At a Glance: National League

Jason Michael Barker

Don't have time to check the standings, scan the statistics, or peruse the box scores on a daily basis? Enter Strikethree.com. When have we ever failed to provide you with just what you need? Today, a quick look around the National League -- who's hot, who's not, and just what do they put in the "special sauce"?

Out West, the Giants (26-19) continue to lead the division despite a rag-tag pitching staff and the lack of Barry Bonds. SS Rich Aurilia (.372/.514) has been a major surprise with the bat, as has the catching tandem of Brent Mayne (.400/.396) and Scott Servais (.378/.492). San Fran could really use another starting pitcher (who couldn't), but so far youngsters Russ Ortiz (6-2, 2.25) and Chris Brock (4-3, 4.01) have held down the fort, with the help of a very strong bullpen.

Close behind are the high-priced Diamondbacks (26-21) who have defied all odds and actually managed to score some runs this season. 3B Matt Williams (.360/.624), LF Luis Gonzalez (.445/.675) and SS Jay Bell (.380/.600) are all hitting out of their minds right now, and you have to wonder how long they can keep it up. Still, the D-Backs are scoring just over 5.5 runs per game (while allowing just 4.6), so it's not as if they're doing it with smoke and mirrors. If Andy Benes (3-5, 6.17) gets going, look out. The rest of the rotation has been stellar.

At 22-22, the Dodgers have been a major disappointment. Other than Kevin Brown, LA's starting pitchers have an ERA of 4.89, despite playing their home games in a tremendous pitcher's park. Adrian Beltre (.392/.475), Gary Sheffield (.392/.512) and Raul Mondesi (.368/.616) are all hitting well, but aren't enough to carry an offense which includes so many non-contributors.

The Rockies (18-24) and Padres (17-26) are locked up in a bitter battle for last place, with both teams struggling at the plate and on the mound. One bright spot for Colorado is Larry Walker (.467/.752), off to yet another hot start. In San Diego, Tony Gwynn is just 25 hits away from 3000, but has been battling injuries all year.

The Astros (28-16) once again lead the Central, boasting the best record in the NL. It's been business as usual for Larry Dierker's crew -- good offense (fourth in runs scored), good pitching (best ERA in the league), good record. And all this without much offense from Ken Caminiti, Derek Bell, or Richard Hidalgo. Ho hum.

The rest of the division is a tossup, with five teams within three games of one another. The Cubs and Cardinals stand tied at 23-20, and each team has been decimated by injuries. It seems that half of the Cubs' pitching staff is on the disabled list, while St. Louis could really use J.D. Drew in the lineup right about now. In case you haven't been paying attention, Mr. Sosa leads Mr. McGwire 15 to 13 in the rematch of last season's dramatic home run race.

The Reds (22-19), Pirates (22-23) and Brewers (21-23) round out the division, and all fall into the category of teams which aren't necessarily bad, but just don't have the talent to compete with Houston or even St. Louis. You have to wonder how long Steve Avery and Hideo Nomo can keep pitching well in Cincy and Milwaukee, respectively, and how long before the Bucs sign Ed Sprague to a multi-year deal.

In the East, it appears that we may be in store for a pennant race for the first time in a while, and I'm not talking about the battle for last place (more on that later). The Braves (27-18) are still looking for the answer to the $64,000 question: what's up with Greg Maddux? If it's any indication, Maddux pitched seven scoreless innings against the Brewers on Tuesday night, fanning six and walking three. Fortunately, Atlanta is getting plenty of offense from Javy Lopez (.353/.532), Chipper Jones (.365/.506), Andruw Jones (.362/.503), Brian Jordan (.388/.591) and even -gasp!- Bret Boone (.335/.475).

The Mets (26-20) give chase. You know all about John Olerud (.508/.635) and Mike Piazza (.366/.534), but Roger Cedeño (.437/.378), Edgardo Alfonzo (.397/.474) and Robin Ventura (.342/.515) have been a great supporting cast. Did I mention that they have four starters with ERAs above five? If one or two of them turn it around, it could be enough to overtake the Braves, or at least win the wild card. Armando Benitez and John Franco have been a terrific relief duo.

The Phillies (23-21) are in that same class as the Reds, Pirates and Brewers, with one distinction -- Curt Schilling. He's one of the best pitchers in baseball, and a very valuable commodity. Philadelphia's problem isn't so much a lack of talent, because this isn't a bad team by any stretch. However, they're always going to have trouble competing with the Mets and Braves, given the financial structure of things.

Marlins (15-31), Expos (14-29). Expos, Marlins. Marlins, Expos. Who knows? Neither team is going to win anything anytime soon, although both have some decent young pitching. Too bad there's no offense there (Montreal or Florida) to score any runs.

about the author

Jason Michael Barker considers himself the Tim McCarver of undergrads. Tell him not to be so hard on himself.