Hot Start/Cold Start

[Frayed Knot]

A quick trip through the outliers in opening week of MLB 2011:

- Red Sox 0-5; 16 RS/37 RA -- played Texas & Cleveland so far
Their supposed deep cast of starting pitchers so far consists of 10 HRs and 24 ER allowed in 25.1 innings, or an aggregate slash line of .311/.395/.699
Meanwhile their bats are stroking to a .190/.275/.301 tune which includes sub-.100 BAs from their catcher (Saltalamacchia) and SS (Scutaro) and interstate BAs from the likes of Youkilis & Ellsbury.
The good news? -- the Yanx arrive in town tomorrow (home opener)


- Rays 0-5
Their pitching isn't as bad (22 given up) but they have just [u:32l31ez3]7 runs scored[/u:32l31ez3] across five games
The team is hitting a collective .136/.218/.260 and situationally they're ... oh what difference does it make they're not getting any baserunners anyway.
Only BJ Upton is respectable to date (6-18, 2 2Bs, 2 HRs) and Evan Longoria went 0-5 before landing on the DL


Orioles 4-1 -- swept Tampa, split with Detroit
Not trying to make this all about the AL East but the Os just lost their first game last night. With just 20 runs scored they're not exactly busting down walls but have [u:32l31ez3]only allowed 11 runs[/u:32l31ez3] and 7 of those were last night.
Jeremy Guthrie, Zach Britton, Jake Arrieta, and Chris Tillman comprised the murderers row of starters first time around (26 IPs, 2 ER)



Reds 5-0 -- swept Brews, are in the process of sweeping Houston
[u:32l31ez3]43 runs scored[/u:32l31ez3] in five games including hanging up an even dozen twice as the offense has rolled to a .339/.404/.531 line
Oh, and that Brandon Phillips guy who Dusty was bunting with in the opener? ... 9 for 20 with a HR and 2B



Astros 0-5 -- swept by Phils, lost twice to Reds
OK this one probably isn't a surprise to a lot of people.
Although they did have a 4-run lead on Halladay in the 7th inning of the opener but nothing's gone right since.
No one is hitting except some SS named Angel Sanchez. Brett Myers (who had a great 2nd half last year) pitched well in the opener before his bullpen yanked it out from under him.



Rangers 6-0 -- swept Boston & Seattle
42 RS/20 RA while facing the likes of Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Eric Bedard, (rookie) Michael Pineda and Felix Hernandez
Home cooking is over, now have to hit the road to Baltimore, Detroit, and New York

[Centerfield]

I'm hoping the Astros hit that magic number of 121.

[Ceetar]

Centerfield wrote: I'm hoping the Astros hit that magic number of 121.

I just hope they still look this bad in two weeks. (and May 13-15th, but we'll worry about that then)

[Frayed Knot]

Astros moved out of the home for winless teams yesterday (3-2 over Cincy) even as supposed powerhouses Boston & Tampa still reside there.



Sawx playing their home opener NOW!!!! as John Lackey and Phil Hughes staged a 'who can suck worse' contest over the first few innings.
Currently 7-6 Boston thru 5 with both starters already in the showers. Hughes lasted just 3 while Lackey stayed in for a while longer to see exactly how many 2-out RBI hits he could give up in one afternoon.

Tampa hosts the 4-2 ChiSox later

Texas - the lone undefeated team - heads to Baltimore tonight.

[metirish]

That Lackey contract is horrible , yet he seems to fly under the radar.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Totally on the O's bandwagon.

[Guest attgig]

update on Rays 0-5 start... manny ramirez retired.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Bam.

[HahnSolo]

Major League Baseball announced the move in a statement on Friday.

"Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," the statement said. "Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed. MLB will not have any further comment on this matter."

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Way to stain the rep on the way out.

[Frayed Knot]

9-6 Boston is your final
Papelbon even had hisself a clean inning K-K-FO

[Frayed Knot]

Tampa scored 5 in the 9th on Friday night (the final 3 on a Dan Johnson HR) to get their first win 9-7.
They then lost to the ChiSox this afternoon to drop their record to 1-7


The Rangers, rained out Friday night, just got shut-out in Baltimore to end the last undefeated season in 2011.

[ashie62]

How 'bout them Pirates.

[metirish]

that was some big time pitching there from Cappy