NL West Round-Up: Catching Up

Been a couple weeks since the last time we did this so it's time check back in with the NL West.

Colorado Rockies

• Record: 27-21
• Previous series: SF, ARI, SF
• Upcoming series: HOU, LAD

The bad news about the Rockies this week: their pitching, predicted to burn out faster than a sitcom on NBC, is still chugging along. The good news about the Rockies: they played the Giants twice in the past week. If those two teams want to fight each other in the wacky three-team race that is this division, I'm fine with that. Since May 19, the Rockies are 5-1. The sole loss came at the hands of Patrick Corbin, who dominated the Rockies like he does everyone else. When they're not facing pitchers named Patrick Corbin, they've punished them to the tune of an average five runs per game. It's no surprise that Troy Tulowitzi and Carlos Gonzalez lead the offense but DJ LeMahieu has been absolutely on fire. His batting average is up 130 points over the past week and he's had two multi-hit games. Not bad for a guy who's first game this year was May 16 - even if he's more likely to be eaten by eagles than take a walk (he has only one base on balls).

Over on the bump, pitcher Jeff Francis went on the DL with a groin strain. Besides him, the staff had a great week. They've given up an average of only two runs a game and shut out the Giants twice. Jorge De La Rosa was their star. He leads the pitchers in wins, ERA, and Ks. You may remember him from that this week where he held the Diamondbacks to only run. Things are going well for them.

San Francisco Giants

• Record: 26-22
• Previous series: COL, WAS, COL
• Upcoming series: OAK, STL

The Giants had an interesting week. They bounced back from a sweep at Colorado to take two-of-three from the Nationals before dropping the first game of yet another series against the Rockies. They wound up 2-4 on the week and are currently in third place in the division. Despite an eight-run blow out of the Nats, the Giants only averaged 2.5 runs per game - mostly because they were shut out twice by that Rockies staff that everyone expects to collapse. Marco Scutaro has well this year, which surprises me. I don't know why I think of him as not actually being any good but I do. Of course he went oh-fer in his past two games (with two walks). Pablo Sandoval also has no hits in his last game. This may have something to do with how the Rockies were able to shut them out. Again.

Ryan Vogelsong was hit by a pitch and broke his hand this week so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out over the next six weeks while he's out. Relief pitcher Santiago Castillo is also doing time on the DL for a cyst on his knee. I'm not exactly sure what that means but it sounds gross. The Giants called up reliever Sandy Rosario utility man Brett Pill to fill the holes. Hey, Brett Pill. Isn't he terrible? Not in a "I think he's terrible like Scutaro" way but actually terrible for reals? I'm pretty sure he's terrible so come on up Brett Pill! We'll see how long he lasts when Vogelsong's spot in the rotation comes back up - and with the off day, that might not be for another several days. In terms of results, Giants pitching gave up an average of four runs. Not bad for three games at Coors Field.

San Diego Padres

• Record: 21-26
• Previous series: WAS, STL, ARI
• Upcoming series: SEA, TOR

The Padres played .500 ball this week and did it in streaks by winning three in a row and then dropping the next three games. It's hard to find a lot to say about a team who who just spent the last six games committed to mediocrity and what I could say was likely said better by Zavada's Mustache in his excellent as always series preview. What I will say is that they averaged 4.3 runs per game, aided by 13 runs scored against the scuffling Nationals (seven runs came against ex-Diamondback and my first baseball boyfriend, Dan Haren). On the pitching side, the team allowed an average of 4.5 runs for game - just a hair above what the hitters score. The hitters score 13 runs against the Nationals, the pitchers give up 10 to the Cardinals. See? Average.

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Record: 19-27
• Previous series: ATL, MIL, STL
• Upcoming series: LAA, COL

It's no secret that the Dodgers are more dysfunctional than an upper-class family on a Bravo reality series. The soap opera of will-he-won't-he when it comes to manager Don Mattingly keeping his job has distracted from the product on the field. Not that what's on the field has been great. It was no secret that most fans casually hoped the Dodgers' 250 million lineup would fail and they'd miss the playoffs but no one expected this to be a last place team. Sure, they've had bad luck with injuries. Hanley Ramirez played only a handful of games before going back on the DL, Chad Billingsley needs Tommy John's, and now Josh Beckett is out with a groin strain (not that I care about the Beckett injury - I always thought he was overrated and the Red Sox should have never given him that deal). But the point is that the megabucks Dodgers are in last place. They went 2-4 over the past week. Clayton Kershaw's gonna Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu held the Brewers to two runs but the Dodgers collectively held their opponents to 3.83 runs per game. Right now, it's not the pitching's fault.

The blame rests on the offense, which averaged just 2.83 runs per game - and that number was boosted by a nine-run performance against the Brewers. When Carl Crawford leads the team in home runs with five, you've got a problem. I don't know if the Dodgers are going to stay this bad, if they're doomed to a losing season, or if it's just rotten luck but now that they've got us all worked up about how awful they are, I hope nothing changes.

Hey, did you hear about that guy who did that thing?

Zack Greinke gave up one run in 5.1 innings in his return after breaking his collarbone but followed that start up by allowing five runs in four innings to the Brewers this week.