Pads-Marlins Preview (June 9-11 at Petco Park)

The day after exiting early in Milwaukee on Tuesday, following a missed start, Jake Peavy was encouraged by the way his right shoulder responded. Peavy said he struggled with his mechanics and developing a rhythm after missing bullpen sessions and between-starts throwing for 2 1/2 weeks. The staff ace finally had a between-starts session on Thursday, 40 pitches worth, and felt fine afterward. Pitching coach Darren Balsley told MLB.com that Peavy, who takes the hill again on Sunday, also ironed out some things in his delivery.

FRI., 6/9 -- FLA: Ricky Nolasco, RHP (4-2, 3.15/1.45) at Chris Young, RHP (5-3, 3.39/1.08)

Notes: Young has pitched probably his best ball over the past two starts, both victories, going eight scoreless innings in each and surrendering only a combined three hits and three walks, while striking out 12. His numbers on the road (3-0, 2.21/0.91), however, are considerably better than at home (2-3, 4.81/1.28). Earlier this season at Florida, Young threw six shutout innings, while fanning six Marlins, en route to the win.

SAT., 6/10 -- FLA: Scott Olsen, LHP (4-3, 5.60/1.47) at Clay Hensley, RHP (4-4, 4.15/1.37)

Notes: After two solid outings, Hensley struggled with his control (7 walks) and was tagged for four runs in only 3 2/3 innings of work at Milwaukee on Monday. Despite the tough start, Hensley's splits, like Young's, are also better on the road (3.41/1.20) than at Petco (4.86/1.53).

SUN., 6/11 -- FLA: Brian Moehler, RHP (3-5, 7.17/1.69) at Peavy, RHP (4-6, 4.56/1.19)

Notes: Vinny Castilla is 3-for-10 with 2 HR against Moehler. Brian Giles is 4-for-12 with a HR. ... Peavy hopes to bounce back from his second straight rough outing on Tuesday, in which he lasted only 3 2/3 innings, while giving up five runs on seven hits and a walk.

GONZALEZ CONTINUES WITH HIT STREAK... With two more hits on Thursday, 1B Adrian Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 16 games. Gonzalez is batting .357 (20-for-56), during the span.

WOODY CLOSER TO RETURNING... Manger Bruce Bochy acknowledged that starting pitcher Woody Williams could be back with the team as soon as the end of the month, with his first mound session, since he strained his left calf, going well on Thursday. Williams has been on the disabled list since May 13.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Brewers Preview (June 5-8 at Miller Park)

In the second game of the series, Jake Peavy will start Tuesday on eight days' rest after having his scheduled Saturday start pushed back because of lingering shoulder tendinitis. It will be Peavy's third consecutive outing with at least one extra day of rest. He beat the Brewers on May 11 at Petco Park, when he allowed only two hits and struck out 13 in seven scoreless innings of an 8-5 win.

Mon., 6/5 -- Clay Hensley, RHP (4-3, 3.82/1.26) at MIL: Chris Capuano, LHP (5-4, 3.33/1.15)

Notes: Hensley's 2.57 road ERA is fourth best in the National League. In his previous start against Milwaukee this season, Hensley allowed four earned runs on eight hits -- including two home runs -- over five innings in a no-decision. ... In four career starts against the Padres, Capuano is 2-2 with a 3.42 ERA. Capuano lost to the Padres on May 10 after allowing three runs in six innings. Mike Cameron is 3-for-6 with 2 HR against Capuano.

Tue., 6/6 -- Peavy, RHP (4-5, 4.15/1.14) at MIL: Dave Bush, RHP (3-5, 4.95/1.21)

Notes: In two career starts at Miller Park, Peavy has an unusually identical 1.74 ERA and 1.74 WHIP, walking nine batters in 10 1/3 innings. ... Geoff Blum could get a spot start since he's 3-for-5 with a homer off Bush.

Wed., 6/7 -- Chan Ho Park, RHP (3-4, 4.26/1.31) at MIL: Zach Jackson, LHP (N/A)

Notes: Park defeated Capuano by throwing six scoreless innings in a 3-0 shutout on May 10. That improved Park to 7-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 10 career outings against Milwaukee.

