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On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups

Pittsburgh Pirates (13-19) vs. San Francisco Giants (14-19) - 7:05PM Est.

The Giants tried Barry Zito as a starting pitcher for a little over a year, but it didn't work out.

The Giants tried Barry Zito as a relief pitcher, but after only eight days in the bullpen, that wasn't quite working out either.

The Giants wanted to try Barry Zito as a corpse at the bottom of McCovey Cove, but the law doesn't look highly upon such actions, so with no other alternatives, they've decided to try him as a starter one more time.

Tonight baseball's worst contract will return to the mound as a starter, bringing with him that 0-6 record, the 7.53 ERA, and that 1.95 WHIP of his.

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups

Boston Red Sox (5-5) vs. New York Yankees (5-5) -7:05PM Est.

Tonight will be the first of eighteen over-hyped games between the Yankees and Red Sox this season. Aren't you super excited!? I mean, we only get to see these two teams play each other like 25 times a year, so you have to cherish every single pitch, because they're such a rarity. Though the newest chapter of this storied rivalry is going to be missing a few key characters. The Yankees won't have Derek Jeter or Jorge Posada (or Joe Torre for that matter), and the Red Sox don't have Curt Schilling or Mike Lowell at their disposal. Not to fear, though, as we now have completely idiotic new curses to talk about thanks to some dumbass thoughtful construction workers, and there's always the chance that hawk will attack the real Alexa Rodriguez tonight. I don't know about you, but I hope that hawk pecks Alex's eyes out and then craps on everybody in the stands. Clay Bucholz will be introduced to the Yankees for the first time tonight, and he looks to improve on a rather pedestrian performance in his last start. Chien-Ming Wang goes for the Yanks, and in his career against the SAWX he's 5-5 with a 4.56 ERA, but that could change tonight if he continues to pitch the way he did in his first two starts (13IP, 2 earned runs).

102. Reality Bites

First aired: 9/26/1994
Production Code: 60063

Will loses points as a role model for Nicky while visiting an ever-positive kiddie hero who brings joy to youngsters but not to Will. Does the hero live up to Will standards?

Alternate versions of today's Dodgers Dugout include one about Jeff Kent leaving to be a part of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, one about Tommy Lasorda running out onto the field and getting thrown to the ground head-over-ass by Pedro Martinez, and one where Joe Torre and Orel Hershiser have dramatically different ideas about what constitutes a "Baseball Boogie."

The NL West wing of Spring Dugz comes to a close, after the jump.

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing matchups

Los Angeles Dodgers (80-76) vs. Colorado Rockies (84-72)-10:10PM Est.

Just when you thought the NL West was a two-team battle, the Rockies have to go and win eight straight games to get right back in this thing. Thanks to their three-game sweep of the Padres this weekend, the Rockies now find themselves only a game behind the Padres and Phillies in the NL Wild Card race. Not even the loss of Matt Holliday the last few days could stop Colorado, and they're hoping Holliday will be back in the lineup tonight against the Dodgers. If the Rockies can vault themselves into the playoffs this week, I think I'm going to have to give Matt Holliday my vote for NL MVP. Of course, I don't actually have a vote, so it won't mean anything, but it's the thought that counts. Ubaldo Jimenez starts for the Rockies tonight, and he won his first start in a month his last time out against these Dodgers. In two starts and a relief appearance against LA, Jimenez is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA. Brad Penny will start for the dying Dodgers, and look to stave off mathematical elimination for at least another day. In his career against Colorado, Penny is 12-2 with a 2.74 ERA, including a 2-0 record against them this season.

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups

Boston Red Sox (89-58) vs. New York Yankees (83-63)-7:05PM Est.

