Lots of stories-Lots of opinions.

PADRES-DODGERS…Beat LA, it’s already rings in my ears.  Hard to believe fans consider this a true rivalry, when you realize the Padres have won the season series just 1-time in 15-years against LA.  Yes, some really great playoff series of late, but not often any form of dominance.  It still seems to be the Evil Empire against the Little Brother.  We will see who slays the dragon this week.

NBC-TV…Fun watching the Padres on Sunday night baseball, but listening to the broadcast, you’d think it was time to order your playoff tickets or make plans for a World Series parade.  Please-enough.  It is still a rag-tag starting rotation.  Not much conversation that Machado-Tatis-Merrill are not earning their pay.  How about some reality on these broadcasts.  Surely a good road trip, but no, nothing dominant from this team.  Each starter has to grind.  The bottom of the lineup is hitting better than the big money parts of the lineup.  Why do I feel this team is living on borrowed time?

ANGLES IN HELL..Some weekend for the poor fans in Anaheim.  Some awful season headed to 100-losses again.  Some time to call for a leadership change (Perry Manasian) or an ownership change (Arte Moreno).  Get outscored (31-3) by the Dodgers.  A starting rotation with an ERA (4.50) only outdistanced by the bullpen ERA (5.81).  Hardly anyone hitting either.  All the free agent pitching signings have officially failed, and it is only mid-May.  When the team you put together is (4-17) in the last 3-weeks, why would you keep your job?

DODGERS…Starting to hit again, but these pitching issues are still everywhere.  Blake Snell to have his 2nd elbow operation again for bone spurs.  Might be out till July.  Has not earned much of the 151M-they gave him two winters ago.  Tyler Glasnow has a back issue.  Roki Sasaski is slowly getting better in the rotation.  An iffy bullpen.  And this mess with Edwin Diaz, cockfighting, Puerto Rico, while recovering from surgery.  

YANKEES…Gerrit Cole clocked at 99 in his last rehab start.  Carlos Rodon healthy.  Buy Max Fried on the DL with a bruised bone in his elbow. 

THE STANDINGS…Surprise teams out of the gate this year.  Atlanta, all those pitching injuries, and yet the Braves are pounding the ball and are (32-15).  The Cardinals, in rebuild year, have a bunch of kids hitting well and the pitching has been an eye opener in a (27-19) start. The Cubs, despite some pitching health issues, are swinging well (29-17).  The Yankees will be getting the rotation back to go with the bats so (28-19) will get better.  Can anyone name me anyone in the Tampa Bay lineup, and yet they are (30-12), with few fans and a crummy domed erector-set stadium.  Are the Pirates for real-can they keep this up?

OH SO BAD BASEBALL…The Angels are a doormat.  Mike Elias rebuilding in Baltimore has hit a plateau-not gotten better.  Houston is ole and injured.  Boston has pitching problems that cannot be solved. The White Sox are improving, but not a complete team-and they are so young. Colorado never had enough pitching, and the best of what they have is on the DL again.  Giants, a bad start, wondering if they have the right components in the batting order and if these guys will get hot and hit. 

Lots of baseball to be played.  Lots more twists and turns in the lineup.

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