baseball facts n' stats: Week 4

If you saw my previous article written earlier today, you know that the Red Sox have the best record in baseball. After one month, the Red Sox, Royals and Pirates are all alone in first place, and after Colorado lost two to Arizona this weekend, the Rockies and Diamondbacks are now tied for the division lead. Take that for what it's worth, we've seen it before.

With that in mind, here are some notes from the last week of this great baseball season.

- As mentioned in my Red Sox article, Boston is 14-0 in games that Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Felix Doubront pitch.

- Boston's schedule through May 30 includes 27 games against the Twins, Blue Jays, White Sox, Indians, Rays and Phillies.

- Red Sox hit 29 doubles in seven games last week (ten more than anyone else).

- After a slow start, the Pittsburgh Pirates are 11-4 against the Cardinals, Reds, Braves and D-Backs.

- The Pirates' pitching staff, statistically one of the best, is led by A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez, and Jeff Locke. Who would have guessed.

- As of Saturday those free-spending Angels, Dodgers and Blue Jays were all under .500 (Dodgers now at 12-12).

- Justin Upton has as many home runs as the Miami Marlins team.

- Saturday was the first time the Braves had lost a game in which Justin Upton had homered. They were 10-0.

- Surprise! Despite all that was written prior to the season about losing Swisher, Ibanez, Martin, A-Rod, Granderson and Teixeira, the Yankees have hit the most home runs in the American League.

- Rays have homered in 14 straight games. They had zero the six games before that.

- Without a doubt, Angels Joe Blanton has been the worst pitcher in baseball. In five starts he has allowed 47 hits (including 18 extra-base hits and four stolen bases) in about 27 innings. Only four individual batters (Bryce Harper, Chris Davis, Justin Upton and Carlos Santana) have a higher OPS than he has allowed.

- A lot of big-time hitters are in serious slumps. Andrew McCutchen was 1-22 (.045) last week, Albert Pujols 3-27, Carlos Gonzalez 2-24, Mike Trout 3-24, and Adam LaRoche 0-24.

- Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista hit a combined 8 home runs in a five-game stretch this week, yet the Blue Jays went 1-4 in those games.

- And now my crusade going after terrible relievers and pitchers who can't throw strikes:

-- Baltimore Orioles had won 17 straight extra-innings games. How did that end? Closer Jim Johnson hits a batter to load the bases and then walks Maicer Izturis, of all people (on four pitches), to lose the game.

-- In the same inning, Blue Jays' Aaron Laffey walked Yankees' Ben Francisco (backup DH), Chris Stewart (backup catcher) and Jayson Nix (backup third baseman).

-- In that game, Blue Jays' pitchers walked ten Yankees and and Francisco, Stewart, Nix, Ichiro and Brett Gardner accounted for seven of those.

-- He didn't account for all of them, but two of Felix Doubront's last three games had 15 walks issued by both teams. In Saturday's game there were eight bases-on-balls in the first two innings. Yawn...

-- In a tie game in the seventh inning on Saturday, Cardinals pitcher Trevor Rosenthal was pulled after walking a batter. His replacement Joe Kelly threw a wild pitch, hit a batter, then walked in the go-ahead run.

-- Cubs Carlos Marmol has walked six batters in his last four innings. On the season he has 10 BB in less than 11 innings pitched. (Do you trust him?)

Players of the Week
Couple of unlikely candidates.

AL: Josh Donaldson. The Athletics third baseman had 12 hits with 7 doubles and 7 walks, and knocked in 10 runs.

NL: Russell Martin. After a dreadful start, Martin (along with all the Pirates) have really picked up.  Martin hit .171 the first two weeks and .409 the last two weeks, including four home runs last week leading Pittsburgh on a 4-2 road trip.

all smiles in Red Sox Nation

AL BEast Notebook - April 29

There's a lot of buzz right now about the Red Sox hot start. Yes, after a 93-loss season, today they have the best record in all of baseball at 18-7, and they've been quite impressive. Here are some of the reasons why.

- Starting pitching has allowed three runs or less in 23 out of 25 games.

- Boston is 14-0 in games started by Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Felix Doubront.

- Boston hitters are batting 52 points higher than their opponents (.272 to .221).

- With runners on base, the Red Sox hitters lead the league in average (.310), on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

- Conversely, with runners on base, Red Sox pitchers have allowed the lowest average (.176), on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

- Dustin Pedroia is hitting .330, along with the second-highest walk total in the AL. He actually only has six extra base hits and leads the American League in singles. But all those singles and walks is just fine because...

- Mike Napoli has fallen in love with the Green Monster, hitting a league-high 13 doubles in 25 games and compiling 27 RBI already.

- Jacoby Ellsbury is only batting .273, but he has 11 stolen bases already.

- David Ortiz is back to his old self. He has 16 hits in eight games and dating back to July, has a 20-game hitting streak. In those eight games this season he has 11 RBI and a .529 on-base percentage.

- Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan struggled then got hurt, yet his replacement Andrew Bailey has been superb. In seven games and innings since taking over, Bailey has given up just three hits, one run, and picked up five saves.

- Looking at the upcoming schedule, you can expect them to keep it up. If we pretend the Twins (who are at 11-10) lose in Detroit tonight, then only 3 of the next 30 games for the Red Sox are against teams above .500. Take a look at the schedule.

It has been a crazy month in Boston. After all they've gone through with a Patriots Day tragedy and successful citywide manhunt, it feels appropriate that they are having a happy start.

early look at AL East Awards

AL BEast Notebook - April 26

Four weeks into the season isn't too soon to evaluate award races for the AL East. Well, maybe it is... but it's still fun.

First Month Awards

MVP: Chris Davis, Orioles. Davis leads the division in home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and runs created and WAR (sabermetric stats), and all that with virtually no protection in the lineup (J.J. Hardy, batting .181). Napoli and Cano honorable mention.

Best Pitcher: Matt Moore, Rays. 4-0 in four starts in two good hitters' parks (Arlington and Camden Yards) along with dominant performances over the Yankees and Indians. ERA of just 1.04, WHIP of 0.92 and batting average against of .116. Apologies to Clay Buchholz.

Biggest Surprise: Daniel Nava, Red Sox. The 30-year old career fourth outfielder's strong start has allowed him to take over left field from Jonny Gomes and Jackie Bradley, Jr. Nava is third in the AL East in on-base plus slugging percentage (behind just Davis and Cano) with 18 hits in 18 games along with 10 walks, 4 homers, 11 runs, and 15 RBI.

