Preview/Prediction

Two different teams oppose each other today in game 163 of this regular season.

The Detroit Tigers have been leading the Central Division for nearly the entire season. The Twins have been playing catch up to the Tigers almost the entire season. They have finally caught them and the two teams will now fight today at 5 P.M. for the right to call themselves AL Central Champions.

Take that finger off the panic button, Dodger fans.  The division race is over.

Finally.

After dragging their victory champagne from Pittsburgh to San Diego, the Los Angeles Dodgers were able to pop bottles on the second-to-last day of the season.

On September 30, 2007, the Philadelphia Phillies began what has become one of their best three-year runs in franchise history. On that day, they defeated the Washington Nationals 6-1 to clinch the National League Eastern division crown.

Almost a year later, the Phils reclaimed their title as division champions by once again defeating the Nationals.

Moving to 2009, we see this same opportunity once again.

It’s no secret that Carlos Silva has been absolutely terrible since signing with the Mariners last year. He had a good first month, back in April of 2008, but since then he’s been worth somewhere around -1 wins.

I’d even go so far as to say that there’s a petty good chance the Carlos Silva signing will go down as one of the worst in Mariners history.

On Sept. 16, 2009, the New York Yankees and several other Major League teams released their preliminary 2010 season schedules. When looking at the Yankees' schedule there are several series that stand out.

Two of those are the season-opening and closing series against the rivaled Red Sox. Series against the Red Sox are always highly anticipated because of the long grudge that these two teams hold for each other.

But the countdown has begun for the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As the Philadelphia Phillies inch closer to finishing off their third straight National League East title, playoff thoughts are not far behind.

If I am not mistaken, heading into Wednesday's game with the Nationals, the Phillies magic number is 13 games.  After the Phils finish the Nationals series, they travel to Atlanta and Florida.  Talk about taking care of business.

Think about last year's playoff rotation: Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer.

This year: Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton/J.A. Happ and Pedro Martinez.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers made it through the weekend and took care of business.

The offense finally came alive and boomed for 19 runs in the first two games against a tough Giants pitching staff.

On Friday night, they worked Matt Cain for a 31-pitch first inning, in which they plated two runs en route to a 10-3 win.

The key hit in the first inning was a James Loney two-out, two RBI double.

For one night, you couldn't help yourself.

You couldn't help, be it whether you were at Citizens Bank Park last night or in front of the television, hearken back to about a decade ago when Pedro Martinez made things look so easy.

He may no longer be a Boston Red Sox, but he is a Philadelphia Phillie. And thus far, he has made General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr., one of the few executives with a contending team willing to take a chance on Martinez, look like a genius.

The Chicago Cubs took the rubber game of their three-game weekend set with Cincinnati Sunday, winning 5-2.  Derrek Lee had three hits, including his 32nd home run of the season, and scored twice.

Ted Lilly got the win for Chicago, his team-leading 12th, after tossing six shutout innings.  Lilly threw 119 pitches, a season high.  He allowed six hits, two walks, and struck out seven.  The outing lowered his 2009 ERA to 3.05, a career best.