. That’s the good thing, I guess, about this position. I’m not going to get concerned.

“Our margin for error is tight. That’s the result of being 1-4. That’s what we need to realize. Every play right now, we’re not getting the benefit of the doubt. Balls are not really bouncing our way. That’s what we need to realize and keep doing things the right way. Building upon the positive things and making corrections when it’s not as positive and correct.”

One of the problems Cincinnati has faced is a slew of injuries, including to star running back Rudi Johnson (hamstring). He sat out a 34-13 loss to New England on Oct. 1, and had only four carries against the Chiefs. Johnson has 185 rushing yards on 62 carries and just one touchdown catch.

Right tackle Willie Anderson missed last week’s loss with foot and knee injuries. The offensive line has used four different combinations in Cincinnati’s first five games.

The lack of a productive running game has put pressure on quarterback Carson Palmer and receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who have combined for 1,083 yards and 10 of Cincinnati’s 13 offensive touchdowns. Houshmandzadeh has seven of those scores, two shy of his career-best set in 14 games last season.

New York (1-5) enters on a three-game losing streak, and quarterback Chad Pennington has taken the brunt of the blame. Pennington has thrown all six of his interceptions this season during the skid, including one in a 16-9 loss to Philadelphia last week - the first time the Jets failed to reach the end zone this year.

With fans and media clamoring for backup Kellen Clemens to be inserted, coach Eric Mangini is sticking with Pennington.

“There’s a lot of different areas that need to get better: interceptions, tackling, run fits, all those things, coaching, strategy,” Mangini said. “All those things need to improve and we’re all in this together. It’s not a one-person issue.”

Pennington completed a season-low 11 of 21 passes for 128 yards in last week’s loss as the Jets’ offense stalled despite a season-high 130 yards rushing from Thomas Jones. Tight end Chris Baker also criticized New York’s play-calling, but receiver Jerricho Cotchery backed Pennington.

“He’s our leader,” Cotchery said. “He’s the leader of this team, not only on offense. One guy isn’t going to create a spark because each individual has to create that spark within himself to help this team out. I think that’s kind of a sensitive topic because everyone loves Chad in this building.”

Jones’ effort was a bright spot. Acquired from Chicago in the offseason, he is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry on the road.

The Jets’ defense also ranks among the bottom five teams in the NFL with six sacks and two forced fumbles.

New York has won five straight against Cincinnati, including a 31-24 victory on Sept. 12, 2004 in the last meeting.

NOTE: Cincy’s year for all practical purposes ended last week in K.C. and the Jets have been abismal. Yet someone has to lose this game. Everyone has been able to run against the Bengals, yet the Jets are no major threat in the running game even though Thomas Jones have over 100 yards last week vs the Eagles. No question I have the better QB here in Palmer with his go to guy in Chad Johnson. IF the Bengals lose this one AT HOME, this franchise and the fans of Cincy will witness a bigger melt down than Chernobyl.

I’m on the Bengals only for action at -6 Good Luck,

Tommy Mac

Saturday, October 20th, 3:30 p.m. (et) Bookmaker.com EXtra Bonus!

GAME NOTES: The 22nd-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders bring their high-flying act to Columbia to take on the 15th-ranked Missouri Tigers in what should be a thrilling Big 12 Conference affair. Texas Tech has won three straight to move to 6-1 on the year. Last week’s 35-7 pasting of rival Texas A&M earned the Red Raiders their first national ranking since late 2005, and marks the team’s 15th straight season in which it will participate in a bowl game. Tech is 2-1 in conference play and its only loss of the season came on the road at Oklahoma State on September 22nd. As for Missouri, it suffered its first loss of the campaign last weekend, falling to Big 12 bully Oklahoma, 41-31, in Norman. The setback means the Tigers are now 1-1 in conference. They are however, unbeaten at home this season (3-0) and are a stellar 22-6 in Columbia since the 2003 season. Texas Tech is the third straight ranked foe Mizzou has faced. The Red Raiders and Tigers have met just six times previously, with the latter holding a 4-2 series advantage. Missouri has won four of the five meetings since the formation of the Big 12, including a 38-21 decision in Lubbock last season.

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Boasting the nation’s most prolific passing attack, the Red Raiders come into this contest looking to make a statement. Led by QB Graham Harrell, Texas Tech is averaging 50 points and 582 yards of total offense per game. Harrell has completed an eye-popping 74.4 percent of his passes and is averaging 450 ypg through the air. He has 31 TD passes against only three INTs — all remarkable stats considering how often coach Mike Leach has Harrell looking downfield. As a result of Harrell’s exploits, Michael Crabtree has taken his game to another level as evidenced by his 78 receptions, 1,244 yards and 17 TDs in just seven games. Danny Amendola has also benefitted from the pass-happy attack, hauling in 60 balls for 755 yards and five scores. When Tech decides to keep the ball on the ground, it is Shannon Woods who gets the call most often, and he has responded with 409 yards and eight TDs, averaging a robust 5.5 ypc along the way. Harrell threw for 425 yards and three TDs while rushing for another score in last week’s dismantling of Texas A&M. Crabtree finished with eight receptions for 170 yards, but was held without a TD catch for the first time this season. Helping the cause, Woods rumbled his way to 93 yards and a score.

Texas A&M gained 366 yards in last week’s clash, including 233 on the ground. The Aggies averaged 5.4 yards per rushing attempt, clearly taking advantage of Texas Tech’s front line. Still, the Red Raiders allowed just 133 yards passing and held TAMU to just a 5-of-13 success rate on third down. Joe Garcia led the Tech stand with 11 tackles, while Darcel McBath was hot on his heels with 10. The Red Raiders failed to log a sack in the game and came up with just one turnover. So far this season, opponents have been rather balanced in their approach to attacking the Texas Tech defense, rushing for 163.3 ypg and passing for 178.6 ypg. Garcia is the team’s top tackler, having logged 43 stops to this point, while Marlon Williams and Paul Williams are just off the pace with 42 and 41 stops, respectively. With just 15 sacks and 12 takeaways, the Tech defense is rather average in terms of big-play ability. Jamar Wall has three of the team’s six interceptions.

While Harrell is arguably the nation’s top signal caller, Missouri’s Chase Daniel can certainly hold his own. Daniel comes into this contest ranked fifth in the country in total offense (376.7 ypg), and he is hitting 68.9 percent of his passes for 345.5 ypg with 16 TDs against just six INTs. Martin Rucker is the team’s leading pass catcher (44 receptions, 474 yards, three TDs), and Chase Coffman (34 receptions, 341 yards, three TDs) is enjoying a solid season as well despite starting just once in six games. The Tigers held a narrow lead over Oklahoma in the fourth quarter of last week’s Big 12 tilt, but a costly turnover gave the Sooners the momentum they would need to post the 10-point victory. Daniel was highly efficient in completing 37-of-47 passes for 361 yards and a TD, but two picks proved costly. Coffman led all receivers with 10 grabs for 102 yards, and the Mizzou ground assault managed just 57 net yards, with Jeremy Maclin leading the way with 32 yards on just four totes. He did score a pair of TDs, however, to help keep the Tigers in contention.

The Missouri defense held the Sooners to 118 yards rushing last week, but three TDs on the ground helped power Oklahoma to victory. Mizzou defenders pounced on two fumbles, but the Sooners were successful on 10 of their 14 third-down conversion attempts and scored on all five trips to the red zone. Mizzou’s Brock Christopher and Sean Weatherspoon both tallied double-digit stops in the contest with 12 and 10, respectively, and the two currently rank sit atop the team’s tackles chart for the season. Christopher is tied for the club lead in TFLs with five, while Weatherspoon has posted 57 total stops and has broken up four passes. Foes are putting up 24.5 ppg behind 403.2 total ypg this year, with the pass being their most productive mode of attack (265.3 ypg).

I’m on the OVER 74

Good Luck,

Tommy Mac

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Tommy Mac

Sunday, August 5th (All times eastern)

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (48-61) AT NEW YORK YANKEES (60-50), 1:05 P.M. Probable Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Gil Meche (7-8, 3.70) New York - Mike Mussina (6-7, 4.75)

The New York Yankees will attempt to complete a three-game weekend sweep of the Kansas City Royals in the Bronx today.

Alex Rodriguez hit career home run No. 500 on Saturday as the Yankees downed the Royals, 16-8. Rodriguez, who turned 32 on July 27, surpassed Jimmie Foxx (32 years, 338 days) as the youngest player to reach 500 career home runs.

A-Rod smacked the first pitch he saw from Kyle Davies over the left field wall for his 36th home run of the season and became the 22nd player in MLB history to reach the 500 home run mark. He had gone 28 at-bats since his last home run, which occurred on July 25 against the Royals.

He is the third player to reach 500 home runs in Yankee pinstripes, joining Hall of Famer’s Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth.

It took Rodriguez 1,855 games to reach 500 home runs, which is the third fastest in MLB history. Mark McGwire did it in 1,639 games, while it took Ruth 1,740 games.

Rodriguez finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored and became the first player in MLB history to have at least 35 home runs, 100 runs scored and 100 RBI in 10 straight seasons.

Robinson Cano went 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored while Wilson Betemit added three hits and three RBI for the Yankees, who have won five of their last six games and sit 1 1/2 games off the AL wild card chase.

Phil Hughes, who had been out since May 1, made the start and gave up six runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. Mike Myers (3-0) got the win for recording the final out of the fifth inning.

David DeJesus hit a two-run home run and drove in three while Ross Gload went 3-for-4 with three RBI for the Royals, who have dropped four of their last five games.

Davies got the start but was roughed up for five runs on six hits in just three innings of work. John Bale (0-1) got the loss for giving up two runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings of work.

Kansas City will give the ball to Gil Meche today, and while his 7-8 record isn’t impressive by any means, the 3.70 ERA that he has posted is much more indicative of his play this season. On Monday, Meche lost to the Twins despite his 15th quality start of the campaign. He has 23 total starts under his belt and has yet to throw a complete game.

Meche got beat up in his only previous start against the Yankees this season, and he is 3-3 lifetime against the Bronx Bombers with a 4.18 ERA.

New York will counter with Mike Mussina this afternoon in hopes that he can improve his modest 6-7 record and 4.75 ERA. Although Mussina is 2-1 in his last three outings, his 5.51 ERA during that span suggests that he has gotten plenty of help from the highest-scoring lineup in baseball. The veteran hurler has surrendered 113 hits in 100 1/3 innings the season.

Mussina pitched an outstanding game against the Royals earlier this season and is 16-7 lifetime against Kansas City with a 2.98 ERA.

The Yankees have won five of six from the Royals this season and are 12-3 against them since the start of last season. KC has also lost 13 of its last 14 and 26 of 29 in the Bronx.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (51-59) AT DETROIT TIGERS (61-48), 1:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Gavin Floyd (0-1, 10.05) Detroit - Jordan Tata (1-0, 2.57)

The Detroit Tigers have lost four straight games and will attempt to avoid a weekend sweep at the hands of the Chicago White Sox, who are aiming for their fourth consecutive victory.

The White Sox will send righty Gavin Floyd to the hill tonight, as he replaces the struggling Jose Contreras in the rotation. The fact that Floyd is 0-1 with a 10.05 ERA this season doesn’t exactly give White Sox fans reason to be optimistic. In 14 1/3 innings of work this season, the young hurler has yielded 25 hits, including eight homers.

Floyd has only faced the Tigers once in his career, as he was torched for 11 hits and five earned runs in only 4 2/3 innings against Detroit earlier this season.

Young Jordan Tata will get the ball for the Tigers this evening, and he hopes for another strong showing after a successful Major League debut on Monday. Tata allowed only two runs over seven innings against Oakland, thanks in large part to an effective cutter. It seems that Tata is simply keeping the seat warm for Kenny Rogers so to speak, as Rogers will likely return from the disabled list next week. Still, a second straight solid outing would certainly leave an impression on the big league club.

Yesterday, A.J. Pierzynski went 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored to pace Chicago over Detroit, 7-5.

Jermaine Dye finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and two knocked in for the White Sox. Jim Thome homered and scored three runs, Paul Konerko had two hits and scored, and Scott Podsednik added an RBI.

Javier Vazquez (9-6) allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks over seven innings. He has won three of his last four starts.

Jeremy Bonderman (10-4) took the loss, charged with six runs and 10 hits over seven innings and losing for the third consecutive start.

Placido Polanco was 2-for-4 with a homer and a pair of runs scored for the Tigers, who have lost 10 of their last 12, yet remain a half-game behind Cleveland in the AL Central after the Tribe fell to Minnesota, 3-2 earlier Saturday. Sean Casey added two hits and drove in a run in defeat.

Chicago has won seven of its 11 matchups with the Tigers this season and is 33-16 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign. The White Sox have also won in 17 of their last 24 visits to the Motor City. BALTIMORE ORIOLES (51-58) AT TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (42-67), 1:40 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Erik Bedard (11-4, 3.05) Tampa Bay - Andy Sonnanstine (1-6, 5.55)

The Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will conclude their three-game weekend series today as the AL East foes meet at Tropicana Field.

Orioles’ ace Erik Bedard will take the ball this afternoon, hoping to improve his already impressive 11-4 record and 3.05 ERA. Bedard hopes August will yield similar results to July, as he went 5-0 last month with a 2.21 ERA. The lefty has won seven consecutive decisions and can’t be counted out in the AL Cy Young race, although the lack of overall team success hurts the cause.

Bedard, who leads the majors with 181 strikeouts, is 2-0 with a 2.41 ERA against Tampa this season and 9-3 lifetime against the Devil Rays with a 2.87 ERA.

Tampa Bay’s Andy Sonnanstine is expected to start today, and the right-handed hurler is just 1-6 with a 5.55 ERA. Sonnanstine has failed to pick up a win in nine straight starts, and while he has only yielded 13 walks in 71 1/3 innings, the 80 hits have hurt.

Earlier this season, Sonnanstine was handed the loss after not pitching well in his only career meeting with the Orioles.

Carlos Pena belted a two-run homer and Scott Kazmir threw seven strong innings as the Devil Rays crushed the Orioles, 9-2, in the second game of the series yesterday.

Kazmir (8-7) yielded just one run on seven hits, while walking two and striking out nine. He has allowed one run or less in each of his past four starts at home. Prior to his last four starts, he hadn’t won at home since July 3, 2006, a span of 14 starts.

Delmon Young drove in three runs and Carl Crawford had three hits with two RBI and three runs scored for the Devil Rays, who have won four of six.

Baltimore starter Brian Burres (5-5) was tagged for seven runs — six earned — on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts in just 3 1/3 innings.

Aubrey Huff had two hits and scored a run and Corey Patterson and Jay Payton knocked in a run apiece for the Orioles, who have lost three of four.

Baltimore has won nine of 11 from the Devil Rays this year and is 15-3 in the last 18 matchups. Since the start of the 2004 campaign, the Orioles are 39-16 in the series, including a 20-14 mark at the Trop. TEXAS RANGERS (48-62) AT TORONTO BLUE JAYS (55-54), 1:07 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Texas - Brandon McCarthy (5-7, 5.18) Toronto - Dustin McGowan (7-5, 4.36)

The Toronto Blue Jays need a win today at Rogers Centre to complete a weekend sweep of the Texas Rangers.

Texas will pin its hopes on righty Brandon McCarthy today, but the fact that he is just 5-7 with a 5.18 ERA suggests that he hasn’t been reliable. On a positive note, McCarthy won his first game since May 20th last time out, surrendering only one run against Cleveland.

McCarthy is 1-1 in his career against Toronto with a 4.50 ERA.

Toronto’s Dustin McGowan will be on the hill this afternoon, and he is 7-5 this season with a 4.36 ERA. McGowan allowed only two runs on four hits to Tampa Bay on Monday, and although he was in line for a victory, the Jays’ bullpen failed the starter.

McGowan is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA lifetime against Texas.

Frank Thomas hit a pair of homers and drove in four runs to lead the Blue Jays over the Rangers, 9-5, on Saturday.

John McDonald added two hits and drove in three runs for the Blue Jays. Alex Rios and Vernon Wells also drove in a run each for Toronto, which has won seven straight at home.

Thomas, who ended 2-for-4, increased his career total of home runs to 505, passing Eddie Murray to sit alone in 20th place on the all-time list.