Biggest Disappointment: David Price, Rays. Tampa is 0-5 in last year Cy Young winner's starts. After racking up more Ks than hits three years in a row, he's struck out just 26 batters while allowing 37 hits, and lots of the extra-base variety (five home runs and ten doubles), although neither in recent loss to Yankees).

Manager: John Farrell, Red Sox. The new sheriff in town came to fix the pitching in Boston and in April he has. Starting pitchers have allowed three runs or less in 20 of the Sox 22 games. Boston’s team ERA has rebounded from worst to best. The offense has also been surprisingly strong, leading the division in on-base percentage, helping the Red Sox jump out to an early tie for best record in the American League at 15-7.

Rookie: Manny Machado, Orioles. He’s not technically a rookie since he had 181 at bats in 2012, but the 20 year old wonder kid has blossomed into an All-Star already. He’s batted #2 and played third base every inning of Baltimore’s games. Along with racking up defensive highlights he is showing a clutch gene, going 6 for 9 with runners in scoring position and two outs, for 11 of his 14 RBI. If not rookie, he's been the breakout player at least.

Crazy Stat: Toronto’s J.P. Arencibia, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, and Colby Rasmus have combined to hit 22 home runs and just 31 singles. They also have 98 strikeouts.

Updated Projections

Orioles 88 (0)

Blue Jays 87 (-2)

Yankees 84 (0)

Red Sox 84 (+4)

Rays 80 (-3)

injury updates and recent moves

AL BEast Notebook - April 26

Here's an update of injuries and significant transactions (from reputable sources around the teams) all organized nicely to help you keep tabs on what's going on around the division.

New York Yankees

- Kevin Youkilis has been out a week with a sore back. He was supposed to be back yesterday but needed some more rest.

- As for the regulars, Curtis Granderson is the most likely to return first. He was hitting off a tee this week and could be two weeks away. Mark Teixeira was targeting May 1, but is now realistically hoping for a late-May return. Michael Pineda threw a simulated inning and is hoping to make a June return. Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are hoping to be ready in July.

Boston Red Sox

- Shane Victorino has missed three games this week with back stiffness. On Thursday John Farrell said he will not return to the lineup until he is “symptom-free.”

- John Lackey threw this week and is on track to come off the DL and pitch against the Astros on Sunday, which is like a glorified rehab assignment.

- Joel Hanrahan threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and is headed to Pautucket on Friday to begin a rehab assignment.

- Craig Breslow is planned to pitch back-to-back days in Pautucket this weekend and could return to Boston next week.

- Franklin Morales had a setback in his rehab, developing some soreness in his chest this week. There’s no timetable on his return.

Other moves: Alfredo Aceves was demoted to AAA. Daniel Bard was brought back up this week after Steven Wright came up for one poor outing before getting sent back down. Allen Webster was called up and started one of the doubleheader games and promptly returned (although he pitched well). Backup catcher Ryan Lavarnway is in Boston.

Baltimore Orioles

- Steve Johnson pitched a rehab game in the minors on Wednesday and didn’t do particularly well, giving up four runs in five innings. He could be back in Baltimore next week.

- Brian Roberts has not been cleared for baseball activities. He jogged on a treadmill in a pool this week (sounds like fun). Late May is a realistic expectation.

- Tsuyoshi Wada, recovering from Tommy John surgery, pitched four innings in an extended Spring Training game this week. Orioles hope he can be back in June.

- Wilson Betemit, torn PCL in his right knee, should be back sometime this summer.

- Top prospect Dylan Bundy is dealing with elbow/arm problems and will visit Dr. Andrews on Monday for a second opinion. 20 year old Bundy hasn’t thrown off a mound since March.

Other moves: It has been a game of musical chairs for Orioles pitchers lately. Josh Stinson was called up for one start and was promptly sent back down. Reliever Alex Burnett was also called up and returned a couple days later. Zach Britton was called up Thursday and scheduled to start Monday after Jake Arrieta was sent to the minors.

Toronto Blue Jays

- Josh Johnson will miss Friday’s scheduled start because of triceps tightness, though the move was described as precautionary. He has had a poor April, giving up four runs and not pitching past the sixth inning in three of his four starts.

- Sergio Santos is eligible to come off the DL on April 30 but I can’t seem to find any update on him. Seems like he’s not likely to come back for at least another week.

- Jose Reyes is targeting the All-Star break as a return date from his severely sprained ankle.

- Blue Jays have several lesser pitchers out without much of a timetable (Dustin McGowan, Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchinson).

Other moves: Blue Jays picked up Aaron Laffey off waivers and he will start in place of Johnson today (Friday) against the Yankees (New York usually struggle against lefties.) Ramon Ortiz and Brad Lincoln were swapped for the bullpen.

Tampa Bay Rays

- Yunel Escobar left the game Wednesday with tightness in his hamstring and not expected to play Friday. He’s day-to-day.

- Luke Scott is set to make his season debut on Tuesday.

- Jeff Niemann underwent shoulder surgery April 10 and will miss the season.

baseball Feats n' Facts for Week 3

Last week you may recall I expressed my agitation with pitchers who can’t throw strikes. I don’t know if umpires uniformly decided on shrinking the strike zone (besides the one from the Rays/Rangers game a couple weeks back) but there have been more walks than I can ever remember. This week saw some of the same but also some signs of improvement.

- Indians and Red Sox pitchers combined to walk 15 batters in Tuesday’s nine inning game. Seriously, who has time for that?

- With an obviously different home plate ump on Wednesday, Braves and Royals pitchers struck out 19 batters without issuing a single base-on-balls. My kind of game.

- Phillies hitters went four straight complete games this week without taking a walk.

- Athletics collected 22 free passes in the same time period.

- On Monday, Cliff Lee issued his first walk in his last 169 batters faced. On Saturday he walked three batters in five innings.

- Adam Lind, the Blue Jays batter hitting .227 with no homers on the season came into the batter’s box five times this weekend against the Yankees and might as well have left his bat in the dugout. He walked in all five plate appearances.

- The Amazing Astros

-- Erik Bedard continues his bizarre season. In this week’s start Bedard walked four of the first five batters of the game, gave up six runs and only got one out.

