MLB Monday Dispatch: Indians, Rockies Continue to Surge, Orioles Lose Every Game

Good Weeks

1) Colorado Rockies: The Rockies scored 43 runs this week on their way to 6-1 record against the Cubs and Mets. Colorado has now scored 85 runs on the year, third in all of baseball... ok, the Rockies are scoring a lot of runs, big surprise right? More noteworthy about this team so far has been the performance of the bullpen. As a unit, in 51.2 innings pitched, they have given up just 18 earned runs. Remove one outlier performance by Felipe Paulino in which he gave up five earned in one third of an inning (including a three run homer to Starlin Castro), and the bullpen has posted a stunning 2.29 ERA, with a 8.01 K/9 ratio. Huston Street has also been fantastic as a closer, converting six saves without blowing one and striking out 11 batters in 11.1 innings. Remember too that Ubaldo Jimenez has made only one start so far this season. This team might be really good.

2) Cleveland Indians: They're top-five in every major pitching stat, and Travis Hafner appears to be returning to a level he hasn't performed at since 2006, hitting .354 with four home runs and a .407 OBP. Grady Sizemore just returned from injury and Shin-Soo Choo (one of the most underrated outfielders in the AL) hasn't really gotten going yet. The big question mark here remains the starting pitching, as they will have to find someone to replace Mitch Talbot, who may miss a month will an elbow strain and Fausto Carmona is still struggling to find a rhythm. Justin Masterson's ERA (1.33) is almost three points below his career average, and for Cleveland to succeed he will have to emerge as a stud.

3) Saint Louis Cardinals: They entered the week with a 3-6 record before going 5-2 to pull back to five hundred. Colby Rasmus ans Lance Berkman are carrying the offensive load for a team that put up 61 runs this week. Albert Pujols is starting to heat up as well (.344 average this week with 3 HR and 6 RBI).

Bad Weeks

1) Chicago White Sox: I'm trying to resist the urge to go on a rant here. It was only one week, they ran into some really hot starting pitchers and easily could have won almost all of these games. But instead they went 1-6, and the bullpen and defense have been pitiful this year, and seem to be feeding off of each other, as many of the errors seem to be coming while the bullpen is out there. Sox pitchers have blown six saves in seven opportunities, with "closer" Matt Thorton blowing all four of his save opportunities. Despite all the errors, the Sox bullpen has four guys with ERA's over six and has given up a league high .812 OPS against opposing hitters. The offense struggled this week as well, scoring just 21 runs with a .212 team average.

2) Baltimore Orioles: They didn't win a game this week, so that's pretty bad. The revamped offensive is in the bottom three in the AL in most offensive categories, including BA, RBI's, walks and runs scored. On the plus side, The Minnesota Twins are coming into town who thus far have been the only offense in the league that has performed worse than the Orioles. They also have the lowest batting average on balls in play of any team in baseball, suggesting that their luck may still turn around, but they also have the highest flyball rate of any team, and flyballs go for hits less than any other type of contact.

3) San Diego Padres: Not a horrible week, just a bad one. They went 3-4 against one really good team (the Reds) and one horrible team (the Astros). They are starting to look like the team everyone knew they were going to be: a top tier pitching team that can't hit its way out of a paper bag.

Guys Who Played Well

Dan Haren: 2 W, 14 K, .65 WHIP

Matt Kemp: .520 BA, 2 HR, 1.386 OPS

Troy Tulowitzki: .606 OBP, 4 HR, 8 RBI

Guys Who Did Not Play Well

Ian Kinsler: 1/21, .048 SLG, 1 RBI

Felix Hernandez: 7.36 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 18 H

Bobby Jenks: 1.1 IP, 4 ER, .500 BAA

Interesting Fact

The top three team ERA's in the American League all come out of the AL West, with Oakland, Los Angeles and Texas posting 2.59, 2.68 and 2.95, respectively.

Crap 162 Update

As a result of last week's poll results and losing 10 of their last 12, the Mets have officially entered the running. Welcome!