10:05 PM, FSNP, WPGB
Ian Snell (9-12, 3.92) vs. Chris Young (9-7, 2.77).
Here's a pretty nifty pitching matchup. Young's an extreme flyball pitcher who's in the perfect ballpark for him - he has a 1.47 ERA at home vs. 4.11 on the road. Expect to see lots of fly balls dying in the outfield.
Cleveland solidified the AL playoff situation by completing a sweep of the Tigers, making it overwhelmingly likely that the four AL playoff teams will be the Indians, Red Sox, Yankees and Angels. In the NL, there's even more uncertainty, with wins last night by the Phillies and Brewers and losses by the Mets and Cubs. Tonight, Ted Lilly and the Cubs face the Reds, while the Brewers start Dave Bush against the Astros. (Both the Reds and Astros are starting rookie pitchers, flaunting Jim Tracy's worries about "the integrity of the game" - and, in fact, the Cubs are complaining about it.) Mike Pelfrey, meanwhile, starts for the Mets against Matt Chico and the Nationals, while Jamie Moyer of the Phillies faces Adam Wainwright in St. Louis. In the West, Barry Zito and Doug Davis will face off in the desert.
The Phillies can get within a half game of a playoff spot tonight with a win and a Mets or Padres loss. Either the Brewers or Cubs could take over sole possession of first place in the Central. And the Diamondbacks could claim a share of the lead in the West with a win and a Padres loss.