 -- Philip Humber and the Astros bullpen had an unfortunately memorable day Saturday. By the time they had retired the tenth Indian out, 24 batters had been on base including 18 that touched home plate. In three (plus) innings Houston allowed 17 hits, 4 walks, committed two errors and hit a batter. The home crowd was not pleased.

 And like Bedard a week ago, Cleveland’s Scott Kazmir couldn’t even stay in the game long enough to get a win despite getting 19 runs of support!

 - Sadly, that wasn’t the only wacky pitching performance of Saturday night.  Tigers’ Rick Porcello put up this line: 0.2 innings, 9 hits, 9 runs. The first eight of those hits were singles. The ninth was not (no sir, Mike Trout grand slam).




- Johan Santana who? In four starts Mets pitcher phenom Matt Harvey has a .108 batting average against. He’s given up 10 hits in 29 innings.

- Reigning Cy Young winner David Price has offered up five homers and ten doubles already. Indians pitcher Brett Myers has allowed ten homers and five doubles.

- Speaking of Price: Matt Cain, Cole Hamels and Price's teams are 0-12 in games they start.

- Adam Dunn is at it again. He homered Sunday afternoon, snapping a 0-31 slump. Teammate Jeff Keppinger might catch him; he’s still hitless in his last 24 at bats.

- Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks picked up his third hit of the season Sunday. It took him 14 games and 51 at-bats, but he finally got #3. It raised his batting average to .059.

- Braves are 8-0 when Justin Upton hits a home run.

- Upton has hit 9 homers and 7 singles. (J.P. Arencibia, Dexter Fowler and Mark Reynolds each have 7 home runs and 6 singles.)

- Braves won three straight last weekend over the Nationals. This weekend they lost three straight to the Pirates.

- We all know that it seems the Dodgers have been playing with Monopoly money recently, adding payroll like it's going out of style. Well, Saturday night's lineup featured Nick Punto, Jerry Hairston Jr, A.J. Ellis, Juan Uribe, and Luis Cruz. Not exactly what you were expecting.

- In one inning Friday night, Brewers Jean Segura stole second base, got caught in a rundown at third base, ended up on first base again, and got caught stealing second base. In a span of five pitches. Hard to believe.

- The two batters with the highest on-base-percentage this season are teammates in Cincinnati. Joey Votto's OBP is .522 thanks to a ridiculous 25 walks, and leadoff man Shin-Soo Choo is one better, OBP of .523. You would think the manager would maximize production by putting them together in the batting order, but not Dusty Baker...

Players of the Week

AL: Mike Napoli. Gotta go with a Boston player this week. Napoli had 7 extra base hits and 10 RBI.

NL: Carlos Gonzalez. CarGo went 10/24 with 3 doubles, 1 triple and a homer. He also walked 3 times and stole 2 bases, which is as good as two more doubles, helping the surprise Rockies come a Sunday bullpen meltdown away from winning 9 in a row.

greatest day in Northeast sports history?

For a mid-April Saturday with no rings or trophies being awarded, it has been one of the most incredible sports days in the Northeast I can ever remember. In Boston, the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics were all in action, and after yesterday's heroic triumph over evil, what a day for celebration! For New York, the Yankees, Knicks, Nets, Mets and Devils were all playing and gave fans a great show.

Here's the rundown:

- Boston Red Sox triumphantly return to Fenway with a great ceremony, dramatic three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to win it; Ortiz returns and contributes, Buchholz goes to 4-0

- New York Yankees win in 11 innings; Kuroda pitches a gem and Rivera saves the game

- New York Knicks matched up with the Boston Celtics in playoff action

- Brooklyn Nets trampled the Bulls in a dominant playoff debut

- New York Rangers win in a shootout

- New Jersey Devils win big

- Boston Bruins returned to home-ice action with an emotional ceremony and played a great game

- New York Mets played a great game with the Nationals and at least got to see Bryce Harper show some magic

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Traveling a little farther south but still in the region...

- Baltimore Orioles swept a double header on the memorial day for the late Earl Weaver

- Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the first-place Braves

- Pittsburgh Penguins won their hockey game in dramatic fashion

- Philadelphia Flyers took care of business

- Afore-mentioned Washington Nationals won in dramatic fashion

- Washington Capitals won big over division-leading Canadiens

What more could you ask for?

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Miller's NBA Playoff Predictions

In my first year trying I dominated my fantasy basketball league, finishing 9 (Roto) points ahead of the next guy, grabbing the most assists, steals, blocks, and three pointers. Now that that is done, the next obstacle is the real NBA Playoffs.

Generally, the playoffs go to the teams that play better defense, shoot better free throws and stay healthy, and that is where I trend.  Here are my picks for the first round (in order of comment length). There are traditionally few upsets in the NBA, but I pick some.

- Nets vs. Bulls: When the Nets fired Avery Johnson back in the day when they were 14-14 I said it was a good thing for the team and that Brooklyn will improve and not only make the playoffs but they would win a series. Joachim Noah has a bad foot that makes him doubtful for Game 1 and compromised in the series. Derrick Rose could surprise everyone and decide to play, and that could change things as the Nets have struggled against quick and offense-minded point guards. But Rose hasn’t faced NBA competition in twelve months, so even if he did play he wouldn’t be effective. Meanwhile, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez are playing their best ball of the year right now, and a few extra days off should help Joe Johnson be in prime condition. Reggie Evans has emerged as the best rebounder in the NBA. Historically, D-Will performs at the highest level in the playoffs. Bulls are a trendy pick; in fact, it seems like the Nets are the underdogs. Nets advance in their first year in Brooklyn. Nets in 5

- Knicks vs. Celtics. Knicks set the record for most threes in a season. Historically, teams reliant on the three-ball have not done as well in the playoffs. Also, the Knicks haven’t won a playoff series in thirteen years. They are facing a Celtics team that is missing Rajon Rondo but still has KG, Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers, along with Jason Terry off the bench who has hit big playoff shots in his career. Celtics have been waiting for the playoffs for a month now. They don’t have much depth, especially in the middle, and that could cause concern, especially if Garnett gets in foul trouble. Carmelo Anthony is the best player in the series, but if he and J.R. Smith fall in love with the mid-range and shots from downtown, Boston will come away on top. And how nice that would be for a city coming off such a terrible tragedy. Celtics in 7