Blue Jays’ starter Shaun Marcum (8-4) won his third straight start, allowing three runs — two earned — on eight hits, striking out five without a walk, over six innings. The right-hander has won six of eight decisions.

Nelson Cruz drove in two runs and Brad Wilkerson homered for the Rangers, who have lost three straight and six of eight on their nine-game road trip.

Willie Eyre (3-4) got the spot start for the Rangers and absorbed the loss. He was charged with seven runs on six hits, striking out two and walking two, in 2 1/3 innings.

Texas has won five of nine from the Blue Jays this season and is 23-11 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign.

CLEVELAND INDIANS (62-48) AT MINNESOTA TWINS (56-53), 2:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Cleveland - Fausto Carmona (13-5, 3.27) Minnesota - Scott Baker (5-4, 4.88)

The AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians are set to do battle with the Minnesota Twins in the third of four weekend meetings at the Metrodome.

Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona has seemingly come out of nowhere to establish himself as one of baseball’s top pitchers. The righty is 13-5 this season with a 3.27 ERA, and he would have had his 14th win in his last start if not for a lack of run support. After posting a 1.76 ERA in July, it will be interesting to see how the young hurler begins August.

Carmona has beaten the Twins twice this season, surrendering a total of two runs in 16 2/3 innings. Perhaps most impressive is that he outdueled Johan Santana on both occasions.

Scott Baker will be the pitcher for Minnesota today, and he is 5-4 with a 4.88 ERA. Baker was outstanding on Monday, allowing only one earned run on two hits in eight innings. He was perfect in seven of those innings and shows a tremendous amount of promise for a 25-year-old hurler.

Baker has not faced Cleveland this season, but he was 1-3 against the Indians last season with a 5.74 ERA.

Michael Cuddyer drove in two runs and four Minnesota relievers combined to throw five shutout innings as the Twins edged the Indians yesterday by a 3-2 final.

Jason Bartlett had two hits and scored a run and Joe Mauer had two hits, an RBI and scored a run for the Twins, who snapped a two game skid and have won five of their last seven games.

Minnesota starter Matt Garza went just four innings, allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out five and walking two. Ramon Ortiz (4-4) tossed two scoreless innings, Dennys Reyes 2/3 of an inning and Matt Guerrier 1 1/3 innings before Joe Nathan closed it out with a perfect ninth for his 25th save in 27 chances this season.

Casey Blake and Victor Martinez knocked in a run apiece, and Trot Nixon and Jhonny Peralta had two hits each for the Indians, who have lost five of seven but remained a half-game ahead of Detroit in the AL Central after the Tigers lost to Chicago.

Cleveland starter Aaron Laffey (0-1) lasted 5 1/3 innings, surrendering three runs on six hits with one strikeout and one walk in his major league debut.

The Indians won the first six meetings between these clubs this season before Minnesota recorded back-to-back wins at Jacobs Field this past weekend. Cleveland swept a two-game set in the Metrodome back in April. LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (63-46) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (53-58), 4:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: LA Angels - John Lackey (13-6, 3.07) Oakland - Dan Haren (13-3, 2.44)

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have lost consecutive games to the Oakland Athletics on the road, and they will attempt to get back on track at McAfee Coliseum this afternoon.

The Angels will pin their hopes on John Lackey today, and he has been tremendous for the club this season. Lackey is 13-6 with a 3.07 ERA and is fresh off his sixth career shutout and first of the season.

In his career against Oakland, Lackey is 10-3 with a 2.93 ERA. This season, he is 1-1 against the Athletics with a 3.15 ERA.

Oakland will counter with Dan Haren, who has to be considered a leading Cy Young candidate despite the struggles of his team. Sure, the A’s are five games below .500, but Haren is 13-3 with a 2.44 ERA. With 121 strikeouts and only 40 walks, Haren combines power and control.

The Oakland ace has not fared well in his career against the Angels, as he owns a 3-5 record and 4.05 ERA.

Joe Blanton outdueled Kelvim Escobar yesterday and pinch-hitter Travis Buck singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, as the Athletics capitalized on the few scoring opportunities they had in a 2-1 victory over the Angels.

Oakland had just two hits, but managed to win for the fourth time in five games.

Blanton (9-8) scattered eight hits and walked just two across seven innings to halt a personal four-game losing streak.

Huston Street came on to pitch a scoreless eighth, and Alan Embree threw a perfect ninth for his 13th save of the season, a single-season record for an Oakland left-hander.

Escobar (11-6) gave up just two hits in seven innings, but also walked seven batters to drop his third consecutive start.

The AL West-leading Angels lost for the third time in four games and fell to 4-8 against Oakland this season.

BOSTON RED SOX (67-43) AT SEATTLE MARINERS (60-48), 4:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Boston - John Beckett (13-5, 3.41) Seattle - Miguel Batista (11-7, 4.23)

The rubber match of the weekend set between the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners will ensue this afternoon at Safeco Field.

Boston’s Josh Beckett will try to improve his 13-5 record and 3.41 ERA today, and while those numbers are outstanding, he has lost back-to-back starts for the first time this season. He was outdueled by Baltimore’s Erik Bedard last time out, as the Orioles’ ace is also making a Cy Young push. Beckett has posted 123 strikeouts and 27 walks in 132 innings of work this season.

Beckett has already beaten Seattle once this season and is 2-1 lifetime against the Mariners with a 3.92 ERA.

The Mariners will give the ball to Miguel Batista this afternoon, and he is 11-7 overall with a modest 4.23 ERA. Batista’s most recent outing was anything but modest, however, as he pitched seven shutout innings against the Angels. Of his last 14 outings, the righty has posted 10 quality starts.

Batista is 4-4 lifetime against Boston with an ugly 6.61 ERA. He will be facing the Red Sox for the first time this season.

Seattle is an impressive 12 games over .500 despite only scoring four more runs this season than it has surrendered.

As for Boston, it owns the best record in all of baseball at 67-43.

Jason Varitek’s two-run double was the difference as Boston held off a late rally to edge Seattle on Saturday, 4-3.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (13-8) allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings, tying a career-high with 10 strikeouts.

David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis collected two hits each for the Red Sox, who have won three of four and snapped a nine-game losing streak in Seattle. Manny Ramirez drove in a run and scored once.

Jarrod Washburn (8-8) took the loss, yielding eight hits and four runs with four strikeouts and two walks over 6 1/3 innings.

Adrian Beltre homered for the Mariners, who saw their two-game win streak ended. Kenji Johjima and Yuniesky Betancourt both collected two hits and an RBI each.

The Mariners have won five of eight overall meetings with the AL East-leading Red Sox this season and are 11-7 in the series since the start of the 2006 campaign.

Sunday, August 5th (All times eastern) COLORADO ROCKIES (56-53) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (58-53), 1:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Aaron Cook (8-6, 4.13) Atlanta - Chuck James (9-8, 3.70)

The Atlanta Braves will try to stay on the winning track when they close out a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies today from Turner Field.

Atlanta ended a two-game losing streak with Saturday’s 6-4 victory in the second test of this series thanks to starting pitcher Tim Hudson, who hurled seven shutout innings and drove in a pair of runs. Hudson scattered five hits, struck out seven batters and walked a pair to improve to 6-0 over his last eight starts.

Willie Harris started in center field for the injured Andruw Jones and finished 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBI for the Braves, who are two games off the NL wild card lead and 4 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the lead in the NL East. Jones, who didn’t start due to a sore left elbow, came into the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning.

After hitting home runs in his first three games with Atlanta since being acquired from Texas at the trade deadline, first baseman Mark Teixeira ended 0-for-4 with a walk.

Chuck James gets the nod for the Braves today and he is 9-8 with a 3.70 ERA in 22 starts this season.

James is 3-1 in his last six trips to the hill, and recorded the win against Houston on July 31. James lasted five innings and permitted four runs in a 12-4 victory at Turner Field.

The left-hander owns a 1-0 mark and an 8.03 ERA in three career games (two starts) against Colorado. James defeated the Rockies on April 27 this season, surrendering four runs over 5 1/3 innings of a 9-7 win at Coors Field.

Colorado will send Aaron Cook to the mound today and he owns an 8-6 record with a 4.13 ERA in 23 starts this season.

Cook is riding a personal three-game winning streak and is unbeaten over his last four starts. In his previous outing on July 31 against Florida, Cook earned the win after allowing three runs — two earned — in 7 2/3 innings.

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.81 ERA in six career games (four starts) against the Braves. Cook faced Atlanta on April 29 this season and did not post a decision, yielding five runs over six innings of a 9-7 win at Coors Field.

Colorado was aiming for its third straight win last night, but was denied by Hudson and Co. Garrett Atkins hit a grand slam in the eighth inning for the Rockies, who sit three games off the NL wild card chase and 4 1/2 games behind Arizona for NL West supremacy.

The Braves and Rockies met in Colorado from April 27-29, with Atlanta winning two of three. The clubs split six games in 2006.

HOUSTON ASTROS (48-62) AT FLORIDA MARLINS (51-60), 1:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Matt Albers (2-4, 5.93) Florida - Scott Olsen (8-9, 5.53)

Right-hander Matt Albers gets his ninth start of the season today when the Houston Astros complete a three-game weekend series with the Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium.

A 24-year-old Houston native, Albers has made 11 trips from the bullpen and eight starts over 19 appearances in 2007.

He pitched in relief on July 31 and August 1, allowing five hits and seven runs in 2 1/3 innings in a pair of Astros losses to Atlanta. His last start came July 25 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He posted a no-decision after allowing just three hits over five scoreless innings in a 2-1 Houston victory.

Albers, who is 1-4 with a 5.54 earned run average in his eight starts, has never faced the Marlins.

He reached the major leagues last season with the Astros, going 0-2 in four appearances — two starts — while posting a 6.00 ERA in 15 innings.

Lefty Scott Olsen tries to snap a two-start losing streak for the Marlins.

The 23-year-old has been touched for 18 hits and 13 runs in just 10 innings over those two outings, dropping decisions to Arizona and Colorado in July 25 and 31, respectively.

He was mired in off-the-field trouble late in the month as well, including a team suspension handed down by manager Fredi Gonzalez and an arrest in connection with a traffic incident.

Olsen has made one career start against the Astros, winning it after allowing six hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. He is 6-3 in 12 home starts in 2007, with a 4.65 ERA.

On Saturday, Miguel Cabrera belted the tying homer in the seventh inning and scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 12th, as Florida edged Houston, 6-5.

Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla also homered for the Marlins, who snapped a two- game skid. Ramirez had three RBI, as Florida beat Houston for just the fourth time in the last 13 meetings.

Jason Lane hit a three-run homer for the Astros, losers in four of their last six contests.

Cabrera was intentionally walked by Stephen Randolph (0-1) with two outs in the 12th, and went to second on a wild pitch that hit catcher Eric Munson in the throat. Cabrera scored all the way from second on another wild pitch on a ball that bounced into the Florida dugout.

Lee Gardner (3-2) threw the top of the 12th to get the victory.

Houston swept a two-game set from Florida at Minute Maid Park back in April and has taken nine of the last 13 matchups between the clubs. CINCINNATI REDS (47-64) AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES (44-64), 1:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Cincinnati - Bronson Arroyo (4-12, 4.72) Pittsburgh - Tom Gorzelanny (9-6, 3.55)

Young left-hander Tom Gorzelanny makes his fourth attempt at his 10th victory of the season today when the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Cincinnati Reds to close out a three-game National League Central division series at PNC Park.

Just 25, Gorzelanny improved to 9-4 on July 5 with a 6-3 defeat of the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s 0-2 with a no-decision since having surrendered 19 hits and 12 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings, including a 6-3 loss to the New York Mets on July 25 in which he lasted just 2 1/3 innings.

The Illinois native and former second-round draft choice made his lone career appearance against the Reds on April 28, allowing eight hits and five runs in an 8-1 Cincinnati victory.

Gorzelanny entered this season with a 2-6 record in 14 major league appearances — 12 starts.

The Reds counter with lanky right-hander Bronson Arroyo, whose 2007 struggles continued in his last start.

On August 1, the 6-foot-5, 194-pounder allowed seven hits and seven runs over just 1 2/3 innings, suffering his 12th loss of the season via a 7-2 thumping by the Washington Nationals.

Arroyo won 14 games with the Reds in 2006 after being acquired in Spring Training for Wily Mo Pena.

A third-round pick of the Pirates in 1995, Arroyo allowed seven hits and six runs in a 9-5 loss to Pittsburgh on May 26.

He is 1-3 in four career starts against them, posting a 5.40 earned run average in 25 innings.

On Saturday, Adam Dunn hit his 30th home run of the season, a two-run blast in the top of the 10th inning, to propel the Reds to a 9-8 comeback victory over the Pirates.

Dunn’s homer off Pittsburgh closer Matt Capps came after Jeff Keppinger tied the game with a solo homer off Capps in the top of the ninth.

The late-inning support made a winner of right-hander Jared Burton (3-1), who pitched a hitless 1 2/3 innings. David Weathers came on in the 10th for his 21st save of the season, despite giving up a one-out homer to pinch-hitter Jack Wilson.

Reds starter Bobby Livingston went 5 1/3 innings, allowing just two runs on six hits, striking out four and walking none. Javier Valentin went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs for Cincinnati.

The Reds have now won two straight over the Bucs following a five-game losing streak.

Capps (4-5) blew his first save since moving into the closer’s role, and it negated a go-ahead home run by Pirates catcher Ronny Paulino, who had given the Bucs a 7-6 lead heading into the ninth.

Pittsburgh has now lost six of eight, and wasted a solid outing from Matt Morris, who was making his first start since being acquired from San Francisco at the trade deadline. Morris allowed five runs — four earned — in 6 1/3 innings and helped his own cause with a single and a solo home run.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (50-57) AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS (50-60), 1:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: St. Louis - Adam Wainwright (10-8, 4.38) Washington - Matt Chico (5-6, 4.73)

The Washington Nationals will attempt to stretch their season high winning streak to six games this afternoon, when they close out a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at RFK Stadium.

Washington made it five wins in a row with Saturday’s 12-1 pounding of the Cardinals, as Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs and three RBI to keep the streak alive. Brian Schneider finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored for the Nationals, who scored the most runs at RFK since moving from Montreal three seasons ago.

Nook Logan had three hits, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs, while Ronnie Belliard and Tony Batista both added an RBI. Washington has won seven in a row at home. Starter Joel Hanrahan yielded just one run and six hits in five-plus innings for his first major league win in his second big league start. He also helped his cause with a two-run double.

Washington will hand the ball to rookie pitcher Matt Chico on Sunday. Chico is 5-6 with a 4.73 ERA in 22 starts this season.

Chico, who is 2-1 in his last five outings, beat Cincinnati his last time out on July 31. He allowed two runs and nine hits in five innings of a 6-3 victory at RFK Stadium.

The left-hander faced St. Louis for the first time in his career on May 27 and did not post a decision. Chico lasted four scoreless innings and gave up three hits in a 7-2 triumph at Busch Stadium.

Adam Wainwright has been impressive as of late and will lead St. Louis this afternoon against Washington.

Wainwright, who is 10-8 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 starts this season, is 4-1 in his previous five trips to the rubber. He defeated Pittsburgh his last time out on July 31, yielding two runs over six innings of a 6-4 triumph.

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA in three career games (one start) against Washington. Wainwright faced the Nationals at home on May 27 this season and was saddled with the loss. He was reached for two runs in seven innings of a 7-2 loss.

St. Louis has lost four straight and sits eight games off both the NL wild card race and top spot in the Central division. In last night’s 11-run loss at RFK, Adam Kennedy homered and Joel Pineiro suffered the loss in the Cardinals debut. Pineiro was rocked for seven hits and five runs — four earned — with two walks and two strikeouts in five innings of work.

The Nationals took two out of three from the Cardinals in St. Louis from May 25-27 this season.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (57-53) AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS (60-51), 2:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Adam Eaton (9-7, 5.87) Milwaukee - Jeff Suppan (8-9, 4.97)

The NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers shoot for a series sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies when the two ballclubs wrap up a three-game set this afternoon at Miller Park.

Milwaukee won Friday’s opener by a 2-1 score before handing the Phillies a 6-5 setback last night. Prince Fielder cracked a two-run homer in the eighth inning to put the Brewers on top for good, while Corey Hart robbed Tadahito Iguchi of a potential tying home run in the ninth inning.

