Caught my first live Major League Baseball of the season this past week at the scenic home of the San Diego Padres and came away with the following impressions of the three teams I watched over consecutive nights.
The hometeam Padres are winning, but beyond their starting pitching it's tough to see that continuing in large doses.
First the good news - the starting pitching for San Diego is good. Chris Young was outstanding in a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs. Seven innings, three hits, one run, 10 strikeouts and one walk. And to think the Rangers traded this guy AND first baseman Adrian Gonzalez in the SAME DEAL. Greg Maddux was decent the next night against Milwaukee until he ran into trouble in the sixth. Now the bad news, the Padres' bullpen lost the game against the Cubs and nearly blew a five-run lead for Maddux the next night.
San Diego also suffers from a lack of offense, especially in the outfield. Jose Cruz Jr. is OK, Mike Cameron is excellent in center field but hitting about .220 with little power and Termell Sledge, he of fun name but no pop, is just minding the store in left until Brian Giles returns. The Padres need to acquire another hitter to stay at or near the top of the NL West.
The Brew Crew (disclaimer here, this is the beloved team of my youth and my mid-life) is a minor surprise as the leaders of the NL Central. And Milwaukee is doing it the old-fashioned way - with the home run. In the tradition of Bambi's Bombers and Harvey's Wallbangers, the Brewers lead the league in dingers, with shortstop JJ Hardy and first baseman Prince Fielder topping the NL charts.
In terms of young talent, particularly in the infield, it's tough to not like the Brewers. Hardy leads the NL in homers and RBI with an average north of .300 and excellent range in the field. Fielder is right behind him in the power departments and is improving in the field. Third baseman Ryan Braun added two RBI and a hit in his MLB debut, and second baseman Rickie Weeks did what a leadoff hitter should, get on base and advance. Right fielder Gabe Gross was a revelation - he hit it hard every time up.
Milwaukee's problem appears to be its pitching, particularly if Ben Sheets can't stay healthy. Dave Bush struggled all night against the Padres, and a five-run fifth staked San Diego to an insurmountable 7-0 lead. Free-agent acquisition Jeff Suppan and holdovers Claudio Vargas and Chris Capuano have been all right, but they have to be better for Milwaukee to entertain playoff aspirations. The good news here is the staff as a whole doesn't walk a lot of hitters.
The Cubs spent a small fortune during free agency (OK, actually quite a large fortune in the offseason) and sit seven games out in a very winnable NL Central. LF Alphonso Soriano helps, and they've got good power at the corners in 1B Derrek Lee and 3B Aramis Ramirez, but beyond that there are some holes in their batting order, too, particularly in the outfield where Jacque Jones and Cliff Floyd don't appear to have much left in the tank. Floyd at least offers some pop, but his defense and overall interest appear suspect.
Starting pitcher Jason Marquis was good, and the bullpen was very good, so there could be some hope on Chicago's North Side.
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