Climbing the Ladder with the National League 4/20/2008
by Scott Powers
Mets take 5 straight, lead East
Out west, the Arizona Diamondbacks bounced back from back-to-back losses to the tune of four straight wins, including another big performance from each of their big three.
The Diamondbacks are still the best in the Majors in runs scored and runs allowed.
The Colorado Rockies top the list of NL West challengers, having won five of six to surpass the .500 mark.
One of those wins took 22 innings to complete Friday morning, ending 2-1 over the San Diego Padres. Both pitching staffs were brilliant in the longest MLB game since 1993.
The Rox carried the momentum with them to Houston, where they beat the Astros Friday night.
The Rockies have benefited from the hot bats of Garret Atkins, Matt Holliday and Clint Barmes. The trio has combined to bang out 29 hits this week, including four long balls.
The Padres, meanwhile, felt the effects of the taxing game. Veteran Greg Maddux really took one for the team Friday in Arizona, eating seven innings despite allowing nine runs and getting no run support.
The Padre offense went through a stretch of 38 innings in which they managed only one run and find themselves nearly even with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants at the bottom of the division.
In the NL Central, a distinct divide has formed between the top and bottom halves. Four games separate the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Astros.
The question is: How long can the Cards stay ahead of the Cubs and Brewers? Albert Pujols continues to flat-out produce, but how long can their outfield continue to overachieve?
Chris Duncan, Skip Schumaker and Ryan Ludwick are all hitting above .325, and Schumaker is the only one to have finished a season with an average of at least .300.
The Cubs will put pressure on the Cards despite Alfonso Soriano landing on the 15-day DL. Derrek Lee leads MLB in home runs with seven.
Surprisingly, the Brewers’ best hitter has been veteran catcher Jason Kendall, batting eighth. Once Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Bill Hall and Ryan Braun get their averages above .250, that team will be dangerous.
The New York Mets have taken the lead in the NL East with five straight wins. David Wright has led the way with 10 hits and nine RBIs in his last 20 at-bats.
Before Tuesday’s game, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado advised Jose Reyes to drop the serious act he had adopted since last season’s collapse. It must have been a good idea because the Mets haven’t lost since, and Reyes went 10-for-23 with two home runs in that span.
The pitching staff has done the job, too. Johan Santana struck out 10 and walked none in out-dueling the Philadelphia Phillies’ Cole Hamels Friday. Closer Billy Wagner has been nearly perfect this season, not allowing a hit in seven innings of work and converting all four save opportunities.
The Florida Marlins have managed to stay within half a game of the Mets despite being outscored by 18 runs in 17 games. A 5-0 record in one-run games has helped their cause, but that won’t last.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Atlanta Braves have outscored their opponents by 26 runs but are still a game under .500. They have an 0-7 one-run-game record to blame.
Three weeks into the season, the D’Backs and the Mets have established themselves as the teams to beat in their respective divisions. Look for one of the three NL Central pace-setters to break away this coming week.
