NL Central notes: Carpenter, Molina, Lohse, Segura, Gallardo, Gorzelanny

Let's check in on the National League Central, where the Pirates (67-44) are two games ahead of the Cardinals (65-46), the Reds (61-51) are ten over .500 but 6.5 back, and the Cubs (49-62) and Brewers (47-65) toil through rebuilding to varying degrees of success.

Here's the latest from around the NL Central:

• Cubs add Thomas Neal to roster, option Eduardo Sanchez - Bleed Cubbie Blue
  The Cubs made some roster moves prior to Tuesday's game at Philadelphia.

• Cubs, Levy Restaurants renew concession deal - Bleed Cubbie Blue
  The food at Wrigley Field has gotten better in recent years. There is, however, still one big problem with it.

• The Cubs top 20 prospects after the Trade Deadline - Bleed Cubbie Blue
  Here's my look at the new Cubs prospects. This list is no one's fault but my own.

• Cubs 2013 attendance watch - Bleed Cubbie Blue
  The Cubs' announced total attendance ranks 12th in MLB, behind the Nationals and ahead of the Brewers; the average of the announced total also ranks 12th, behind the Nationals and ahead of the Braves. There's enough distance on either side that the Cubs will probably settle in that position, unless September attendance drops and the Braves draw well in a playoff run of their own.

• A very small cavalry unit is coming - Red Reporter
  Dusty Baker may have been acknowledging, perhaps accidentally, that the Reds' internal options aren't all that appealing. As far upper minors depth, he'd be right.

• Reds Organizational Injury Report - Red Reporter
  Sean Marshall rehabbing in starts and fits, Hanigan still suffering, minor league injury updates.

• Jean Segura at 1 Year - Brew Crew Ball
  Jean Segura's first year in the big leagues has been impressive for a lot of reasons.

• Yovani Gallardo, velocity drop, and throwing a lot of pitches - Brew Crew Ball
  How does Yovani Gallardo compare to other pitchers who have made a lot of starts and thrown a lot of pitches since 2009? Our friends at BCB has the answer.

• Tom Gorzelanny injury: Pitcher hit by line drive, X-rays negative - Brew Crew Ball (Aug 2nd)
  The good news is that Andrew Gruman is reporting that X-rays were negative on Gorzelanny's arm, so it appears we're just looking at a bruise of some kind. We don't have any update at this point on whether he's expected to miss a start. If he does, Figaro is likely to take his place in the rotation.

• Does Matt Carpenter have another slump in his future? - Viva El Birdos
  How good is the St. Louis Cardinals' second baseman -- and what should we expect in the near future?

• Cardinals Continue Hoarding Prospects - Viva El Birdos
  Exploring why the Cardinals (and most other teams) decided to stand pat instead of acquiring talent at the trade deadline. Giving away future talent is less palatable when you already lead the league in hitting and pitching.

• A Look at the St. Louis Cardinals' Recent 7-Game Losing Streak Through the Prism of WPA - Viva El Birdos
  The Cardinals went through their toughest stretch in years, losing seven consecutive games in six days to the Braves and Pirates. Which Cardinals does WPA pin the blame on for the losing streak?

• On Starting Pitchers - Viva El Birdos
  After a frustrating start from Jake Westbrook where he was bested by Reds' rookie Tony Cingrani, there's some interesting parallels to be drawn with another Cardinals starter.

• Yadier Molina injury: Kelly Shoppach makes too much sense for the Cardinals - Viva El Birdos (Aug 2nd)
  The St. Louis Cardinals realized they'd be without Yadier Molina at basically the exact moment Kelly Shoppach became a free agent.

• Is Dusty's job in jeopardy? - Red Reporter
  Red Reporter joined radio station 95.5 The Game in Columbus to answer: Is Dusty's Job in Jeopardy? Give it a listen.

• Were we wrong about Kyle Lohse? - Beyond the Box Score
  After throwing nearly 140 innings this season, should we be rethinking last offseason's #dontsignlohse campaign? BTBS has the surprising answer.