NL Central

The 2010 Astros can be best summed up by this stat: through 15 games, the pitching staff have more extra base hits (2) than left fielder and cleanup hitter Carlos Lee (1).

Certainly, Lee will snap out of it. Right?

Right?

It's not just Lee that has suffered offensive atrophy in the first three weeks of the season. The Astros managed nine hits in Thursday's 5-1 loss to Florida, but all nine were singles.

Four of the hits came with two out, which didn't get the 21,802 fans giddy for a rally most knew wasn't going to happen.

Because they are against a tough, and often contending division rival, games against the Milwaukee Brewers are a reasonable "litmus test" of how the Pirates will fare in the National League Central.

And the only thing worse than being swept by the Milwaukee on the road is to be swept by them at home.

Worse, being all but shut out, scoring only one run in three games. While the Brewers scored 36 runs during the same stretch. Talk about a "kitchen sink."

Earlier in the day I wrote about former Yankee pitchers Edwar Ramirez and Chad Gaudin getting their rings yesterday and I wrote that the Yankees really haven’t let everyone know when they’ll be getting their rings.

I certainly wasn’t foreshadowing anything, but earlier today Xavier Nady got a nice surprise when the Yankees general manager Brian Cashman showed up at Citi Field before the Cubs, Nady’s current team, took on the Mets and gave him him his ring.

On a day that has Michael McCaskey retiring and getting replaced by his younger brother George, and the day after the Bears schedule is released, the Blackhawks lose to the seventh-seed Nashville Predators, and LeBron James gushes about how awesome Chicago is, we have news that trumps all those stories. 

Cubs beat writer Paul Sullivan has reported via his Twitter page that three-time all-star starter Carlos Zambrano will be moving to the bullpen when Ted Lilly returns to the rotation this weekend.

"Because of his stuff," Chicago Cubs manager says Opening Day starter Carlos Zambrano is moving to the bullpen beginning Friday.

So now the Cubs have Alfonso Soriano making $18 million to play seven innings in left, and Zambrano making $17.875 million to pitch 3-5 innings per week.

Jim Hendry: EPIC FAIL.

Manager Lou Piniella went on to say that this isn't a "panic move," but has indicated to Chicago media that it might be permanent.

Another year, another former All-Star suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Last year it was Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez who was suspended for 50 games, and yesterday it was Cincinnati Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez who was suspended.

Obviously Volquez’s suspension isn’t as big of news as Manny being suspended, but it’s still pretty significant nonetheless.

Here is the statement that was released by Volquez’s representatives:

Ike Davis, the name alone brings shivers down Met Fans spines. Today he will be making his first start of the season and hit sixth behind the hot Jeff Francoeur.

While the season may only be a little over two weeks old, some believe that this move was already overdue.

Davis batted .480 with three home runs and 10 runs batted in in 25 at bats during spring training.

Lost in the very oddly played, sometimes head-scratching 20-inning marathon on Saturday between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals was the starting performance turned in by LHP Jaime Garcia.

The Cardinals’ rookie was very good on Saturday.

Garcia matched Mets ace Johan Santana pitch for pitch, giving up just one hit (a blooper by Angel Pagan), walking two, and striking out five in seven innings. He now has an 0.69 ERA in two starts (13 IP) this season.

It wasn’t certain what we’d get from the Cardinals and Mets on Sunday night. After all, they did just finish a 20-inning game the night before.

Of course, the players were going to be tired, relievers overworked from the night before and everyone else pretty much mentally exhausted from six hour and 53 minute marathon.

One big question was going to be about the availability of the relievers on both sides, as 19 Mets pitchers and 16 Cardinals pitchers were used in Saturday night’s game.