Thu., 6/8 -- Mike Thompson, RHP (2-2, 4.91/1.32) at MIL: Doug Davis, LHP (3-4, 5.23/)

Notes: Earlier this year at Petco, Davis surrendered four runs in seven innings, en route to a no-decision. For his career vs. Davis, Mike Piazza is 6-for-12 with 3 HR. Cameron (12-for-34) has 2 HR and four doubles, while Vinny Castilla (7-for-19) and Khalil Greene (3-for-15) also have homered.

LINEUP NOTES: ROBERTS RETURNS SUNDAY... With RHP Victor Santos starting for Pittsburgh on Sunday, Dave Roberts was back in Sunday's lineup for the first time since Tuesday. It appears he's in a platoon now with Eric Young in left and will usually sit against left-handers. ... Over their past 13 games, the Friars have hit .323. ... Josh Bard, who gave Piazza a day off on Sunday, has hit .436 with 5 HR in his 10 starts since being picked up from Boston last month. He still remains a backup, however, and will get only two to three starts per week.

HOFFMAN REMAINS PERFECT... With a clean ninth inning at Pittsburgh on Sunday, Trevor Hoffman pared his ERA to 1.35. He is 12-for-12 in save situations this season, four while protecting a one-run lead.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Pirates Preview (June 2-4 at PNC Park)

PEAVY LIKELY TO MISS TURN... The Padres are considering using Thursday's off-day to give Jake Peavy some extra time to rest his shoulder, which has been ailing over his last several starts from tendinitis, holding him back until Tuesday in Milwaukee. Peavy's regular turn in the rotation was coming up on Saturday in Pittsburgh. Manager Bruce Bochy indicated rookie Mike Thompson likely will be moved up a day from Sunday after Chan Ho Park pitches the series opener Friday night against the Pirates. Chris Young, coming off his one-hit gem through eight innings against the Rockies, would then move up to Sunday in Pittsburgh. Clay Hensley would then open the four-game series against the Brewers at Miller Park on Monday night.

ROBERTS, GONZALEZ POSSIBLY LIMITED AGAINST LEFTIES ON UPCOMING TRIP... LF Dave Roberts and 1B Adrian Gonzalez sat Wednesday against Colorado LHP Jeff Francis. With the Friars due to face lefties in four of their seven games at Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, it's uncertain how much playing time the two will get. Conflicting reports had Bochy telling the North County Times he plans to give the two left-handed hitters a couple of starts against southpaws on the upcoming road trip. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported, however, that Roberts (.368 average against LHP this season) won't start against two or three of the lefties on the trip and that after meeting with Bochy on the subject, Roberts declined comment. Translation for fantasy leaguers -- on days when the Pads are opposed by left-handers, play alternatives if you have them.

FRI., 6/2 -- Park, RHP (2-3, 4.66/1.32) at PIT: Oliver Perez, LHP (2-5, 5.47/1.78)

Notes: After posting three consecutive quality starts, Park has been unimpressive in his last two, both resulting in losses. Speaking of unimpressive, the veteran has an 8.22/1.70 in three career starts at PNC Park. ... Vinny Castilla is 3-for-11 with a homer off Perez for his career.

SAT., 6/3 -- Thompson, RHP (2-1, 3.50/1.06) at PIT: Zach Duke, LHP (3-6, 4.27/1.44)

Notes: Thompson tossed his second straight quality start the last time out, but got no run support and was handed his first big league defeat on Monday against Colorado.

SUN., 6/4 -- Young, RHP (4-3, 3.80/1.16) at PIT: Victor Santos, RHP (3-5, 4.94/1.50)

Notes: Young bounced back nicely in his last outing to get the victory over the Rockies on Tuesday. ... Castilla is 3-for-7 with a double off Santos, while Mike Piazza is 2-for-5 with a homer. Roberts is 2-for-4 with two stolen bases.