Fielder finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and Ryan Braun also went deep for Milwaukee, which is still one game ahead of the surging Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Cubs beat the Mets, 6-2, earlier on Saturday.

Derrick Turnbow earned the win with an inning of relief before Francisco Cordero notched his 34th save in 39 chances by tossing a perfect ninth. Brewers starter Dave Bush allowed five runs and eight hits, walked three batters and fanned four over five-plus innings of work.

Today Milwaukee will hand the ball to Jeff Suppan, who is 8-9 with a 4.97 ERA in 23 games this season.

Suppan is 0-2 with a 5.16 earned run average in his last seven starts, and did not factor in the outcome his last time out on July 31 against the New York Mets. He was reached for two runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-2 victory.

The right-hander, who is 5-2 in 11 home starts this season, countered the Phils on May 16 and was dealt the loss. Suppan permitted six runs — four earned — through seven innings in South Philly.

In nine career starts against Philadelphia, Suppan is 3-5 with a 6.75 ERA.

Adam Eaton will try to get back in the win column when he leads the Phillies today against the Cubs.

Eaton, who is 9-7 with a 5.87 ERA in 22 starts this season, owns a 1-2 mark over his previous four trips to the mound. He was defeated by the Cubs in his last appearance on July 31, allowing five runs — four earned — in 5 1/3 innings of work.

The right-hander is 6-3 in 11 road starts this season and will face Milwaukee for the second time in 2007. On May 15 at Citizens Bank Park, Eaton gave up two runs — one earned — in 7 2/3 innings of a 4-3 Philadelphia win.

Eaton is 2-0 with a 4.20 ERA in five career starts against the Brewers.

Philadelphia has dropped two in a row and four of five, including yesterday’s second one-run loss. Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard and Greg Dobbs all homered for Philadelphia, which is 2 1/2 games off the NL wild card lead and five games behind the New York Mets for the top spot in the NL East.

Phils starter Cole Hamels allowed four runs and seven hits, fanned five batters and did not walk a batter over seven innings, but was denied his 13th win of the season. Tom Gordon yielded two runs on two hits in the eighth and was also charged with the blown save.

The Phillies won three of four versus the Brewers when the clubs met in Philadelphia from May 14-17. Milwaukee, however, defeated the Phillies in five of their last six meetings last year and won all three contests at home.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (47-61) AT SAN DIEGO PADRES (59-50), 4:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: San Francisco - Noah Lowry (12-7, 3.32) San Diego - Justin Germano (6-6, 4.38)

Barry Bonds finally connected for his 755th career home run to tie Hank Aaron for the all-time lead, and will most likely have Sunday off when the San Francisco Giants try to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

The Giants have lost two straight and three of four, including Saturday’s 3-2 setback in 12 innings. Bonds, who usually doesn’t play afternoon games following a night contest, tied perhaps the most popular record in sports history when he went deep for his 21st homer of the year in the second inning off Padres starter Clay Hensley. Bonds then walked in the fourth, fifth and eighth innings before being replaced by Rajai Davis.

Bonds was 2-for-18 since hitting his 754th homer on July 27 against Florida. This was his 87th career homer against the Padres, his most against any team. However, it was just his fourth homer at spacious Petco Park. After today’s game, Bonds and the Giants will return home for seven games against Washington and Pittsburgh.

Giants starter Patrick Misch allowed two runs in five innings on Saturday for the no decision, while Randy Messenger gave up a bases-loaded single to Khalil Greene in the 12th to absorb the loss. San Francisco is 11 1/2 games off the NL wild card chase after the setback.

Noah Lowry will take the ball for the Giants today and he is 12-7 with a 3.32 ERA in 21 starts this season.

Lowry has won three straight starts and is 6-1 over the past seven trips to the mound. In his last appearance on July 31 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lowry hurled 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 victory at Chavez Ravine.

The southpaw is 3-2 with a 3.90 ERA in 11 career games (nine starts) against the Padres. Lowry faced San Diego on April 11 this season and was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs — three earned — in six innings of work.

Struggling right-hander Justin Germano gets the nod for San Diego today and he is 6-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 15 starts.

Germano has dropped his last three outings, including a July 31 performance against Arizona in which he gave up four runs in five innings of a 4-0 setback at Petco Park.

The California native made his first-ever appearance against San Francisco on June 25 this season. Germano pitched six innings of two-run ball during a 4-3 setback to the Giants at AT&T Park.

San Diego is still 1 1/2 games behind Arizona for the top spot in the NL West standings and will shoot for its fourth straight win and a three-game sweep of the division-rival Giants. Last night, Greene was the hero and Mike Cameron added three hits with an RBI for the Padres. Hensley gave up a pair of runs in 4 2/3 innings and Cla Meredith collected the win with a perfect inning of relief.

The Padres hold an 8-3 edge in their season series with the Giants and have won four of five at home this year against them. San Francisco, though, won seven of 10 at San Diego in 2006. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (62-50) AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS (58-52), 4:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Arizona - Brandon Webb (10-8, 3.08) Los Angeles - Brad Penny (13-2, 2.60)

The NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks will shoot for a series sweep of the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers this afternoon in the finale of a three-game set at Chavez Ravine.

Arizona is 1 1/2 games ahead of San Diego and three games in front of Los Angeles in the NL West standings. The Diamondbacks posted an 8-7 win on Saturday at Dodger Stadium, as Eric Byrnes homered and drove in three runs to lead the way.

Miguel Montero also homered for the surging Diamondbacks, who have won four of their last five games and 12 of 14 overall. Starting pitcher Livan Hernandez allowed two runs — one earned — and five hits in six innings for the win. It was the first time in his last 13 starts that he did not allow a home run, and he also picked up his first road win since May 17.

Brandon Webb will toe the rubber for Arizona this afternoon and he is 10-8 with a 3.08 ERA in 23 starts this season.

Webb has won back-to-back starts since going 0-3 in his previous four outings. In his last start on July 31 against San Diego, Webb tossed seven shutout innings of three-hit ball in a 4-0 victory at Petco Park.

The 2006 NL Cy Young award winner is 6-4 in 13 road starts this season and will face Los Angeles for the third time in 2007. Webb, a righty, is 2-0 with a 0.64 earned run average against the Dodgers this season, and 7-3 with a 3.09 ERA in 12 career starts against them.

Trying to get back in the win column today will be Los Angeles ace Brad Penny, who is 13-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 22 starts this season.

Penny suffered his first loss since May 18 his last time out on July 31 against San Francisco. Penny, who was 8-0 in 12 outings before the loss, allowed three runs in six innings of a 3-1 setback at Chavez Ravine.

The bulky right-hander, who is trying to become the second 14-game winner in the NL behind Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano, is 2-0 with a 0.85 ERA in three starts against Arizona this season.

In 14 career appearances against the D’backs, Penny is 7-2 with a 1.81 earned run average.

The Dodgers have lost eight of 10, including last night’s second one-run loss. They dropped Friday’s opener by a 1-0 score. On Saturday, Nomar Garciaparra and Andre Ethier both homered for the Dodgers, who have lost three straight and 11 of their last 15 games.

LA starter Derek Lowe allowed six runs — four earned — and four hits over five innings to suffer the loss. The right-hander, who allowed a walk and struck out four, was making his first start in 10 days after irritation in his left hip forced him to miss his last scheduled outing for the first time in 211 career starts.

Los Angeles has won seven of the 11 encounters between the division foes this season and is 9-5 in its last 14 home games against the Diamondbacks.

NEW YORK METS (62-48) AT CHICAGO CUBS (58-51), 8:05 P.M. Probable Starting Pitchers: New York - Tom Glavine (9-6, 4.38) Chicago - Jason Marquis (8-6, 4.22)

Tom Glavine will once again shoot for career win No. 300 when he leads the New York Mets in the finale of a three-game series this evening against the Chicago Cubs at historic Wrigley Field.

Glavine owns 299 career victories and is just one win shy of becoming the 23rd pitcher to reach the illustrious plateau. He is 9-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 starts this season and 2-0 over the previous five trips to the mound.

The left-hander last toed the rubber on July 31 against Milwaukee and did not factor in the outcome. Glavine yielded just one run and two hits in six innings before the bullpen imploded for a 4-2 loss at Miller Park.

Glavine is 14-13 with six complete games (two shutouts) and a 3.64 earned run average in 34 career starts against the Cubs. He posted a no decision against the Cubs on May 14 this season, allowing four runs in six innings of a 5-4 victory at Shea Stadium.

Taking the ball for the Cubs on Sunday will be Glavine’s former Atlanta teammate Jason Marquis, who is 8-6 with a 4.22 ERA over 22 starts this season.

Marquis owns a 2-1 record in his last three appearances, and defeated the Philadelphia Phillies his last time out on July 31. Marquis gave up three runs in six innings of a 7-3 victory at Wrigley Field. He is 6-2 in 12 home starts this season.

The right-hander is 5-4 with a 4.17 earned run average over 19 games (12 starts) in his career against the Mets. Marquis countered Glavine on May 14 and also did not record a decision. He yielded four runs through five innings of that 5-4 setback in Flushing, NY.

On Saturday, Jacque Jones collected three hits and knocked in a run as the Cubs used a six-run third inning to down the Mets, 6-2.

Ted Lilly pitched 7 2/3 strong innings, allowing two runs on seven hits for the Cubs, who ended a two-game slide. Lilly (12-5), who has won seven of his last eight starts, also struck out eight while walking one.

Mark DeRosa knocked in two runs in the victory for the Cubs, who trail Milwaukee by one game in the NL Central. The Brewers defeated the Phillies on Saturday night.

New York starter John Maine, who came into the game with wins in his last two starts, was roughed up for six runs on four hits in just 2 2/3 innings. Maine (12-6) also walked three, hit a batter and struck out one.

Moises Alou hit two home runs for the NL East-leading Mets, who had a three- game winning streak come to an end.

The Mets have won four of six this season from the Cubs and are 11-7 in the series since the since the start of the 2005 campaign. Last year, the Mets won two of three at Wrigley.

Friday, August 3rd (All times eastern)

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (48-59) AT NEW YORK YANKEES (58-50), 7:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Kansas City - Odalis Perez (6-9, 5.73) New York - Chien-Ming Wang (12-5, 3.61)

The New York Yankees hope Chien-Ming Wang gives them a better start this evening than the one they received from Roger Clemens yesterday when they open a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium.

Clemens, in his shortest outing in seven years, was ripped by the Chicago White Sox for nine hits and eight runs — only three earned — in 1 2/3 innings. The Yankees’ bats, though, bailed him out, scoring eight runs in the second to tie the game, leaving the seven-time Cy Young Award winner with a no-decision.

The Yankees eventually lost the game, 13-9, falling for the first time in four tries and for only the fifth time in their last 20, as they slipped eight games behind Boston in the American League East and three games back of Cleveland in the wild card race.

Bobby Abreu went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs in the loss for the Yankees, while Jeff Karstens (0-2) was saddled with the loss, giving up three runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Alex Rodriguez, though, did break his 0-for-21 skid with two hits and an RBI, as the 32 year-old superstar tries to become the 22nd player in major league history, as well as the youngest, to reach 500 home runs.

With the bullpen spent, the Yankees will need a big effort tonight from Wang, who has won nine of his last 10 decisions. Wang picked up the win on Sunday against Baltimore, as he allowed three runs and nine hits in six innings to run his record to 12-5 to go along with a 3.61 earned run average.

Wang topped the Royals two starts ago and is a perfect 2-0 against them

Kansas City will pin its hopes on left-hander Odalis Perez, who is 6-9 with a 5.73 ERA. Perez picked up the win on Saturday against Texas, as he surrendered three runs and seven hits in six innings.

Perez lost to the Yankees earlier in the year and is 0-2 lifetime against them with a 9.26 ERA in two starts.

Kansas City had their game postponed on Thursday in Minnesota due to the tragic bridge collapse along Interstate Highway 35W over the Mississippi River on Wednesday. The bridge collapsed during the evening rush hour, shortly after 6 p.m. local time, dumping an estimated 50 vehicles into the water and onto the land below.

The bridge is approximately six blocks from the Metrodome, where the Royals won for the fifth time in seven tries on Wednesday, topping the Twins, 5-3, in 10 innings on Alex Gordon’s two-run homer.

Lost in the tragedy of the bridge collapse was the fact that Royals manager Buddy Bell announced prior to the game that he will resign after the season.

The Yankees have won three of four from the Royals this season and are 10-3 against them since the start of the last season. KC has also lost 11 of its last 12 and 24 of its last 27 in the Bronx.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (49-59) AT DETROIT TIGERS (61-46), 7:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Mark Buehrle (8-6, 3.06) Detroit - Andrew Miller (5-3, 3.76)

The Detroit Tigers hope to put the brakes on a two-game losing streak tonight, as they start an 11-game homestand with the opener of a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park.

Detroit enters this series having lost two of three to Oakland and completed an 11-game road trip with just three wins after falling to the A’s 3-2 on Wednesday in the rubber match of that series at McAfee Coliseum.

Placido Polanco finished 2-for-3 and scored a run for the AL Central-leading Tigers, who have dropped four straight series and have lost six of seven overall. Their lead over Cleveland in the division is now just a half-game.

Nate Robertson (6-9) failed to rebound from an awful outing Friday in Anaheim, allowing three runs on nine hits with a walk and two strikeouts over six-plus innings.

Rookie Andrew Miller will try to get the Tigers back in the win column tonight. Miller, who is 5-3 with a 3.76 earned run average, received a no- decision against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Saturday, as he allowed two runs and five hits in five innings of his team’s 10-3 setback.

Miller has yet to record a decision in two games against the White Sox, but has pitched to a 7.11 ERA in those outings. Two starts ago Miller was lit up for five runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 9-6 win.

Chicago will hand the ball to lefty Mark Buehrle, who will try and build upon a tremendous effort in his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. Buehrle scattered eight hits over eight scoreless innings in that one, as he ran his record to 8-6, while lowering his ERA to 3.06.

Buehrle gave up 14 hits in losing to the Tigers two starts ago, but is 11-8 lifetime against them with a 3.22 ERA in 22 games, 21 of which have been starts.

Chicago enters this series on a winning note after salvaging the finale of its three-game series with the New York Yankees on Thursday. Jermaine Dye finished 4-for-5 with two doubles, two homers, and four RBI to help the White Sox recover from blowing an eight-run lead in the second inning to outslug their way to a 13-9 win.

Paul Konerko went 3-for-5, homered, and drove in two for the White Sox, who knocked Roger Clemens out in the second inning, and stopped a three-game losing skid. Boone Logan (2-0) got the win for two scoreless inning of relief.

Chicago has won five of its nine matchups with the Tigers this season and is 31-16 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign. The White Sox have also won in 15 of their last 22 visits to the Motor City.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (50-57) AT TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (41-66), 7:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Daniel Cabrera (7-11, 5.08) Tampa Bay - James Shields (8-6, 4.47)

The Baltimore Orioles try to defeat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the eighth straight time this evening when the two AL East cellar dwellers square off in the opener of a three-game set from Tropicana Field.

Baltimore has won eight of nine from the Devil Rays this year and is 14-2 in the last 16 matchups. Since the start of the 2004 campaign the Orioles are 38-15 in the series, including a 19-13 mark at the Trop.

Continuing that trend may not be that difficult for Baltimore this evening, as it sends a pitcher to the hill in Daniel Cabrera that has never lost to the Devil Rays. Cabrera has two wins this season against Tampa and is a perfect 5-0 lifetime against the Rays with a 3.11 earned run average in nine starts.

Cabrera, though, has struggled this season, going 7-11 with a 5.08 ERA. The right-hander was tagged with the loss on Sunday against the New York Yankees, allowing four runs and six hits in six innings.

Baltimore enters this series after losing the final two contests of their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox, including a 7-4 setback in Thursday’s rubber match at Fenway Park. Corey Patterson finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and Jay Payton also drove in two for the Orioles, who have dropped three of four.

Rob Bell (3-2) took the loss, tagged for four runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning. Starter Jeremy Guthrie got a no-decision, allowing nine hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts and four walks.

Tampa will pin its hopes tonight on right-hander James Shields, who is 8-6 with a 4.47 ERA. Shields received a no-decision against the Red Sox on Saturday, giving up three runs and six hits in five frames of a 12-6 loss.

