MLB » Dodgers at Giants, Saturday, FOX, 1:10 p.m.


Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers have likely sewed up the division, but the Giants are in a tight race with the Rockies for the wild card spot and a few wins against one of their NL West rivals will help down the stretch.

Tennis » U.S. Open singles finals, Women’s: Saturday, CBS, 8 p.m.; Men’s: Sunday, CBS, 4 p.m.


Going into the final week, the matches really heat up — so it doesn’t matter who reaches the finals, it’ll be a great match. The women’s side could be more intriguing with a lot of higher seeds falling early to open up the possibility of a feel-good finish.

Bold predictions

1. The Giants and Cardinals will meet in the playoffs … and it will be awesome » This is one of the reasons we love sports. Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain are going to finish 1-2-3-4 in the NL Cy Young race. That’s four top-flight right-handers. All in their prime. All have “ace” stuff. And they could face each other this October. If San Francisco can snag the NL Wild Card and St. Louis finishes with a better record than Philadelphia, we’ll be looking at a Giants-Cards first-round playoff series. That means all four pitchers will take the hill (maybe two times each) in a short series where broken bats will outnumber hits. Carpenter-Lincecum? Wainwright-Cain? Whew. A best-of-five playoff series is tight to begin with. But this one — perhaps the greatest postseason matchup of starting rotations since baseball went to an eight-team playoff field in 1995 — would take the term “pitchers’ duel” to a whole new level.

2. Boise State is BCS bound » The only way the Broncos will find themselves in a BCS game is if they go undefeated … and they will. Last year Boise State swept through the regular season but didn’t get awarded an at-large BCS bid and lost by a point to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl. The blue turfers opened the year with the highest preseason ranking in school history and answered the critics by beating No. 16 Oregon, 19-8. The Broncos’ defense didn’t allow a first down to the Ducks until midway through the third quarter. Quarterback Kellen Moore, 2008 WAC Freshman of the Year, is ready to excel as the leader on offense. The Broncos will be favored to win the rest of the season and a second-straight undefeated regular season will reward Boise State with a BCS berth.

3. The NFC East will send three teams to the playoffs » This isn’t a lock. The Bears, the Packers and the entire NFC South will be in the playoff mix into December. But we think the East gets three for the third time in four years. For starters, the Giants and Eagles are loaded; that’s two right there. Then there’s the schedule. The NFC East plays the AFC West this year, or, as we like to call it, “The Chargers and three train wrecks.” So pencil everyone — even the unstable Cowboys and red zone challenged Redskins — in for at least three wins there. Finally, take a closer look at the NFC South. The Buccaneers have 78 running backs and no one to throw the football. The Panthers are getting old on defense and the Saints can’t stop anyone. The NFC West, aside from the Cards and Seahawks, is abysmal. That leaves the Bears, Pack, Skins and Cowboys fighting for one spot. We’ll take those odds.

Player to watch

Jason Bartlett • Tampa Bay Rays • SS


There is no more surprising offensive player in all of Major League Baseball. Bartlett has demolished career highs in almost every category. He has a .337 batting average for the Rays and ranks third in the American League. His on-base percentage is excellent (.397) and his OPS stood at .917 entering the weekend. His .690 OPS in 2008 isn’t even in the same stratosphere. Bartlett also has 137 hits, 26 doubles, six triples, 12 homers and 24 steals. Think the Twins are regretting that Bartlett/Matt Garza trade for Delmon Young two years ago? It doesn’t hurt that Bartlett has long been considered an elite defensive shortstop — though some of the more sophisticated defensive stats say he’s not as strong this season. Bartlett has battled ankle and hamstring injuries and had a stint on the 15-day disabled list in June, but his presence has kept Tampa Bay in the playoff race.

Five up & five down

UP

1. Yankees » Derek Jeter is three homers away from New York having a MLB record-breaking eight players with over 20 home runs.

2. Pedro Martinez » After outdueling Tim Lincecum, the 37-year-old is 3-0 with a 3.52 ERA with the Phillies.

3. North Texas » The Mean Green matched their win total from last season with a victory over a Ball State team that won 12 games last year.

4. Serena Williams » No woman has been impressive at the U.S. Open … except the reigning champion. Can anyone stop her?

5. Roberto Luongo » Canucks goalie signs a 12-year extension worth $64 million that will carry him through the 2021-2022 season.

DOWN
1. Jonathan Papelbon » The Red Sox closer was fined $5,000 for taking too long to deliver his first pitch. No screaming spastic celebration for that decision.

2. LeGarrette Blount » Oregon running back may have a future in MMA, but will not have one in college football this season.

3. Women’s tennis » High seeds go down quick at the U.S. Open with No. 4 Elena Dementieva and No. 5 Jelena Jankovic losing in the second round.

4. Offensive coordinators » The Bills’ Turk Schonert, Chiefs’ Chan Gailey and Bucs’ Jeff Jagodzinski are all stripped of duties before the start of the season.

5. Chiefs, Cardinals and Panthers » It’s only the NFL preseason, but no team wants to go winless.