Daily Dosage: Snakebit!

I'm not a big fan of Arizona's baseball team right now, but the Arizona State Sun Devil cheerleaders are alright with me. Thankfully, these naughty pics didn't cost the ladies their program. But if any of them are free, I'm sure there are a few Chicago transplants in the Phoenix area that need a hug.

The Brewers Are Coming, Tra-la! Tra-la! The Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, coupled with the Arizona D'Bags' 9-2 spanking of the Chicago Cubs has put the Brew Crew within one game of first place.

And while most of the state is likely focused on the happenings in Green Bay, the additions of CC Sabathia and Ray Durham have helped spark the Crew's six-game winning streak.

Sox Rock Rangers. No, it wasn't a no-hitter, but Mark Buerhle was good enough for a 10-2 White Sox winner. The crafty lefty pitched 7 and 1/3 innings of six-hit, one run ball to increase the Pale Hose's lead over the Minnesota Twins to 1.5 games.

One night after being shut down by the Rangers, Alexei Ramirez hit his first grand slam, Jermaine Dye went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and the much maligned Jim Thome went 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored to pace the Sox offense.

Yes, I said the much maligned Jim Thome. Sure, his batting average is a less than inspiring .258, but his OBP is around .375 and his OPS is almost at .900. He's been getting the job done...now someone's gotta get Paulie goin'.

It's Deja Vu All Over Again. A lot of people out there wanna crown the Cubs right now...and as much as I'd like that, they don't deserve it. Not if they can't beat a team on the road that just got to the .500 mark.

I don't care if they lead the NL West...I can scrap together 25 guys right now and give them a more competitive nine inning ball game than this Cubs team can right now.

The North Side Nine couldn't hit (scattered seven hits), field (three errors) and they couldn't get clutch outs despite a quality start from Jason Marquis of all people (6 IP 5 H 3 R 3 K 2 BB).

If Jason Marquis is shutting down offenses (no matter what the team's record) the offense needs to score more than two stinkin' runs!

Quality Linkage:

• Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins remix 'Take Me Out To The Ball Game" (Deadspin) Maybe this will be one song Lil' Wayne won't touch.
• Charles Barkley is going to pay a bus boy's tuition at Temple. (Philadelphia Daily News) Sir Charles, if you want to stop at a certain car dealership at 6060 North Western Avenue in Chicago and help a certain garage attendant, it would be greatly appreciated!
  
• Baltimore, are you ready for the Troy Smith Era? (Pro Football Talk) I wonder what first-round pick Joe Flacco has to say about it.
• Joakim Noah is having the best summer ever! (Sports Point)
• Miley Cyrus might be naked in a movie (What Would Tyler Durden Do) ... and R. Kelly is standing in line for tickets, already.