Fading Fast

Baseball Update:
With only 12 games to go, the once seemingly destined playoff bound Brewers are sitting in a tie with the Phillies in the Wild Card race and 8 behind the Cubs in the Central. Knowing this is their window to make the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, Milwaukee took drastic measures, dropping manager Ned Yost and replacing him with third base coach Dave Sveum.

It took 16 innings for the Astros to finally get a hit against the Cubs and 17 innings to put a run on the board, unfortunately that run was not enough to get a win, as they fell to the Cubs, 6-1. Ted Lilly allowed just one hit and a walk over seven innings for Chicago.

Is it happening again? After a free fall in September of 2007, the Mets lost their playoff spot to the red hot Phillies and it looks like history maybe repeating after New York got pounded by the Nats, 7-2. Philly is now just a half game back in the East.

The Nationals Dmitri Young could be finished for the season with a strained left hip. I'm going to be honest here, I didn't even know he was playing. I thought he was having trouble with diabetes or something.

The Red Sox had six homeruns in their 13-5 bashing of the Tampa Bay Rays. The win puts the two teams at a flat foot tie in the East.

Does anybody want the AL Central? First it was the Tigers and Indians who faultered early and often. Now the White Sox and Twins are stumbling, with the ChiSox falling to the Yankees, 4-2 and the Twins being handled by the Indians, 3-1. Mariano Rivera moved into second place on the all time saves list with 479 while the Indians young pitcher Scott Lewis has yet to surrender a run in his first two major league starts. And in other good news for the city of Cleveland, they'll be staying there through 2023.

The Yankees kept Robinson Cano on the bench hoping he'll somehow learn his lesson about hustling in the field. Catcher Jorge Posada hopes the team learns from Joba Chamberlain's rotator cuff tendinitis this season and keep him in the pen.

The Twins have found a naming sponsor for their new Stadium and it has no affilation with the Nazis. Minnesota announced their new ballpark will be called Target Field.

The Tigers have shut down pitcher Kenny Rogers for the remainder of the season.

Hiroki Kuroda had seven strong innings and the Dodgers offense complemented his effort with eight runs in their 8-2 defeat of the Pirates. LA was unable to put any extra distance between themselves and the Diamondbacks after Adam Dunn hit a game winning homer in the eighth inning of their 3-1 win over the Giants.

Nascar Update:
Click here for the entry list for this weekend's race at Dover.

Do Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Tony Eury, Jr. need a mediator during races? Hey, whatever it takes to get to victory lane.

There a couple of rumors floating around involving consolidation of teams. One has Ganassi Racing trying to make a deal with Michael Waltrip Racing that would put Juan Pablo Montoya in a Toyota next season. The other is that Gillett Evernham Racing is looking to buy Bill Davis Racing.

News&Notes: There was certianly no lack of offense during Monday night's game between the Cowboys and Eagles, maybe just a lack of defense as the Boys outscored Philly, 41-37...Dallas safety Roy Williams fractured his right forearm during the game...The Titans are sticking with Kerry Collins even after Vince Young comes back, as long as their winning...The Bucs are keeping Brian Griese as their starting QB...The Texans will practice for the first time since Hurricane Ike blew threw the south eastern part of Texas over the weekend...Chris Cooley is sorry he showed a bit too much of himself in a recent blog post...Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson may have made "an unfortuante and regrettable error" that could cost the University.''

Check this out: Looks like Evan Longoria's sporting a new haircut. Can the mohawk just go away already?