Shields has yet to pick up a decision against the O’s, but has pitched to a 3.95 ERA in four starts against them.

Tampa took two of three from the Blue Jays, culminating with a 6-2 win in Wednesday’s finale. The Devil Rays have now won three of four on the heels of an eight-game slide that included three losses in Baltimore.

TEXAS RANGERS (48-60) AT TORONTO BLUE JAYS (53-54), 7:07 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Texas - Kevin Millwood (7-9, 5.95) Toronto - Roy Halladay (11-5, 4.04)

Roy Halladay tries to get the Toronto Blue Jays back in the win column this evening when they kick off a six-game homestand with the opener of a three-game set against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre.

Toronto was 2-4 on its six-game road swing, dropping two of three to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to close the trek, including a 6-2 setback on Wednesday at Tropicana Field.

Alex Rios and Matt Stairs each drove in a run for the Blue Jays, while Josh Towers (5-8) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked two, losing for the third time in four outings.

The Blue Jays now head home, where they have won 10 of their last 12 and are 31-20 this season. They have also posted shutouts in five of their last 10 north of the border.

Halladay had one of those shutouts and comes into tonight’s tilt with an 11-5 mark to go along with a 4.04 earned run average. Halladay, though, was dealt a hard-luck loss in his last trip to the hill on Saturday against Chicago, as he was outdueled by Mark Buehrle, surrendering two runs and 10 hits in eight innings of a 2-0 loss.

The 2003 Cy Young Award winner picked up a complete game win over the Rangers earlier in the year and is 5-5 lifetime against them with a 5.85 ERA in 16 games, 15 of which have been starts.

Texas will counter with a right-handed veteran of its own in Kevin Millwood, who is 7-9 with a 5.95 ERA. Millwood lost for the second time in his last three starts on Saturday against Kansas City, which battered him for six runs and nine hits in just 2 2/3 innings.

Millwood has faced the Blue Jays six times and is 1-3 against them with a 6.42 ERA.

Texas had a modest two-game winning streak stopped on Thursday, falling 5-0 to the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field. Brad Wilkerson and Michael Young both finished 2-for-4 for the Rangers, who have dropped four of their last six.

Kason Gabbard (4-1), who was acquired from Boston on Tuesday as part of the deal that landed closer Eric Gagne in Beantown, allowed three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and a walk over 5 2/3 innings in his first appearance in a Rangers uniform.

Texas has won five of seven from the Blue Jays this season and is 23-9 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign. The Rangers also hold a slim 7-6 edge as the road team in that same span. CLEVELAND INDIANS (61-47) AT MINNESOTA TWINS (55-52), 8:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Cleveland - C.C. Sabathia (13-6, 3.58) Minnesota - Johan Santana (11-8, 2.92)

Baseball is set to resume once again in the tragedy- stricken Twin Cities this evening, where the Minnesota Twins will open up an important four-game series with the division-rival Cleveland Indians at the Metrodome.

Minnesota had Thursday’s scheduled contest with Kansas City postponed due to a bridge collapse on a major Minneapolis highway during Tuesday rush hour. The disaster, which occurred on Interstate 35W and was approximately six blocks from the Metrodome, has left at least five people dead and as many as 30 missing.

Tuesday’s game between the Twins and Royals did take place, as it was feared a postponement would have hindered rescue efforts by creating further traffic. Minnesota would fall in extra innings that night, with Alex Gordon’s two-out, two-run homer in the top of the 10th frame lifting Kansas City to a 5-3 triumph.

Gordon deposited Juan Rincon’s pitch over the right-field wall with Emil Brown on base to put the Royals in front. Joakim Soria then worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 10th to preserve the lead and notch his 11th save.

The loss spoiled a strong performance from Twins starter Boof Bonser, who limited the Royals to two runs over the first seven innings. He left with a 3-2 lead, but was denied a possible victory when Kansas City scored in the top of the eighth.

Jason Kubel went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI for Minnesota, which had a four- game win streak halted.

Cleveland had lost a season-high four in a row before salvaging Thursday’s finale of a three-game series with the Texas Rangers. Jake Westbrook led the way in the Tribe’s 5-0 victory, as the right-hander threw six shutout innings and teamed with two relievers on a seven-hitter.

Westbrook (2-6) yielded just five hits and a walk while striking out five batters to earn his first win since April 27.

Grady Sizemore had two hits and two RBI while Victor Martinez hit a solo homer to help the Indians pull within a half-game of Detroit’s lead atop the American League Central. Minnesota sits six games off the pace in third place.

Tonight’s matchup features two of the game’s top left-handed hurlers, as Cleveland ace C.C. Sabathia opposes reigning AL Cy Young winner Johan Santana in a battle of All-Stars.

Sabathia will attempt to become the AL’s first 14-game winner of the season and reverse a recent trend of losing outings. The burly southpaw is 1-4 with a 5.12 earned run average over his last five starts, although he pitched very well in his two most recent mound trips.

The 27-year-old lost to the Twins in Cleveland on Sunday despite matching a career-high with 11 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings of work. Two of the three runs he allowed were unearned.

Five days earlier, Sabathia limited Boston to a run and five hits over seven innings but came out on the short end of a 1-0 decision.

Sabathia is 8-8 with a 3.47 ERA in 23 career starts against Minnesota and 6-5 with a 3.97 ERA over 14 previous appearances at the Metrodome.

Santana is also coming off a terrific last start in which he failed to receive a win. That came against the Indians on Saturday, with the star lefty yielding just two runs on four hits and racking up 12 strikeouts in a seven-inning no decision.

The native Venezuelan had lost back-to-back starts since defeating Oakland with seven scoreless innings back on July 13.

Santana is winless in three outings against Cleveland this season, having recorded a pair of losses in addition to last week’s no decision. He owns a 7-4 lifetime record with a 3.15 ERA in 27 games (17 starts) versus the Indians and has surrendered eight runs in 21 innings of work against Cleveland in 2007.

The Indians won the first six meetings between these clubs this season before Minnesota recorded back-to-back wins at Jacobs Field this past weekend. Cleveland swept a two-game set in the Metrodome back in April.

LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (63-44) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (51-58), 10:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: LA Angels - Dustin Moseley (4-1, 4.37) Oakland - Lenny DiNardo (5-6, 3.10)

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim attempt to pad their lead atop the American League West division in tonight’s second test of a four-game series with the host Oakland Athletics from McAfee Coliseum.

The Angels extended its margin over idle Seattle to 3 1/2 games in the division standings following Thursday’s 6-4 triumph over the A’s. Vladimir Guerrero broke out of a long homerless streak with a pair of long balls to lead Anaheim to victory.

Guerrero had not gone deep in a career-long 30 consecutive games spanning 125 at-bats before smacking a solo homer in the fourth inning that broke a scoreless tie. The All-Star outfielder belted a three-run shot one frame later to give the Angels a 4-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Garret Anderson and Reggie Willits also knocked in runs to help Los Angeles post its sixth victory in its last eight games. Joe Saunders was sharp on the mound, as the young left-hander held Oakland to two runs over the first 6 2/3 innings to run his season record to 5-0.

The Athletics pulled within 6-4 on Donnie Murphy’s two-run homer off Darren Oliver in the bottom of the ninth, but Francisco Rodriguez came on to record the final out for his 26th save.

Murphy finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored for Oakland, which had a two-game win streak snapped, while Mark Ellis homered for a second straight game.

Athletics starter Chad Gaudin (8-7) took the loss after surrendering five runs over six-plus frames.

Oakland hopes for a better performance this evening out of Lenny DiNardo, who looks to rebound from an awful last start. The left-hander was shelled for seven runs on seven hits in just three innings Sunday in Seattle, although he did not factor in the decision of the A’s 14-10 loss.

DiNardo had been outstanding over his previous two outings, yielding only one run and six hits over 13 2/3 combined innings in back-to-back wins over the Angels and Texas Rangers. Against Anaheim on July 24, DiNardo surrendered one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings of work.

That was the first career start versus the Angels for the former Red Sox swingman, who allowed two runs in just one-third of an inning during a relief stint against the club back in 2005.

Dustin Moseley makes his second start since joining the Los Angeles rotation as an injury fill-in tonight. The right-hander, who is replacing the disabled Bartolo Colon, failed to get a win despite receiving a wealth of offensive support this past Sunday.

Moseley left after 4 2/3 innings in the Angels’ 13-4 rout of Detroit, who scored five runs on five hits off the native Texan.

In his most recent relief appearance, Moseley took over for Colon in the second inning of a July 23 game against Oakland and allowed five runs on five hits in 2 2/3 frames. The 25-year-old is 1-0 with a 9.24 earned run average in three career games versus the Athletics, two of which have been starts.

Oakland has had the upper hand thus far in the 2007 season series, having taken six of 10 meetings with the Angels and sweeping a two-game set between the rivals at the Coliseum in mid-April. Anaheim won seven of 10 games in Oakland last season, however. BOSTON RED SOX (66-42) AT SEATTLE MARINERS (59-47), 10:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Boston - Jon Lester (1-0, 4.26) Seattle - Horacio Ramirez (6-3, 6.52)

Jon Lester gets a chance to pitch in his native state when the Boston Red Sox hurler takes the mound for tonight’s opener of a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

Lester grew up in nearby Tacoma and will be making the second career start at Safeco Field of his young career. The first came on July 23, 2006 and wasn’t a particularly happy homecoming for the left-hander, who allowed five runs on eight hits in a five-inning no decision.

The 23-year-old has since made an impressive comeback after being diagnosed with lymphoma last summer and will be making his third major league start of this season. Lester defeated Cleveland with six innings of two-run ball in his return to the bigs on July 23, then recorded a no decision at Tampa Bay last Saturday after giving up four runs over 6 2/3 innings.

Lester will be trying to stop an eight-game losing streak for the Red Sox in Seattle. Boston was swept in a three-game set at Safeco Field in June and dropped five of six contests in the Emerald City a year ago.

The Mariners have won four of six overall meetings with the AL East-leading Red Sox this season and are 10-6 in the series since the start of the 2006 campaign.

Boston does come in having won two consecutive outings and claimed Thursday’s rubber match of a three-game series with Baltimore by a 7-4 count. Doug Mirabelli snapped a 3-3 deadlock with an RBI single in the seventh inning and finished 3-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs scored.

The Red Sox scored four times in the bottom of the seventh, capped by Dustin Pedroia’s two-run double. Eric Hinske added a solo homer for Boston, which owns baseball’s best overall record at 66-42.

Tim Wakefield (13-9) earned the win on his 41st birthday and recorded a decision in his 22nd consecutive start. He was charged with three runs and six hits over seven innings, fanning five and walking just one.

Eric Gagne pitched the final inning in his first appearance in a Red Sox uniform. The star reliever, who was acquired by Boston from the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, gave up a run on two hits and struck out two.

Seattle has won four of its last five games and just took two of three encounters with the rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Mariners won the series with a hard-fought 8-7 victory in 12 innings on Wednesday, with Yuniesky Betancourt singling in the winning run with one out.

The Mariners overcame a rare blown save from All-Star closer J.J. Putz. The normally lights-out reliever yielded three runs in the top of the ninth inning and served up Gary Matthews’ game-tying two-run homer with Seattle one out away from victory.

Seattle finished the game with 20 hits, four of which came from Ichiro Suzuki. Betancourt ended 3-for-6 with two RBI, while Kenji Johjima had two hits and also knocked in a pair of runs.

The Mariners will send out Horacio Ramirez to oppose Lester in tonight’s opener. The fellow lefty has won two of three starts since returning from a near two-month stay on the disabled list and has been unbeatable at Safeco Field this season.

Ramirez is 6-0 with a 2.63 earned run average in six home starts in 2007. He maintained that perfect record on Saturday, when he held Oakland to three runs on six hits over six frames in Seattle’s 4-3 decision.

The former Atlanta Brave’s only career start against Boston came at Fenway Park on May 3. Ramirez was rocked for seven runs and 11 hits over four innings, although he did not receive a decision.

NEW YORK METS (62-47) AT CHICAGO CUBS (57-51), 2:20 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: New York - Orlando Hernandez (7-4, 3.02) Chicago - Carlos Zambrano (14-7, 3.47)

Red hot right-hander Carlos Zambrano goes for a fifth straight win and eighth in nine decisions today when the Chicago Cubs host the New York Mets in a battle of National League powerhouses at Wrigley Field.

Zambrano, who won 16 games last season for the Cubs, earned his league-leading 14th victory in his last start, allowing two hits in 7 1/3 scoreless innings of Chicago’s 6-0 defeat of the Cincinnati Reds.

The 26-year-old Venezuelan’s last loss came July 8 at Pittsburgh, when he gave up three runs and four hits in seven innings. Since, he’s surrendered just 12 hits and two earned runs in 25 1/3 innings, going 4-0.

He’s 3-1 in five lifetime appearances - four starts - against the Mets, posting a 3.60 earned run average in 25 innings.

Cuban veteran Orlando Hernandez has gone 3-0 with a no-decision in his last four starts. The 37-year-old’s last outing resulted in a 3-1 defeat of Washington, during which he allowed three hits and an earned run over seven innings, striking out eight and walking two.

Hernandez’s last loss came July 4 at Colorado, when he gave up six hits and five earned runs in four innings. Since, he’s allowed 15 hits and seven runs in 26 innings.

The right-hander’s lone career appearance against the Cubs ended in a no- decision for him after he allowed seven hits and five runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

On Thursday in Milwaukee, Damion Easley went 3-for-5 with a two-run inside- the-park homer and scored twice as the Mets rocked the Brewers, 12-4, in the finale of a three-game set at Miller Park.

Brian Lawrence (1-0), called up from Triple-A New Orleans prior to the game, won his first major-league game since September 29, 2005 with San Diego. He allowed three runs and eight hits with three strikeouts in five innings.

Lastings Milledge was 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored for the Mets, who have won two in a row and three of four. David Wright added four hits and scored three times, while Moises Alou finished with a pair of hits, a run scored and one driven in, and Jose Reyes hit a two-run homer.

In Chicago, Jayson Werth went 3-for-6 with four RBI as the Philadelphia Phillies held off the Cubs, 10-6, to earn a split in a four-game set.

Alfonso Soriano had three hits and scored twice for the Cubs, who have dropped four of six. Sean Marshall (5-5) was ripped for nine hits and seven runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The Mets have won three four this season from the Cubs and is 10-6 in the series since the since the start of the 2005 campaign. Last year, the Mets won two of three at Wrigley.

CINCINNATI REDS (45-64) AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES (44-62), 7:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Cincinnati - Matt Belisle (5-8, 5.30) Pittsburgh - Ian Snell (7-9, 3.66)

Pittsburgh lefty Ian Snell tries again to snap a post- holiday funk tonight when the Pirates open a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.

Snell, who will turn 26 in October, was 7-5 with a 2.93 earned run average after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers on the 4th of July in Pittsburgh. Since, the Delaware native has lost four straight starts, allowing 29 hits and 18 earned runs in 21 innings.

He’s split two starts against the Reds in 2007, allowing 11 hits and three runs in 14 innings while scoring a 3-1 victory and a 4-0 loss. He’s 2-2 in five lifetime starts against Cincinnati with a 3.38 ERA in 32 innings.

Right-handed Texan Matt Belisle is winless in his last 10 starts for the Reds.

The 27-year-old was beaten, 6-0, by the Chicago Cubs on July 29, allowing nine hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings.

His last win came May 29 against Houston, when he surrendered four hits and a run in 7 2/3 innings of a 2-1 win.

Belisle has won a pair of starts against the Pirates this season, allowing nine hits and two runs over 15 innings while earning a 6-1 triumph on April 6 and an 8-1 win on April 28.

On Thursday in Washington, Ryan Zimmerman drove in three runs and Mike Bacsik hurled seven solid innings as the Nationals downed Cincinnati, 7-3, in the finale of a three-game set at RFK Stadium.

Adam Dunn and Alex Gonzalez both homered for the Reds, who lost their fifth straight game.

Phil Dumatrait (0-1) was rocked in his major league debut. The former first- round pick of the Boston Red Sox allowed six runs on eight hits in just 3 1/3 innings of work.

In Pittsburgh, pinch-hitter Jose Castillo singled home the game-winning run with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Pirates got consecutive wins for the first time in almost a month when they wrapped up a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park with a 5-4 win.

