Thursday's report

Normally, we would top the blog during head-to-head playoffs with how those matchups are going.

But an unusual twist leads us to start off with the overall race.

The Arbitration Losers and Upton No Good are struggling through poor weeks, meanwhile the Pickle Bugs are having a big week. The combination of those two facts has created a logjam at the top of the overall standings.

Here it is Aug. 20, and the top five teams in the overall standings are separated by just 14 points.

One of these five teams will eventually win the overall championship and one of these five teams will finish out of the money. And the end of the season is a little more than six weeks away.

Also, at least one of these teams will not advance to the head-to-head semifinals. And at this point, it looks as if that will be the Losers or UNG.

As we mentioned, neither team is having a good week. They are having the kind of weeks that would normally kill teams' hopes of advancing in a head-to-head matchup. Luckily for both teams, they are facing each other.

Heading into the weekend, the Losers lead 56-55, but UNG is set for four pitching starts over the weekend (Jimenez, Gallardo, Chacin and EJackson). The losers will get just three starts (Halladay, Jurrjens and Garland).

OVERALL STANDINGS

1. Gladstone Goatwhisperers (Arik) 3457
    Jay Bruce has come alive
2. Pickle Bugs (Jon) 3453
    OK, we'll say it: Ted Lilly? What the hell?
3. Arbitration Losers (Tim) 3452
    Dunn, Tulowitzki, Montero, Stanton combine for -2 points this week
4. Upton No Good (Bill-Rich) 3449
    Chris Young has lessened sting of bad week
5. Misfits (Reid) 3443
    Misfits lose some punch when K-Rod has season-ending surgery
6. VC Appraisers (Kevin-Dave) 3234
    Good news: Utley back from DL; Bad news: Hawpe is dumped by Rox
7. Pitch You Blockhead (Scott) 3175
    Broxton trying to work his way back to closer job
8. Triple-A's (Ken) 3158
    Remember when Matt Kemp was Top 20 player?
9. Chico's Chuggers (Shawn) 3095
    Felipe Lopez struggling, and may have lost everyday job
10. Fresh Fish (Rick) 3082
    Johnson and J-Roll account for 36 of 70 weekly points

Head-to-head scores

Pickle Bugs 145, Triple-A's 91 (Bugs lead two-week aggregate +61)
Arbitration Losers 56, Upton No Good 55 (Losers lead two-week aggregate +12)

Player acquisitions

RP John Axford, by Misfits (August No. 2)