Around Major League Baseball

San Francisco: Pitcher Kirk Reuter was upset that he was placed on the disabled list with a case of gout in his big toe. Reuter said he would be ready to pitch this week, but general manager Brian Sabean thought otherwise. It’s no secret that Reuters has been wanting to get out of SF for a while, hoping he could help out a contender. But, his $6 million contract made it difficult for the Giants to move him.

Houston: Is Roger Clemens awesome or what? He picked up another win Sunday while once again lowering his road ERA to 0.37. The only run he gave up was an unearned run. Chris Carpenter and Dontrelle Willis have had great seasons, but why is anyone wondering if Clemens will win the NL Cy Young Award? He’s a lock for that if I’ve ever seen one.

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs have gotten injured stars Kerry Wood and Nomar Garciaparra back in time for the wild-card race, but the Cubbies are once again having trouble scoring runs. Manager Dusty Baker’s job security will again be an issue if he doesn’t recover quickly. If Baker doesn’t return for the final year of his four-year deal, he could be “the hot manager” during the offseason, most likely he’ll be on the bench for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006.

Atlanta Braves: The Braves had a hot run in July to take control of the NL East, but seeing their bullpen continue to struggle, it seems too soon to crown them division champions. Chris Reitsma allowed a grand slam to 5-foot-7 David Eckstein as the Cardinals came from behind to beat the Braves on Sunday. Newly acquired Kyle Farnsworth could soon be closing games for the Braves.

AL West: I may be a Midwesterner when it comes to baseball, but I’ll be up late to catch up on the Oakland/LA Angels series that starts tomorrow night in Oakland. The A’s have been red hot led by their new Big 3 (Zito, Haren, Harden) while the Angels have been up and down the past two weeks. These two teams are stuck at the top of the American League West, and this one may not be resolved until late in the season. If these two teams finish the year strong, the NY Yankees could miss out on the playoffs for the first time in a decade.