With the score deadlocked at 4, Pittsburgh got the game-winner in the 11th off Brad Thompson (6-5). Jason Bay reached on a fielding error by David Eckstein and Ryan Doumit singled. Ronny Paulino then bunted into a double play, but got Doumit to second. Castillo, who was the last available position player for the Pirates, then singled home the winning run on a line drive to center field.

Paulino homered for the Pirates, who ended a four-game losing streak with Wednesday’s 15-1 pounding of the Cardinals in the second installment of this series, and now have back-to-back triumphs for the first time since a four- game win streak from July 3-6.

Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have split 10 meetings so far this year with the Reds holding a 2-1 mark at PNC Park.

HOUSTON ASTROS (47-61) AT FLORIDA MARLINS (50-59), 7:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Roy Oswalt (10-6, 3.63) Florida - Dontrelle Willis (7-10, 4.95)

Houston ace Roy Oswalt looks to get his 2007 road record a little closer to .500 when the Astros visit Dolphin Stadium tonight to open a three-game weekend series with the Florida Marlins.

The 29-year-old Mississippi native is 3-5 in 10 road appearances, including nine starts, with a 5.95 earned run average in 56 innings.

Oswalt is unbeaten in his last three overall starts, going 2-0 with a no decision while allowing 10 hits and only one earned run in 13 1/3 innings. He defeated San Diego, 3-1, on Saturday after striking out 10 and yielding just one unearned run in seven innings.

The Astros are 8-2 in Oswalt’s last 10 starts, during which he’s gone 4-2 with four no decisions.

He’ll be opposed tonight by Florida left-hander Dontrelle Willis, who is mired in the worst slump of his career. The 25-year-old is winless in 11 starts since May 29, going 0-7 with four no decisions.

He pitched well but was unrewarded in his last outing, allowing seven hits and an unearned run over seven innings in Florida’s 4-3 loss to San Francisco on Saturday.

Willis is 2-7 in 12 home starts with a 5.64 ERA in 68 2/3 innings.

On Thursday in Atlanta, pinch-hitting pitcher Jason Jennings came through with an RBI single in the 14th inning to lift the Astros over the Braves, 12-11, in a wild finale of a three-game series at Turner Field.

Mike Lamb brought the Astros back from a four-run deficit with a grand slam in the eighth inning. Jason Lane ended with four RBI for Houston, which snapped a three-game slide.

In Miami, Matt Holliday had two hits, two RBI and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Rockies beat the Marlins, 4-3, in the finale of a three-game series.

Colorado trailed 3-2 heading into the eighth but scored twice off Armando Benitez (2-7) to forge ahead. Kaz Matsui reached on a bunt single and scored on Holliday’s double to right that made it a tie game. Holliday went to third on the throw home, and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Garrett Atkins that put the Rockies on top.

Josh Willingham and Dan Uggla both homered for the Marlins, who have dropped four of six.

Houston swept a two-game set from Florida at Minute Maid Park back in April and have taken eight of the last 11 matchups between the clubs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (50-55) AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS (48-60), 7:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: St. Louis - Kip Wells (4-13, 5.72) Washington - Tim Redding (1-2, 2.64)

The Washington Nationals will try to stretch their winning streak to four games tonight, when they begin a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at RFK Stadium.

The Nationals come into tonight’s game off a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. They have won a season-high four straight games twice this season, first from May 11-14 and again from May 22-25, with the latter stretch also including a three-game sweep of Cincinnati.

Ryan Zimmerman had three hits and also drove in three runs in Washington’s 7-3 victory over the Reds on Thursday, while Dmitri Young had two RBI. Mike Bacsik (5-6) allowed three runs on three hits over seven innings to claim the win.

Tim Redding will make his sixth start of the season for the Nationals tonight and is coming in off two straight no decisions despite allowing just one run over that span.

He didn’t factor into the outcome of Washington’s 3-0 win over Colorado on July 22, even though he hurled 6 2/3 scoreless frames, and then allowed only one run on five hits and four walks on Saturday at the New York Mets. He also fanned eight in the six-inning stint.

The right-hander, who is 1-2 with a 2.64 earned run average this year, has made 11 appearances (10 starts) all-time against the Cardinals and is 3-5 with a 5.75 ERA against them.

Kip Wells will toe the rubber for the Cardinals tonight trying to avoid becoming the majors’ second 14-game loser, a mark the White Sox’ Jose Contreras hit on Tuesday.

Wells earned loss No. 13 on July 24 against the Cubs despite allowing three runs (two earned) over 6 2/3 innings. He was then rattled for five runs on 11 hits with seven strikeouts in five innings against Milwaukee on Sunday, but walked away with a no decision.

The right-hander, who has just four wins and a 5.72 ERA on the year, is 1-3 with a 5.12 ERA in six lifetime starts against the Washington/Montreal franchise.

The Cardinals come into tonight’s contest having lost two straight, including Thursday’s 5-4, 11-inning setback to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Albert Pujols homered for the Cardinals, whose skid follows a four-game winning streak. Yadier Molina ended 3-for-4 in the loss.

The Nationals took two out of three from the Cardinals in St. Louis from May 25-27.

COLORADO ROCKIES (55-52) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (57-52), 7:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Jeff Francis (11-5, 4.12) Atlanta - John Smoltz (10-5, 2.84)

Colorado pitcher Jeff Francis will aim to run his unbeaten streak to 10 games when he takes the mound for the Rockies tonight in the opener of a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

Francis is 6-0 in his last nine outings, but has been bailed out by his offense numerous times during that stretch. In the games the left-hander has won, he has pitched to a 2.56 earned run average. However, in his three no decisions, Francis has compiled a 9.56 ERA.

Francis turned in an excellent outing on Saturday versus the Dodgers, yielding two runs on seven hits and striking out five over 7 2/3 innings to run his record to 11-5 with a 4.12 ERA. In his previous start versus San Diego, he was tagged for five runs over six innings of a no decision on July 23.

The lefty is 2-2 with an eye-popping 7.97 ERA in four career starts against Atlanta.

The Rockies are coming off a series win over Florida after taking the rubber match, 4-3, on Thursday. Matt Holliday plated Kaz Matsui with a double in the eighth to tie the game, then later scored on a sacrifice fly by Garrett Atkins to put the Rockies up for good.

Holliday finished with two RBI to lift his team-leading total to 86 on the year, while Garrett Atkins had two hits and two RBI as the Rockies won for the fourth time in five games.

LaTroy Hawkins (2-5) earned the win with an inning of scoreless relief for Colorado. Starter Jason Hirsh returned from the disabled list and allowed three runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings in his first outing since July 2. He also tied a career high for strikeouts with eight.

The victory has Colorado 3 1/2 games behind Arizona for the lead in the National League West, while the club trails Los Angeles by 2 1/2 games in the NL wild card race.

The Braves, meanwhile, trail LA by 1 1/2 games for the wild card after yesterday’s 12-11, 14-inning setback to Houston. Atlanta fell behind by two runs in the 12th, but saw Matt Diaz extend the game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame.

This came innings after the Braves blew a four-run lead in the eighth as Rafael Soriano allowed a grand slam to pinch-hitter Mike Lamb.

Andruw Jones homered for Atlanta, who had a three-game winning streak snapped and trail the first-place Mets by 4 1/2 games in the NL East. Newly-acquired Mark Teixeira continued to fit into the lineup, as he hit his second homer in as many games with the Braves.

The Braves have scored 49 runs over their last four games, reaching double figures in all four contests.

Edgar Renteria, though, left yesterday’s contest in the eighth inning with a sprained right ankle and is day-to-day.

The Braves have tabbed John Smoltz for tonight’s starting assignment. Smoltz took a no decision at Arizona on Saturday after giving up three runs and seven hits over seven innings of work.

The right-hander, who had yielded just two runs — one earned — in his previous start, also struck out six against the Diamondbacks and is 10-5 on the year with a 2.84 ERA, fourth best in the NL.

Smoltz has enjoyed a lot of success against the Rockies as both a starter and closer. In 31 games (17 starts) against them, he is 11-4 with nine saves and a 3.43 ERA.

These two clubs met in Colorado from April 27-29, with the Braves winning two of three. The franchises split six games in 2006, though Atlanta won the only two matchups at home.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (57-51) AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS (58-51), 8:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Kyle Kendrick (5-1, 4.04) Milwaukee - Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 2.72)

The Milwaukee Brewers will try to take their fight onto the field tonight when the struggling club welcomes the Philadelphia Phillies to Miller Park for the opener of a three-game series.

The Brewers have lost two in a row, five of six and seven of their last nine games, with Wednesday night’s loss to the New York Mets knocking them out of first place for the first time in 102 days. The club fell a percentage point behind the now first-place Chicago Cubs.

The Brewers then failed to make up ground yesterday, as they were routed by the Mets, 12-4.

Frustration was evident, as Brewers manager Ned Yost and Johnny Estrada engaged in a confrontation in the clubhouse tunnel, with Tony Graffanino eventually getting involved as well. Numerous other players and managers stepped in to prevent things from getting worse.

Perhaps the Brewers were just trying to mimic the Cubs, whose recent tear to overcome Milwaukee in the standings began shortly after ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano and since-traded catcher Michael Barrett got in a heated argument in the club’s dugout that involved punches being thrown.

Milwaukee starter Chris Capuano (5-8) had little fight in him yesterday, as he was tagged for 10 hits and five runs despite fanning eight and walking one in six full innings. The lefty has not won a game since May 7.

Corey Hart was 3-for-5, homered twice and drove in three runs for the Brewers, while Estrada collected three hits and Graffanino knocked in the other run.

Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun was voted NL Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month, and went 2-for-5 with a double.

Fellow rookie Yovani Gallardo toes the rubber for the Brewers. Gallardo won two straight decisions before taking a no-decision on Sunday at St. Louis, and hasn’t lost since July 3 at Pittsburgh. Versus the Cardinals, the right-hander allowed four runs on four hits and two walks in five innings of work. He also fanned seven batters while watching his earned run average lift to 2.72.

Gallardo, who is 3-1 on the season, has never faced the Phillies in his career.

Philadelphia did its part of help the Brewers yesterday, knocking off the Cubs 10-6 to earn a split of their four-game series with Chicago.

Jayson Werth had three hits and plated four runs, while Pat Burrell extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a 3-for-4 outing. He also hit his 15th homer of the season and is now batting .268 on the year after seeing his average fall to a season-low .201 on July 1.

Recently acquired starter Kyle Lohse made his debut with the club yesterday and allowed one run in the first frame, but was hit by a line drive on the arm in the inning. He suffered a right forearm contusion and did not come out to pitch the second inning.

J.D. Durbin (4-2), whom Lohse replaced in the starting rotation, gave up five hits and three runs in three innings of relief, but picked up the win.

Lohse is just the latest Phillie to suffer injury, joining a lengthy list that includes All-Star Chase Utley and starter Shane Victorino. Lohse’s injury, though, shouldn’t require him to miss a start.

The victory kept the Phillies four games back of the Mets for first place in the NL East and one game behind Los Angeles in the wild card race.

Kyle Kendrick will try to duplicate the success of his last outing tonight for the Phillies. The rookie held the Pirates to just one run on Sunday, scattering six hits and a walk over seven innings of a 5-1 victory. Kendrick is 5-1 on the year with a 4.04 ERA, but is just 1-1 with a 5.71 ERA in three road starts.

The 22-year-old will face the Brewers for the first time in his career.

The Phillies won three of four over the Brewers when the clubs met in Philadelphia on May 14-17. Milwaukee, however, defeated the Phillies in five of their last six meetings last year and won all three contests at home.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (47-59) AT SAN DIEGO PADRES (57-50), 10:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: San Francisco - Matt Cain (3-12, 4.02) San Diego - Greg Maddux (7-8, 4.20)

If anyone can appreciate milestones, it is 340-game winner Greg Maddux. However, the 41-year-old will try to keep Barry Bonds from reaching a historic mark tonight when the San Diego Padres host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park.

That task may prove difficult for Maddux. The most home runs Bonds has in his career against any one pitcher is eight. He has done that off of five different hurlers with Maddux being one of them.

The left-handed hitting slugger also has 86 homers in his career against San Diego, the most against any one club. 42 of those have come as the visitor. Three of those have come at pitcher-friendly Petco Park, which opened in 2004.

The 43-year-old Bonds’ homerless drought reached five games last night, as he went 1-for-2 in Thursday’s 4-2 victory over the Dodgers. Bonds hasn’t homered since last Friday against Florida to remain at 754 in his career, one shy of matching Hank Aaron’s all-time mark.

Instead, Barry Zito (8-10) was the star on this night, yielding just one run on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts over 5 2/3 frames. Pedro Feliz drove home a pair for the Giants, who took two games in the series at Chavez Ravine. San Francisco has won six of eight overall.

Matt Cain goes for his first win in five starts (0-3) tonight for the Giants. Cain was handed three straight setbacks and then did not factor into the decision of Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Marlins. The right-hander allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings of work against Florida to go along with seven strikeouts.

Cain, who is 3-12 with a 4.02 earned run average this season, is 0-2 in three starts versus the Padres this season despite a 2.61 ERA against them. He last faced San Diego on June 27 and yielded four runs (two earned) in 7 2/3 innings, suffering the loss.

In his career, Cain is 3-2 in eight starts opposite the Padres with a 2.01 ERA.

Maddux, meanwhile, is 0-4 in his last six starts with a 5.57 ERA. He took the loss in Houston on Saturday, yielding three runs and five hits over six innings to fall to 7-8 with a 4.20 ERA this year.

Maddux, though, has bested the Giants in two starts this year, while allowing only one run over 13 innings. He threw six scoreless innings against them on April 11, then limited the Giants to one run over seven frames on June 27.

Bonds went 0-for-4 in the Giants’ April 11 loss to Maddux, and sat out the June 27 meeting and was on-deck to pinch hit when the final out was recorded.

Maddux has faced the Giants 48 times in his career and is 28-14 against them with a 2.87 ERA and five complete games.

The Padres lost the first two meetings of their three-game set with Arizona before avoiding the sweep with a big 11-0 victory yesterday. Morgan Ensberg, acquired from Houston on Tuesday, homered twice and had four RBI in his first start for the Padres.

Rob Mackowiak, also acquired three days ago, made his San Diego debut as well in place of the injured Brian Giles (sprained right ankle) and went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored.

Adrian Gonzalez and Khalil Greene also homered as the Padres moved to within 1 1/2 games of San Diego for first place in the National League West.

Also, Jake Peavy (11-5) struck out 10 to pass 1,000 strikeouts for his career. Peavy, who leads the NL with 154 strikeouts, scattered three hits and a walk in the victory.

The Padres hold a 6-3 edge in their season series with the Giants and have won two of three at home this year against them. San Francisco, though, won seven of 10 at San Diego in 2006.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (60-50) AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS (58-50), 10:40 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Arizona - Doug Davis (7-10, 4.11) Los Angeles - Chad Billingsley (7-1, 3.65)

The top two teams in the competitive National League West division square off for a crucial three-game series that begins tonight in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers will host the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks.

Arizona has vaulted to the top spot in the West by winning 10 of its last 12 games and enters this weekend set with a slim one-game edge on the Dodgers. Los Angeles relinquished the division lead to the Diamondbacks with losses in six of its eight most recent contests.

However, the Dodgers have fared quite well when facing Arizona so far this season. Los Angeles has won seven of the nine encounters between the division foes and is 9-3 in its last 12 home games against the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers will sent out impressive youngster Chad Billingsley to pitch tonight’s opener. The 23-year-old won his first seven decisions of 2007 before running into trouble Sunday at Colorado’s Coors Field.

Billingsley lasted just 4 1/3 innings in that game and allowed four runs on five hits, two of which were homers, while issuing three walks. That performance came just six days after he threw his first complete game to lead Los Angeles to a 10-2 win at Houston.

The former first-round pick does own a 3-0 record with a 3.00 earned run average in five career appearances, including three starts, against Arizona. Billingsley did struggle in his most recent outing versus the D-Backs, though, as he yielded three homers and five runs in a four-inning no decision on June 26.

Arizona counters with veteran Doug Davis, who attempts to extend his string of quality starts in tonight’s tilt. The crafty southpaw has worked at least six innings and allowed three or less runs in each of his last five games, posting a 2-1 record along the way.

