With baseball just a few days past the All-Star break, now is the perfect time to look back at some of the interesting games and performances of the first half. It’s also the perfect time for us armchair experts to throw away our hideously inaccurate preseason predictions (Tigers? Rays? Indians?), and make what we hope are educated guesses about the 2008 postseason.

But first, a look back at the first half that was.

Two very different no-no’s: It’s hard to forget about Jon Lester’s recovery from cancer and his no-hitter for the Red Sox against Kansas City on May 19, and it is certainly the most inspiring single-game achievement from the season to-date.

The other no-hitter, coming just a month ago on June 28, was a bit more unconventional. Not only was it a tandem effort for the Angels (Jered Weaver and Jose Arredondo), but the Angels also lost that game 1-0 when the Dodgers produced an unearned run on an error, a stolen base, another error and a sacrifice fly. In fact, some won’t even admit it was a no-hitter since the Angels never pitched in the ninth inning.

Catch — and throw?: On July 6, Seattle’s back-up catcher, Jamie Burke, became the first catcher since 1901 to receive a decision in a game. The M’s were out of pitchers in the 15th inning and sent Burke out to the hill. He allowed a single run, and Seattle lost 2-1 to Detroit, but otherwise pitched fairly well, allowing just one hit and one walk while getting three outs.

And now, on to the postseason predictions:

NL East: New York Mets. Sure it took winning 10 in a row to climb back into the division, and Pedro’s return hasn’t helped at all, but the Mets have a lot going for them. The offense seems to be waking up and Johan Santana, who has been solid everywhere but in wins, has usually been more of a second-half pitcher. The Phillies should give the Mets a good run right to the end, but I like New York because they have been fantastic at Shea and have mostly home games down the stretch.

NL Central: Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals are the feistiest team in the NL and the Brewers landed a big arm in CC Sabathia, but the Cubs are just too balanced to drop the ball in this division. Even before adding Harden, the Cubs were the clear favorite. They have scored the most and allowed the third fewest runs in the NL. Indeed, at the break the Cubs had outscored their opponents by 106 runs, the best margin in baseball. That kind of offensive production paired with quality pitching is hard to beat.

NL West: LA Dodgers. Based on the first half, not a single team in this division deserves a playoff spot, and at the break no team in the West was above .500. Still, someone has to make it and I’ll take the Dodgers because of their pitching. Whoever takes this division may very well do it with a losing record.

AL East: Boston Red Sox. I know, I know. Everyone wants the Rays in the postseason, and I do too. But Boston can match rotations with the Rays, has a much better situation at closer and can put up runs seemingly without limit. I don’t see the defending champs losing the division, but Tampa Bay is still my favorite for the wild card. Watch out for some September magic from the Yankees, though, in the final weeks of their stadium.

AL Central: Chicago White Sox. Barely. I give the Twins a 49 percent chance here and the Sox a 51 percent shot. This division is going to come down to which team’s hitters hold it together longer. The Sox depend on aging sluggers Thome and Konerko, and if either falters for long, the South Siders are in trouble. The Twins have All-Stars Morneau and Mauer in the middle of the order, but depend on production from a platoon of young, fast, overachieving hitters. If the little guys in Minnesota come back to Earth, the Twinkies have little hope for this year.

AL West: LA Angels. If Oakland didn’t trade away half its rotation, they might have a real shot, but apparently embracing “Moneyball” is more important than chasing October to Billy Beane. The Angels have solid pitching, a closer approaching the single-season saves record and a solid, if not overpowering, offense. The division is weak this year and the Angels should take it without much excitement down the stretch.

Erik Adams had better watch out or Billy Beane might trade him, too. Email him at ekadams@stanford.edu.