As we turn the corner on the baseball season, one fact keeps popping up: Four weeks remain and the N.L. West is again the N.L. Worst. We thought we had gotten out of this toilet bowl two seasons ago when the Dodgers started bulking up and the Diamondbacks had some incredible young talent blossom. Unfortunately, it's hard for baseball teams to grab onto the porcelain when the water's rotating. The Diamondbacks could have run away with the division, but they haven't lived up to expectations. The Dodgers have squandered a great manager and impressive offense with uneven pitching and bad chemistry. Is that Manny Ramírez trade already a bust? The Giants and Padres both have great pitching but will suffer through offensive rebuilding for years. How bad is this division? The Rockies, eight games under .500, were six games out of first place through Friday. They had won 10 of their last 13. Don't hold your breath, but if the Rockies repeat last year's race to the finish line, they could pull off the division title. The N.L. Worst isn't about small markets or bad ownership. It's about badly run teams. And when teams are run badly, it's generally because of the general managers. If you're looking for an offseason theme for this division, it might be the new faces in the front offices in a few months.
What to do
Fresno at River Cats, 6:05 p.m. Raley Field. It's your last chance to catch a Sunday home game. What to watch
Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 5 p.m., ESPN2. Baseball's schedule makers have given you a great division-race game from the N.L. Worst.
What to surf
www.coolstandings.com.
Interesting site that projects baseball playoff teams on a daily basis using "coolstats."
Saturday's results
American League
• A'S 3, Twins 2
• Blue Jays 7, Yankees 6
• Royals 13, Tigers 3
• Red Sox 8, White Sox 2
• Mariners 4, Indians 3 (10)
• Rays 10, Orioles 9
• Angels 4, Rangers 3
National League
• Reds 7, GIANTS 6
• Phillies 5, Cubs 2
• Brewers 11, Pirates 3
• Marlins 4, Mets 3
• Nationals 9, Braves 8 (10)
• Astros 8, Cardinals 5
• Dodgers 6, D-backs 2
• Padres 9, Rockies 4 Area college football
• Sac State 45, Humboldt 13
• S.J. State 13, UC Davis 10
• Cal 38, Michigan State 31
• Nevada 49, Grambling 13 Weekend poll
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