Pittsburgh Pirates @ Philadelphia Phillies
I. Snell (7-6, 5.00) vs. J. Lieber (3-5, 5.79)
The Battle for Pennsylvania!  Okay, maybe it’s not all that dramatic and besides you need the Amish as part of the battle for PA.  At this point with both teams slumping or just playing beneath their talent level, the Amish might lose to the Amish.

San Diego Padres @ Washington Nationals
W. Williams (3-1, 3.04) vs. R. Ortiz (6-6, 4.90)
These are two of the most boring teams in the league, possessing only one player that makes you stand up out of your seat with your mouth agape and that’s Jake Peavy (Padres) and Alfonso Soriano (Nats).  If the Nats were in the N.L. West this would be more interesting as every team in the division has a shot to finish in first place… except the Diamondbacks who, lately, look like they don’t want anything to do with the N.L. West crown.  In any case, this is a boring series with no substantial ramifications.

Florida Marlins @ New York Mets
D. Willis (5-7, 3.96) vs. J. Lima (0-3, 8.79)
Joe Girardi, Manager of the Year.  Don’t laugh because not only are the Marlins doing well lately, but they’re young, improving, and on the cusp of contending for a Wild Card spot despite their youth and inexperience.  However, they will be facing the N.L. East leading New York Mets and will probably have the door slammed on them.  If the Marlins can take the series or even split it, as they are on the road, it can go a long way in how the Marlins play for the rest of the season.

Cincinnati Reds @ Atlanta Braves
E. Milton (4-4, 5.09) vs. H. Ramirez (4-2, 3.47)
Braves are starting to heat up!  Look out N.L. East!  Okay… it isn’t all that exciting as they are still way below the Mets and will probably lose the division for the first time in 14 years.  Meanwhile, the Reds are looking like real contenders for the N.L. Central as they are only two games behind division leaders, the St. Louis Cardinals.  Can you believe it?  The Reds management are actually showing that they know what they’re doing.  If Ken Griffey, Jr. can stay healthy, that will be a BIG boost for the Reds title hopes.

St. Louis Cardinals @ Houston Astros
J. Marquis (10-6, 5.78) vs. W. Rodriguez (9-5, 4.97)
The Cardinals are falling off and hope that Jason Marquis can reverse the trend.  Despite his 10 wins, Marquis is only marginal when you consider his secondary numbers, but a win is a win and the Cards need one badly, especially going up against divisional rival Houston Astros.

Chicago Cubs @ Milwaukee Brewers
C. Zambrano (7-3, 3.33) vs. Z. Jackson (1-1, 6.11)
Carlos Zambrano is so good, but he needs to cut down on the walks to really dominate on a game-to-game basis.  However, I don’t see that happening any time soon, especially since the Cubs are so bad, Zambrano may lose focus and let his emotions get to him.  Yes, believe it or not, he’s an emotional player. No way!  Okay, I hope you get the sarcasm.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Colorado Rockies
M. Batista (8-5, 4.94) vs. B. Kim (5-4, 4.83)
Coors Field isn’t as much of a hitter’s haven this season as it usually is.  Maybe it’s just that the Rockies aren’t hitting and there pitching is getting better.  Regardless, the Rockies hope to beat up on the bottom-dweling D-backs in order to pass the San Diego Padres and get some separation at the top of the N.L. West.

San Francisco Giants @ Los Angeles Dodgers
M. Morris (7-7, 4.12) vs. C. Billingsley (0-2, 4.91)
Matt Morris has simply been amazing in the past month, earning the money on his new contract.  Meanwhile, Chad Billingsley hasn’t been meeting the expectations placed on this young super-prospect.  However, you have to admit that Billingsley hasn’t looked as bad as the Philadelphia Phillies’ Cole Hamels, another young uber-prospect.