Houstonist Mid-April Astros, NL Central UpdateHey, hey! How about those Astros? With the game winding down with two outs in the eighth inning, the Houston team punched in five runs to give Chris Sampson (2-0) a much deserved victory. With Orlando Palmeiro on second with two outs, Lance Berkman single him in to knot the game up at 2-2. Carlos Lee then reached base on a walk which prompted the Reds to a pitching change and the Astros summoned Mark Loretta in for pinch-hitting duties. Loretta came through singling in Berkman to give the Astros a 3-2 lead. Jason Lane then put the icing on the cake as he took an outside pitch from Reds reliever Rheal Cormier and dumped it over the left-center wall for his third home run off the year. The Astros would add another RBI in the ninth for the 7-2 win. Now, let's get to our mid-April NL Central Update. The Chicago Cubs: It's early, but the Cubs aren't looking so hot. At 5-9, they currently sit in the NL Central cellar. The bullpen has been real shaky and so far Derek Lee (.389 AVG) and Aramis Ramirez (.366 AVG) seem to be the only bright spots. Staff ace Carlos Zambrano went out on a limb during the off-season and said he would win the Cy Young. So far he's 1-2 with a not so sporty 7.77 ERA. Let's keep those comments to yourself, ok Carlos? The St. Louis Cardinals: They are off to the worst start by a defending World Series champion since the '98 Florida Marlins. Currently at 6-8, their season may be riding on Cris Carpenter's elbow which was diagnosed with mild arthritis. If surgery is needed, Carpenter is looking to be out for about two months. With Albert Pujols hitting .160, he currently isn't helping the cause much either. The Pittsburgh Pirates: The '07 campaign started with a three game sweep of our beloved Astros, but since then the Pirates are 3-7 and Freddy Sanchez is the Pirates lone starter batting above .300. Current bright spots include pitchers Ian Snell (1-1, 1.80 ERA) and Tom Gorzelanny (2-0, 1.33 ERA). The Cincinnati Reds: Josh Hamilton has been a very pleasant surprise for the Reds. Hamilton, who was selected as the first overall pick in the '99 MLB draft, was considered a bust for the drug problems he couldn't overcome. Now with that behind him and a fresh start, Hamilton currently has four home runs and eight RBI in the 10 games he's played in. The Milwaukee Brewers: At 8-6, the Brewers are currently the NL Central leaders. If they're going to make a run at this, now could be the time. As of April 17, the Brewers are in the midst of 22 consecutive games versus NL Central opponents. Starting pitchers Ben Sheets (1-2, 5.85 ERA) and Dave Bush (1-1, 5.82) will need to step it up. The Houston Astros: After an embarrassing 0-4 start, the Houston team has gone 7-2 led by $100 million dollar man Carlos Lee, whose 17 RBI lead the National League. The pitching has been a bright spot as well. Roy Oswalt (2-0, 2.89 ERA), Chris Sampson (2-0, 1.20 ERA) and Wandy Rodriguez (2.77 ERA) only trail the Atlanta Braves starting pitchers for the top ERA in the National League. Mid-April NL Central Power Rankings: 1.) Houston Astros 2.) Milwaukee Brewers 3.) Cincinnati Reds 4.) Pittsburgh Pirates 5.) St. Louis Cardinals 6.) Chicago Cubs http://www.houstonist.com/archives/2007/04/19/houstonist_mida.php#more
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