Whos in first?
AL East: Yanks (18-11) & Red Sox (19-12)
AL Central: White Sox (22-9)
AL West: Rangers (17-15)
NL East: Mets (21-10)
NL Central: Reds (21-11)
NL West: Rockies (19-13)
Whos in last?
AL East: Devil Rays (13-19)
AL Central: Royals (7-22)
AL West: Mariners (13-20)
NL East: Marlins (8-21)
NL Central: Pirates (9-24)
NL West: Giants (14-17)
For real?: If you see someone reading a sports section these days and rubbing their eyes, it’s probably not due to allergies or being tired. More than likely they have just perused the NL standings and seen both the Reds and Rockies leading their respective divisions.
Cincinnati leads the National League with 176 runs scored and rank just one long ball behind the Brewers for the lead in that category. Austin Kearns, Edwin Encarnacion, Brandon Phillips and Felipe Lopez are fueling the new-age Big Red Machine, with Adam Dunn supplying pop in the form of 12 HR. Bronson Arroyo, who joined the club just before the season started in a trade from Boston, is 5-1 in seven starts, same as Aaron Harang who was the club’s Opening Day starter. Somewhat lost in their surprising start are the efforts turned in from the bullpen. Todd Coffey and Kent Mercker have done excellent jobs setting up David Weathers in the closing role.
Colorado leads the Senior Circuit with a collective .279 batting average and rank third in the league with 160 runs scored. That the Rockies are near the top in a few offensive categories is no surprise. That they rank among the leaders in some of the pitching columns is a slight shock. Colorado’s 4.14 staff ERA ranks sixth and they’ve allowed just 25 homers, tied for the lead in the NL with the Marlins. Brad Hawpe and Matt Holliday have been the main guns on offense, and they should get a lift with the return of odd Helton who missed a couple of weeks due to an intestinal ailment. Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis have pitched very well in their starting assignments, and if Jason Jennings shutout against the Astros in Denver this weekend is any indication, he could be rounding into form as well. But like the Reds, the work of the Rockie relievers has been lost on most people. David Cortez and Ramon Ramirez are two names most people don’t know though they have combined with veteran Jose Mesa to form a formidable setup trio in front of closer Brian Fuentes.
This weeks dogs: This week’s honors go to a couple of storied franchises who were supposed to battle each other for the top spot in their division this season, but instead are fighting it out for the cellar. The Dodgers and Giants sit just a half-game apart at the bottom of the NL West standings, with San Fran’s loss Sunday night in Philadelphia dropping them just behind LA.
The Dodgers lost four straight to the Diamondbacks and Padres to open the week, but bounced back to sweep the Brewers in Los Angeles over the weekend. The Bums are 4-9 so far in 1-run games, and just can’t get their offense and pitching to jive together. Nomar Garciaparra has been Mr. Clutch since returning from his early season DL stint, and the starting pitching hasn’t been bad unless your name is Jae Seo or Odalis Perez. Danys Baez has done a good job in the closer’s role in place or Eric Gagne who is reportedly getting closer to returning to action.
The Giants lost six of seven during the week, including getting swept by the Phillies over the weekend. With all the attention on Barry Bonds and his career home run total, the poor pitching has gone unnoticed. The Giants rank last in the NL with a 5.30 ERA, nearly half a run higher than the closest teams to them. Losing Moises Alou to the DL due to an ankle sprain last week won’t help matters, either.
Injury News: Coming off the DL last week were Cleveland’s CC Sabathia (CLE), Tampa Bay’s Aubrey Huff and Julio Lugo, Detroit’s Dmitri Young, Baltimore’s Luis Matos, Colorado’s Todd Helton and Atlanta’s Horacio Ramirez. Boston activated Hee Seop Choi from the DL, but optioned him to their Triple-A club in Pawtucket.
