D-RAY'S MAINTAIN TOP POSITION
Surging Reds & Padres take control of National League standings

2005 POWER ALLEY: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Rank (Last)		Team	Rec	Comment
	1(1)	Devil Rays	45-14	AL Pitcher of the Month Al Leiter has not allowed more than three earned runs in a start since May 4th and he's won six straight decisions. Freddy Garcia (2.83 ERA, 86 K's) has won three straight decisions and remains undefeated on the season (9-0). The Rays postseason looks, as always, so promising.
	2(3)	Blue Jays	44-15	The Blue Jays have gotten a huge offensive lift from Jeff Kent, who's injected the Jays' offense with plenty of life from the three spot (.435 OBP, .679 SLG) over the last month. He's a sure bet to pace the MVP board the rest of the way.
	3(4)	Reds	37-22	The Red Machine are becoming a trendy pick to make playoff noise, but more impressive is how steady they've become. This is their third straight season of improvement across the board. Blessed with the NL's most productive offense, the Reds are averaging more than seven runs a game during their recent 7-3 surge.
	4(7)	Padres	35-24	Pitching wins championship, and the Pads appear to have what it takes to make that saying a reality. The only team in the majors with a sub-4.00 ERA? The Padres, with a 3.67 ERA in 59 games. NOTE: Look for more on the Padres in this week's Blogspot!
	5(2)	Pirates	32-27	Acquiring Paul Abbout and adding him to the rotation will do nothing to solve the Bucs' current woes on the mound. He's a marginal starter at best.
	6(16)	Mets	34-25	Eric Morrin's critics are enjoying a heaping helping of crow now. The Mets look like the best team in the NL right now, and this young squad is only going to get better.
	7(5)	Diamondbacks	33-26	Roberto Alomar (.349, .452 OB%, 11 SB, and .433 average in close & late games) has been as great this season as he's ever been in his career.
	8(19)	Braves	31-28	The mood feels like October in Atlanta, and Jason Giambi is leading by example. The first baseman hit .368 in May and his last home run was number 300 in his distingusihed career.
	9(18)	Mariners	31-28	Where is the offense? The Mariners have scored only twelve runs in their last 65 innings played and have been limited to five runs or less in their last nine.
	10(12)	Yankees	30-29	The OK: Yanks are 11-6 against the Central thus far. ... And the awful: Yanks are 8-14 against the East (2-8 v. Tampa Bay).
	11	A's	32-27	Bobby Abreu continues to post MVP-worthy numbers. Even the Triple Crown is within reach.
	12(8)	Cubs	29-30	Hey Cubbies: That wild card pace is slipping away, the Cardinals are poised to pass you in the standings and the Astros and Brewers aren't too far behind in your rearview mirror.
	13(27)	White Sox	30-29	Talk about earning the division title: The ChiSox are 12-9 against the Central. Against the East, however, they're a mortal 9-14?
	14(25)	Orioles	35-24	They couldn't stay en fuego forever. Baltimore is averaging just 3.3 runs per game in its last six contests and has lost six of their last eight -- a visit from the lowly Tigers is just what the Dr. ordered.
	15(9)	Nationals	32-27	The bad: Tony Armas Jr. (6-3, 6.35) ... and the ugly: Oliver Perez(2-5, 8.43).
	16(22)	Dodgers	31-28	A good reason to watch Dodgers baseball: Curt Schilling. In winning three of his last five starts, the 37-year-old vet has an remarkable 3.30 ERA.
	17(24)	Astros	27-32	Anybody willing to make a one-sided deal for aging and overpriced veterans? That's what the 'Stros seem to be saying it will take to pry names like Mondesi, Bagwell, and Nelson away from them. We'll soon find out.
	18(28)	Royals	28-31	Perhaps it's time for the Royals to call up Delmon Young (.339 BA, .516 SLG in 14 games at Triple-A) and let him begin his assault on big-league pitching..
	19(26)	Rockies	25-34	A star is born? Brandon Webb leds the Rockies with fives wins, 89.1 innings, and 62 strikeouts while compiling a 3.23 ERA in June, managing a 2-0 record in 5 Coors Field starts.
	20	Cardinals	28-31	We're rooting for the Cardinals to snap out of their funk, but in reality their lack of offense is finally catching up to them.
	21(15)	Phillies	30-29	There's nowhere to go but up. After finishing 12-18 in May, the Phillies opened June by taking three straights from the Astros-- snapping a four game losing streak and winning their first series in three weeks.
	22(6)	Rangers	25-34	The Rangers need a big bat somewhere in their lineup and desperatley need middle-relief help. Don't be surprised if GM Kevin Agee shakes things up and makes a move.
	23(10)	Giants	27-32	Though it couldn't have been an easy decision, the Giants had no choice but to let Jeromy Burnitz (2 HR) go.
	24(21)	Twins	26-33	Many baseball pundits had the Twins winning the Central. Right now, they'd be lucky to win 80 games let alone the central division. They can hit, but they can't field. The Twins have committed 67 errors, second only in the majors to the Mets 68.
	25(14)	Indians	21-38	Reality bites. While the Indiangs remain optimistic about their chances of winning the Central, time is running out as they fade (0-5 over the last week) into oblivion.

2005 BOTTOM 5: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH
Rank		Team		Comment
	26(29)	Angels	25-34	GM Robert Gabel has officially conceded the season and is looking to the future. But the Angels will need to make some huge changes (re: get more pitching this winter) to avoid the same song in 2006.
	27(17)	Brewers	24-35	With Miguel Tejada and David Wright, the Brewers are in good hands for the foreseeable future on the left side of the infield. The right side is a far different story.
	28(23)	Red Sox	23-36	During their 8-game skid, the Red Sox have been outscored 75-27 and have a 9.38 ERA. Enough said.
	29(30)	Tigers	18-41	There's always next year.
	30(13)	Marlins	17-42	No pitching (5.60 ERA on the season). No clutch hitting (.245 average with two outs, runners in scoring position). No winning (9-20 in May). No joy in Miami.