Thursday's Game:
Standings:
| Team | W | L | GB | Last 10 | Streak |
| Cardinals | 20 | 11 | - | 6-4 | W4 |
| Reds | 16 | 14 | 3.5 | 7-3 | W1 |
| Pirates | 14 | 17 | 6.0 | 5-5 | L1 |
| Astros | 14 | 17 | 6.0 | 6-4 | L1 |
| Cubs | 13 | 18 | 7.0 | 6-4 | W1 |
| Brewers | 13 | 18 | 7.0 | 4-6 | L1 |
News and Notes:
Astros:
- With the First Year Player Draft just under a month away, and the Astros holding the No. 1 pick, let the speculation begin.
- Notes from the Houston Chronicle including: Meyers the closer, Weiland's rehab, and the slumping J.D. Martinez.
- Ozzie Guillen just can't keep his mouth shut. Is everyone else as sick and tired of him as I am?
Cardinals:
- Tony La Russa will have his number retired by the Cardinals before tonight's game against the Braves.
- There is not such thing as too much pitching... especially true when talking about quality pitching.
Cubs:
- I tried to come up with a clever headline that included LaHair and All-Star but, alas, I couldn't.
- I love me some Q and A. Here's one from the Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan.
- Former Brewer Pat Listach is putting in the work behind the defensive strategies employed by the team.
Pirates:
- Closer Joel Hanrahan has been placed on the bereavement list. Best wishes go out to him and his family. Right-hander Daniel McCutchen has been called up to take Hanrahan's place on the roster.
- Erik Bedard was forced to leave Wednesday's game in the second inning due to back spasms and is listed as day-to-day.
Reds:
- On an off day for the club, Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty compiled a list of notes, making my job a whole lot easier.
- He's probably got enough money to hire a decent instructor.
On Tap:
After a relatively quiet Thursday the division kicks back into gear today.
The Brewers and Cubs battle to get out of the basement of the division in their weekend series in Milwaukee. Game one is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CDT tonight. Randy Wolf (2-3) will start for the Crew against Matt Garza (2-1) and the Cubs.
The Astros are in Pittsburgh to begin a weekend series against the Pirates. Bud Norris (2-1) and James McDonald (2-1) will square off in tonight's game, which is scheduled to begin at 6:05 p.m. CDT.
The Cardinals welcome the Braves to St. Louis to begin their series at 7:15 p.m. CDT tonight. Jamie Garcia (2-2) is scheduled to start for the Cards. Mike Minor (2-2) will take the hill for the Braves.
The Reds welcome the Nationals to Cincinnati to begin a three game weekend series. In tonight's game, which is scheduled to get under way at 6:10 p.m. CDT, Gio Gonzalez (3-1) will start for the Nats. Mike Leake (0-4) will start for the Reds looking for his first win on the year.