Heading to the disabled list this past week were Esteban Loaiza (OAK-back muscle), Ricky Ledee (LAD-groin), Cody Ross (CIN-bruised pinky), Russ Ortiz (ARZ-groin), Fabio Castro (TEX-groin), Tomo Ohka (MIL-shoulder), Mike Sweeney (KAN-back), Lance Cormier (ATL-oblique strain), Chris Bootcheck (ANA-groin), Rich Aurilia (CIN-groin), Mike Lieberthal (PHI-knee bruis), Dioner Navarro (LAD-wrist bruise), Javy Lopez (BAL-back strain), Moises Alou (SFG-ankle sprain), John Maine (NYM-finger), Joe Randa (PIT-foot bruise), Milton Bradley (OAK-knee sprain), Victor Zambrano (NYM-elbow surgery) and Chris Burke (HOU-shoulder).
Milwaukee's ace Ben Sheets missed a start over the weekend with more shoulder woes, though it was reported to be in the front of his shoulder and not the same injury that sidelined Sheets at the end of 2005 ... Chicago Cubs righty Kerry Wood may be close to rejoining the team after a strong tuneup for Class-A Peoria. Wood whiffed 12 in five innings of work and will reportedly make one more rehab start before any decision is made ... St. Louis' Sydney Ponson left his start on Sunday after just 42 pitches against the Marlins with a sore elbow ... New York Yankees right fielder Gary Sheffield could be headed to the DL with a bum wrist he suffered in a collision with Toronto's Shea Hillenbrand about 10 days ago.
Fantasy Studs & Duds: Cleveland’s Casey Blake, who struggled to hit .241 in 2005, raised his 2006 batting average to .371 last week with an 11-for-21 performance (.524). Blake has scored 18 times and driven in 22 in 30 games so far this season, boasting an OPS of 1.102 through May 7th.
Atlanta shortstop Edgar Renteria had a hit in all seven of the Braves’ games last week, giving him a 22-game streak so far this season and 23-game streak dating back to his final game of 2005. Renteria, who missed nine games in late April with a rib-cage injury, hit .323 for the week (10-for-31), and now leads the NL with a .351 average.
St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols cranked two more bleacher bombs last week to give him 16 on the season, a pace that calculates out to 80+ for the year. Pujols is hitting .314 with 38 RBI and an obscene 1.273 OPS.
Helped along by two strong outings by their ace, Johan Santana, the Twins’ pitching staff managed to drop their team ERA below 6.00 for the season. Minnesota split a pair of series with Seattle and Kansas City, then cooled off the hot Tigers over the weekend by taking two of three from Detroit … The Royals continue to struggle on offense with just 97 runs scored in their 29 games to date. That’s less than half of the 201 runs the Indians have scored to lead the majors, and 19 fewer than the Cubs who rank last in the National League … Speaking of the Cubs, they’re one of just two NL teams not to have a shutout credited to their pitching staff so far in ’06. The other is Florida. Over in the AL, five teams --- Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles, Twins --- have yet to blank their opposition. Detroit leads all MLB teams with five whitewashings, though none have been the complete game variety.
Quote(s) of the Week: "Smoltzie, I thought, was just outstanding. He pitched a great game, had great stuff today and he picked us up when we needed one real bad." - - - Atlanta manager Bobby Cox after John Smoltz, pitching on three days rest, helped the Braves avoid being swept by the Mets on Sunday.
"I spiked it pretty good, probably better than Ickey Woods, but I didn't do the Ickey Shuffle." - - - Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca describing his ball-slamming tantrum after a play at the plate in the second inning of Sunday’s New York-Atlanta game. Replays seem to indicate Lo Duca had a strong argument against plate umpire Angel Hernandez’ safe call.
"He about tore that Golden Arches sign down. I'm glad he's leaving town. He's about ready to get hot." - - - Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel talking about Barry Bonds’ 713th career homer.
"A thousand is a lot of wins, especially when you signed a two-year contract back in '96.” - - - New York manager Joe Torre after winning his 1000th game as Yankees skipper, an 8-5 decision on the road against Texas Saturday (May 7). The win was #1894 in Torre’s managerial career that is now in its 25th season.
