WHO'S Hot
Uggla
Pow! went a grand slam last Saturday. Wham-bam! went two more homers on Sunday. That made seven dongs in nine games for second baseman Dan Uggla
of the first-place Marlins—a surge that followed a move from second to the middle of the lineup. Said Uggla, explaining his happy homering, "I don't attribute it to anything."
Dinara Safina
She slew not one but three top 10 players—including No. 1 Justine Henin—to win the German Open. Her $196,600 payday came with a sweet lagniappe: She won it on Mother's Day with mama Safina (first name: Raouza) watching from the stands.
Chicago
The Cubs we know about (first place!), the White Sox
are warming up (one game out through Sunday), and how 'bout those f�tbolers! Chicago
's Fire, with sharpshooter Cuauht�moc Blanco
(right, he'll sometimes blow kisses at opposing fans after scoring), was roaring along at 5-1-1.
Astros
Weren't they supposed to struggle? A sweep of L.A.—they rallied for eight runs after being no-hit into the seventh—gave Houston
its eighth win in nine games. Thank Lance Berkman
, for one: The first baseman had a stretch of, get this, 19 hits in 25 at bats.
WHO'S Not
Pronk
Big picture: Indians
DH Travis Hafner
was hitting .257 since the start of last season. Middle-range: He was at .215 this year. Small sample: Try .161 over 10 games through Sunday. It's gotten so bad that Cleveland
briefly benched their $8 million man last week. Said manager Eric Wedge
, "We've got to help him, and he's got to help himself."
Rome
Masters
Five players withdrew mid-tournament from the Eternal City event, including crowd pleasers Andy Roddick
(right, back pain) and Federer-beating Radek Stepanek (the heat) in the semis. The exodus led to cries that the ATP's schedule is too grueling.
San Jose
The Sharks are still smarting from the four-OT game that ended their season (so long, Stanley Cup
favorites), and the city's MLS entry has nothing to fill the void. The Earthquakes and goalie Joe Cannon
blew a late 2--0 lead—the first come-from-behind win all season in the MLS—to stay stuck in the cellar.
Mariners
Weren't they supposed to be good? Ten losses in 12 games dropped Seattle
to the bottom of the AL West—and it may be taking a toll. First baseman Richie Sexson
(hitting .202) got a five-game ban for charging Texas
pitcher Kason Gabbard and winging his helmet at him.