WOODY'S TIMETABLE MOVED UP; ESTES DONE FOR YEAR... For the second day in a row, Woody Williams threw 50 pitches without incident in the outfield at Petco Park before Wednesday's matinee, enhancing his belief that he might make it back to the Padres rotation sooner than later, MLB.com reported. The original prognosis when he suffered a tear in his left calf muscle running the bases on May 12 in Chicago was that the veteran right-hander would be out two to three months. That was amended two weeks ago to six to eight weeks, with Williams pointing toward the end of June. ... LHP Shawn Estes told the Union-Tribune that he will likely undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left elbow. The southpaw has been on the disabled list since leaving his Padres debut on April 5 with the injury. Initially, Estes' injury was described as a strained flexor tendon that would sideline him for six weeks, but further MRIs revealed additional damage after Estes suffered a setback during a recent throwing session. He's expected to go under the knife within the next two weeks. The famed "Tommy John" procedure generally requires at least nine-to-12 months of recovery, so don't expect to see Estes making any fantasy waves in the near future.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Cardinals Preview (May 26-28 at Petco Park)

The Friars continue their nine-game homestand with a weekend series against Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals. Jake Peavy will skip his between-starts throwing session this week to rest his shoulder, but the Padres' ace right-hander expects to pitch as scheduled Sunday. Peavy told the San Diego Union-Tribune Wednesday he felt discomfort in the shoulder before his last three starts, but this is the first time he decided not to throw off a mound between outings. In two of those three starts he pitched very well, striking out 13 Milwaukee hitters two weeks ago and then getting a franchise-record 16 strikeouts Monday against Atlanta.

FRI., 5/26 -- STL: Jeff Suppan, RHP (5-3, 4.50/1.40) at Clay Hensley, RHP (2-3, 4.37/1.29)

Key matchups: Against Suppan, Mike Piazza is 7-for-12 with 4 HR, while Brian Giles is 6-for-19 with 2 HR. ... After his stellar complete-game shutout of the Cubs on May 14, Hensley was shaky in his loss at Seattle (6 IP, 6 ER, 9 hits) last weekend. The rookie has struggled at home this year, posting a 6.98/1.81 in six outings (3 starts).

SAT., 5/27 -- STL: Sidney Ponson, RHP (3-0, 2.81/1.28) at Chan Ho Park, RHP (2-2, 4.53/1.32)

Key matchups: Giles is 4-for-9 with a double and triple off Ponson for his career. ... For the first time in four starts, Park was not good, giving up 10 runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Mariners last Sunday. In 15 career appearances (12 starts) against St. Louis, Park has a 4.97/1.62. In six games (4 starts) at Petco this season, the veteran has a 2.97/1.17.

SUN., 5/28 -- STL: Mark Mulder, LHP (5-2, 3.74/1.23) at Peavy, RHP (3-5, 3.64/1.09)

Key matchups: Mike Cameron is 10-for-23 with two doubles against Mulder. ... In four career starts vs. the Cards, Peavy has a 2.81/1.36.

ESTES SUFFERS SETBACK; ROOKIE THOMPSON SLATED FOR TWO STARTS... LHP Shawn Estes won't be returning to the rotation in mid-June, as hoped. He experienced pain in a bullpen session while throwing a breaking pitch, and an MRI exam taken Tuesday convinced the club to shut him down for at least a week. Estes' delay should insure rookie RHP Mike Thompson a continued spot in the rotation. Fantasy leaguers should take note of Thompson, who is 2-0 (victories over Arizona and Atlanta) with a 3.00/0.92 since being called up from Triple-A to replace the injured Woody Williams. Williams (torn calf muscle) is expected to be out for a couple of months. Thompson is on schedule to get two starts next week, at home against Colorado on Monday and at Pittsburgh on June 4.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Braves Preview (May 22-24 at Petco Park)

After winning 13 of their first 14 games to start the month, the Friars struggled last week, dropping five out of six road games, including a sweep at the hands of the Mariners. Backup catcher Josh Bard proved his worth by going 10-for-20 with 3 HR and 7 RBI during the series at Arizona and Seattle. Brian Giles also had a good week, going 8-for-27 with 2 HR and a team-leading 10 RBI, seven of which came in the finale against the D'backs. The Pads went the entire week without a stolen base. ... The starting pitching was subpar, as both Chan Ho Park (5.1 IP, 10 ER) and Clay Hensley (6 IP, 6 ER) were both brought back to earth by the Mariners.

