Around the League - 5/06/10

April is over, so where do we stand?

EAST

- Atlanta and Jersey City cooled off a bit, each going 3-3, but Miami and Columbus went 2-4. Miami plays New York this weekend, while Columbus travels to Jersey City.

- The Flyers' "offense first" draft strategy is paying off so far, as the team leads the league in HR and team SLG. Five players already have 7 or more HR. The pitching, however, is coming back to earth, as the staff posted a 5.11 ERA this week.

- The Jackals scored just 18 runs in their past 6 games. Still, the team has 8 players with 5 or more HR. Aramis Ramirez hit the DL this week, so Kevin Youkilis shifted to third base and Billy Butler slotted in at first. Brad Hawpe has a 13 game hit streak.

- The Capitals have arguably the best pitching rotation 1-5 so far this year. The ERA's range from Pedro Martinez (2.70) to Joba Chamberlain (3.56), and the starters have combined for 20 quality starts.

- Miami lost Brian Roberts for 4-6 weeks with a fractured ankle; a serious blow to the top of the order. Roberts had reached base in every game this year and had a .417 OBP. Dan Haren finally got his first win with a 7 inning, 2 ER, 8 K performance against Columbus.

- New York went 3-3 this week, failing to gain ground on Atlanta. Fans are growing impatient with first round pick Albert Pujols, who has hit a measly .220/.283/.339 so far. Boof Bonser (7.92 ERA) was replaced in the rotation with Dave Bush, who gave up 3 ER in 6 innings to post a win in his first start.


WEST

- Kansas has surged to the top of the division, passing La Brea and OKC with their 6 game win streak. The offense is really gelling, with Ichiro, Upton and Braun tearing it up all week. Chris Carpenter is still getting hammered, but the bullpen is coming together and locking down wins.

- La Brea's 3-3 week sees them fall 1/2 game behind Kansas as they enter a 3 game series with Sioux Falls. Jason Kubel had a big week, hitting 5 HR in 6 games.

- The Bisons are managing to get along fine without much power; OKC is 4th in SLB in runs scored despite being 10th in HR. There are still pitching issues, especially late in ballgames, as Jenks, Anderson and Bell have all been pounded.

- Sioux Falls continues it's fall, going 2-5 this week with a 5.27 team ERA. The young pitching continues to get roughed up, and a few blackholes in the lineup make it hard to overcome.

- Springfield, oh Springfield. Another 2 win week, though there are signs of improvement. Lincecum, Hamels and Greinke all posted quality starts this week. On the other hand, the offense is in the crapper; Martinez, Wright, Zobrist, Ryan and Span combined for 1 HR and 2 RBI this week. OUCH.


WORLD

- Brisbane went 5-1 this week to take a 2.5 game lead in the division. Finally, someone has stepped ahead of the pack! The Koalas lead the league with a 3.00 team ERA, thanks to unlikely pitching from Marquis and Pineiro.

- Caracas stays in 2nd place with a 4-2 mark, but continues to give up a lot of runs. Luckily for the Bolivares, the offense is still kicking tail (outside of Dan Uggla, who really needs a wake up call). A move for another starting pitcher would go a long way here.

- Quebec has lost 7 of 10 and is now 3 under .500. Tim Hudson (0-4, 7.06) has lost his spot in the rotation and has been replaced by Zach Duke. On the bright side, Alfonso Soriano is having an All-Star caliber year.

- Fremantle is back to their losing ways. Outside of Mark Teixeira, this is easily the worst infield in SLB. Matsui (.140), Theriot (.232) and Fox/McGehee (.100/.229) are killing this offense right now. The starting pitching is finally pitching like they're capable, but the bullpen has already accumulated 9 losses.