- Nuggets and Warriors. I like the Warriors’ team and I want to pick them here, but for a lot of the same reason as the Knicks, I’ve gotta go with Denver. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are great shooters but in the playoffs the better defensive team usually controls the game. Even in Curry’s best games when he takes over the Warriors still typically don’t win. And the Nuggets are really solid perimeter defenders. One concern for Denver is health; they are losing players (Gallinari, Faried, etc.) at the wrong time of the year. If Golden State can get the ball inside to David Lee and Andrew Bogut regularly rather than I like their chances but I’m afraid they won’t do that. Nuggets in 7

- Clippers vs. Grizzlies. These are two great teams in one of the best matchups of the first round and a rematch of last year. Lob City won in seven games last year, but I’ve gotta go with my gut and my heart and pick the Grizzlies; I like their defense and inside game with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. And to pick another stat I like, Memphis is a Top Ten free throw team while the Clippers are a bottom five, and free throws could make the difference in a long tight series. Grizzlies in 7

- Thunder and Rockets. An intriguing matchup as James Harden faces his former team. There was a lot of talk at the beginning of the season as to whether the Thunder made a big mistake “breaking up the band” so early but they still managed to finish on top in the West and are the favorites to represent in the Finals again. Rockets are exciting with Harden, James Lin, Chandler Parsons and Thomas Robinson but they just don’t play much defense and OKC is simply a much better team. Thunder in 6

- Spurs vs. Lakers. Lakers aren’t very good with or without Kobe. Tim Duncan is having one of his best ever seasons and now is where his focus has been. There is no focus in LA and Dwight Howard is going to be shooting about 18 free throws a game. How many can he make? Not enough. I like San Antonio big in this series. Spurs in 4

- Heat vs. Bucks.  LeBron and Bosh are playing their best ball of their careers and while Wade has played in just 3 of the last 10 games, he played 23 effective minutes in their last contest. Heat haven’t even been trying and they’ve still won 8 in a row. Won’t be a sweep, but the Bucks won’t challenge the Heat too much. Heat in 5

- Pacers vs. Hawks. Atlanta has been falling apart lately and they just aren’t that good! They haven’t beaten anybody good in over a month. Indiana’s defense will wear out the Hawks and end the series quickly. Pacers in 5

EAST
Heat in 5
Celtics in 7
Pacers in 5
Nets in 5

WEST
Spurs in 4
Thunder in 6
Nuggets in 7
Grizzlies in 7

FINALS
Heat over Spurs in 6

And to Think I Saw it on East 161st Street

AL BEast Notebook - April 19

Brook from Brooklyn throws the first pitch

Yankees lost to the Diamondback yesterday in a game so strange it would make Dr. Seuss proud.

- D-Back rookie shortstop Didi Gregorius hit a home run on the first pitch he ever saw in the major leagues

- In bottom of eighth inning down 2-1, bases loaded and one out and two strikes, Robinson Cano was hit by a pitch on the foot that forced in the tying run. But wait; the umpires say he didn't check his swing, and the strikeout overrules the hit-by-pitch. Two outs and runners stay. (Youkilis followed with another strikeout.)

- Arizona led off the 9th, 11th, and 12th innings with a double

- After the ninth inning double, the D-Backs were thrown out at the plate and reloaded the bases on a catcher's interference.

- Francisco Cervelli, who looked like he hurt his hand when it was struck by the bat in the CI mentioned above, hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game. It was the third time in the series that the D-Backs blew a lead.

- Mariano Rivera was unavailable after finishing the previous two games.

- In Arizona 11th and 12th innings, Yankees' pitcher David Phelps (pitching instead of Rivera) allowed leadoff doubles (as mentioned above), a walk, hit batter and another catcher interference by Cervelli. With no outs and runners at first and third, A.J. Pollock tried bunting but Cody Ross was thrown out at third base.

Catcher interference is something you practically never see. You would think that manager Joe Girardi, a former catcher, would have said something to Cervelli after the first instance where he clearly reached his glove forward to get struck by the bat and may have injured his hand. But nope, Cervelli did the same thing a second time.

- Eric Chavez doubled to clear the loaded bases in the 12th. Chavez, who played in New York the last two years, never had a game with three RBI for the Yankees.

- And of course, New Yorker Zack Humple caught two home run balls in the bleachers. Humple is the author of the book, "How to Snag Major League Baseballs."

Just another day at the ballpark.

Jeter has a new crack in ankle, out 'til ASB

AL BEast Notebook - April 18

Well, Eduardo Nunez, this is your chance.

After breaking his ankle in the playoffs last October, Derek Jeter set his sights on April 1, Opening Day, to return to the field. When that didn't work the goal was May 1. Now the time for seeing The Captain playing shortstop in pinstripes is way down the road.

A CT scan revealed a small crack in his ankle in the area of his previous injury. It is a new crack. He has been declared out until July, at least. That will be after his 39th birthday. That will be at least nine months after he last played. And that is best case scenario. Early August is more likely.

Eduardo Nunez has been the everyday shortstop in his absence and that will continue to be the case. After struggling defensively for much of his career he has actually been solid with the glove and throwing. He has not hit at all yet, just .240, and Nunez has missed basically five games already from getting hit by a pitch a couple times.

People have said for years that Jeter can't be an everyday shortstop anymore, and even after he returns that will likely be the case. So here we are at the post-Jeter Yankees. I've said that Nunez can be a quality starting shortstop in this league, and this is the time for him to show that.

Nunez won't be able to replicate Jeter's 216 hits, but being in the lineup every night will help him be comfortable and get in a better rhythm. He is capable of racking up a .275 average, 10 homers and 15 steals by July 1. For a backup shortstop that should be fine. However, the only other infielder on the team is Jayson Nix, a weak offensive player that was pinch-hit for last weekend even though it caused Cano to move to short and Francisco Cervelli to play second. There's no additional room for injuries in the infield.

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As for Jeter and the Yankees, it's hard to say what's left in the tank. This latest injury is probably a result of Jeter pushing himself too hard for Opening Day, so the Yankees are going to take this slowly and carefully. Hard to believe, but Alex Rodriguez could be back before Jeter.

It has been a rough month for AL East shortstops. Along with Derek Jeter's extended absence, the Blue Jays also have an All-Star (Jose Reyes) that is out for three months with an ankle injury. The Red Sox just got their shortstop Stephen Drew back after a concussion. The Orioles' J.J. Hardy is batting .193, but that is still a lot higher than Yunel Escobar (.115) for the Rays.

what's the purpose of an off-speed pitch?

