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Old 12-20-2012, 09:34 PM   #11
BradC
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Seamheads Laundry League - NL Report, 12/20/12

Seamheads Laundry League - NL Report, 12/20/12

A chill may have descended over much of North America, but the dog days of August have begun in the Seamheads Laundry League (SLL), and the National League has seen the Pirates lose 8 of their past 10 games while the Cubs' 7-3 run has put them just one game out of first place.

The Bucs were 18-4 at the end of April and seemed near-invincible, but they played .500 ball in July, posting a 13-13 record, and their 2-5 start to August has extended the slide. Starting pitching seems to be the culprit: their starters' 4.48 ERA is 10th in the NL. Interestingly, though, the team's bullpen leads the NL with a 3.34 ERA; perhaps some shuffling is in store for the pitching staff.

Meanwhile, the Cubs haven't been dominant, but they've played consistent baseball, posting a winning record each month. Chicago is relying on a power hitting lineup led by third baseman Tony Perez's 22 home runs and a pitching staff whose 4.00 ERA is tops in the NL. "We're really excited about how we've been playing," said Cubs GM Eric Beato. "The Pirates got off to such an incredible start that we were just trying to keep them in our sights."

He added: "But with guys like Maddux and Boudreau, we knew we weren't out of it. Those two guys, plus Perez and McCarver, have carried us. If we can continue getting good outings and timely hits, hopefully, we can finish strong and catch the Bucs."

The Cubs' 64-46 record is third-best in the NL, but the Reds are breathing down their necks at 63-49, just two games behind them and three out of first place. Both teams are in the lead for the wild card spot, if the Pirates can reverse their tailspin and maintain first place.

Over in the NL East, the Marlins are five games ahead of the Mets, while the Padres are 3.5 games in front of the Dodgers. The NL has turned out to be the better hitting league than the AL, with the Astros' Cy Seymour leading the whole SLL with a .384 batting average. The Pirates' Chief Meyers is just behind him, however, at .377. Tony Gwynn's .347 average leads the AL; he would rank fifth in the NL.

Other NL News of Note:

The Mets' Ken Griffey Jr., Thurman Munson and Albert Pujols put on a hitting clinic during their team's 20-4 drubbing of the Padres on Aug. 4. Each of them had five-hit performances, and the Mets knocked out 28 hits in all. Amazingly, they only hit one home run, a solo shot from Ryne Sandberg in the fourth inning.

Astros center fielder Cy Seymour was the NL Batter of the Month for July. He hit .454 and knocked in 21 runs.

Astros closer Rob Dibble joined his teammate, earning NL Pitcher of the Month honors for July. He was 3-1 with eight saves and a 3.38 ERA, a performance that helped steady a rocky season. It was not known if he keeps a fake grenade in his locker in Houston.
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