ESPN

Two key intra-division series come to a close on Sunday: the Braves and Phillies and the Yankees and Red Sox. The former will go a long way in determining the Braves' actions as the trade deadline nears, while the latter will feature recent trade acquisitions Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte for the Yankees. The Cardinals and Mets also square off in a contest with wild-card implications, and it features what might be the best pitching matchup of the day: Kyle Lohse, who's riding a 1.85 ERA his past five starts, and Johan Santana, who is seeking just his third win since June.

Time	Visitors		L/R	Record	ERA	WHIP		Home		L/R	Record	ERA	WHIP
1:05 p.m.		Javier Vazquez	R	7-8	4.57	1.34	@		Zach Miner	R	4-3	3.73	1.42
1:05 p.m.		Nick Blackburn	R	7-6	3.83	1.31	@		Jeremy Sowers	L	1-5	7.33	1.85
1:07 p.m.		Jarrod Washburn	L	4-9	4.75	1.48	@		Shaun Marcum	R	5-4	3.05	1.06
1:10 p.m.		Kyle Lohse	R	12-2	3.35	1.23	@		Johan Santana	L	8-7	3.05	1.21
1:15 p.m.		Ubaldo Jimenez	R	6-9	3.98	1.45	@		Josh Fogg	R	2-2	7.09	1.49
1:35 p.m.		Ervin Santana	R	11-4	3.37	1.11	@		Garrett Olson	L	6-5	6.11	1.64
1:35 p.m.		Jorge Campillo	R	5-4	2.83	1.05	@		Joe Blanton	R	5-12	5.08	1.44
1:35 p.m.		Jake Peavy	R	7-6	2.76	1.15	@		Paul Maholm	L	7-6	3.92	1.26
2:05 p.m.		Randy Wolf	L	6-10	4.74	1.42	@		Jeff Suppan	R	5-6	4.65	1.59
2:10 p.m.		Andy Sonnanstine	R	10-5	4.54	1.34	@		Kyle Davies	R	3-2	4.58	1.60
2:20 p.m.		Rick VandenHurk	R	1-1	6.10	1.94	@		Jason Marquis	R	6-6	4.44	1.41
4:05 p.m.		Randy Johnson	L	7-7	4.89	1.34	@		Barry Zito	L	5-12	5.56	1.78
4:05 p.m.		Eric Hurley	R	1-1	3.57	1.28	@		Dana Eveland	L	7-7	3.65	1.44
4:10 p.m.		Jason Bergmann	R	1-7	4.21	1.28	@		Clayton Kershaw	L	0-3	5.18	1.82
8:05 p.m.		Sidney Ponson	R	6-1	4.02	1.61	@		Jon Lester	L	8-3	3.20	1.31

All times are ET.

Out
Joe Crede, 3B, White Sox (back)

Day-to-day
Jeff Clement, C, Mariners (hand)
Jim Edmonds, OF, Cubs (knee)
Carlos Gomez, OF, Twins (back)
Chipper Jones, 3B, Braves (hamstring)
Manny Ramirez, OF, Red Sox (knee)
Mark Teahen, 1B/OF, Royals (back)

Hitters: Alex Rios has disappointed in the power department this season, but he does have six extra-base hits in his past five games, including two of his six home runs. It could be nothing, or it could be the beginning signs of his power returning; keep him in your lineup to find out. … Make sure to sit Rick Ankiel against Johan Santana; he's hitting just .243 off of left-handers this season compared to .295 against righties. … The Brew Crew mash lefties (.813 OPS, fourth) and should have no problem against Randy Wolf and his 6.63 ERA away from Petco Park. The list of Brewers proficient against lefties is practically their entire lineup; from the lesser-owned Mike Cameron and Bill Hall to studs like Ryan Braun and J.J. Hardy, the Brewers should have another explosive offensive day.

