Why winning the East may matter  —  Based on the American League standings right now, the Red Sox or Yankees will be the wild-card team.  —  As the Red Sox proved in 2004, that is not necessarily a big deal.  —  But it could be this year.  —  The wild-card team could face Texas and the Sox …

Lee, Phillies appear to be in top form  —  SAN FRANCISCO  —  It was almost midnight in Texas when Cody Ross, last year's World Series hero, went down on strikes for the fourth and final time.  Cliff Lee had shut out the San Francisco Giants, 3-, which must have elicited a chorus of weary murmurs …

Tony Campana helps surging Cubs top Reds  —  CHICAGO - Tony Campana drove in a pair of runs with an inside-the-park homer and the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on Friday for their sixth consecutive victory.  —  It was the first major league homer for Campana, who also singled, doubled and made a nice catch in center field.

A-Rod unlikely to be suspended over alleged poker games … Alex Rodriguez reportedly played in a couple card games at rich guys' houses in or near Beverly Hills.  The stakes were said to be high.  —  And word out of well-placed Los Angeles poker sources is that Rodriguez is already trying to find poker games for next winter in L.A.

Matt Stairs' career highlights  —  Matt Stairs recently announced his retirement, which didn't come as much of a surprise to those who knew he was still playing, but possibly jolted many who figured he left years ago.  —  He was a late bloomer, not making it to 100 games in a season until …

Extension offered, but Cuddyer waits  —  A two-year deal was on the table, but the All-Star wants to negotiate his contract after the season.  —  Twins outfielder Michael Cuddyer  —  Buy Photos  —  view larger  —  ANAHEIM, CALIF. - Knowing Michael Cuddyer can become a free agent at season's end …

MLB trying to curtail use of deer antler spray as steroid alternative … Baseball sent a warning to its major and minor league players last week that may sound odd, if not comical, but is a sign of these drug-testing times: stop ingesting deer antler spray.

A pressing matter  —  Ochocinco grabbed my attention with his hug-the-reporters suggestion  —  Group hug.  —  I still can't get my arms around it.  —  The inimitable Chad Ochocinco, a man destined to make us forget about Bill Lee, Oil Can Boyd, Shaquille O'Neal, and every other free spirit …

Angry Papi: David Ortiz seethes after ridiculous RBI reversal  —  Despite a fantastic statistical season, the cranky side of David Ortiz(notes) surfaced again on Thursday night.  —  In a year that has seen the Boston Red Sox slugger battle pitchers from the Orioles and blame the media …

When Baseball Imitates Congress, and Not in a Good Way  —  What a spectacle of undignified behavior, of hypocrisy, of extremism, of civility abandoned, of epic brattiness.  Could a despoiled city possibly have proved itself more worthy of its tarnished reputation?

The record chasers  —  Five players worth watching closely over the season's final two months  —  There's an old saying in baseball.  Goes kinda like this:  —  When the trading deadline ends, the pennant races begin.  —  But those eight tickets to the Octoberfest aren't all that's at stake …