Davis is coming off Saturday’s no decision against Atlanta in which he held the Braves to three runs on just five hits over seven innings.

The 31-year-old has dominated the Dodgers during his career. In three previous starts against Los Angeles, Davis has surrendered only one unearned run and 13 hits over 22 total innings. He won at Dodger Stadium on May 2 after giving up just one run and five hits while striking out seven in seven innings.

The Diamondbacks won the first two tests of this week’s road series with fellow NL West contender San Diego, but the Padres averted a potential sweep with Thursday’s 11-0 rout. Arizona managed only three hits against San Diego ace Jake Peavy and a pair of relievers.

Yusmeiro Petit (2-3) struggled on the mound for the Diamondbacks, with the rookie giving up five runs and issuing four walks in 4 1/3 innings. Stephen Drew had two of Arizona’s three hits on the evening.

The Dodgers were able to keep Barry Bonds in the ball park during their three- game set with San Francisco, but the last-place Giants won the series by posting a 4-2 decision in Thursday’s rubber match.

San Francisco scored three first-inning runs off Los Angeles starter Brett Tomko (2-9), who held the Giants scoreless over the remainder of his five- frame stint but still was saddled with the loss.

Russell Martin went 2-for-3 for the struggling Dodgers and drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk. Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra and Matt Kemp also collected a pair of hits in defeat.

Minneapolis, MN - The Minnesota Twins announced that the upcoming four-game series versus the Cleveland Indians, beginning Friday, will be played as scheduled.

Thursday’s game versus the Royals was postponed due to the tragic bridge collapse along Interstate Highway 35W over the Mississippi River the day prior. It has been rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader on Friday, August 31 at the Metrodome.

“The Minnesota Twins and all of Major League Baseball are shocked and saddened by the tragic events which took place on the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis last night,” Twins president Dave St. Peter said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the individuals and families who are impacted by this horrific situation.

“Since the moments following last evening’s tragedy, the Twins organization has been in regular contact with public safety officials. Those discussions led to the decision to play last night’s game and the postponement of today’s game versus the Royals. Following additional consultation with various agencies including the Minneapolis Police Department and the Department of Public Safety this morning, the Twins have been encouraged to proceed with the series against the Indians as scheduled.”

The Twins along with the Minneapolis Police Department are encouraging fans to use public transportation in order to mitigate traffic concerns.

Thursday, August 2nd (All times eastern)

TEXAS RANGERS (48-59) AT CLEVELAND INDIANS (60-47), 12:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Texas - Kason Gabbard (4-0, 3.73) Cleveland - Jake Westbrook (1-6, 5.85)

The Cleveland Indians hope to end a discouraging homestand on a positive note this afternoon, when the struggling club attempts to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the revamped Texas Rangers.

Although the Indians have been one of the best home teams this season, the team has not played well during its current 10-game residency. The Tribe has won just two of nine games so far on the homestand and has now dropped a season-high four consecutive contests following Wednesday’s extra-inning defeat to the Rangers.

Texas scored three times in the top of the 10th inning, taking advantage of two misplays by Cleveland pitcher Jensen Lewis, to come through with a 9-6 victory.

After Ramon Vazquez opened the frame with a single, Frank Catalanotto laid down a bunt and Lewis fired late to second in an attempt to force out Vazquez. Ian Kinsler then tried to bunt over both runners and Lewis threw wildly to first, with the error allowing Vazquez to score the go-ahead run.

Jason Botts later sent home Catalanotto with a sacrifice fly and Marlon Byrd capped the scoring with an RBI single.

Vazquez finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored while Catalanotto collected two hits and a pair of RBI to help Texas to its sixth win in nine games.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the centerpiece of Tuesday’s seven-player trade with Atlanta that sent star first baseman Mark Teixeira to the Braves, also drove in a pair of runs in his Rangers debut.

Joaquin Benoit (5-3) threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory, with C.J. Wilson recording the game’s final out to notch his second save in as many days.

Casey Blake had a two-run homer and Jason Michaels added a solo shot for Cleveland, which remained one game behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central standings despite the loss. The Indians saw their advantage in the wild card race trimmed to only a half-game over Seattle, however, with the surging New York Yankees now lurking only two back of the Tribe.

Jake Westbrook will not only be attempting to get his team back on track when he takes the mound tonight, but the Cleveland right-hander aims to halt a lengthy personal winless streak as well. Westbrook has not recorded a win since April 27 and has posted a disappointing 1-6 record with a 5.85 earned run average over 13 starts in 2007.

Westbrook had a very encouraging outing on Saturday, however. The sinker specialist limited Minnesota to two runs on just four hits over seven innings, but did not receive a decision in an eventual 3-2 Cleveland loss.

The 29-year-old does sport a 4-1 record in nine career starts against Texas, although he has posted a 5.30 ERA over those games.

Kason Gabbard makes his first appearance in a Rangers uniform in today’s finale. The well-regarded lefty was acquired from Boston on Tuesday as part of the deal that landed closer Eric Gagne in Beantown.

Gabbard, who went 4-0 with a solid 3.73 ERA in seven starts with the Red Sox this season, will be facing Cleveland for the second time in a week. He pitched in Jacobs Field on July 26 and was tagged for five runs in a 4 2/3- inning no decision.

It was Gabbard’s first lifetime start against the Indians.

The 25-year-old had yielded only one run and six over 16 combined innings during back-to-back wins over Chicago and Kansas City prior to last Thursday’s game.

The Indians have won seven of the last 10 meetings in this series, including five of eight matchups this year. Cleveland swept a two-game set from the Rangers at Jacobs Field back in April.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (48-59) AT NEW YORK YANKEES (58-49), 1:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Jon Garland (8-7, 4.12) New York - Roger Clemens (3-5, 3.92)

The New York Yankees are still rolling despite the recent woes of Alex Rodriguez and will shoot for a series sweep of the Chicago White Sox this afternoon in the finale of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.

New York has won three straight and 14 of its last 19 games, including Wednesday’s 8-1 victory over the White Sox in the second test of this series. Rodriguez finished 0-for-4 and is hitless in his last 21 at-bats since belting career homer No. 499 at Kansas City on July 25.

Perhaps the pressure of becoming the youngest player to reach 500 career home runs has distracted the 32-year-old Rodriguez, who can become the 22nd player in major league history to reach the illustrious mark.

Jorge Posada hit two of five New York home runs last night, just one day after the Yankees belted a franchise-tying eight long balls in a 16-3 bashing of the White Sox. Shelley Duncan clubbed a two-run homer, while Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter added solo shots last night.

The Yankees, who have scored 34 runs during their three-game win streak, equaled a club record with the 13 combined homers in back-to-back contests. They are two games off the American League wild card chase and seven games behind Boston for the top spot in the AL East.

Starting pitcher Andy Pettitte earned the win by limiting the White Sox to six hits and a run over seven innings, walking two and fanning six.

New York will send future Hall of Fame pitcher Roger Clemens to the mound on Thursday, and he is 3-5 with a 3.92 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) this season.

Clemens is 1-2 over his last five starts and was handed the loss on Saturday against Baltimore, allowing four runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.

He isn’t having the type of return to the Yankees he once imagined, but will have the home crowd in his corner today. Clemens is 2-1 with a 2.10 earned run average at Yankee Stadium this season.

The right-hander will take on the White Sox for the first time this season. In 33 career starts against Chicago, Clemens is 17-8 with seven complete games (three shutouts) and a 3.34 ERA.

White Sox starter Jon Garland avoided being traded on Tuesday and will take the hill this afternoon against the Yankees.

Garland, who owns an 8-7 mark with a 4.12 ERA in 21 starts this season, is 4-2 over his past seven trips to the mound. In his previous outing on Friday against Toronto, Garland lasted 7 1/3 innings and gave up three runs and 10 hits during a 4-3 victory at U.S. Cellular Field.

The young righty is 4-2 in 10 road starts this season and will try to stifle the Yankees again. Garland defeated New York in Chicago on May 17, when he yielded just one run in seven innings of work.

In eight career starts against the Bronx Bombers, Garland is 3-5 with a 3.07 earned run average.

Chicago has lost three in a row and eight of its last 13 games. Starting pitcher John Danks was throttled for six hits, including three homers, and six runs — five earned — over four innings for the loss.

Scott Podsednik tripled in Jermaine Dye in the second inning and the White Sox never reached home plate again. Chicago is 12 games off the AL wild card lead and 13 games behind Detroit in the Central standings.

New York is 6-3 against the White Sox this season and 10-5 over the previous 15 encounters between the teams.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (50-56) AT BOSTON RED SOX (65-42), 7:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Baltimore - Jermy Guthrie (7-3, 2.89) Boston - Tim Wakefield (12-9, 4.59)

Road warrior Jeremy Guthrie will try to stay unbeaten away from Camden Yards tonight when the Baltimore Orioles visit Fenway Park to close out a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox.

Guthrie, a first-round pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2002, is 5-0 in 13 appearances - eight starts - away from home this season, posting a stingy 2.51 earned run average in 64 2/3 innings.

In his last two road starts, on July 17 in Seattle and July 22 in Oakland, the Oregon native combined to allow just eight hits and two runs in 13 innings while recording two victories.

He’s 3-0 in his last three starts, having added a 4-2 home defeat of the New York Yankees on July 27 after allowing six hits and two runs in six innings.

Guthrie has made two appearances - one start - against the Red Sox in his career, posting a 0.87 ERA in 10 1/3 innings.

Ageless knuckleballer Tim Wakefield tries to un-even his career mark against the Orioles.

Wakefield, who turns 41 today, is 13-13 with four saves in 42 lifetime games against Baltimore with a 4.07 ERA.

He’s been red hot against everyone else as of late, winning two straight, five of six and seven of nine since starting the season at 5-7.

In fact, Wakefield has earned a decision in each of his 21 starts this season, lasting into the sixth inning in all but one.

He defeated Tampa Bay, 7-1, on July 27, allowing six hits and a run and striking out seven in six innings of work.

On Wednesday, Kevin Youkilis’ two-run double highlighted a four-run seventh inning, as the Red Sox rallied to beat the Orioles, 5-4.

Dustin Pedroia went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Jason Varitek went 2-for-4 and also knocked in a run for Boston, which snapped a two-game skid.

With the win, the Red Sox also stayed seven games ahead of New York in the American League East. The Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox, 8-1, on Wednesday night.

Nick Markakis and Miguel Tejeda homered for Baltimore, which has dropped two of three.

Boston has won five of seven from the Orioles this season and is 30-13 in the series since the start of the 2005 campaign. The Orioles have also struggled in Beantown, where they have posted just three wins in their last 14 visits. LA ANGELS OF ANAHEIM (62-44) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (51-57), 10:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: LA Angels - Joe Saunders (4-0, 3.16) Oakland - Chad Gaudin (8-6, 3.71)

The Oakland Athletics will attempt to win a second straight home series against a division front-runner this weekend, as the American League West-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim invade McAfee Coliseum tonight for the first of four consecutive meetings.

Oakland ended a disappointing month of July with a 7-3 victory over the first- place Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, then took the finale of the three-game set yesterday afternoon. Mark Ellis hit a tie-breaking home run in the bottom of the sixth inning as the Athletics dealt the AL Central favorites a 3-2 defeat.

Ellis and Mike Piazza each finished 2-for-4 with an RBI for Oakland, which had lost four in a row prior to Tuesday’s triumph.

Andrew Brown picked up his first major league victory with 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of A’s starter Dallas Braden, who allowed two runs and four hits over the first 5 1/3 frames. Alan Embree retired the final five Detroit hitters to notch his 12th save of the year.

The Angels come in with a three-game lead on Seattle in the AL West standings, a margin that was trimmed when the Mariners came through with a 12-inning victory over Anaheim on Wednesday. Yuniesky Betancourt’s one-out single plated Adrian Beltre with the winning run as Seattle pulled out an 8-7 decision.

Los Angeles sent the contest into extra frames by scoring three times in the top of the ninth inning, with Gary Matthews Jr. belting a game-tying two-run homer off All-Star closer J.J. Putz with the Angels down to their final out.

Garret Anderson also homered for Anaheim and finished with three RBI, while Vladimir Guerrero went 4-for-6 and drove in a pair of runs.

Justin Speier (0-2) took the loss after yielding three hits and recording only one out in the 12th. The Angels had won five of six games prior to the defeat.

Undefeated left-hander Joe Saunders gets the call for Anaheim in tonight’s opener. The former first-round draft pick has impressed in limited action this season, having posted a 4-0 record and a 3.16 earned run average through seven major-league starts.

Saunders returned from the minors on July 22 and delivered seven innings of two-run ball to defeat Minnesota. He wasn’t as sharp in his most recent start, allowing three runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 frames in Saturday’s no decision against Detroit.

The 26-year-old faced Oakland for the first time in his young career on April 5 and did not factor in the outcome of a 4-3 Angels’ loss. In that game Saunders gave up three runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.

Since that game, the Angels have emerged victorious in all six of Saunders’ starts.

Oakland counters with the badly-struggling Chad Gaudin. The converted reliever is 0-3 with a 7.89 ERA over his last four starts and issued 18 walks in 21 2/3 innings over that span. That rough stretch has raised his season ERA from 2.88 to 3.71.

Gaudin did show marked improvement in his most recent outing. The right-hander worked eight innings and allowed just four hits while walking only one. He was touched for four runs, however, and was saddled with the loss in Saturday’s 4-3 setback at Seattle.

The 24-year-old pitched against the Angels on July 23 and was rocked for five runs and walked six before departing after just 3 2/3 innings. Gaudin did not record a decision in that contest.

For his career Gaudin is 2-0 with a 4.84 ERA in 10 appearances against Los Angeles, three of which have been starts.

Oakland has had the upper hand thus far in the 2007 season series, having taken six of nine meetings with the Angels and sweeping a two-game set between the rivals at the Coliseum in mid-April. Anaheim won seven of 10 games in Oakland last season, however. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (50-54) AT PITTSBURGH PIRATES (43-62), 12:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: St. Louis - Anthony Reyes (1-10, 6.11) Pittsburgh - Shane Youman (2-3, 4.66)

The Pittsburgh Pirates will try for consecutive wins for the first time in almost a month when they wrap up a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon at PNC Park.

The Pirates ended a four-game losing streak with Wednesday’s 15-1 pounding of the Cardinals in the second installment of this series. Ronny Paulino hit a grand slam while Adam LaRoche and Jack Wilson also homered for Pittsburgh, which posted 20 hits and is shooting for back-to-back triumphs for the first time since a four-game win streak from July 3-6.

Freddy Sanchez had four hits as the Pirates won for just the third time in 17 games since the All-Star break. Starter Tony Armas pitched 6 1/3 innings for the win, allowing one run on four hits with five K’s and one walk.

Looking to snap a three-start losing streak today is Pirates pitcher Shane Youman, who is 2-3 with a 4.66 earned run average in five starts this season.

Youman has lost his last three outings with a 5.82 ERA to go along with the slide. He last toed the rubber on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies and was saddled with the loss, yielding seven runs — six earned — in just four innings of work at Citizens Bank Park.

The left-hander has never faced the Cardinals in his career.

Anthony Reyes will get the nod this afternoon for St. Louis and is in search of his second win of the season. Reyes is having a horrible 2007 campaign, with a 1-10 mark and a 6.11 ERA in 13 starts this season.

Reyes had been 0-10 in 12 starts before earning his first win of the season on Saturday against Milwaukee. He allowed two runs in six innings of a 5-2 victory at Busch Stadium.

The right-hander, who is 0-6 in seven road starts this season, owns a 1-1 mark with a 2.38 ERA in two career starts against Pittsburgh. Reyes was beaten by the Pirates on April 16 after he gave up three runs in five frames of a 3-2 setback in St. Louis.

St. Louis was aiming for a season-high five straight wins last night, but the defending champions were pummeled in their attempt. Aaron Miles homered for the Cardinals, who fell to six games off the lead in the National League Central division. They are also 6 1/2 games behind in the NL wild card race.

Cardinals starter Braden Looper was tagged for seven runs on eight hits with one walk and no strikeouts for the loss.