MON., 5/22 -- ATL: John Smoltz, RHP (3-2, 3.47/1.12) at Jake Peavy, RHP (3-4, 3.77/1.15)

Key matchups: Smoltz beat the Padres on April 15 at Turner Field with a four-hit shutout and is 13-8 with a 2.70 ERA in 41 career games against them. Giles is 5-for-16 with two doubles vs. Smoltz. Mike Cameron is only 2-for-14 but has a homer. ... Earlier this season vs. the Braves, Peavy went seven innings, surrendering two runs while striking out eight, but was tagged with a loss.

TUE., 5/23 -- ATL: Jorge Sosa, RHP (1-5, 5.55/1.65) at Mike Thompson, RHP (1-0, 5.40/1.40)

WED., 5/24 -- ATL: John Thomson, RHP (1-3, 2.76/1.37) at Chris Young, RHP (3-2, 3.58/1.17)

Key matchups: Thomson has won only once despite allowing one or fewer earned runs in six of his eight starts, including six innings of one-hit ball against the Padres on April 16. Mike Piazza is 8-for-27 with 2 HR against Thomson.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Mariners Preview (May 19-21 at Safeco Field)

Manager Bruce Bochy said he plans to use C Mike Piazza as a designated hitter in two of the three interleague games this weekend, with Piazza catching RHP Clay Hensley on Saturday, the North County Times reported. Hensley threw a two-hit shutout to Piazza last Sunday at Wrigley Field. Backup Josh Bard will be behind the plate Friday and Sunday.

FRI., 5/19 -- Chris Young, RHP (3-2, 3.47/1.16) at SEA: Jarrod Washburn, LHP (2-5, 3.91/1.06)

Key matchup: As a Ranger, Young had one career start at Safeco, a win, and is 2-1 against the Mariners with a 3.63/1.12 in four starts.

SAT., 5/20 -- Hensley, RHP (2-2, 3.70/1.26) at SEA: Gil Meche, RHP (3-2, 4.84/1.59)

Key matchups: Piazza is 3-for-3 with a double off Meche, while Dave Roberts (3-for-9) has a homer.

SUN., 5/21 -- Chan Ho Park, RHP (2-1, 3.27/1.22) at SEA: Felix Hernandez, RHP (2-5, 5.19/1.66)

Key matchup: In seven career starts at Safeco, Park is 4-1 with a 1.54/1.26.

GILES HAS MONSTER GAME, CONTINUES TO REACH BASE... After his 4-for-6, 7 RBI effort in the series finale at Arizona, OF Brian Giles has reached base safely in 36 of the Padres' first 41 games. He has 33 walks, good for fifth in the NL. He is also among the league leaders with his .417 on-base percentage.

BLUM GETS TWO STRAIGHT STARTS AT 3B... Geoff Blum started for Vinny Castilla at third base Wednesday for the second game in a row. Arizona RHP Juan Cruz's success against right-handed batters (they were hitting .113 off him entering the start) factored into Bochy's decision, according to the North County Times.

GREENE GETTING THE MOST OUT OF HIS HITS... Although he's currently carrying an unimpressive .233 average, SS Khalil Greene leads the club with 8 HR and 30 RBI and is second on the team with eight doubles. After his 2-for-5, 2 RBI performance in the win over the D'backs on Wednesday, Greene extended his hitting streak to four games, matching his season high.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-D'backs Preview (May 15-17 at Chase Field, Phoenix)

It must be May. Almost a year after registering a club-record 22 wins for the same month, the team is at it again, having won 13 of its 14 games after a dismal April. Leading the way is the suddenly productive Khalil Greene, who has a club-best 4 HR and 15 RBI for the month. And if his history playing at Arizona is any indication, the shortstop's hot hitting should continue during the upcoming three-game series. Ten of his 15 career hits (.366 average) at Chase Field (formerly known as Bank One Ballpark) have gone for extra bases.

The Friars are in a completely different place from when they were swept by the D'backs last month at Petco. Since then, the Pads have won 14 of 17 games to seize first place in the National League West at 22-16.

San Diego's starter for the series finale is up in the air after Woody Williams went on the disabled list Saturday with a partially torn left calf muscle. Williams expects to miss two to three months. A top candidate to replace him on Wednesday is Triple-A RHP Mike Thompson, who is 5-0 with a 3.79/1.07 and 31 strikeouts in seven starts (40.1 IP) at Portland. Another option is RHP Brian Sweeney, a long reliever who made his first major-league start at Arizona on June 29, 2004, besting Randy Johnson.