AL BEast Notebook - April 17

In the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday, the Yankees were trailing the Diamondbacks 2-0. With one out and runners on first and second, Brandon McCarthy was pitching to Robinson Cano.

McCarthy threw a slider outside, another slider in the dirt, then a changeup for ball three. Cano taking all the way, the next pitch was a changeup right down the middle, followed by a slow inside curveball that was fouled away.

The sixth pitch of the at bat was yet another changeup, right down the middle, and Cano blasted it to Timbuktu.



So yeah, what is the point of an off-speed pitch, specifically a changeup? To interrupt the batter's timing and keep him off balance. So why in the world is the pitcher throwing six off-speed pitches in a row? I think Robinson Cano is perfectly capable of hitting an 84 mph fastball, and when you don't throw a real fastball to him--throwing six consecutive slower pitches--that's all a changeup is!

Cano's hit was a three run shot that was just crushed. Yankees won the game 4-2.

Dear Brandon McCarthy: you have a 94 mph fastball; use it. Otherwise you might as well be Jamie Moyer, and Jamie Moyer isn't sneaking an 84 mph fastball past Robinson Cano.

mid-April view of the New York Yankees

AL BEast Notebook - April 15

For all the doom and gloom of the preseason and then Opening Week, things have turned pretty well for New York lately. The Yankees have won five of their last six to sit at 6-5, much of the pitching is going well and the offense is finding pleasant surprises. Basically, the good has been great and the bad has been dreadful.

There was cause for concern when CC Sabathia looked lifeless on Opening Day and then Hiroki Kuroda’s hand was struck by a line drive in the second game, but since then the top of the rotation has been all that you could ask for. Kuroda pitched an absolute gem on Sunday night, going the full nine innings and didn't even allow a runner to reach second base until two outs in the ninth (thanks to an error and fielders choice). After a dreadful second inning against the Red Sox, Sabathia has responded with just one earned run in his last 18 innings. Andy Pettitte has been stellar on the mound, allowing just one run in each of his two starts.

The lineup picked up last week, led by Robinson Cano who hit .500 with three homers, four doubles and eight RBI. Kevin Youkilis, Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner and even Francisco Cervelli have been quite productive. In fact, even after looking entirely anemic against the Red Sox and Tigers, Yankees have the highest OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) in the American League. Cervelli has been the biggest surprise, as the catcher is 3 for 3 with runners in scoring position and two outs. He has also worked seven walks in nine games and holds a .500 on base percentage, and has not allowed a stolen base.

Injuries and depth, of course, continue to be the primary concern with the Yankees. Derek Jeter is nowhere near returning. His replacement, Eduardo Nunez has been hit by a pitch a couple times, causing him to miss multiple games on two different occasions already. The only backup infielder is Jayson Nix, and he is pretty much an automatic out. Girardi pinch hit for Nix on Saturday and had to use Cervelli at second base and move Cano to shortstop.

Pettitte missed a start due to back spasms (he is old) and was pushed back a couple times. He is expected to pitch on Friday, ten days after his last game. Another seasoned vet Ichiro looks awful out there (.176, no stolen base attempts).

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Back of the rotation is definitely a sore spot. Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova are combined 0-3 with an 8.75 ERA. Fortunately, the Yankees could skip Nova’s start last week thanks to rain in Cleveland. He starts Tuesday against the 8-4 Diamondbacks. David Phelps is ready to take his place should he struggle, although Phelps has been very effective in long relief.

Back of the bullpen (Rivera and Robertson) has been fine, but the rest of the pen has pitched poorly to the tune of a 5.19 ERA and 1.67 WHIP overall. It hasn’t affected the outcome of any games as starting pitchers have picked up every decision.

Overall, the games have really been dictated early on. New York is 5-0 when the score first, and 1-5 when first scored upon. There hasn’t been much drama; every game has been decided by two or more runs.

Due up: D-Backs, @Blue Jays, @Rays, Blue Jays


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mid-April view of the Tampa Bay Rays

AL BEast Notebook - April 15

Tampa Bay is off to a terrible start. After Monday afternoon’s loss in Boston the Rays are sitting in the bottom of the AL East at 4-8.

My biggest concern with the Rays is here front and center: they just can’t hit!

- Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist are doing pretty well at the plate, but they are getting no help. Batters 5 through 9 in the order, plus #2 (that’s two thirds of the lineup!) are hitting a paltry .169.

- As a team they have hit just four home runs in twelve games. Before Longoria’s homer in Monday’s game they had gone over six games without bopping one out.

- Rays are just 1 for their last 28 with runners in scoring position.

- Tampa has scored AL-worst 35 runs (2.9/game)

And they haven’t been facing amazing pitchers in pitchers’ ballparks: Fenway Park and the Ballpark in Arlington, and the Indians and Orioles at home. They simply can’t hit.

Where is Wil Myers when you need him?

The Rays have been victimized by some poor officiating. One of the games against the Rangers ended on an egregious called third strike that should have loaded the bases for Longoria, and today in Boston Longoria was incorrectly called out at first on a play that should have brought home a run in the sixth. Both games were lost by one run.

- The biggest strength of the Rays is David Price. That has not been an advantage, as the team is 0-3 in his starts.

- Matt Moore has been a bright spot. He has not given up a run yet in his two games and has two wins. However, a high pitch count has prevented him from pitching past the sixth inning.

- The bullpen has a 5.22 ERA.

- Roberto Hernandez won the #5 starter job but he has been poor, holding a 6.08 ERA and allowing 21 base runners in 13.1 innings. Unfortunately, the pitcher he was selected over, Jeff Niemann, had shoulder surgery and will miss the whole season. If Hernandez continues to struggle, the Rays will have to bring up Chris Archer, who made four starts in the majors last year.

Due up: Three series: @Baltimore, Athletics and Yankees, followed by a 10-game road trip.

stats n' facts Week 2: can I get some relief!

There are precious few things I hate more than bad relief pitching. Specifically guys who come in and can't throw strikes. We sure saw a lot of that this week.

- In fifth inning on Thursday, Cubs' Scott Feldman was relieved by Hideki Takahashi with a one run lead. Takahashi walked the pitcher with the bases loaded, Cubs lost by one run, and Feldman was charged with the loss.

