NL Studs and Duds 4/16/11
Earlier today I shared this week's studs and duds from the AL. Now it's time to see how the NL fared over the past 7 days.
This week's NL Stud hitter had an all around great offensive week. Matt Kemp not only managed a .538 batting average, he also was able to swipe 7 bases. Living up to his 5-tool listing, Kemp showed his power (3 extra base hits) and patience (5 walks) at the plate.
Next to AL dud Olivo, Dan Uggla's performance this week could garner him All Star votes. However, I don't think the Braves are feeling so great about Uggla's ugly stats. He managed only 2 hits in 23 plate appearances this week, leaving him with a .087 batting average. However, Uggla was kind enough to provide fans with a steady breeze this week, as he struck out 6 times. The good news for Dan was that both of his hits were for extra bases, one being a homerun.
Like the AL, the National League produced some great pitching this week. The Phillies collected back to back complete games from studs Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Lee was one of several starters who saw action in 2 games this week. None on the list had performances that jumped out at me, so instead I looked to an individual that made one great start. That man was Josh Johnson. The Marlins' 6-7 monster carried a no-hitter into the 8th inning this week against the Atlanta Braves. He finished the night allowing 1 hit and striking out 9 over 7.1 innings. Johnson got into the mix at the plate as well, singling home a run in the victory.
I'm going to base my NL pitching dud of the week on a factor of expectation against performance. Christ Carpenter has frequented NL Cy Young voting ballots over the years, but has not been able to get it going yet this year. He has yet to collect his first W, but in his 2 early starts he did not pitch poorly. The one game was a tough luck loss to the Pirates and he carried a very respectable 2.08 ERA into this week's action. Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks Carpenter saw his ERA balloon to 5.82. The Cardinal's starter allowed 8 runs in only 4 innings. He gave up 2 homeruns and 2 doubles along with 3 walks in one of the ugliest outings of the week.
So there you have it, the best and worst of this week in baseball. Be sure to check back next week to see if anyone can outmatch the futility that was Miguel Olivo.
Kemp brought all 5 tools to work this week
This week's NL Stud hitter had an all around great offensive week. Matt Kemp not only managed a .538 batting average, he also was able to swipe 7 bases. Living up to his 5-tool listing, Kemp showed his power (3 extra base hits) and patience (5 walks) at the plate.
Uggla did not receive any love from his bat this week
Next to AL dud Olivo, Dan Uggla's performance this week could garner him All Star votes. However, I don't think the Braves are feeling so great about Uggla's ugly stats. He managed only 2 hits in 23 plate appearances this week, leaving him with a .087 batting average. However, Uggla was kind enough to provide fans with a steady breeze this week, as he struck out 6 times. The good news for Dan was that both of his hits were for extra bases, one being a homerun.
Johnson just missed making history Wednesday
Like the AL, the National League produced some great pitching this week. The Phillies collected back to back complete games from studs Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Lee was one of several starters who saw action in 2 games this week. None on the list had performances that jumped out at me, so instead I looked to an individual that made one great start. That man was Josh Johnson. The Marlins' 6-7 monster carried a no-hitter into the 8th inning this week against the Atlanta Braves. He finished the night allowing 1 hit and striking out 9 over 7.1 innings. Johnson got into the mix at the plate as well, singling home a run in the victory.
The Cards are waiting for the real Carpenter to show up
I'm going to base my NL pitching dud of the week on a factor of expectation against performance. Christ Carpenter has frequented NL Cy Young voting ballots over the years, but has not been able to get it going yet this year. He has yet to collect his first W, but in his 2 early starts he did not pitch poorly. The one game was a tough luck loss to the Pirates and he carried a very respectable 2.08 ERA into this week's action. Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks Carpenter saw his ERA balloon to 5.82. The Cardinal's starter allowed 8 runs in only 4 innings. He gave up 2 homeruns and 2 doubles along with 3 walks in one of the ugliest outings of the week.
So there you have it, the best and worst of this week in baseball. Be sure to check back next week to see if anyone can outmatch the futility that was Miguel Olivo.
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