St. Louis is 7-3 against Pittsburgh this season, including a three-game sweep in the Steel City from April 9-11. The Cardinals are 40-18 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign. NEW YORK METS (60-47) AT MILWAUKEE BREWERS (58-50), 2:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: New York - Brian Lawrence (0-0, 0.00) Milwaukee - Chris Capuano (5-7, 4.70)

The Milwaukee Brewers try and get back on top in the NL Central this afternoon when they play the rubber match of their three-game series with the New York Mets at Miller Park.

Milwaukee fell a percentage point behind Chicago in the division last night after dropping an 8-5 decision to the Mets, while the Cubs defeated Philadelphia to move into a virtual tie.

The Brewers had been in first since April 21 and led by 8 1/2 games as recently as June 23.

Marlon Anderson homered and finished with four RBI, while Ramon Castro added a three-run home run in the win for the Mets, who have won six of 10. Oliver Perez (10-7) allowed five runs — four earned — over six innings with 11 strikeouts and three walks to take the win.

Opponent Claudio Vargas (9-3), meanwhile, was lit up for seven runs in just 2 2/3 innings for Milwaukee, which has dropped six of eight. Prince Fielder ended his home run drought with a three-run blast, while Corey Hart and J.J. Hardy added an RBI apiece.

Fielder, who leads the NL with 31 home runs, had not left the yard since a first inning shot back on July 13 against Colorado. The 67 at-bats was a career high.

Hoping to get the Brewers back on track today will be left-hander Chris Capuano, who is 0-7 with a 6.16 earned run average in 12 starts since defeating Washington back on May 7. Capuano’s latest setback came on Saturday against St. Louis, as he allowed four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings to fall to 5-7 on the year, while raising his ERA to 4.70.

Capuano is 0-3 lifetime against the Mets with a 6.04 ERA in four starts.

New York will pin its hopes on Brian Lawrence, who will be making his Mets’ debut and will also be making his first big league appearance since pitching with the San Diego Padres in 2005.

Lawrence missed all of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery. The Mets, though, signed him to a minor league contract in May after he was released by the Rockies. He was 8-2 with a 3.87 ERA in 12 starts for the Mets’ Triple-A team in New Orleans.

The 31-year-old has faced the Brewers five times and is 1-3 against them with a 5.04 ERA.

The Mets have won three of five from the Brewers this season after the teams split the season series the last two years. The Mets, though, have won in seven of their last 11 visits to Milwaukee.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (56-51) AT CHICAGO CUBS (57-49), 2:20 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Kyle Lohse (6-12, 4.58) Chicago - Sean Marshall (5-4, 3.10)

Kyle Lohse will make his Philadelphia Phillies debut tonight, as the club wraps up its four-game set with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Lohse was acquired by the Phillies from Cincinnati on Monday in exchange for 23-year-old minor league pitcher Matt Maloney. Lohse will take the spot of J.D. Durbin in the rotation, with Durbin heading to the bullpen.

The 29-year-old Lohse should welcome the change of scenery, as he went 6-12 with a 4.58 earned run average with the Reds. However, at the time of his trade, Lohse also had the fifth-worst run support in the NL at 3.69 runs per game.

The right-hander has been better over his last five starts, going 3-2 with a 3.27 ERA. In his three wins, which included a complete game on July 6, Lohse allowed just one earned run per outing. In his final start with the Reds on July 25, he allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits in a victory over Milwaukee.

Lohse is 1-1 in three career starts versus the Cubs with a 3.63 ERA.

Chicago starter Sean Marshall is 1-1 over his last four starts despite pitching to a 2.31 ERA in that span. After a tough-luck loss to Arizona that saw Marshall allow just one run in six innings, he battled back with a win at Cincinnati on Saturday behind another six frames of one-run ball.

The left-hander, who is 5-4 with a 3.10 ERA this year, faced the Phillies for the first time in his young career on September 18 of last season, with the 24-year-old getting a no-decision despite allowing six runs in just 3 1/3 innings.

Marshall will take the task tonight of keeping the Cubs in first place, a position the club acquired with Wednesday’s 5-4 victory after Matt Murton scored the winning run on a bases-loaded wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth.

The one-run victory for the Cubs vaulted them past the Milwaukee Brewers by a percentage point in the National League Central. The Brewers lost to the New York Mets yesterday.

The Cubs are an MLB-best 35-18 since June 3. A month ago, they trailed the Brewers by 6 1/2 games in the standings.

Derrek Lee doubled twice and scored a pair of runs, while Murton also drove in a run for the Cubs, who have won two straight over the Phillies after losing the opener of this set on Monday.

Jimmy Rollins went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Aaron Rowand homered for the injury-riddled Phils, who have dropped consecutive games following a four-game winning streak.

Brett Myers (1-3) uncorked the wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth as the Phils fell into third place in the NL East, a half-game behind the Braves and four contests back of the first-place Mets.

Philadelphia is also two games back of the Dodgers in the NL wild card race.

The Phillies took two of three against the Cubs when the two squads clashed from May 11-13.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (60-49) AT SAN DIEGO PADRES (56-50), 3:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Arizona - Yusmeiro Petit (2-2, 3.44) San Diego - Jake Peavy (10-5, 2.41)

Jake Peavy will try to improve on the majors’ second best earned run average this afternoon when the San Diego Padres wrap up a key three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park.

Peavy comes into the outing with a 2.41 ERA, which trails only injured teammate Chris Young’s 1.82 earned run average. The right-hander halted a four-decision losing streak on Friday at Houston by yielding just one run on four hits over seven innings. Peavy also struck out eight to only two walks to improve to 10-5 on the season. He leads the NL with 144 strikeouts.

Peavy’s 5.20 ERA lifetime against the Diamondbacks needs some work, however. The 26-year-old is 8-8 in 19 careers starts against them, and defeated Arizona on April 19 despite allowing five runs (four earned) over 5 1/3 innings.

He then got a no-decision at Arizona six days later even though he threw seven shutout innings, scattering two hits while striking out 16 batters.

Yusmeiro Petit will start against the Padres for the first time in his career this afternoon. The 22-year-old will also be trying to rebound from a rough outing on Friday against Atlanta that saw him get tagged for five runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Petit’s offense took him off the hook, however, as the right-hander got a no-decision in the 8-7 victory.

The outing lifted Petit’s earned run average almost a point from 2.54 to 3.44. He had bested Chicago on Sunday behind six shutout innings to move to 2-2 on the year.

Petit and the Diamondbacks will be going for a sweep this afternoon after taking the first two games of this series. Arizona swept the Padres in San Diego on April 24-26 of last season.

The Diamondbacks blew a 5-1 lead in the ninth inning before Eric Byrnes put Arizona ahead in the 11th frame with a run-scoring infield single. Chad Tracy then put the game away in the frame with a three-run homer, guiding the D- backs to a 9-5 victory.

Micah Owings tossed six quality innings and had an RBI and a run scored at the plate for NL West-leading Arizona, which has won 10 of their last 11. Owings allowed one run on four hits while striking out four. Chris Snyder went 2- for-5 with two RBI in a winning effort.

The victory helped the Diamondbacks maintain their one-game lead over second- place Los Angeles in the standings, while the Padres fell 2 1/2 games off the pace. The Dodgers will host Arizona this weekend.

San Diego is also 1 1/2 games back of the wild-card leading Dodgers.

Geoff Blum plated a run with a double in the ninth and Mike Cameron added a run-scoring single in the frame for San Diego, while Milton Bradley sent the game into extra innings with a two-run homer off Arizona closer Jose Valverde.

Padres outfielder Brian Giles exited in the fifth inning with a sprained right ankle after hitting his foot hard against the wall in right. He remained in the game for another half-inning before being lifted in favor of Scott Hairston.

For Arizona, Carlos Quentin left with an apparent left hamstring injury.

The Padres and Diamondbacks split a brief two-game set in San Diego on April 18-19. Arizona owns a 7-3 edge in the season series.

CINCINNATI REDS (45-63) AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS (47-60), 7:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Cincinnati - Elizardo Ramirez (0-0, 0.00) Washington - Mike Bacsik (4-6, 4.22)

Dominican right-hander Elizardo Ramirez gets his third shot at the big leagues with Cincinnati tonight when the Reds visit RFK Stadium to close out a three-game series with the Washington Nationals.

Ramirez, a 24-year-old who first reached the majors with Philadelphia in 2004, was with the Reds for six games in 2005 and 21 games last season, making a combined 23 starts and going 4-12 overall in 126 1/3 innings.

He arrives this year following the trade of right-handed starter Kyle Lohse earlier this week and the subsequent staff juggling that saw lefty Bobby Livingston move up to take Lohse’s scheduled start on Tuesday night.

The 6-foot, 190-pounder allowed 123 hits and 62 earned runs in 104 innings last season, striking out 69 while walking 29.

He’s made one career start against the Nationals, earning a victory after allowing six hits and two runs in seven innings.

Lefty Mike Bacsik goes for his third straight win and fourth in five decisions for the Nationals.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Texan allowed eight hits and two runs over seven innings in his last start, earning a 6-2 victory over the New York Mets on July 27 at Shea Stadium.

One start earlier, he’d pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings en route to a 3-0 defeat of Colorado on July 21.

A veteran of 35 major-league appearances - 28 starts - Bacsik is 1-0 in two outings against the Reds, surrendering 16 hits and nine runs in 12 innings.

On Wednesday, Austin Kearns homered and drove in three runs to lead the Nationals over the Reds, 7-2.

Kearns went 2-for-4 and Ryan Church had two hits and two RBI for the Nationals, who have won five of seven, including the first two of this three- game set. Dmitri Young added two hits and drove in a run and Felipe Lopez scored a pair runs for Washington, which has won nine of its last 14 contests.

Washington starter John Lannan (1-0) picked up his first major league win in just his second career start. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits, striking out one and walking two, in 5 2/3 innings.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn each drove in a run for the Reds, who have dropped four straight.

Cincinnati starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo (4-12) suffered through his worst start of the season. The right-hander lasted a season-low 1 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out one. He has lost two straight and three of four decisions.

Washington won three of four earlier in the season from the Reds, but is just 9-15 in the series since the start of the 2004 campaign. COLORADO ROCKIES (54-52) AT FLORIDA MARLINS (50-58), 7:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Colorado - Jason Hirsh (4-7, 4.90) Florida - Rick Vanden Hurk (3-2, 7.00)

Young Dutch right-hander Rick Vanden Hurk looks for his third consecutive victory tonight at Dolphin Stadium when the Florida Marlins host the Colorado Rockies in the finale of a three-game series.

Vanden Hurk, who turned 22 in May, made his major-league debut a month earlier when he pitched 4 2/3 innings of five-hit, one-run ball against the Milwaukee Brewers en route to a no-decision.

He’s made nine appearances - eight starts - since and hasn’t lost in four outings following a 9-4 beating by Tampa Bay on June 10.

In those subsequent outings, the 6-foot-5, 195-pounder is 2-0 with two no- decisions, having surrendered 27 hits and 13 earned runs over 22 innings.

Vanden Hurk, who’s 1-2 in six home starts, has never faced the Rockies.

Second-year right-hander Jason Hirsh looks for a second straight strong outing for Colorado. In his last start, on July 2 against the New York Mets, Hirsh allowed three hits over six scoreless innings in a 6-2 victory.

However, he went on the disabled list a day later with a sprained right ankle and will now be taking the turn of injured teammate Rodrigo Lopez.

Hirsh, who began his career with nine starts last season for Houston, has never faced the Marlins.

On Wednesday, Miguel Cabrera homered in the fifth inning, becoming second on the all-time Florida home-run list, and the Marlins held on to edge the Rockies, 4-3. Josh Willingham ended 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored once for the Marlins, who had lost seven of their last eight.

Korean veteran Byung-Hyun Kim (6-5), facing one of his former teams, allowed two runs on five hits with a career-high 10 strikeouts and six walks over 5 1/3 innings for his 100th career win.

Kaz Matsui finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and scored twice for the Rockies, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Willy Taveras went 2-for-3 and scored a run in the loss.

Right-hander Josh Fogg (5-7), who had won two straight and four of his last five decisions, allowed four runs - three earned - on eight hits with two walks and a strikeout over five-plus frames for Colorado. The 30-year-old Massachusetts native was unbeaten since a June 24 loss at Toronto.

Florida is playing is first series with the Rockies this season, but is 12-7 in the matchup since the start of the 2004 campaign.

HOUSTON ASTROS (46-61) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (57-51), 7:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Woody Williams (5-12, 5.14) Atlanta - Jo-Jo Reyes (0-1, 8.20)

Mark Teixeira had an impressive debut for the Atlanta Braves and will try to duplicate his success in this evening’s finale of a three-game series with the Houston Astros at Turner Field.

Acquired from the Texas Rangers by Tuesday’s trade deadline, Teixeira cracked a three-run homer and finished with four RBI in last night’s 12-3 demolition of the Astros. Teixeira became the first Atlanta player to homer in his debut since Jeff Francoeur went deep in his first game on July 7, 2005.

Edgar Renteria also homered for the Braves, who are 1 1/2 games off the NL wild card chase and 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the top spot in the National League East standings. Yunel Escobar finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in the rout.

Atlanta starting pitcher Buddy Carlyle left the game after the fifth inning with a hyperextended right elbow. He allowed two runs on five hits with two strikeouts to record the victory.

Rookie Jo-Jo Reyes will take the mound tonight for the Braves and is 0-1 with an 8.20 ERA in four starts this season.

Reyes has posted back-to-back no decisions, including Friday’s performance against Arizona in which he surrendered seven runs in four innings of an 8-7 setback at Chase Field.

The lefty will take on Houston for the first time in his career.

Taking the ball for the Astros tonight will be Woody Williams, who is 5-12 with a 5.14 ERA in 22 starts this season.

Williams has alternated wins and losses over his last seven decisions. On Friday against the San Diego Padres, Williams suffered the loss after permitting five runs and eight hits over six innings of work. He has now lasted at least six innings in six straight starts.

The veteran right-hander, who is 2-8 in 13 road starts this season, has enjoyed success in his career against Atlanta. Williams is 4-1 with a 2.21 earned run average in eight starts versus the Braves.

Houston has dropped four of its last five games, including last night’s dreadful performance. Lance Berkman homered for Houston, which is 11 1/2 games off the lead in the NL Central and 12 games back in the wild card hunt.

Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez was dealt the loss, yielding eight runs on six hits with five walks and four strikeouts over four innings of work.

Atlanta and Houston are wrapping up their first series against one another this season. The Astros went 4-3 against the Braves in the 2006 season. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (46-59) AT LOS ANGELES DODGERS (58-49), 10:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: San Francisco - Barry Zito (7-10, 5.28) Los Angeles - Brett Tomko (2-8, 5.57)

Barry Bonds’ recent long ball drought even has commissioner Bud Selig frustrated. Bonds will again try to match Hank Aaron’s all-time home run mark tonight when the San Francisco Giants play the finale of a three-game set with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.

Bonds went 0-for-3 with an intentional walk in Wednesday’s 6-4 setback to the Dodgers. He is just 1-for-12 since hitting home run No. 754 on Friday against Florida, but should be in the lineup tonight.

Selig, who recently decided he will try to be in attendance when Bonds ties and then breaks Aaron’s record, was originally slated to head to Minneapolis on Thursday for the groundbreaking of the Twins’ new ballpark. However, that event has been postponed due to the collapsing of an interstate highway in Minnesota.

Instead, Selig will return home to Milwaukee and will be replaced by MLB consultant Frank Robinson in Los Angeles tonight. The commissioner will then head to San Diego for the Giants’ weekend series with the Padres, but hasn’t committed to attending San Francisco’s upcoming seven-game homestand that kicks off on Monday.

Lost in the Bonds frenzy on Wednesday was a four-run eighth inning by the Dodgers that helped them capture their 6-4 victory. Nomar Garciaparra highlighted the frame with a go-ahead two-run homer.

The victory snapped a four-game home losing streak to the Giants, though LA leads the season series 7-4. The Dodgers went 13-6 against San Francisco last season, winning six of 10 at home.

Mark Hendrickson was strong over 6 2/3 innings, as he was charged with six hits and three runs. Jonathan Broxton (4-2) threw the eighth inning to get the win, and Takashi Saito pitched the ninth for his 27th save.

Tim Lincecum was in line to win after surrendering two hits and two runs with five walks over six innings, but the combination of Vinnie Chulk, Steve Kline and Randy Messenger (1-3) blew the lead.