- With a two-run Reds lead in the eighth inning on Sunday, Jonathan Broxton walked the first batter, and the next batter hit a home run to tie the game. After the next batter grounded out, Broxton again walked a batter immediately followed by another home run to break the tie. The Pirates then pinch-hit with a pitcher (Jonathan Sanchez) and Broxton walked him! Sanchez also scored in the inning.

- Speaking of those Reds, they took advantage of some awful relief pitching earlier in the week. On Monday in a tie game in the ninth, St Louis reliever Mitchell Boggs walked four of the first six batters he faced. The Reds scored nine runs in the ninth inning (and Chris Heisey had the distinction of making the first and second outs).

- Dodgers were down 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth on Friday. Clayton Kershaw gets pulled with the bases loaded, and he "relief" walks home two runs.

- In the fifth on Wednesday, Mark Buehrle intentionally walked Prince Fielder to load the bases, and then was lifted for a reliever. The new pitcher walked the next two batters, followed by a single. All three runs were charged to Buehrle.

Then in the seventh of the same game with a two-run lead, a one out single caused Jim Leyland to make a call to the pen. The reliever threw a wild pitch and then went on to walk three batters in a row. (That terrible pitcher was lifted, and the next guy immediately gave up a double to clear the bases).

So twice in one game, three batters were walked consecutively.

- In his first three appearances in mop-up time, Yankees' Joba Chamberlain recorded eight outs and walked six batters.

- Tigers' relievers have walked 24 batters in 37 innings.




Other relief pitching notes:

- Phillies' Chad Durbin has made four relief appearances, and allowed all seven runners on base to score.

- Astros pitcher Erik Bedard was pulled from a game Tuesday after four shutout innings with his team up 13-0. Reliever Paul Clemens also pitched four innings and allowed five runs. Naturally, the win was credited to Clemens.

- Cardinals relievers have blown 5 of 7 save opportunities this season. So you can appreciate Jake Westbrook and Adam Wainwright each throwing complete games this week.

Craziest Fact of the Week

- Mother Nature struck hard on Wednesday, causing four delays (in Detroit, Texas, Philadelphia and Boston), and two postponements (in Cleveland and Chicago). But that wasn't the only delay that day, as the Nationals and White Sox players and fans had to wait to start because the umpires got caught in a traffic jam! If you have driven in Washington D.C., you could understand.

Lest you think I only remember the Bad, here are some noteworthy performances:

- Newcomer John Buck homered in four straight games this week. His six homers is more than all the Mets catchers had combined last season, and his 19 RBI after two weeks is just two less than 2012 starter Josh Thole had all season.

- Another (relatively) new Met, Matt Harvey from nearby New London CT, is now 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 22 innings. He won both games this week on the road, including taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

- After a sluggish first week, the Tigers hitters are really slugging. Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Johnny Peralta (batters 1-5) hit .416 with 32 runs scored in six games.

- On a chilly Thursday afternoon in Detroit, the Tigers won big but how they did was the real story.
With two outs in the first, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder both walked. Then, seeing that nobody was holding him on at second or covering third, Cabrera stole third base without a pitch being thrown or a play at the base! He then scored on a soft single.

In the second inning after a couple singles, Alex Avila tagged up to second on a fly ball to left field. Austin Jackson singled next, and Avila was able to score from second. The throw came to the plate, and Jackson advanced to second base. Torii Hunter then singled, and Jackson scored from second base. Cabrera came up again and the speed merchant legged out a triple as Rajai Davis slid into the center field wall, and scored on another soft single to center. The Tigers built a 6-1 lead on a lot of heads up base running and just being smarter and more aggressive than the Blue Jays.

- Braves are the hottest team in the league, winning nine in a row and 11-1 overall. And the most amazing aspect of that is that they are winning despite no production from Jason Heyward (.103), BJ Upton (.163) or Dan Uggla (.171).

- Oakland A's started an impressive 9-2 and have scored the most runs in the league. Seth Smith, Jed Lowrie and Coco Crisp combined to hit 17 doubles in those first 11 games.




- Indians pitcher Justin Masterson is pitching like ace he is supposed to be, now 3-0, allowing just one run in 22 innings. He pitched a complete game shutout on Friday, which he had to do because the Indians scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the ninth.

Players of the Week
For the second week in a row it's a slugger from the AL and a starting pitcher from the NL.

AL: Prince Fielder went 12 for 19 with 9 walks for a ridiculous .733 on base percentage with 11 RBI.

NL: Adam Wainwright threw a complete game shutout, allowing just 4 hits while striking out 12 with no walks. With the bat he went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI and a run scored.

baseball's Catch-22

Felix Hernandez hits Alex Rodriguez with a pitch, breaks his wrist, A-Rod misses over two months.

J.A. Happ hits Curtis Granderson with a pitch, breaks his arm, Granderson misses two months.

A couple years ago, Alfredo Aceves hit Marlon Byrd in the face with a pitch, Byrd misses six weeks.

Zach Greinke hits Carlos Quentin with a pitch, Quentin charges the mound and breaks Greinke's collarbone, Greinke to miss two or three months.

No one wants to see players get injured. Baseball is centered on pitchers' ability to throw accurately. When pitchers throw 90 miles an hour, there is serious risk of significant injuries to the batter. There are times when it is obvious that a pitcher intentionally hits a batter, and I have no problem when batters charge the mound in those situations.

But on a 3-2 pitch leading off the sixth inning in a one run game, Greinke's throw on Quentin was not intentional.

I believe that pitchers should be held responsible when they cause batters to miss time with an injury from a HBP. When a batter charges the mound and injures the pitcher, I believe the batter should be held responsible.

Is this just part of the game that teams, fans and players have to deal with? Is there a better way to legislate/enforce?

Should Happ and King Felix sit out while the batters are out? Should Quentin sit while Greinke is out?

Greinke breaks collarbone on a bogus move by Quentin

In last night's Dodgers vs. Padres game, Carlos Quentin charged the mound after getting hit in the shoulder by a Zach Greinke pitch, and the skirmish left Greinke with a broken collarbone.

Normally I would go to the defense of the batter on these situations but this one was totally crazy. The situation was 2-1 Dodgers, Quentin leading off the bottom of the sixth inning, a 3-2 pitch. Along with that, after the pitch, Greinke went off the mound shaking his head and rolling his eyes, looking up into the first base bleachers. An intentional beaning is typically followed by staring the batter down, coming off the mound spitting, looking at the ground or just looking tough. Greinke wants to earn a win. There is no way that Greinke was going after Quentin.

