Baseball

The San Francisco Giants are off to a great start in 2010. They have the best record in the National League, and are led by perhaps the best starting rotation in all of baseball.

While the team has a stranglehold on great pitching, their offense is below the league average in most categories. They have grounded into more double plays than any NL team, and have the fewest number of walks of any team in the league other than the Houston Astros.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are approaching a pivotal stretch in the 2010 season. The next 11 out of 17 games the team will play will be against division opponents.

According to the dictionary, the term curse means, "the expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc., or a formula or charm intended to cause such misfortune to another."

I bring that up because in the sports world, another curse has been brought up and being talked about.

No, the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't going to be a factor in the division race for some time to come. But they have already made a difference in the National League Central race.

The Pirates haven't been any great shakes against the Houston Astros, losing three games to them in Minute Maid Park, and they're 2-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

It's hard being the younger, less tradition-rich franchise in the city that never sleeps.

On May 6, 1953, in his first major league start, the St. Louis Browns’ Alva “Bobo” Holloman pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics.

The 27-year-old Holloman struck out three, walked five, and helped himself offensively by batting in three of the Browns’ runs with a pair of singles in the Browns’ 6-0 victory.

Since 1901, only Bobo had tossed a no-no in his first start.

The Browns Paid $10,000 for Holloman's Contract

What is going on with the Braves lately? They have been dropping like flies.

First Yunel Escobar went down, then Jason Heyward left Wednesday night’s game against the Washington Nationals with a sore groin, and now they have placed RHP Jair Jurrjens on the 15-day DL. Surprisingly, Chipper Jones is not on this list, but I guess it is just a matter of time before he gets there.

The Braves placed Jurrjens on the DL because of a strained left hamstring. The move is retroactive to April 30th.

The "stuff" has hit the fan for the Chicago Cubs.

In breaking news late Friday morning, the Cubs have recalled their top prospect, 20-year-old Starlin Castro. Castro will reportedly bat eighth in the Cubs lineup and start at shortstop, moving Ryan Theriot to second base, as the Cubs face the Reds in Cincinnati at 7:10 pm EST.

If you haven't heard of Starlin Castro, here's your introduction.

Here’s a look at the unheralded players who played well yesterday.

Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies
Ruiz went 3 for 4 with an RBI to bring his average up to .314.

Well my friends, another series has come and gone for the Seattle Mariners, and the result remains the same. Swept. This time by the Tampa Bay Rays. The final game of the series, an 8-0 shellacking, saw them once again fail to push any runs across the plate.

Not even the return of Cliff Lee has been able to inspire the M's, who appear to be nothing more than a shell of the fun loving team we saw in 2009.