Ok let’s finish our look at the 1996 league with the NL west.
| NL West | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 13 | 3 | .813 | —— |
| Houston | 8 | 7 | .533 | 4 1/2 |
| Los Angeles | 8 | 8 | .500 | 5 |
| St. Louis | 5 | 11 | .313 | 8 |
San Diego: 13-3 .813 1st place
The good news : San Diego is hitting .303 AS A TEAM! Kenny Lofton is leading the majors in runs (21) and is 2nd in the NL in stolen bases. Mark McLemore is tied for the NL lead in doubles and Ken Caminiti leads the NL in Homers and the majors in RBI’s Ron Karkovice and Todd Huntley are both hitting .400 or better. Darryl Strawberry is hitting .385 And the pitching staff has a team ERA of 3.29 best in the NL. .
The Bad News: Not much to choose from here but starters John Burkett (2-2 5.93 ERA and 5 HR given up in 27 1/3 innings) and Ariel Prieto (0-0 7.59 ERA WHIP 2.06 and .341 avg against are underperforming dramatically.
Didn’t see that coming: Tony Gwinn hitting .297 is not a big surprise SD having six starters hitting better than him is.
Medical Report: The only thing healthier than San Diego’s batting avg is their health.
Coming Attractions: It’s off to Boston for two and Houston for four before coming home to face Chicago and Atlanta. .
Houston: 8-7 .533 2nd place 4 1/2 games out
The good news : Dante Bitchette has been dynamite .333 4 HR 11 RBI. Biggio has hit .346 and stolen 10 bases in 13 attempts while driving in 13 without going yard.. Otis Nixon has stolen 22 more leading the majors. Houston’s 41 walks allows is the 2nd lowest among major league teams.
The Bad News: While the bullpen has been spectacular the starting pitching has been meh. Tom Glavine is 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA Jamie Navarro is 0-1 with hitter batting .313 against him and a 5.56 ERA and Mike Hamptons start was so bad (0-1 6.48 ERA and .375 avg against he ended up dealt to Baltimore along with Quintin McCracken (.077 avg till he went to Baltimore hitting .333 in the AL) Meanwhile Terry Steinbach is hitting a mere .204 and so is Matt Williams .204 with only 2 HR & 5 RBI.
Didn’t see that coming: Houston relivers Pedro Borbon, Mark Dewey, TJ Matthews , Mike Munoz and Paul Spoljaric in a combined 15 appearances and 24 innings have yet to give up a run..
Medical Report: All quiet on the Injury Front.
Coming Attractions: After a quick trip to NY to face the Yanks for 2 they return for a 9 game homestand with 4 against San Diego, 2 vs Seattle and 3 vs Florida
Los Angeles: 8-8 .500 3rd place 5 GB
The good news : Mike Piazza is hitting .322 with 3 HR and 8 RBI and has scored 11 while throwing out 13 runners. Brian Hunter is batting .359 Jessie Orosco has 3 saves in three chances. Starter Ismael Valdez has a WHIP of 1.02 6th in the league.
The Bad News: Piazza may have caught 13 runners but he’s let 47 steal. Steve Decker has already committed 5 errors at third to go along with his .170 avg. Rafael Bournigal has been not committed an error in the field but is also hitting a mere .169 and Travis Fryman .175 Avg and a .197 OBP runs)
The Meh News: In 13 starts 4 of Houston’s five starters have ERA’s between 4.26 & 4.76.
Didn’t see that coming: While LA’s avg against is the worst in the NL their staff’s 124 K’s in the 2nd best in the majors with three of their starters in the top 10 in K’s of the NL. Travis Fryman’s miniscule batting and OBP avgs has not stopped him from driving in 11 runs so far this season..
Medical Report: All present and accounted for
Coming Attractions: LA has one more to play in Baltimore before they head home for 4 against the Cards, two against the blue Jays and 3 vs the Pirates before an 11 game road trip.
St. Louis: 5-11 .313 4th place 8 GB
The good news : Ray Langford is leading the majors in triples with 3. Julio Franco is leading the NL with a .403 avg, leads the majors in hits (27). Brian Jordan is hitting .303 with 2 HR and 10 RBI. David Cone is is only allowing a .191 batting avg with a 1.12 WHIP and while being 3rd in the league in innings has yet to give up a home run.
The Bad News: The Benes Brothers have been a disappointment on the mound. Andy is 0-2 with a 6.62 ERA and Alan while 1-2 has an ERA of 7.04. Willie McGee has had a horrendous .190 0 HR 1 RBI Tim Rains is even worse hitting only .071 with an OBP of .133 with only a solo HR and RBI to his name. .
Didn’t see that coming: St. Louis has only five home runs in 596 at bats
Medical Report: Mark Langston came out of his first start of the season and will not be back till late July. .
Coming Attractions: St. Louis visits Cleveland for 2 and LA for four before coming home for 3 vs Cincy and then it back on the road for 2 in Boston before hosting Houston for another 4.
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