I'll bite -

The Padres #5 starter hasn't won a game since they traded Ismael Valdez to the Marlins last summer. Either Tim Redding or Darrel May will be the guy responsible for ending that streak.

I'm not sure that helps us learn more about ourselves, except to say that maybe it's Houlton time...

You're not required to connect your fact directly back to the Dodgers. The connections can be more ethereal than that.

How's about this..

The White Sox are 9-1 in one run games this season.

The Oakland Athletics' 3.63 team ERA is the second-best in the American League this season (number one: Chicago White Sox, 3.12).

Their 70 runs scored, however, are second-worst in the AL (last: KC Royals, 66).

Speaking of one run games, the Marlins are 0-4 in them, despite being tied for first in the NL East.

The Giant's Pedro Feliz leads the team in HR's, RBI's and runs scored.

Curt Schilling has not pitched very well for the Red Sox yet as he comes back from his ankle injury. He's 1-2 with a 7.13 ERA, and his game scores so far are 35, 39, and 40.

I watched the Braves-Phillies game on TBS Saturday afternoon, and let me just say that home teams shouldn't hire father-son broadcasting teams (Skip and Chip Caray). Mondesi can still throw.

Neifi Perez, San Francisco Giants: .244/.281/.321 (647 AB)
Neifi Perez, Chicago Cubs: .382/.409/.555 (110 AB)

I've watched a Braves game or two with Chip Caray in the booth. There's something about Atlanta that encourages sleep. He was so much better with the Cubbies.

Twenty years ago when Steve Garvey was in the headlines for his, ah, "fatherly proclivities", a radio station had a contest for funniest bumper sticker. It was a tie between these two titles:

*Honk if Steve Garvey is your father

*Steve Garvey: a true Padre

Punchline? The production assistant who thought up the idea was fired.

Not a fact, just a comment. The NL East is, hands down, the most entertaining division in baseball right now. It's like the Yankees/Red Sox to the fifth power. Some of the most competitive managers in baseball live there--Bobby Cox, Frank Robinson, Jack McKeon. Big sluggers like Thome, Beltran, Piazza, Delgado, Burrell, Floyd, Rollins, Guillen, Wilkerson, and of course Jones & Jones. Charismatic pitchers like Pedro Martinez, Livan Hernandez, John Smoltz, Billy Wagner, Dontrelle Willis, Tim Hudson. Any one of those five teams could make the playoffs, but because they're so even and can't fatten up on a Tampa Bay or a Colorado, only the division winner will probably make it. It's going to be a wild summer back there.

The Cubs lead the NL in runs during innings 1-6 with 68. They are second to last in innings 7+ with 16. Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde style, Mr. Weaver meet the Cubs.

Re: #13

Glass houses and all that. The Dodgers are really the reverse. In innings 1-6, they rank 13th in runs scored, and have an ERA of 4.83. In innings 7-9, they rank 2nd in runs scored, and have a wonderful 2.89 ERA.

Ismael Valdez has officially filed papers to change his first name to Hismael. And his middle name to Exxon.

Danny Graves is 7 of 7 in save opps.

4.32 ERA, 1.92 WHIP and a 2/7 K/BB Ratio.

He's allowed at least 2 baserunners in his last 6 app's.

Joel Guzman the NL top SS prospect was born
11/24/1984

Jose Lopez the AL top SS prospect was born
11/24/1983

Anybody else notice the gems from Chan Ho & Pedro Astacio?

Yanks: Chien-Ming Wang gets the call to replace Jaret Wright- RHP, Tops out 94mph, Slider, change, splitty. Starts on Sat.

Mets: Cliff Floyd is smoking the ball. Nobody likes Matsui right now. They have called yet another lefty up from the minors to settle down their bullpen.