AL East: Yanks (18-11) & Red Sox (19-12)
AL Central: White Sox (22-9)
AL West: Rangers (17-15)
NL East: Mets (21-10)
NL Central: Reds (21-11)
NL West: Rockies (19-13)
Whos in last?
AL East: Devil Rays (13-19)
AL Central: Royals (7-22)
AL West: Mariners (13-20)
NL East: Marlins (8-21)
NL Central: Pirates (9-24)
NL West: Giants (14-17)
For real?: If you see someone reading a sports section these days and rubbing their eyes, it’s probably not due to allergies or being tired. More than likely they have just perused the NL standings and seen both the Reds and Rockies leading their respective divisions.
Cincinnati leads the National League with 176 runs scored and rank just one long ball behind the Brewers for the lead in that category. Austin Kearns, Edwin Encarnacion, Brandon Phillips and Felipe Lopez are fueling the new-age Big Red Machine, with Adam Dunn supplying pop in the form of 12 HR. Bronson Arroyo, who joined the club just before the season started in a trade from Boston, is 5-1 in seven starts, same as Aaron Harang who was the club’s Opening Day starter. Somewhat lost in their surprising start are the efforts turned in from the bullpen. Todd Coffey and Kent Mercker have done excellent jobs setting up David Weathers in the closing role.
Colorado leads the Senior Circuit with a collective .279 batting average and rank third in the league with 160 runs scored. That the Rockies are near the top in a few offensive categories is no surprise. That they rank among the leaders in some of the pitching columns is a slight shock. Colorado’s 4.14 staff ERA ranks sixth and they’ve allowed just 25 homers, tied for the lead in the NL with the Marlins. Brad Hawpe and Matt Holliday have been the main guns on offense, and they should get a lift with the return of odd Helton who missed a couple of weeks due to an intestinal ailment. Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis have pitched very well in their starting assignments, and if Jason Jennings shutout against the Astros in Denver this weekend is any indication, he could be rounding into form as well. But like the Reds, the work of the Rockie relievers has been lost on most people. David Cortez and Ramon Ramirez are two names most people don’t know though they have combined with veteran Jose Mesa to form a formidable setup trio in front of closer Brian Fuentes.
This weeks dogs: This week’s honors go to a couple of storied franchises who were supposed to battle each other for the top spot in their division this season, but instead are fighting it out for the cellar. The Dodgers and Giants sit just a half-game apart at the bottom of the NL West standings, with San Fran’s loss Sunday night in Philadelphia dropping them just behind LA.
The Dodgers lost four straight to the Diamondbacks and Padres to open the week, but bounced back to sweep the Brewers in Los Angeles over the weekend. The Bums are 4-9 so far in 1-run games, and just can’t get their offense and pitching to jive together. Nomar Garciaparra has been Mr. Clutch since returning from his early season DL stint, and the starting pitching hasn’t been bad unless your name is Jae Seo or Odalis Perez. Danys Baez has done a good job in the closer’s role in place or Eric Gagne who is reportedly getting closer to returning to action.
The Giants lost six of seven during the week, including getting swept by the Phillies over the weekend. With all the attention on Barry Bonds and his career home run total, the poor pitching has gone unnoticed. The Giants rank last in the NL with a 5.30 ERA, nearly half a run higher than the closest teams to them. Losing Moises Alou to the DL due to an ankle sprain last week won’t help matters, either.
Injury News: Coming off the DL last week were Cleveland’s CC Sabathia (CLE), Tampa Bay’s Aubrey Huff and Julio Lugo, Detroit’s Dmitri Young, Baltimore’s Luis Matos, Colorado’s Todd Helton and Atlanta’s Horacio Ramirez. Boston activated Hee Seop Choi from the DL, but optioned him to their Triple-A club in Pawtucket.