This series would probably be a lot more exciting if I wasn't so sure both teams will be in the playoffs come October. That doesn't mean there's nothing at stake in Boston this weekend, because after all, the Yankees could still win the division. They've done it every year since 1996, and it's become quite the tradition in New York. If Boston wants to put an end to it, this weekend is a fantastic time to do it. After all, it's possible that Manny Ramirez will take time away from selling albums and return to the lineup tonight. I'm sure the fact that Manny's hitting .392 against the Yankees this season, and .431 lifetime against Andy Pettite. Apparently Manny's the only guy who hits Andy because Pettite is 7-1 with a 2.96 ERA in his last eight starts. This season in two starts at Fenway, Pettite has an ERA of 5.91, but no decisions. Daisuke Matsuzaka starts for Boston for the first time since he had the shortest outing of his career against Baltimore. Dice-K lasted only 2.2 innings, and allowed 8 runs in the Red Sox loss. He may be wearing down, as he's 1-4 with a 9.57 ERA in his last five starts.

We here at the MLB FanHouse will be musing twice a month until the end of the season on who we think leads the AL and NL Cy Young award races.

American League: C.C. Sabathia, Cleveland Indians

Last time if you remember, the A.L. Cy race was too close to call. This time ... well, it still is. But I can't cop out twice in a row. Since our last Cy snapshot, C.C. Sabathia (17-7, has thrown 17 innings in two starts and has only given up one run, helping the Tribe to a healthy lead in the A.L. Central. Josh Beckett is right there too, having won his last two starts as well. But after Sabathia has passed Beckett in ERA, a category he had been lagging behind by a big margin all season, I have to give the edge to Sabathia this week. With John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, and Fausto Carmona also lurking, it's going to be a very tight race down the stretch.

Also in the mix:
Josh Beckett (18-6, 3.27 ERA)
John Lackey (16-8, 3.18 ERA)
Kelvim Escobar (16-7, 3.04 ERA)
Fausto Carmona (16-8, 3.20 ERA)
J.J. Putz (1.43 ERA, 37 saves)
Chien-Ming Wang (18-6, 3.69 ERA)

We here at the MLB FanHouse will be musing twice a month until the end of the season on who we think leads the AL and NL Cy Young award races.

American League: Too Close To Call

Yes, I understand ... it's the ultimate cop out. But there's really two answers to this question. If you ask me who should be in the lead right now? It's Kelvim Escobar at 15-6 and a 2.77 ERA and victories in his last four starts ... which means he's peaking at the right time for the voters. But if you ask me who the voters have in the lead? Well, with east coast bias (you know it exists), and Escobar splitting some votes with John Lackey (16-8, 3.18 ERA), it's probably Red Sox starter Josh Beckett (16-6 3.29). The only thing keeping Beckett from having the outright lead right now is the fact that he lost last night. If he beats the Yankees, he's at 17-5 and it's his picture you're looking at right now, and not this beautiful composite. But with a month to go, it's a three horse race.

Also in the hunt:
Dan Haren: (14-5, 2.72 ERA)
Johan Santana: (14-10, 200 K's)
J.J. Putz: (37 saves, 1.35 ERA)
C.C. Sabathia: (15-7, 207 K's)

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing matchups

Atlanta Braves (64-59) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (71-53)-1:05PM Est.

What was once an incredibly tight four-team race in the NL West is quickly starting to become a three-team battle for second place. The Diamondbacks have won their last four games, and have opened up a 5-game lead on the second place San Diego Padres. It's not only the NL West they lead to, as the Diamondbacks are the only team in the National League with 70 wins on the season, and have a one-game lead over the Mets for homefield advantage in the playoffs. Brandon Webb hasn't given up a run since July, and Micah Owings is not only pitching well, but he's outhitting his opposition as well. Today the Diamondbacks look to complete a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves, a team they've dominated that last few seasons. Since last season these two teams have met 12 times, and Arizona has come away with a victory in 10 of the meetings. The Braves meanwhile have fallen to 5.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East and are growing desperate for wins. John Smoltz will get the start this afternoon in hopes of stopping the bleeding, but Smoltz hasn't picked up a win in his last four starts. Yusmeiro Petit starts for the Diamondbacks, replacing the recently DFA'd Byung-Hyun Kim.

