MLB Weekend Preview

Sept. 29, 2006— -- We head to the final weekend of the regular season with much to be decided. The level of intrigue should peak with the remarkable race in the NL Central, where the matchups would figure to significantly favor the Cardinals.

But nothing has gone according to plan in St. Louis, and the Cards' collapse continued with a humbling loss to the Brewers.

The Astros remain very much alive, and two of their top three pitchers are ready to pounce on the Braves. Should Sunday be meaningful, expect to see a matchup between two of the best big-game pitchers in the business: Andy Pettitte and John Smoltz.

The NL West race likely will be a nail-biter as well, with the Dodgers and Padres both facing tough opposition. Giants fans won't let San Francisco go down without a fight in what are otherwise meaningless games in their season. San Diego could be facing the NL's Cy Young winner in Brandon Webb.

The runner-up will cross its fingers and hope that it can hold off the Phillies in what should be a fantastic finish.

Dodgers at Giants: Hong-Chih Kuo vs. Noah LowryHong-Chih Kuo is 1-1 with a 2.59 ERA in four starts since moving into the Dodgers' rotation, with 29 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings pitched. Meanwhile, the Giants have lost Noah Lowry's last four starts. He's 0-3 with a 14.36 ERA in that span.

Phillies at Marlins: Jamie Moyer vs. Brian MoehlerJamie Moyer is 2-0 against the Marlins this season, accounting for half his wins since joining the Phillies. He's 2-2 for them on the road this season and 4-9 overall. Brian Moehler's struggles have plagued him all season. He's 5-10 as a starter with a 6.91 ERA and a .332 opponents' batting average, with two of those losses coming against the Phillies.

Cardinals at Brewers: Jeff Weaver vs. Chris CapuanoBoth starters enter this one struggling quite a bit. Jeff Weaver tries to stop the Cardinals' free fall, but be forewarned that he's 1-7 with a 7.83 ERA at home this season, including 0-3 with St. Louis. Chris Capuano is 4-2 against the Cardinals, but is 0-3 with a 5.31 ERA in his last six starts.