Heading to the disabled list this past week were Esteban Loaiza (OAK-back muscle), Ricky Ledee (LAD-groin), Cody Ross (CIN-bruised pinky), Russ Ortiz (ARZ-groin), Fabio Castro (TEX-groin), Tomo Ohka (MIL-shoulder), Mike Sweeney (KAN-back), Lance Cormier (ATL-oblique strain), Chris Bootcheck (ANA-groin), Rich Aurilia (CIN-groin), Mike Lieberthal (PHI-knee bruis), Dioner Navarro (LAD-wrist bruise), Javy Lopez (BAL-back strain), Moises Alou (SFG-ankle sprain), John Maine (NYM-finger), Joe Randa (PIT-foot bruise), Milton Bradley (OAK-knee sprain), Victor Zambrano (NYM-elbow surgery) and Chris Burke (HOU-shoulder).
Milwaukee's ace Ben Sheets missed a start over the weekend with more shoulder woes, though it was reported to be in the front of his shoulder and not the same injury that sidelined Sheets at the end of 2005 ... Chicago Cubs righty Kerry Wood may be close to rejoining the team after a strong tuneup for Class-A Peoria. Wood whiffed 12 in five innings of work and will reportedly make one more rehab start before any decision is made ... St. Louis' Sydney Ponson left his start on Sunday after just 42 pitches against the Marlins with a sore elbow ... New York Yankees right fielder Gary Sheffield could be headed to the DL with a bum wrist he suffered in a collision with Toronto's Shea Hillenbrand about 10 days ago.
Fantasy Studs & Duds: Cleveland’s Casey Blake, who struggled to hit .241 in 2005, raised his 2006 batting average to .371 last week with an 11-for-21 performance (.524). Blake has scored 18 times and driven in 22 in 30 games so far this season, boasting an OPS of 1.102 through May 7th.
Atlanta shortstop Edgar Renteria had a hit in all seven of the Braves’ games last week, giving him a 22-game streak so far this season and 23-game streak dating back to his final game of 2005. Renteria, who missed nine games in late April with a rib-cage injury, hit .323 for the week (10-for-31), and now leads the NL with a .351 average.
St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols cranked two more bleacher bombs last week to give him 16 on the season, a pace that calculates out to 80+ for the year. Pujols is hitting .314 with 38 RBI and an obscene 1.273 OPS.
Helped along by two strong outings by their ace, Johan Santana, the Twins’ pitching staff managed to drop their team ERA below 6.00 for the season. Minnesota split a pair of series with Seattle and Kansas City, then cooled off the hot Tigers over the weekend by taking two of three from Detroit … The Royals continue to struggle on offense with just 97 runs scored in their 29 games to date. That’s less than half of the 201 runs the Indians have scored to lead the majors, and 19 fewer than the Cubs who rank last in the National League … Speaking of the Cubs, they’re one of just two NL teams not to have a shutout credited to their pitching staff so far in ’06. The other is Florida. Over in the AL, five teams --- Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles, Twins --- have yet to blank their opposition. Detroit leads all MLB teams with five whitewashings, though none have been the complete game variety.
Quote(s) of the Week: "Smoltzie, I thought, was just outstanding. He pitched a great game, had great stuff today and he picked us up when we needed one real bad." - - - Atlanta manager Bobby Cox after John Smoltz, pitching on three days rest, helped the Braves avoid being swept by the Mets on Sunday.
"I spiked it pretty good, probably better than Ickey Woods, but I didn't do the Ickey Shuffle." - - - Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca describing his ball-slamming tantrum after a play at the plate in the second inning of Sunday’s New York-Atlanta game. Replays seem to indicate Lo Duca had a strong argument against plate umpire Angel Hernandez’ safe call.
"He about tore that Golden Arches sign down. I'm glad he's leaving town. He's about ready to get hot." - - - Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel talking about Barry Bonds’ 713th career homer.
"A thousand is a lot of wins, especially when you signed a two-year contract back in '96.” - - - New York manager Joe Torre after winning his 1000th game as Yankees skipper, an 8-5 decision on the road against Texas Saturday (May 7). The win was #1894 in Torre’s managerial career that is now in its 25th season.
