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The Brewers won again, this time beating the Braves. I could have referenced history and said that Seattle beat Milwaukee, but that would be nothing but mere confusion to show you I could look up stuff on Wikipedia.

Anyway, Dave Bush’s stint in the minors seems to have paid off, as he had his second great start in a row. This time he pitched 7 innings, allowing only 1 run. And, hey! His ERA’s below 5 again. I’m sure Bronson Arroyo is burning with jealousy.

The Brewers picked up another game on the first-place Cubs and now sit in third place, 5 games back. Since May 20, Milwaukee has gone 23-10.

Boxscore

Ben Sheets apparently wants to pitch in the All Star Game, if his performance over the last 5 starts is any indication. He’s won all 5, to bring his record up to 9-1.

I’m not sure who will get the starting nod for the game that means something, even now, but it’s pretty cool that the NL Central has so many strong competitors for the spot. The Reds Edinson Volquez leads the charge, but Ryan Dempster, Ben Sheets, and Kyle Lohse are all in the mix.

But back to Sheets. He dominated the Braves, striking out 7 and allowing only 4 hits over his complete game. Heck, he only had 3 balls on one hitter, so he was obviously dealing.

The Brewers offense was provided by someone other than Russell Branyan, who got the night off. I imagine swatting homers does take its toll on the body. I know that my handful of swings in the batting cages over the weekend made me sorer than expected. Mike Cameron knocked in 2 with his 12th home run, and Rickie Weeks showed he’s healthy by stealing what I believe is his first base since returning from the DL.

Milwaukee picked up a half-game on the idle Cubs and now sit 6 games back.

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Like the Reds, the Cardinals found themselves on the verge of sweeping the Red Sox yesterday, thanks to two hard-fought games.

Joel Pineiro was very effective, limiting the Red Sox to just 2 runs over 7+ innings. The Sox Starter, Jon Lester, was just as effective, though. When Boston took the lead in the 8th, things didn’t look good for St. Louis.

But Jonathan Papelbon danced his way to the mound and allowed the tying run to score from an Adam Kennedy double. Then came the extra innings, where neither team could score until the 13th, when Kevin Youkilis homered to finish things.

The Cardinals played hard, though, almost taking the lead in the top of the 13th when Chris Duncan was thrown out at the plate. The team did win the series, and I wonder if it helps make up for that nasty World Series showing back in 2004.

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After being swept by the Dodgers at, the Reds traveled to New York where things weren’t looking promising. Of course, that was before Edinson Volquez started and won the opener of the series. He really has been something amazing this year. The Reds shut out the Yankees somehow in the second game and had a chance to sweep them.

Johnny Cueto started, and was good for the third time in a row. Ever since his terrible start–something like 10 runs allowed–a few starts ago, he’s looked much better. I don’t know if he or the Reds figured out his problem, but something’s clicked and he no longer looks clueless.

Of course, the same can’t be said of Corey Patterson and the Reds offense. After homering earlier in the series to raise his batting average to .192. Yes, I said raise. Patterson put up another 0-fer and dropped it to .189. Sigh. When will this waste of a roster spot be released? Dusty Baker’s no longer batting him lead-off, which doesn’t really feel like a victory.

To be fair, Patterson wasn’t the only culprit in not hitting, but he is the easiest to make fun of.

I sat down to write some quick game wraps today, only to find the same exact results as for the last two days. Everybody lost except the Brewers. C’mon, guys, some variety, please!

Of course, I expect losses from the Reds. They have by far the most promising up and coming players, but that is negated by one of the worst managers in the Majors. Which is why they’re in last place.

Houston’s been in a terrible funk lately, and Pittsburgh and the White Sox apparently substituted their baseball players for football players as both teams scored touchdowns in the second inning.

The Cardinals and the Cubs both lost again, making it look like those premiere offensive players they both recently lost were important to their success, after all. I gotta say, I believe it with Albert Pujols, but I’m surprised that Alfonso Soriano’s absence has so affected the Cubs. Of course, this is Chicago’s first rough spell all season, so one could say they were due, injuries or not.

That brings us to the Brewers, who now sit in 3rd place, just 5.5 games back. Can they keep their winning going? I don’t know, but I sure bet the Reds can continue their losing. They travel to New York to “play” the Yankees today.

If only there were something to distract me from the play on the field, perhaps a General Manager ranting about the worthlessness of a player who’s better than any other player on his team. And preferably, that ire could be directed towards an NL Central player like Adam Dunn. Nah, GMs are professionals. Even Jim Bowden wouldn’t do that.