MON., 5/15 -- Chan Ho Park, RHP (2-1, 3.57/1.26) at ARI: Brandon Webb, RHP (6-0, 2.30/1.11)

Key matchups: Webb leads the NL in victories and ranks fifth with his 2.30 ERA. He beat Park and the Padres on April 24, allowing one run in eight innings of a 4-1 win. Mike Cameron is 4-for-9 with two doubles in his career against the right-hander. Vinny Castilla is 0-for-10. ... Park, who gave up four runs in 8 2/3 innings of the previous matchup with Webb, enters the upcoming series with a streak of 15 scoreless innings. In five career starts at Chase, however, Park has a 6.66/1.60.

TUE., 5/16 -- Jake Peavy, RHP (3-3, 3.61/1.13) at ARI: Orlando Hernandez, RHP (2-4, 7.36/1.66)

Key matchups: Peavy, the owner of a 6.69 ERA in seven career starts at Chase, finally began to solve the venue last year, when he yielded only one run in 16 innings. ... Hernandez defeated the Padres on April 26 (6 IP, ER, two hits), but he has been hammered for 14 earned runs over his two outings since. Cameron is only 1-for-11 with seven strikeouts in his career against "El Duque." Mike Piazza is 1-for-13 with six punchouts. UTL Mark Bellhorn, who homered off Hernandez in the earlier meeting, could get another spot start at either first or second base.

WED., 5/17 -- Brian Sweeney, RHP (2-0, 2.45/0.91) or Mike Thompson, RHP (N/A) at ARI: Juan Cruz, RHP (1-1, 3.33/1.22)

Key matchups: Brian Giles is 3-for-7 with three walks vs. Cruz. Castilla (1-for-4) has homered.

HENSLEY TOSSES COMPLETE-GAME SHUTOUT... A pitcher who may not be floating in very many fantasy free-agent pools much longer is Clay Hensley. Moved into the starting rotation last month, the right-hander turned in his third quality start in four outings with a complete-game shutout masterpiece at Wrigley Field on Sunday. Hensley (2-2, 3.70/1.26) gave up only two hits and a walk, while recording a pair of strikeouts in the 9-0 win.

ROBERTS LOOKS TO START NEW STREAK... After getting Sunday off following the end of his 10-game hitting streak on Saturday, Dave Roberts hopes return to his hot-hitting form beginning Monday at Arizona. During the streak, Roberts had six multi-hit games, including three, three-hit efforts. The speedy outfielder was also a terror on the basepaths during that span, swiping nine bags without getting thrown out.

ROSTER NOTES... OF Ben Johnson was sent back to Triple-A Portland to get some more at-bats, manager Bruce Bochy said. ... Relievers Cla Meredith, who was acquired from the Red Sox in the Doug Mirabelli deal, and Jim Brower were summoned from the minors Saturday to bolster a bullpen that had worked 18 innings in a span of four days.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

The Friars will be looking for another starting pitcher, after Woody Williams suffered a torn calf muscle while running the bases during Friday's game against the Cubs. Williams sustained the injury in the second inning and was removed immediately. The veteran, who had been pitching well of late, is headed to the disabled list and will be out indefinitely, manager Bruce Bochy told MLB.com. The club has options to replace Willliams, who is 3-1 with a 3.27 ERA -- best among the club's starters. Brian Sweeney, the winning pitcher with three innings of one-run relief Friday, has been a starter throughout his Minor League career and could swing into that role. Another possibility is right-hander Mike Thompson, who is 5-0 at Triple-A Portland. The 25-year-old Thompson could be summoned to fill the void in the rotation or take Sweeney's spot in the bullpen if Sweeney starts.

