Roy Halladay pitched fourth straight complete games last month, but lost three of them. Chuck Solomon/SI

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Let's give a tip of the Windup cap to Roy Halladay, who works harder for what he gets -- which, because he pitches for the Blue Jays, isn't a whole lot -- than just about anybody in the business. Last Tuesday he lost a 1-0 screamer to the Red Sox despite throwing a complete game five-hitter. It was his fourth straight complete game, during which Hard-luck Halladay went just 1-3 despite a 2.86 ERA. On Sunday the big right-hander finally got a little help, beating the White Sox, 4-3. As these things often work, he didn't even have to go the whole game to win this one, giving up three hits and three runs (one earned) in 7 1/3 innings.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Back in the middle of April the Dodgers looked -- how can we be nice about this? -- like a flower that had yet to bloom. Because it was buried under about four tons of cow dung. And they smelled like it, too. From April 7 to 24 the Dodgers went 5-11. They managed to win just one series, and that was against the Pirates. But Joe Torre kept tinkering, kept pushing, and his team responded by tearing off an eight-game winning streak in which they hit .327, scored an average of 8.75 runs a game and had a 3.27 team ERA. The streak finally ended on Sunday, but with shortstop Rafael Furcal (.385 in the stretch), right fielder Matt Kemp (.429, with 16 RBIs), catcher Russell Martin (.448, a 1.206 OPS) and even 40-year-old second baseman Jeff Kent (.346) clicking, this team might yet be able to give the Diamondbacks a run for the National League West.

LINES OF THE WEEK

Augie Ojeda, ARZ vs. NYM, May 3

3-for-4, hit by pitch, two doubles, six RBIs.

The utility man doubled his career high for RBIs in a game.

Johnny Cueto, CIN at STL, April 29

1 2/3 IP, 8 hits, 7 runs (6 earned), two strikeouts, one walk. In his last four starts (0-3) the rookie has given up 26 hits in 21 2/3 innings.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I've been on extra credit for five years. I don't pitch for results. I just try to pitch to see how good I can be on that night."

-- The Padres' Greg Maddux, in the San Diego Union-Tribune, downplaying the importance of win No. 350. On Sunday he failed in his fourth attempt to hit the mark.

HIGH FIVE

Why the Dodgers charge $10 for a 12 oz. beer.

1.) Jason Schmidt Tax.

2.) Andruw Jones Tax.

3.) Juan Pierre Tax.

4.) Joe Torre Tax.

5.) Dodger baseball is so bad lately, we'll pay anything for alcohol.

-- Paul, Irvine, Calif. (submitted before the eight-game winning streak)

SERIES TO WATCH

By the time the NL Division Series between Arizona and Chicago had mercifully ended last October, the hot and sweaty crowd at Wrigley Field was beside itself booing the hometown Cubs as the Diamondbacks cruised to a three-game sweep. The two teams, both at or near the top of their respective divisions once again, meet in a Wrigley rematch beginning on Friday. The Cubs, clearly, still have a lot to prove. The Diamondbacks, with the best record in the game (and -- argue amongst yourselves -- the best team) ... well, not so much.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

The still-surprising Cardinals -- oh, come on, don't act as if you expected this -- have taken on all comers so far. (The only team with a winning record against them is the Giants. Go figure.) We can point to a lot of reasons why the Cards have been so good. Wonderful starting pitching. A good bullpen. Surprising guys like Skip Schumaker and Ryan Ludwick. But let's not forget the main man: Albert Pujols. Even with a sore elbow Pujols is hitting .358, with a 1.122 OPS. Next weekend Pujols and the Cards get another run at their Central division challengers, the Brewers, in a four-game series that starts on Friday. Pujols, as he does with a lot of teams, owns the Brewers. He has a .351 batting average, a 1.077 OPS and 25 home runs in 114 career games against Milwaukee.

LINE DRIVES

• The Mariners are about to blow. Or, if you ask their critics, maybe they already do. Manager John McLaren lit into his team after Saturday's loss to the Yankees and, on Sunday, they rolled over again. They scored four runs in losing three games in New York. They're 0-13 when they get behind by two runs. They've already shaken things up a little. It's time for a big shakeup.

• Even perpetually perky skipper Joe Maddon couldn't put a good face on Tampa Bay's weekend. The Rays steamed into Boston on an all-time high and were promptly steamrolled by the Sox, swept in the three-game series. Good teams rebound from weekends like that.

• Worst free-agent money spent last winter? I'm thinking the $10 million that the Brewers coughed up for Eric Gagne -- who blew a two-run lead and yet another save on Sunday by walking in the tying run -- is right up there. It was his fifth blown save of the season.

• See where Jim Leyland is promising changes? After scoring two runs in two losses to the Twins last weekend, the Tigers frittered away a six-run lead on Sunday in getting swept. The Tigers can still win a disappointing American League Central, but it's not going to be pretty.

• When the Mets beat the Diamondbacks on Sunday it marked Arizona's first series loss since their season-opening set against the Reds and their first series loss at home this season.

• I don't buy into the whole "smartest fans in baseball" thing in St. Louis . But when the Busch Stadium crowd gave catcher Yadier Molina a standing ovation after he threw out the Cubs' Ryan Theriot trying to steal second base on Sunday -- from one knee, no less, off balance and falling forward -- well, the Cardinals' fans sure looked awfully smart. Heck of a throw.

• Ryan Howard struck out six times last weekend against the Giants, bringing his league-leading total to 45 in 32 games. The Phillies' pseudo-slugger, hitting .167, has four three-strikeout games this season. That's three more than Tony Gwynn had in a 20-year, 2,440-game career.