Pitchers: While Javier Vazquez has allowed four runs or more in six of his past eight starts, on paper he's a safe start against the Tigers, who don't hit nearly as well on the road as they do at home. Vazquez is also moderately better when pitching at home, with a 4.19 ERA and 1.20 WHIP during his past three seasons at U.S. Cellular Field. … Shaun Marcum was lit up in his return from the disabled list, allowing seven runs -- six earned -- and three home runs in 4 2/3 innings. He threw 77 pitches, and might still be on a pitch count, so even against the Mariners, protecting your ratios from potential disaster looks like the best bet. … Kyle Lohse has a microscopic 2.38 ERA and 1.14 WHIP during his past 13 starts, but on the road his numbers take a significant hit (4.37 ERA, 1.61 WHIP), and no matter his numbers, one must always remember he's still Kyle Lohse. That means don't play with fire against a streaking Mets team, a team with the majors' third best OPS (.838) in July. … Andy Sonnanstine shut out the Royals during seven innings on July 5, and honestly, any decent pitcher is a potential spot start against such a poor offense, especially with a great defense the Rays have -- look for them to scoop up the few balls the Royals do put in play. … Randy Johnson is coming off a start where he shut out the National League's best offense for seven innings. He now gets the Giants, whose .622 OPS in July ranks dead last. It doesn't take a leap of faith to pencil The Big Unit in for another strong outing.

Hitters: If you need some pop, and can afford a hit to your average, Josh Fields was called up to replace Joe Crede, who hit the disabled list with his recurring back problems. Fields has 24 home runs in 393 career at-bats, but 16 of those home runs have occurred at U.S. Cellular Field, which, if prorated to 500 at-bats, equates to 39 home runs. That's worthy of a third-base or utility spot in your lineup for at least half of his games. … Since June, Kelly Shoppach's .272 average, seven home runs, 21 RBIs and 20 runs rank ninth, second, fifth and ninth, respectively, among all catchers. Victor Martinez is at least three weeks away, so Shoppach retains some short-term value. … After a brutal April and May, Jeff Baker has followed those months up with an equally productive June and July; he's hit .335 in the summer months with eight home runs in 131 at-bats. It's been enough to save his job, and should be enough for him to become more prominent in fantasy leagues. … Juan Rivera is riding an eight-game hitting streak, and with four home runs in July, he's one of the lone power threats in the Angels lineup. He faces Garrett Olson, who has allowed six, five, seven and five earned runs during his past four outings, so now's a good time to get him in your lineup. … Few hitters have as much raw power against left-handers than Scott Hairston, who has nine home runs and a .639 slugging percentage in 108 at-bats versus left-handers this season. He's also hitting .365 with seven homers during July, and now has 26 home runs in 362 at-bats for San Diego dating back to 2007.

Pitchers: Things have clicked during July for Ubaldo Jimenez, who's riding a 2.04 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in his five starts this month, including impressive road outings over the Mets and Brewers. He's lowered his ERA from 5.37 at the end of May to its current 3.98 mark, and with the Rockies hitting the tar out of the ball, Jimenez is a no-brainer pick-up. … Paul Maholm's had poor luck this season, with only seven wins in 20 starts despite a sub-4.00 ERA for a team seventh in runs scored. While that isn't likely to change on Sunday -- he faces Padres ace Jake Peavy -- he's still a good spot start with all else considered. He's allowed two runs or less in seven of his past 10 starts, and the Padres aren't known for their bats. … Eric Hurley had his start on July 21 scratched due to arm soreness, but he was decent against an unimpressive schedule before he hit the disabled list, and more importantly, he faces possibly the weakest offense in the AL, the A's. Toss in the expected run support from one of the majors' top offenses, and if you're looking for a spot start with an emphasis on potential wins, Hurley's a decent bet.

Six games face the potential threat of rain, including the most hyped game on the slate, Yankees-Red Sox, with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Five games have a 30 percent chance of storms: Cardinals-Mets, Angels-Orioles, Braves-Phillies, Rays-Royals and Marlins-Cubs. … Mariners-Blue Jays and Astros-Brewers are weatherproof.

Adam Madison is a fantasy baseball analyst for ESPN.com