OTHER ROSTER MOVES... The Pads placed C Rob Bowen on the 15-day DL with a sprained left thumb and recalled OF/1B Paul McAnulty from Portland on Friday. With Bowen's move to the DL, Josh Bard assumes primary backup duties to Mike Piazza. ... The club also recalled RHP Jon Adkins from Portland and outrighted righty Dewon Brazelton to Triple-A.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Cubs Preview (May 12-14 at Wrigley Field)

FRI., MAY 12 -- Woody Williams, RHP (3-1, 3.12/1.17) at CHC: Angel Guzman, RHP (0-2, 7.20/1.87)

Key matchups: On Sunday against the Cubs at Petco, Williams turned in his fourth quality start in five outings, striking out five in eight innings to get the win. In eight career appearances (7 starts) at Wrigley, however, the veteran is only 1-6 with a 5.98/1.47. ... Guzman was tattooed by the Pads in the earlier meeting. Khalil Greene pounded out two doubles against the right-hander.

SAT., MAY 13 -- Chris Young, RHP (3-2, 3.61/1.13) at CHC: Greg Maddux, RHP (5-2, 3.64/1.19)

Key matchups: Young also beat the Cubs last week, giving up three runs in 6 2/3 innings. ... Maddux gave up seven runs in 3 2/3 innings at Petco on Monday. Greene homered off the righty, while Dave Roberts, Mike Cameron and Brian Giles each recorded a pair of hits. Giles is now 11-for-27 with 4 doubles for his career vs. Maddux.

SUN., MAY 14 -- Clay Hensley, RHP (1-2, 4.73/1.52) at CHC: Rich Hill, LHP (0-2, 9.00/1.90)

FRIAR LINEUP NOTES... Roberts has a nine-game hitting streak. ... C Rob Bowen partially dislocated his left thumb when he was hit by a foul tip against the Brewers on Thursday, eventually making way for Josh Bard. Manager Bruce Bochy said the rookie is a candidate for the disabled list. Bowen and Bard are backups to Mike Piazza, who got Wednesday and Thursday off.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

During the course of the club's current nine-game winning streak, the offense has been running on all cylinders, capped off by Dave Roberts' monster game in the win on Monday, when he extended his hitting streak to seven games with three hits. Roberts also scored four runs and tacked on three steals, giving him a team-leading 10 thefts on the season. Khalil Greene made an impact in the Cubs series, going 4-for-4 with four RBI on Sunday and homering in Monday's series finale. Vinny Castilla continues to struggle at home, however. The third baseman went 1-for-11 in three of the four games.

Pads-Brewers Preview (May 9-11 at Petco Park)

TUE., MAY 9 -- MIL: Doug Davis, LHP (2-2, 5.35/1.76) at Clay Hensley, RHP (1-2, 4.28/1.39)

Key matchups: Mike Piazza is 6-for-10 with 3 HR off Davis for his career. Mike Cameron (12-for-31, 2 HR, 4 doubles) also has had success, as has Castilla (6-for-16, HR). Greene (1-for-12) and Brian Giles (1-for-11) have not.

WED., MAY 10 -- MIL: Chris Capuano, LHP (4-2, 2.63/0.98) at Chan Ho Park, RHP (1-1, 4.12/1.25)

Key matchups: Against Capuano, Cameron is 3-for-5 with 2 HR. All three of Castilla's hits against the southpaw (11 at-bats) have gone for doubles. ... Capuano is 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA in three starts against the Padres. ... Park is unbeaten in nine career games against the Brewers, going 6-0 with a 2.36 ERA.

THU., MAY 11 -- MIL: Ben Hendrickson, RHP (0-0, 2.79/1.45) at Jake Peavy, RHP (2-3, 4.17/1.21)

BURNING UP THE BASEPATHS... In addition to Roberts' success in the steals department (10-for-11), other Friars have contributed as well: Josh Barfield (7-for-8), Greene (4-for-4), Giles (3-for-4) and Cameron (2-for-2).

WOODY TO ABANDON KNUCKLEBALL?... Once again, Woody Williams turned in another quality start (8 IP, 3 ER, 5 Ks) in his win over the Cubs on Sunday. But it appears that he may be abandoning his new knuckleball. Williams allowed eight hits, three of which, including Aramis Ramirez's homer, came off his new pitch. "I feel sometimes it's a waste of my time," said Williams of the knuckleball. "I'm going to throw it away."

SWEENEY SUBS FOR RESTING HOFFMAN... Brian Sweeney earned his first career save Sunday, as Trevor Hoffman was given the day off after appearing in the previous three games.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.