We here at the MLB FanHouse will be musing twice a month until the end of the season on who we think leads the AL and NL Cy Young award races.

National League: Brad Penny, Los Angeles Dodgers

Even with his recent abdominal strain, Brad Penny has lengthened his lead on the Cy Young chase. Even after Tuesday's loss to the Giants, Penny still outdistances the field 13-2 with a 2.60 ERA, including the guy who was once much closer in the race, Jake Peavy. Peavy hasn't been bad but he's been quite ordinary in losing four of his last five decisions, putting him in the everyone else discussion as in: There's Brad Penny, and then there's everyone else.

Also in the mix:
Jake Peavy: 10-5, 2.41 ERA, 144 K's
John Maine: 12-5, 2.92 ERA
Cole Hamels: 12-5, 143 K's
Carlos Zambrano: 14-7, 128 K's
Chris Young: 9-3, 1.82 ERA

American League after the jump ...

OK, this is something I initially joked about in April after reading on Alyssa's blog that her favorite Dodger was Russell Martin. I sort of put two-and-two together, guessing there was something more to the "favorite player" label. Then, we learned from Alyssa's account of her All-Star game experience, that she hung out with Martin at the midsummer classic. And now, via The Big Lead, we're learning that there might be something going on between Milano and Martin:

The Charmed actress, 34, flirted with Martin, 24, at the all-star game on July 11, and was overheard telling a friend she thought the catcher was cute.
...
This weekend, Milano, who has been previously linked to pitchers Barry Zito, Carl Pavano and Brad Penny, played it cool in her dugout seats as the Dodgers hosted the New York Mets, but an eyewitness tells Usmagazine.com "she was smiling a lot." Meanwhile Martin is said to have rushed off the diamond after the game to text Milano in the stands.

Well A.J., that should answer your question. I tell you this much, when you see a woman who's as big of a Dodgers and baseball fan as Alyssa is, and you combine her looks and history of dating ballplayers, then there's excellent reason to suppose this report is true. Come on, who in their right mind would turn down Alyssa if she were showing signs of interest?

Previously at FanHouse:
Watch Out Russell Martin, You're Next for Alyssa Milano

Why is last year's news noteworthy? Because it explains a heck of a lot. Brad Penny put together an excellent first half last year. It was so good that he was selected as the NL All-Star game starter. This year, he nearly repeated the first half performance, and was almost selected to start the All-Star game for the second year in a row. Many people including myself have been wondering if Penny would repeat his second half collapse of last year in which he went 6-7 with an ERA over 6. Well, Penny's recent comments would explain why you shouldn't expect a collapse this year:

"I won 16 games last year, a career high," Penny said, "but when I was struggling, people said I was overthrowing, trying to throw everything 100 miles an hour. The truth is, I was suffering from a bulging disk. I had trouble bending over, but it was easier for people to say I was overthrowing."

With Jason Schmidt out for the year and Randy Wolf on the DL, the Dodgers will need to rely heavily on the experience starters like Brad Penny and Derek Lowe. Knowing this information explains a heck of a lot, and it means the Dodgers should expect another solid half of baseball from their emerging ace.

There was an excellent article written in the LA Times about Dodgers closer Takashi Saito, who has been the best closer in the NL this year. The article explains how Saito went from being a guy who lost his fastball and couldn't hack it in Japan, to having success in the U.S., an ocean away from his family. Also mentioned is how karaoke in particular helped to bring Saito closer to his teammates:

When Saito revealed in small talk that he liked karaoke, [Brad] Penny organized a trip to a karaoke bar.

Once there, Saito was thrust onto the stage. He chose the one song he knew how to sing in English, the Beatles' "Hey Jude." Saito had been forced to learn the song as a junior in college, when his class sang it as part of a farewell for the graduating seniors.

