Ken Macha has shown one distinctive trait in his first season of managing. Once he senses that a key situation has arisen that will determine the outcome of the game, no matter what inning, he brings in his most dependable reliever Chad Bradford to bail him out of the jam.

It worked Sturday night when the submariner was summoned in the fifth inning with one out and the bases loaded in a seemingly safe 6-2 game, Bradford proceeded to strike out the Big Hurt and then induce an easy ground ball off the bat of Magglio Ordonez to end the threat, putting the White Sox to bed for the evening.

Nice managing, nice pitching by Bradford who K’d five in recording seven outs.

By only going 4 1/3 innings, Ted Lilly puts pressure on the kid, Rich Harden to pitch at least into the sixth inning today or else the bull pen will have to work overtime which isn’t a good idea with the Red Sox in town for four starting Monday night.

AL Cy Young? Roy Halladay, Mark Mulder, and Esteban Loiaza in that order as of August 10th. All that can change over the next month especially with the A’s facing Loiaza today in a game the Sox need, then possibly seeing Halladay next weekend in Oakland.

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Jimmy Gobble has the funny name but there is nothing else funny about the rookie lefty for KC. He came up and gave the Royals the quality pitching they have been seeking over the past month. Sounds like another Rich Harden without the 95 MPH heater and accompanying notoriety.

The Twins are quietly starting to play like the Twins again. They play sound defense, are now getting adequate bull pen efforts, but the starting pitching is getting the job done which is the biggest thing that they have going right now.

Shannon Stewart has been fabulous in the lead off spot for Minnesota, sort of what Ray Durham gave the A’s last season when he came over.

The Giants saw Jason Christianson grab his surgically repaired elbow yesterday, now that is one reliever they cannot afford to lose. Funny, he came back so quickly from Tommy John surgery, I said to myself he hasn’t lost any thing off his fastball. Maybe he pushed it too hard, too early.

If the Giants want to trade Felix Rodriguez for outfield help, there are definitely teams still interested in the reliever. Sore neck or not, this guy still has a power arm.

I think it is official, the Angels are cooked for the season. Too many injuries, too many players who just couldn’t duplicate last season’s career years (Eckstein, Spiezio, and Erstad come to mind first).

How would you like to see Texas come in third in the West ahead of Anaheim? It could happen, they are only four behind the champs this morning. Now that would be something for Buck Showalter, Texas manger to crow about.

Orioles lefty Eric Dubose looks like another Jamie Moyer in the making, great change up and soft curve.

Byung Hyun Kim throws that frisbee up in the strike zone a little too often for me, especially in Fenway Park.

Where would the Red Sox be if the Marlins were allowed to follow through with their deal to sell Kevin Millar’s contract to Japan like they tried to do last winter before the Sox botched up the deal?

Jamie Moyer versus Roger Clemens in the Stadium in New York today. Great game, but both pitchers will have a tough time duplicating the efforts of Andy Pettitte and Gil Meche Saturday. The Mariners and Meche needed that one big time.

Seattle is hoping Freddy Garcia is on his way back. I wouldn’t want to pin my pennant hopes on his right arm.

LA’s Wilson Alvarez pitched a gem Saturday night over the Cubs and Matt Clement. Alvarez looked so good that he reminded me of how he used to pitch ten years ago.

Today Mark Prior versus Kevin Brown. I’ll take the under.

Pat Burrell hit two homers Saturday leading the Phillies to the win. Perhaps even more amazing was the opposite field homer by shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who doesn’t hit many out, especially the other way.

Garrett Stephenson has been under the knife so much we forget how promising his career was with the Phillies five years ago. Now the St. Louis righty is carrying that staff. Nice to see it and I’m not surprised at his success, he knows how to pitch.

Now power hitting triple crown threat Albert Pujols has a 23 game hitting streak, what’s next for the amazing Cardinal? Maybe he’ll manage the team the next time Tony La Russa gets tossed.

The Marlins keep rolling, I can’t wait to see Dontrelle Willis pitch in Pac Bell in two weeks. Is Pudge washed up? A lot of folks in baseball thought so last winter. Rodriguez is hitting third and catching the best rotation in the league. ‘Nuff said.

Oliver Perez is a strike out machine on the hill for San Diego. I wouldn’t trade him.

Rod Beck just may be comeback player of the year in the NL.

The A’s bullpen (Foulke, Bradford, and Rincon) has won 20 games. I thought Zito would get there first.

Don’t overlook the Dodgers in the NL Wild Card race, somehow every fall the spirit of Brooklyn pushes this franchise to heights thought unreachable, they don’t always win, but they make it interesting.

I’d love to see Ichiro and Bill Mueller fighting for the AL batting title going into the last game of the season. Would Ichiro bunt to win the title? Sure, why not, it is part of his game and something Mueller can’t do, and others have done so in baseball history to win a title.

Tim Wakefield gave Boston a super game Saturday night, he goes Thursday against Ted Lilly in Oakland.

Who would the A’s turn to if they wanted to replace Lilly in the five spot? Check the waiver wire because I wouldn’t trust another rookie in that role.

Three weeks to go in August, much can happen this month just check the schedule over the next few weeks and look at which teams are matched up, without off days remember pitching rules, and I mean the whole staff.