The interesting thing about the situation was during the at-bat, Dodgers announcer Vin Scully went over Quentin's bio. He went to college at Stanford where he was an "honor roll student." He played football in high school where he was on a championship team, and made a big play on football forcing a fumble on defense and then on offense winning the game with a run. Quentin is big, strong guy. And he's supposed to be a smart guy, too.

This wasn't just a fluke injury. Greinke is a 190 pound beanpole. Quentin is a 240 pound former football player. Quentin charged the mound, bull-rushing Greinke, who lowered his shoulder into a charging Quentin. Greinke obviously took the brunt of that, and that was immediately followed by Quentin tackling him. Then two dozen players jumped on top.

The Dodgers signed Zach Greinke to a $147 million, 6 year contract in the offseason, the largest ever (at the time) deal for a right handed pitcher. They opened up the checkbook for lots of players in a mad effort to put together a star-studded roster that can win the World Series this year. Greinke was the brightest star of the free agent class, making $21 million this year. Carlos Quentin is getting $9 million a year playing for the last place San Diego Padres.

Greinke will likely be out at least two, could be three months.

It was a real wild pitch, but Quentin needs to use a little better discretion. It was a cheap shot by a large strong man on a bad team against a great but scrawny player on a great team. It was a completely unnecessary injury that significantly impacts a team and player.

Some people will say that Quentin should be suspended until Greinke returns. He will likely get benched for a week or less. But one thing is for sure: Padres manager Bud Black better not include Carlos Quentin in the lineup in the 16 remaining games against the Dodgers or he will add to his 108+ career times hit by pitch.

interesting Stats n' Facts from Week 1

- Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer walked the first four Rays batters on Saturday, forcing in a run. That was all Tampa Bay needed as Cleveland didn’t score a run the whole game.

- Speaking of the Indians, they beat both of last year's Cy Young winners in the first week of the season.

- Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game Saturday with a double. The next Red Sox hit came with two outs in the ninth inning.

- Marlins starting pitching ERA is 2.48. Their relievers’ ERA is 8.10.

- Nationals pitchers allowed just one run in the entire series against the Marlins. Naturally, they gave up six homers and 15 runs in the next game against the Reds.

- There were three shutouts on Sunday, but the losing pitchers in those games were Justin Verlander, David Price and R.A. Dickey.

- Dickey allowed 5 first inning runs on Sunday against the Red Sox. That number matched his total runs allowed from all 33 first innings he pitched in 2012.

- Hanley Ramirez was injured in the WBC championship game. His replacement for the Dodgers, Luis Cruz, is 0 for 17.

- Rockies are hitting an amazing .333 as a team while their pitchers have tallied an impressive 5 quality starts.

- As a team, the Pirates are batting .119 and have scored just 8 runs in six games.

- How is this for irony: in the sixth inning with two outs, Phillies’ starter Kyle Kendrick was “relieved” by Jeremy Horst, who promptly gave up a bases-clearing triple. Kendrick was charged with all three runs while Horst, who got the next Royal to fly out, looked scot-free (one hit in a scoreless third of an inning). However, in the following inning Horst allowed the first three batters to all get on base and he was replaced. His “relief” also gave up a bases-clearing triple and three runs were all charged to Horst. So it all worked out. Needless to say, it was not a good day for the Phillies’ bullpen.

- On Wednesday, Fernando Rodney came in the ninth to save a one run lead. A walk and run-scoring double blew the save. But the leadoff man in the bottom of the ninth homered, and Rodney was credited with a win. You can call that a BS Win.

- Coaching Malfunction #1: With a one run lead in the seventh on Wednesday and the #8 and 9 batters up, O’s Buck Showalter called for an infield shift. The first batter bunted down the third baseline where nobody was for an easy single. The next batter grounded the ball to where the shortstop should have been but into a wide open hole in the shift. Both runners scored and Baltimore lost by one.

- Coaching Malfunction #2: On Friday with a 5-4 lead and runners on second and third, Twins’ Ron Gardenhire elected to intentionally walk Nick Markakis to load the bases. Consequently, Adam Jones hit his league-leading tenth base hit to tie the game and Chris Davis hit the next pitch for a grand slam.

- from The Amazing Astros:

– Starting pitcher Erik Bedard earned a save on Opening Night in an 8-2 game.
– Reliever Xavier Cedeno's ERA after Saturday was 108.00. And that's not including the three unearned runs he allowed.

– Rick Ankiel homered in his first at-bat this season. Since then he is 0 for 11 with 10 strikeouts.

– Brett Wallace singled in his second at-bat. Since then he is 0 for 15 with 12 strikeouts.

– As a team, the Lastros have struck out an amazing 74 times, with just 9 walks.

- Players of the Week

AL: Chris Davis – .455, 4 home runs and 3 doubles, 17 RBI, 1.636 OPS

NL: Clayton Kershaw – 2-0, 16 strikeouts in 16 innings, 0.00 ERA and hit a home run in the eighth inning of a 0-0 game

what you need to know about Chris Davis

AL BEast Notebook – April 6

Orioles games have become Must-See TV with the way first baseman Chris Davis has been hitting. Much has been said already but here are some things that stick out to me.

- Only two other players in history have hit a home run and had three runs batted in four straight games: Lou Gehrig and Bill Dickey (75 years ago). They both did it five in a row.

- Every team has played four games. Fourteen teams have lower home run totals than Chris Davis.

- Davis has produced more runs (17; 16 RBI plus one other run scored) than sixteen teams have scored. That’s over half the league.

- 16 RBI is the most for the first four games in MLB history.

- Davis has 9 hits in his last 13 at bats (.692) with four homers and three doubles.

- Davis is 5 for 7 with runners in scoring position for 14 RBI, and 3 for 3 with RISP and two outs.

- Davis is 7 for 8 batting against righties and has hit two home runs against lefties.

- Three of his home runs are on pitches outside the strike zone. He has hit a home run to right field, center field, and two to left field.

- For his career, Davis has averaged a strikeout every three at-bats. This young season he has one strikeout in 15 at-bats.