Saito's teammates crowded the stage and applauded.

"We wanted to have a little laugh," catcher Russell Martin said. "His English wasn't very good yet. I didn't think he was going to do it. But it was unbelievable. Everybody in there just stopped. It was crazy."

Soon, a karaoke machine was brought into the clubhouse so he could perform in front of the entire team.
...
That improved his relationship with his teammates. For the remainder of the spring, he was frequently summoned into the trainer's room to sing.

"I never imagined that something like that could help me," Saito said. "Karaoke is completely Japanese. That karaoke is even here is strange."

How many times are you going to hear karaoke as a uniting factor in professional sports huh? What's also impressive is that Brad Penny broke the ice between Saito and the rest of the team. I bet Penny's pretty happy he went out of his way to make Saito feel comfortable now that Takashi is closing out Brad's games keeping his W's intact. I'm now thinking Saito must be easy to shop for at Christmas time.

Previously at FanHouse:
Takashi Saito Is as Dominant as Any Closer in the Game

We here at the MLB FanHouse will be musing twice a month until the end of the season on who we think leads the AL and NL Cy Young award races. This is the sixth installment.

National League: Brad Penny, Los Angeles Dodgers

Brad Penny proved he belongs at the top of the list after staring down Jake Peavy in a Cy Young worthy battle. This race is razor thin. Penny is at 10-1 with a 2.00 ERA, while Peavy is at 9-2 and 2.09. What keeps this race so close is Peavy's huge strikeout advantage (119 to 77), but chances are this race will go back and forth the rest of the season, with the team that wins the division also winning the Cy Young Award for their pitcher.

Also in the mix:
Jake Peavy: 9-2, 2.09 ERA, 119 K's
Chris Young: 8-3, 2.14 ERA
Ben Sheets: 10-3, 3.19 ERA
John Maine: 9-4, 2.74 ERA
Takashi Saito: 23 saves, 1.30 ERA

American League after the jump ...

I'm pretty much convinced that the only positive development from the All-Star game is that it gives people like us something to debate during the middle of generally uneventful summers. And of course, this year is no exception; there were many All-Star snubs. Here are some players from the NL West that definitely deserve to be in San Francisco, along with players they should have replaced (which so often is overlooked):

Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks: Just compare Byrnsie and Aaron Rowand, who was named to the team, across the board. Their stats are eerily similar, as as their personalities. But one thing stands out -- Byrnes is superior (by small margins) to Rowand in almost every statistical category. They're each fan favorites and they each play with a balls out style. Given Byrne's statistical superiority this year, and the fact that the D-Backs have been far more successful than the Phillies this year, I think Byrnes over Rowand is a no-brainer.

Chris Young, Padres: Being on the final vote list is an insult to Young's mastery of NL hitters this year. Really, the fact that he wasn't selected is a total joke. Young is 8-3 with a 2.14 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 96.2 innings pitched. Opposing hitters are batting .197 against him. .197. That's lower than what Andruw Jones is hitting this year. The guy has only allowed three home runs in 16 starts. Young should be there over every starter except Brad Penny and Jake Peavy, and of course, over reliever Brian Fuentes.

On Deck is The FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups

Los Angeles Dodgers (45-35) vs. San Diego Padres (45-33)-10:05PM Est.

This game isn't just a battle for the NL West division lead, it's also a contest between the top two candidates for the NL Cy Young Award. Brad Penny is 10-1 with a 2.04 ERA this season, and he's going against Jake Peavy who's 9-2 with a 2.14. In other words, nobody's going to want to hit today. The Padres took the first game of this series to gain a full game lead on the third place Dodgers, and a half game lead on the second place Diamondbacks. The Padres have won four straight against the Dodgers this season, and look to continue that recent dominance tonight. Of course, this will be the first time they've had to face Brad Penny this season, though he was 0-2 with an 8.55 ERA last year against San Diego.