Hiatus Over

Well it's been a turbulent few months between moving back to Chico, CA and starting a new Job. It's easy to forget to do things like, post about the love of sports/gambling and both! I'm back now though!

Lets start dissecting the NL West Division of Baseball.

as of 6/3 2010, the Padres hold the lead in the NL west, which is incredible considering they have no recognizable names in their lineup. BUT they have a pitching staff which has been absolutely killer. Someone must have taugt them how to unlock the power of petco, because they have been winning games 2-1 and 1-0 all season long. Maybe it's like when you play softball in a league without a fence. pitchers are happy to settle for a 500 foot fly ball as long as there's an outfielder underneath it?

Here's the rest of the west, summarized by their order in the standings:
The Dodgers are rolling into second place slightly behind the Padres. They have the best offense in the division, but their pitching has been spotty behind Kershaw and newcomer John Ely. Billingsly has been very hit and miss. the #4 and #5 starter spots have been shaky, and that's what may hold them back from playoffs this year.

The Giants are the Padres with an ERA of 2 runs higher, and awful bullpen. They score about the same amount, have a large ballpark, but just can't have a consistent offense. They need Pablo Sandoval, Huff and new aquisition Burrell to harness their power potential if this team wants to make playoffs. Lincecum, Cain and their #5 starters have been spotty lately. I think they'll eventually move Cain for a left handed bat with power...

Colorado continues to be streakier than your dad's underwear. This team can rip off 15 wins in a row, or can be shutout for an entire series. Ubaldo Jimenez has been killer, but can their #2-5 pitchers carry the team through the tough series? You really never know how this team will come out to play, but that always makes them a threat down the stretch.

Arizona has the worst bullpen in the majors, and Dan Haren hasn't been too consistent. Brandon Webb is hurt, again. The Diamonbacks are great for one thing: young fantasy baseball players. Some of these guys will lead the league in categories (upton, reynolds), but their team chemistry isn;t there, and neither is the pitching. Bet against Arizona every game and you may get rich quick!