Not just Cubs’ fans are believers

A particular website has just the proposition for any baseball fans living in a fantasy world who believe this is the year Tampa Bay can go all the way.

Docsports.com is offering 5,000-1 that the Devil Rays, who have the worst record in the major leagues and are close to being mathematically eliminated, can win the World Series. The price is the same on Texas, which fell out of contention in the American League West in April.

Anybody who believes Barry Bonds will lead a remarkable resurgence in San Francisco can get 3,000-1 on the Giants to win the Series for the first time since the team moved to California. Pittsburgh, Bonds’ former team which is in last place in the National League Central, baseball’s sorriest division, is only 1,500-1.

The favorite on Docsports is a team that isn’t in first place in its own division, and through Thursday, wouldn’t even qualify for the playoffs. New York, which last won the championship in 2000, is the 3-1 choice. Boston, which has been on top of the AL East since the start of the season, is 7-2. The Angels are next at 5-1.

Believe it or not, the favorite among National League teams is Chicago. The Cubs, who haven’t won the World Series since 1908, are 6-1, followed by New York at 15-2 and Arizona at 8-1.

As for others in the NL, the Dodgers are 35-1 and defending champion St. Louis is 45-1. The Cardinals are an interesting proposition given their recent sweep of Milwaukee that put them squarely in the Central race and the fact there is no standout team in the league.

One of baseball’s hottest pitchers will be back on the mound tonight when Houston visits San Diego.

Roy Oswalt, who has won five in a row for the Astros, will look for his second win of the year against the Padres, who will counter with Justin Germano, who has only one victory since June 14.

A winner of 13 of 19 decisions in 2007, Oswalt hasn’t given up more than one earned run in any game during his current streak and was dominant the last time he faced San Diego. In a 3-1 Houston win on July 28 at Minute Maid Park, Oswalt gave up three hits, a run, which was unearned, and struck out 10 in seven innings.

Pro football

The exhibition series between Oakland and San Francisco has been close. After 34 games, the Raiders have an 18-16 edge over the 49ers.

San Francisco is favored to narrow the gap when the teams meet again tonight, and given recent history, the 49ers will hand the Raiders their first loss of the exhibition season.

The reason is the 49ers are playing at Monster Park and the home team has won the last six games in the preseason series. San Francisco won at home in 2005 (21-13), 2003 (14-10) and 2001 (20-17) while Oakland won as the host a year ago (23-7), in 2004 (33-30) and 2002 (17-10).

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com