- Despite his hot hitting, Davis has been walked just once. Why? The man immediately in front of him (Adam Jones) has a league-leading 10 hits. And the batter before Jones has had four hits and three walks. Strangely, managers have intentionally walked the batter before or two before Davis twice. Davis knocked the ball out both times.

O's sting the Rays on Opening Day #2

AL BEast Notebook – April 2

Trying to show that last season was no fluke, Baltimore started the season with an impressive win in Tampa Bay over David Price and the Rays’ bullpen.

Everybody got hits for the Orioles Tuesday afternoon but it was the heart of the order that did all the damage. David Price gave up a two run homer to Matt Wieters in the first inning. Then, with two on, two strikes and two outs, Adam Jones smacked a go-ahead double in the seventh, and after an intentional walk to Wieters, Chris Davis took Jake McGee to the bleachers.

After Wieters’ homer in the first Orioles had lots of baserunners but Price did a good job of getting out of trouble. He escaped a bases loaded jam in the third and leadoff doubles in the fourth and sixth. Price ended his day after six innings with a lead, but McGee couldn’t put batters away.

McGee had two strikes on both Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis but the veterans each smacked the ball right back over the mound for singles. Then with two strikes to Adam Jones, the center fielder hit a clutch shot to deep left center for the go ahead runs. Davis’ three run homer followed. McGee has a dubious 67.50 ERA after one day.

Ben Zobrist homered in the fourth for Tampa’s first run. Joe Maddon and the Rays manufactured a couple runs in the sixth to take the lead. After a leadoff walk, Jennings doubled in a run, Fuld bunted him over to third, and Ben Zobrist hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2 Rays. But the pitchers couldn’t stop the O’s, giving up 13 hits (including two homers and four doubles) and four walks.

Jones, Wieters and Davis combined to get on base nine times and knock in all seven runs.
The division rivals meet again Wednesday night with Wei-Yin Chen opposing Jeremy Hellickson.

From around the league, the Daily Top Five:

- Yu Darvish retired the first 26 Houston batters until Marwin Gonzalez broke up the perfect game with a shot up the middle between Darvish’s legs with two outs in the ninth. I have a feeling that we will be seeing several more potential no-hitters against the Astros this season.

- The knuckle wasn’t working for R.A. Dickey today as the new Blue Jays’ ace gave up five hits, four walks and four runs in a loss to the Indians. It took Darvish 107 pitches to finish six innings.

- Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki each homered for the second straight game. Rockies beat the Brewers 8-4.

- Elvis Andrus and the Rangers agreed to a contract extension through 2022. Including the two years he had remaining, the deal is basically for 10 years, $131 million. So much for the Yankees’ plan of chasing him to be Jeter’s replacement. Andrus is 24 years old.

- Madison Bumgarner is pitching a gem. Through six innings he’s given up just one hit while shutting out the rival Giants.

Opening Day win for the Red Sox in the Bronx

AL BEast Notebook – April 1

It’s a great start to the season if you are a Red Sox fan. Not so much for their proud counterparts in the Big Apple.

CC Sabathia gave up four runs in the second inning on walks and singles and that was all Boston needed as they beat the Yankees 8-2 on a day that started out warm and sunny and ended cold, rainy and windy, with empty bleachers and trash blowing all over the field.

The Yankees certainly didn’t exactly resemble your traditional Bronx Bombers. Confused New Yorkers were cheering for “Yooouuk.” Injured A-Rod and Jeter were replaced by Jayson Nix and Eduardo Nunez, who combed for 0-6 with five strikeouts. Ben Francisco, playing for his sixth team in the last 16 months, was the designated hitter. They needed some terrific pitching from their ace, and they didn’t get it: CC gave up eight hits, walked four batters and got pulled after the fifth inning. Joba Chamberlain, looking like a caterpillar is taking up residence under his nose, pitched a terrible ninth allowing three to score that only about 68 fans left in the stands witnessed. It was an uninspiring performance by the Yankees, who allowed four infield hits and walked eight Boston batters.

Sabathia’s career ERA in April is 7.24 and despite starting five times he is still winless on Opening Day with the Yanks. In his last seven games against the rival Red Sox he is 2-4 with a 6.70 ERA.

The Red Sox lineup wasn’t much more intimidating, but the first three batters had seven hits while Jarrod Saltalamacchia and rookie Jackie Bradley combined for six walks and four runs. Bradley had a big impact in his major league debut, also beating out a throw at second base that opened the floodgates in the second inning, then made a run-saving catch in left field in the third.

The lone bright spot in the game for New York was Francisco Cervelli, who coaxed Yankee fans one step back from the ledge when it looked like it would be the same old story. Cervelli got a two out hit, the Yankees’ first in two years, with the bases loaded to send two runners across home. Then in the sixth he made a great tag to stop Ellsbury at the plate and keep the Sox’ lead at just two.

But the day belonged to the Red Sox and the Yankee lineup made Boston’s pitchers look nearly perfect. Lester had just one bad inning while striking out seven in five innings, while five relievers yielded one hit across the last four frames. New Sox reliever Koji Uehara needed just five pitches to get through the sixth. New closer Joel Hanrahan also threw a 1-2-3 inning in his his first appearance for the club.

If the game wasn’t bad enough, Alex Rodriguez made an appearance for the media beforehand, answering more questions about PEDs and stating that the Yankees being projected to finish in last place is “pretty crazy.”

Both teams get a day off tomorrow. Then the Yankees will shake up the lineup with righty Clay Buchholz taking the hill, although that really only means Lyle Overbay and Travis Hafner get the start and Ichiro bats second.

Certainly, Girardi declares afterward that it’s just one game out of 162, but the lackluster yet predictably bad performance will probably not be a rare occurrence this month.

From around the league, the Daily Top Five:

- Bryce Harper homers twice, Strasburg throws seven shutout innings, Nationals win 2-0

- Clayton Kershaw pitches a complete game shutout and breaks a scoreless tie himself with a home run in the eighth, Dodgers beat the Giants

- Angels and Reds combined for 30 strikeouts and 4 errors in a 4:45 long 13 inning game in Interleague action on Opening Day. Reds batters not named Shin-Soo Choo went 1-37 (.027). Angels win

- Felix Hernandez and Chris Sale each threw 7.2 shutout innings for the Mariners and White Sox, Jeff Samardzija throws 8 scoreless for the Cubs

- Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, Rays, Orioles and Indians are saying “don’t forget about us!”