Omar Vizquel had three hits and two RBI for the Giants, losers in two of three after winning four straight.

Tonight’s starter for the Giants, Barry Zito, has put his second-half success on hold in his last two starts. Zito, who is 60-28 in his career after the All-Star break, is 0-1 over his last two outings while allowing 13 runs over just 9 1/3 total innings.

After taking a loss at Milwaukee on July 22, Zito was tagged for six runs on eight hits and four walks over four innings in a no-decision against Florida, a game the Giants eventually won 12-10.

The left-hander, who is 7-10 with a 5.28 earned run average this season, faced the Dodgers on April 8 and was blitzed for eight runs and nine hits over six frames. Lifetime, Zito is 1-1 in three career starts against LA with a 5.57 earned run average.

Brett Tomko will draw another start tonight for the Dodgers’ injury-riddled rotation. He drew a starting assignment on Saturday against Colorado and took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits in six innings of work. Tomko is 2-8 with a 5.57 ERA in 29 games (11 starts) this season.

The right-hander is 4-4 with a 4.93 ERA in 15 games (11 starts) lifetime versus the Giants, who he beat him in San Francisco on July 15.

Bonds is 6-for-22 in his career against Tomko with a home run, four RBI and 13 walks.

Nextel Cup is coming down to the wire to determine its “Chase” competitors, but if you get up early Sunday morning the Formula One battle between McLaren and Ferrari might be the most interesting of the weekend.

NASCAR

Nextel Cup

Pennsylvania 500 - Pocono Raceway - Long Pond, PA

With just six races before the beginning of the “Chase for the Nextel Cup,” we are getting a better view as to the makeup of the 12 drivers who will compete for the title.

The top nine in the standings, headed by four-time Nextel Cup champion Jeff Gordon, appear to be solidly in and can prepare for the “playoffs.” The group also includes Denny Hamlin, 2003 Nextel Cup champion Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, two-time series champion Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick, lame duck Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Busch and 2006 series champion Jimmie Johnson.

Johnson is the lowest ranked of the group, but still holds a 265-point lead over the 13th-place driver Kurt Busch. Barring a complete collapse he is in the “Chase.” He will also get his crew chief Chad Knaus back from suspension shortly which should boost his performances.

The final three spots should be a fun battle to watch over the next month and a half. Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. currently own positions 10 through 12, but Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle are still within striking distance. Even “rookie” Juan Pablo Montoya still has an outside chance to make it into the “Chase.”

Juan Montoya “It was a great day and aside from the win this has been the best day for the team all season,” said Montoya. Montoya is 200 points behind “Junior” for the final spot, but is coming off a second-place result at Indianapolis, his best finish on an oval. Unfortunately in five of the six venues that are left before the playoffs, Montoya has done no better than 20th at any of them. The sixth location, Watkins Glen, is a road course where the former Formula One star will be one of the favorites. If Montoya can improve in his second visit to sites like Michigan (finished 43rd in June) and Bristol (finished 32nd) he might have a shot.

“It was a great day (Sunday at Indy) and aside from the win this has been the best day for the team all season,” said Montoya.

Still, the race is likely to come down to Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Newman for the final spot.

Of the three, Kurt Busch has been the hottest posting finished of third, sixth and 11th in his last three starts. By contrast, “Junior’s” last three have been 36th at Daytona, 19th at Chicagoland and 34th last week in Indy.

“We finished bad and that is no good with the points deal,” said Earnhardt Jr. after his engine blew at Indy. “I’m not happy about that, but there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Newman’s last three finishes are: 14th, eighth and a 42nd at Indy where a hard crash ended what should have been a good day. Newman qualified third and had hopes of gaining ground on the “Chase” group.

It’s unfortunate,” said Newman. “It was a pretty good lick into the wall and it ended our day. It’s devastating in more than one way. It just depends on how far we have to come back.”

In this week’s race at Pocono, Kurt Busch has the best history, with a win in 2005 and three top-fives in his last four starts. Earnhardt Jr. has failed to crack the top-10 in his last six Pocono starts and Newman has two top-10s in seven starts since winning in July 2003.

While Stewart is on is yearly summertime roll and might win his third straight race this Sunday, the most interesting “race within the race” should come from Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Newman.

Busch

NAPA Auto Parts 200 - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - Montreal, Canada

The Busch Series will make its inaugural trip into Canada - to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. The 2.710-mile, 13-turn road course, which Formula One also uses, is a great place to race. And the preliminary entry list is also an interesting and eclectic mix.

Of course, points leader Carl Edwards will lead the usual NASCAR suspects across the border. He continues to dominate the series holding an 852-point lead after another top-five finish last week at O’Reilly Raceway Park. It was his 13th top-five (including four wins) in 22 starts.

Carl Edwards Carl Edwards continues to dominate the series holding an 852-point lead.

Other Busch Series regulars who will cross the border include last week’s winner Jason Leffler, David Ragan, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Stephen Leicht and Marcos Ambrose.

But there are also some interesting names on the list that are not commonly seen at a Busch Series race.

“Mad Max” Papis will drive the No.1 James Finch Chevrolet. Papis has raced in both Formula One and Champ Cars. Papis earned his nickname at the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona when he took a battered and beat up Ferrari 333SP and challenged for the win. In the end Papis lost by 64 seconds, but it was his “bravura” performance that people talk about to this day.

Other “open wheel” drivers in the race include: Michel Jourdain Jr. and Patrick Carpentier.

And if its a NASCAR road course race you know Boris Said will be there as well as Ron Fellows and Scott Pruett.

It should be quite a first visit to our neighbors to the north.

INDY CARS

Firestone Indy 400 - Michigan International Speedway - Brooklyn, MI

What once was a “six-horse race” has been whittled down to just two. Dario Franchitti leads the IndyCar Series championship by posting three wins and 12 top-sevens in 12 starts. His stellar start to 2007 has earned him a 24-point lead over Scott Dixon and 111 points over third place Tony Kanaan, both former series champions.

Normally Dixon’s performance would be enough to win the series (three wins and 11 top-10s). Even Franchitti admitted last week that Dixon’s performance at Mid-Ohio was top-notch.

Dario Franchitti “We finished in second place, but unfortunately Dixon was in front of us again,” said Franchitti.

“We finished in second place, but unfortunately Dixon was in front of us again,” said Franchitti. “He really drove a great race…I know it’s going to be a fight until the end for the championship, but I wasn’t expecting anything else.”

Now it is on to the two-mile, high-speed oval in Brooklyn, MI. Helio Castroneves is the defending champion. He took the lead following the final round of pit stops and was never challenged as the laps dwindled. The win propelled him into the points lead, but he couldn’t hold off his teammate Sam Hornish Jr., who eventually won the title.

Michigan International Speedway has been the site of many a close IndyCar finish. In 2005 Bryan Herta beat Dan Wheldon by 0.0374 seconds and in 2004 Buddy Rice edged Tony Kanaan by 0.0796 seconds. But the closest race in MIS history was the 2003 race which saw Alex Barron nose out Hornish Jr. by just 0.0121 seconds.

The Barron/Hornish Jr. finish was the seventh closest all-time. Though Hornish Jr. lost that one, he is the “Master of the Close Finish” winning three times by less than 0.0099 seconds including the all-time record - the famous 0.0024- second win over Al Unser Jr. at the Chicagoland Speedway in September 2002.

FORMULA ONE

Grand Prix of Hungary - Hungaroring - Budapest, Hungary

While NASCAR gets all the headlines in the United States, there is a great championship race going on in Formula One. It features two teams - Ferrari and McLaren and the best performance by a rookie in the history of F1.

The rookie is Lewis Hamilton of McLaren and he leads his teammate and two-time defending World Champion Fernando Alonso in the championship. Behind them are Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen.

The race is close both on and off the track.

On the track, Hamilton leads Alonso by two points, Massa by 11 points and Raikkonen by just 18 points. McLaren drivers own five wins and 20 top-10s while the Ferrari pair have won five times with 17 top-10s.

Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton leads Alonso by two points, Massa by 11 points.

Ferrari and McLaren have also been involved in an ongoing off-the-track incident where a disgruntled Ferrari employee (allegedly Nigel Stepney) gave McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan a 780-page document of information on the Ferrari.

In a ruling last week, the World Motorsport Council refused to penalize McLaren saying that despite the Council’s findings that McLaren had indeed breached the International Sporting Code there was “insufficient evidence” that the information was ever used.

Ferrari has continued to press the issue and on Tuesday FIA President Max Mosley referred the case to the Court of Appeal.

In last year’s race Jenson Button surprised the world with his first and only Formula One win. Button beat Pedro de la Rose by more than 30 seconds as championship leaders Alonso and Michael Schumacher finished well down in the standings.

“Wow, what a day, its been amazing,” said Button. “Its nice to see that we’ve got a car that can win races. The team deserved this, they worked so hard.”

Button finished the year with five more points-scoring finishes, but this year has scored just one point - an eighth-place finish in the French Grand Prix.

The race should be another close fight between the four points leaders.

“It was great to take the win in Germany and I hope to achieve the same result in Hungary,” said Alonso. “I have some good memories from this track, as I took my first F1 victory in Hungary; however last year was not so good!”

Expect a great effort from Alonso as he continues to pressure his teammate for the points lead.

LPGA TOUR

WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN, Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland - When Sherri Steinhauer won the Women’s British Open last year, it took more than a couple of sentences to explain what she had accomplished.

Steinhauer capitalized on a Saturday 66 to win by three shots over Sophie Gustafson and Cristie Kerr at seven-under 281, even after closing with a pedestrian 72 in the final round at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

It was her second major championship and first since the 1992 du Maurier Classic, the event that was replaced as a major by the Women’s British Open in 2001.

Sherri Steinhauer won the Women’s British Open last year. Of course, Steinhauer had also won back-to-back Women’s British Opens in 1998-99 before it was a major, so she was no stranger to holding that title — even if she was a little surprised to be holding it again.

“I feel like I’m living in a dream. I just absolutely am stunned,” she said afterward.

Steinhauer didn’t have far to travel for her title defense this week. She was in France along with the other top pros for the Evian Masters last week, where Natalie Gulbis claimed her long-awaited first victory.

Annika Sorenstam tied for sixth place in France, her first top-10 finish since March. At last year’s Women’s British Open, she fumbled her way to a 79 in the final round and finished 14 shots behind Steinhauer.

Sorenstam has just one British Open win, in 2003 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. Plenty of players will be looking for their first major this weekend, including world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa.

This is the first time the Women’s British Open will be played at the Old Course at St. Andrews, the site of so many memorable men’s British Opens.

TNT will have coverage for two hours on Thursday and Friday, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (et). ABC will broadcast afternoon coverage on the weekend.

The LPGA Tour is off for a week following the British Open, returning Aug. 16 for the CN Canadian Women’s Open, which was won by Cristie Kerr last season.

WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Firestone Country Club (South Course), Akron, Ohio - Of course we are not allowed to bet on golf, but that won’t keep us from making recommendations to those who feel so inclined (so long as they bet where it’s legal, you understand).

Put a sawbuck on Tiger Woods to win this week. You may only make enough to buy a couple of beers, but easily-earned beer is good beer.

Tiger Woods has won the Bridgestone Invitational five of the eight times it has been played since 1999.

Woods has won the Bridgestone Invitational five of the eight times it has been played since 1999, including last year’s playoff victory over 2004 winner Stewart Cink, which came in the middle of Woods’ long winning streak.

He has, of course, occasionally allowed others to walk away with this title. Cink’s win in ‘04 marked the third straight year Woods failed to win (Craig Parry and Darren Clarke were victorious in ‘02 and ‘03).

His dominance in this event is made all the more impressive considering who it comes against: yearly, the best players in the world line up to play. This year’s field is no different. All the usual suspects will be on hand, including each of the 2007 major winners so far (Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington).

Keep an eye on Phil Mickelson, who has missed three of four cuts since withdrawing from the Memorial with a left wrist injury. The PGA Championship is next week, and Mickelson is emerging as an early sleeper pick in some circles.

We know: Mickelson a sleeper? He is when he’s playing this inconsistently.

The Golf Channel will have coverage of the first two rounds of the Bridgestone from 2-6 p.m. (et) on Thursday and Friday. CBS will broadcast for five hours on both weekend days beginning at 1 p.m. (et).

This is the third and final WGC event of the season. Henrik Stenson and Woods won the previous two.

Woods will defend his title at the PGA Championship next week. There are no competing events on the PGA or European Tours while the players are at Southern Hills.

PGA TOUR

Only three of the previous seven champions will be in the field this week, including Will MacKenzie.

RENO-TAHOE OPEN, Montreux Golf and Country Club, Reno, Nevada - The competing event this week on the PGA Tour is the Reno-Tahoe Open, where Will MacKenzie birdied the 72nd hole last year for his first win.

The birdie put MacKenzie at 20-under 268, one shot shy of a tournament record and a stroke better than Bob Estes.

Only three of the previous seven champions will be in the field this week, including MacKenzie. Some of them — like two-time winner Vaughn Taylor and Scott Verplank — will be playing at the Bridgestone Invitational.

Tadd Fujikawa will also be on hand, playing as a professional. Fujikawa, you might recall, became the second-youngest player to make a PGA Tour cut at the Sony Open in January.

It came just four days after his 16th birthday.

The Golf Channel will have exclusive coverage of all four rounds, beginning at 6:30 p.m. (et) on Thursday and Friday and at 9:00 p.m. (et) on both weekend days. It will air replays of every round early in the morning.

EUROPEAN TOUR

THE RUSSIAN OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP, Le Meridien Moscow Country Club, Moscow Russia - It’s unlikely anyone noticed — as we wrote in our recap a year ago — but no one has ever played better at the Russian Open than Alejandro Canizares.

Alejandro Canizares posted four consecutive rounds of 67 or better at last year’s event.

Canizares rolled to a four-shot win at Le Meridien last year, posting four consecutive rounds of 67 or better to set a tournament scoring record and claim his first European Tour win.

The son of four-time Ryder Cup player Jose Maria Canizares, he became the quickest affiliate member to win on the European Tour, claiming title No. 1 in just his third start and surpassing better-known previous record holders Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell.

This obscure European Tour stop played opposite the PGA Championship last year. It will compete with the Bridgestone Invitational this week.

One thing to watch: the professional debut of U.S. Amateur champion Richie Ramsay of Scotland. His win at the Amateur was the first for a British subject since 1911.

The Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds, beginning at 8:30 a.m. (et) on the first two days and at 9:30 a.m. (et) on both weekend days.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

3M CHAMPIONSHIP, TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minnesota - David Edwards closed with a 67 last year to claim his first win on the Champions Tour — and first victory of any kind since the 1993 Heritage Golf Classic on the PGA Tour.

Hale Irwin, the winningest player in Champions Tour history, has also been the most successful golfer at this tournament. He has won it three times, but not since 2002.

Tom Watson is set to lead this week’s field following his win at the Senior British Open on Sunday.

A very busy Golf Channel will have live coverage of all three rounds and will broadcast replays of each day in the evening.

The Champions Tour is off next week, returning Aug. 16th for the next major championship, the JELD-WEN Tradition. Eduardo Romero won last year’s JELD-WEN in a playoff over Lonnie Nielsen.

NATIONWIDE TOUR

WICHITA OPEN, Crestview Country Club, Wichita, Kansas - Fresh off the yearly shootout known as the Cox Classic, the Nationwide Tour remains in the Midwest this week for the Wichita Open.

Last year, Kevin Johnson collected his fourth Nationwide Tour title and first since 2000. He won three times from 1997-2000, but had made just three cuts in 13 previous starts prior to his latest win.

The 40-year-old Johnson will be in the field this week, looking to become the first repeat champion in Nationwide Tour history.

Next week is the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic, where Craig Bowden won in a playoff last year. There is no television coverage for this week.

DURAMED FUTURES TOUR

USI CHAMPIONSHIP, Beaver Meadow Golf Course, Concord, New Hampshire - This is the first of five tournaments remaining before the Duramed Futures Tour 2008 Qualifying Tournament in November.

Last year, Charlotte Mayorkas claimed her second Futures Tour win (it was called the Laconia Savings Bank Golf Classic) on her way to becoming a rookie on the LPGA Tour.

Next week’s event is the Betty Puskar Golf Classic, where Kristy McPherson won last year.