[Tommy]

The National League has been taking a beating on the field and in the press as of late.

Unfortunately, most of it has been warranted.

It all starts in Interleague Play where the American League holds a 154-98 advantage so far this year. That translates into a .611 winning percentage for those keeping track at home.

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Fortunately for “Senior Circuit” fans, there are odds for just the National League Pennant as opposed to the World Series. Here are the favorites.

New York Mets 9:5

The Mets are 3-2 since the All-Star break and have an 11.5 game lead over Atlanta. The bad news is that Pedro Martinez is still out after injuring his hip in late June. The reality is that the Mets can play mediocre baseball the rest of the way and still make the playoffs. However, teams who struggle down the stretch are good candidates for a first round knockoff.

St. Louis Cardinals 10:3

The Cardinals have been the toast of the National League the last couple of years winning at least 100 regular season games each year. Unfortunately, they got toasted in the playoffs by Boston in 2004 and Houston in 2005. This year, the team is not nearly as strong, especially the starting pitching, but they are still a solid favorite in the NL Central.

LA Dodgers 12:1

The Dodgers are 3.5 games back of the Padres in the NL West, but they are more likely to win the pennant according to the odds. That either says something positive about L.A. or negative about San Diego. Either way, the Dodgers need to acquire another starting pitcher if they want to win the division.

Houston Astros 13:1

Houston has three great starters in Roy Oswalt, Roger Clemens, and Andy Pettitte, and that makes them very hard to beat in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they need more than that to make the postseason. The Astros continue to play under .500 baseball, and they are going to have to go on a major run soon.

San Diego 15:1

The NL West leaders by 2.5 games are not getting a lot of respect with the odds. The Padres have been winning with the second lowest ERA in the National League. They are also one of the lowest scoring teams in the league. If San Diego can acquire another slugger, then there is no reason they can’t hold on and win the division.

Cincinnati Reds 15:1

The Reds trail St. Louis by 3.5 games in the NL Central, but they are the Wild Card leader by two games. The Reds just traded starting shortstop Felipe Lopez and starting right fielder Austin Kearns to the Nationals for two middle relievers. If the Reds fail to make the postseason, a lot of critics will point to that trade as the reason why.

Atlanta Braves 20:1

The Braves are 11.5 games behind the Mets in the NL East, and five games back in the Wild Card race. Atlanta had their seven game winning streak snapped last night, but they are still looking like the team that has won 14 straight NL East titles. You can never discount this team until they are mathematically eliminated.

By Miker at http://sportsedge.vip.com/