Major League Baseball

Ten predictions for September

Published Sep. 15, 2009 8:35 p.m. ET

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I don't know about you, but my preseason predictions are looking great.


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The Cleveland Indians are closing in on an American League Central title. Just as I thought, Travis Hafner is having a bounce-back season.

The National League races are unfolding as I figured they would — Florida leading the East, Cincinnati the Central and Arizona the West.

And I knew the Yankees would be a third-place team.

OK.

Actually, I was wrong in about every way imaginable.

But there is one month left in the regular season, which means there's one more chance to revise my forecasts before embarrassing myself anew during the postseason.

So, here's my shot at redemption — 10 predictions for September.

1. The Dodgers will withstand the Rockies' late charge and win the National League West.




Colorado has the best record in baseball since Jim Tracy took over as manager in late May. People are staying up late to watch the Rockies play. Amid the rapture, you might have missed the fact that their ace, Aaron Cook, is now on the disabled list because of shoulder woes.

In the best-case scenario, Cook will be back in three weeks. But that's not soon enough for Colorado to pass Los Angeles. The Dodgers have their own pitching issues, with Hiroki Kuroda on the disabled list, but I expect Vicente Padilla and knuckleballer Charlie Haeger to be better at the back end than many expect.

2. Brett Myers will save at least one game for the Phillies during the regular season.

Brad Lidge has blown nine saves this season, most recently on Tuesday night against the last-place Pirates. If the defending champs aren't worried, they should be. But general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told FOXSports.com senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal on Wednesday: "Lidge is our closer."

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