Dan Haren has won six of his last seven decisions, and now sports a 12-5 record with a 2.75 ERA!

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have upgraded their offensive lineup with a splash at the trade deadline.  They picked up Manny “Being Manny” Ramirez and it’s been all good ever since.  Los Angeles continues to trail the Diamondbacks by one game in the NL West, but I’m sure Arizona saw a dangerous team they do not want to mess with as we approach playoffs positioning.  Ramirez has provided five RBI and 8 for 13 batting since joining his new club, for an average of .615 with two home runs and four runs scored.  Ramirez also had his first 4-hit game of the season.  Ramirez's homer on Sunday was the 512th of his career, tying him with Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews for 20th on the all-time list.  There is good news on the pitching horizon with Brad Penny slated to rejoin the team on Monday.  Penny completed a recent four-inning rehab stint with the Triple-A team in Las Vegas.  The big right-hander has been out since June 15 with right shoulder soreness.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona continues to lead their division while only being three games above .500 in the NL West.  They’re 7-3 in their last 10 games and they recently split a four-game series with the resurgent Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Diamondbacks survived a recent trade deadline move by the Dodgers who acquired Manny Ramirez.  Ramirez drove in three runs in LA’s 9-3 win on Sunday.  He will continue to be a force down the stretch.  The D’backs have their work cut out for them when pitching to Ramirez - whom many consider the best hitter in the league right now.  Arizona has been average at home but they have the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves coming in for the upcoming homestand.  They should continue to win and maintain their front running position.  Look for Dan Haren to have a good outing against the Pirates on Monday.  Haren is 11-5 with a 2.62 ERA, and has won his last four consecutive starts.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brew Crew stumbled a bit last week winning just three of their last ten games. They didn’t fair well at home after being humbled by Chicago’s north side team, which swept four games from them. I was curious to see how C.C. Sabathia would match up against the Cubs and he didn’t appear to have his best stuff.  Sabathia threw 124 pitches, which was a season high for him.  His final line was four runs, three of them earned, on nine hits, over 6 2/3 innings of work.  Good thing the Brewers had a chance to play the Atlanta Braves recently.  The Brewers almost swept their series with Atlanta but they ended up losing the finale with Ben Sheets (10-5) on the mound.  Sheets did not have his superior stuff working, and honestly he’s been slumping lately, losing four of his last five decisions.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs gave themselves five games of breathing room over the Milwaukee Brewers, who were applying pressure prior during their last series.  They handled their business on the road against the Brewers and re-established themselves as the team to beat in the National League.  Chicago had another dramatic game on Sunday.  This time Reed Johnson played the hero with a pinch-hit two-run home run, breaking a 5-5 tie in the eighth inning.  Alfonso Soriano followed Johnson with another long ball to left field to make it back-to-back homers off Pirates reliever Sean Burnett. Kerry Wood could come off the disabled list as early as Tuesday, according to team sources.  Wood pitched a simulated game recently and looked good according to manager Lou Piniella.  There was a Japanese buzz before Sunday's game, as Japanese politician Masaaki Kanda greeted Kosuke Fukudome. Kanda is the governor of the region where Fukudome played baseball in Japan.

New York Mets

GM Omar Minaya didn’t make any dramatic moves at this year’s trading deadline. Some fans were looking forward to a move to put them over the top, but it didn’t happen this year and the Amazin’ Mets find themselves three games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the latest NL East standings.  They are 4-6 in their last 10 games including a four game losing streak.  Minaya made clear his desire to upgrade the bullpen, or the outfield, or any other area where a hinge might be loose. But due to the combination of high asking prices and a lack of so-called impact prospects, he could not spring a deal at the deadline.  The Mets were recently held scoreless versus the Houston Astros on Sunday.  Getting swept in the second half of the season is going to be tough to rebound from for this ball club.  Their pitching is average to below average, aside from Johan Santana, and the offensive production is very streaky. 

Houston Astros

The Astros have a lot of ground to make up since they are 13 games back in the NL Central, but they are coming off an impressive sweep of the New York Mets.  Lefthander Randy Wolf looked good in his second start for his new Astros club.  He allowed six hits against the Mets on Sunday, but he also had seven strikeouts.  The Astros swept a series for the first time since May 9-11, against the Dodgers, and they have won six of their past eight games and five of their past six series. The sweep is their first over the Mets since Sept. 6-8, 1993, at the Astrodome. 

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are seven games back in the NL West, but they are not gaining on anybody.  Their play is very inconsistent, starting with the pitching.  However, there is something positive brewing around the corner, which includes a homestand against the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres.  Look for right-hander Aaron Cook (14-6, 3.53) to have an effective game against the Nationals on Monday.  He is challenging D-Back’s Brandon Webb for the most wins in the National League. 

Philadelphia Phillies

The fighting Phillies have emerged as the team to beat in the NL East, winning an impressive seven of their last ten games.  They are 2.5 games ahead of the Florida Marlins right now and their pitching and hitting appears balanced at the right time of the year.  The Phillies have an upcoming series with the Florida Marlins and they can separate themselves if their good play continues.  Jamie Moyer has great success against the Marlins.  The 45-year-old is cruising along in his 22nd Major League season, posting a 2.84 ERA over his past 10 outings, going 4-3. He has allowed just 49 hits in 63 1/3 innings, with 48 strikeouts.