Considering the way Milwaukee is playing right now, some might take this as a nightmare. Also, when the workplace invades your dreamworld, then it might be time to consider a vacation.
However, as Carl Jung once said, dreams can sometimes be useful tools. And since this is about pennant races, we might as well begin with Milwaukee and the woeful National League Central. The Brewers, who have been dropping like a stone for weeks and were losers of 13 of 18, have been passed by the Chicago Cubs.
Thursday, St. Louis, which has somehow found some pitching where none existed before, completed a three-game sweep of Milwaukee and closed to within 2 1/2 games of the division lead for the first time since April 20. The Cardinals outscored the Brewers 28-7 in the series.
Meanwhile, the Cubs pounded out a season-high 20 hits in a 12-4 win over Cincinnati to move to a half-game behind the Brewers going into a four-game home series against the Cardinals.
Yet, Milwaukee continues to remind me more of the 1982 Atlanta Braves, who hung on to win the NL West, instead of the Kansas City Royals of 2003, who folded like a tent to end the season.
Like the Brewers, Atlanta started hot, winning its first 13 games and opening a double-digit division lead before dropping 19 of 23 in August and falling into second place. The divisional race will go down to the final week, but with Ben Sheets expected to rejoin the staff, the Brewers have a better chance of making the playoffs.
In the NL West, even though Arizona is in first place, the Diamondbacks have allowed more runs than they've scored. With the short sprint to the finish, pitching is everything and with Jake Peavy and Chris Young, San Diego owns the best starting pitching in the division.
Anything Greg Maddux gives the Padres is a bonus.
The National League East is the real brain buster. On any given night, New York, Atlanta and Philadelphia can be dominant teams. But dominant teams don't blow five-run leads to the Pirates, either, as the aging Mets did Thursday.
Chase Utley's return might well push Philadelphia over the top. However, pitching is a real question. I mean, to quote ESPN's Peter Gammons, 44-year-old Jamie Moyer has the second-most wins on the Phillies, whose team ERA is pushing 5.00. Atlanta's bullpen is also one big gas can waiting for a match, but Mark Teixeira solidifies a great lineup.
Either way, the wild card is coming out of the NL East.
The Los Angeles Angels have too much pitching for the American League West, especially if Bartolo Colon returns to anything near his top form. The Seattle Mariners are a nice story, but they'll be at home watching the wild-card New York Yankees, who should open the playoffs in Anaheim.
Despite the recent bullpen woes of Eric Gagne, Boston has more than enough starting pitching with Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield to hold off New York for the AL East title.
Detroit should soon take control of the AL Central. With a healthy Joel Zumaya, who is expected back with a week, and Fernando Rodney, the Tigers will shake the nightmare that has been their bullpen.
Then again, I could be dreaming.
martyr@sltrib.com
