Dream week

July 7-13

THURSDAY, 7/7 Red Sox at Orioles

FRIDAY, 718 Mets at Pirates

SATURDAY, 7/9 Cubs at Marlins

SUNDAY, 7/10 Brewers at Braves

MONDAY, 7/11 Home Run Derby

TUESDAY, 7/12 All-Star Game

WEDNESDAY, 7/13 Slowest day in sports

* They've split their first eight meetings, with David Ortiz's three-run walk-off homer ending the most recent matchup. The teams won't meet again until September, when the Orioles will be making plans for October (at Sidney Ponson's beach house in Aruba?).

* Pirates fans finally have something to be excited about: Anna Benson is back in town.

* Few managers ask for more from their starting pitchers than Jack McKeon and Dusty Baker. Expect six complete games in this series, followed by mysterious arm problems a week later.

* MVP candidates Carlos Lee and Andruw Jones deservedly will get the spotlight, while former Brewers (and Braves) closer Dan Kolb will be relegated to mop-up duty. Seriously, the guy is dynamite cleaning up Skoal juice and sunflower seeds.

* Quick, name last year's winner. If you said Miguel Tejada, you care way too much about this event. Still, it is worth tuning in to find out whether one homer will be enough to win it all this season.

* Yes, it still counts. And no one knows that better than N.L. manager Tony La Russa, who must wonder if the 2004 World Series would have ended differently if his Cardinals had had home-field advantage. After allowing six runs in the first inning of last year's All-Star game, Roger Clemens is in a bind: He is on the N.L. roster but might end the season in the A.L.

* Things you won't see today: a Rockies road loss, a Mark Bellhorn strikeout, a Lou Piniella meltdown, a runner steal on Mike Piazza, a big-league baseball game.--Chris Bahr

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