Home runs were down in April, but Sammy Sosa is just starting to heat up. AP
By Jacob Luft, CNNSI.com
The great pitching revival of 2002 lasted all of one month, its remains now lying in an unmarked grave near the old Polo Grounds site.
There was a power drain in April as major leaguers' home run production declined 18.4 percent from a year ago. Then the calendar turned to May, and all heck broke loose.
In the first two days of this month, there have been eight multihomer games by seven different players. Sammy Sosa has hit four bombs in two games this month, which is nice ... but not quite as impressive as Mike Cameron's record-tying four home runs in one game Thursday.
In fact, Cameron and Mariners teammate Bret Boone made history by hitting back-to-back home runs twice in the first inning. All in all, there were nine home runs in the Mariners' 15-4 win at Chicago.
There was an average of 1.91 home runs per game in April. In May, there have been 63 home runs in 28 games -- an average of 2.25. And sluggers like Tino Martinez, who hit his first two home runs of the season Wednesday, are just getting started.
Teams beaten by Mets lefty Al Leiter, the only pitcher to claim a win against every major league club in his career.
"Guess another asterisk goes by my name besides being traded for Ken Griffey Jr."
-- Mariners OF Mike Cameron on hitting four home runs Thursday.
The Rockies' pitching staff just finished a six-game homestand at Coors Field for the ages.
In sweeping the Phillies and Pirates, Colorado starters went 6-0 with a 1.08 ERA. The Pirates were blanked Tuesday and Wednesday, marking the first back-to-back shutouts in Coors history. One of those gems was pitched by free-agent bust Mike Hampton, who won his first game since what seemed like the Reagan Administration.
The Rockies haven't allowed a home run in seven consecutive games at Coors. They set a team pitching record with 24 consecutive scoreless innings until allowing a run in the seventh in Thursday's 7-2 win.
The dominant pitching began right after Buddy Bell was fired and replaced by hitting coach Clint Hurdle. Teams often have a quick surge when a new manager takes over midseason before reverting back to mediocrity, so that might explain some of it.
Also, the opponents have to take some of the credit. The Phillies had lost six of seven before coming to Coors, and the Pirates are the worst-hitting team in the majors at .227. Plus, Pittsburgh played the whole series without one of its best hitters, Aramis Ramirez.
No liftoff
Don't blame the Astros' 12-15 record on their starting pitchers.
The Houston rotation has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 19 of 27 starts. The problem is in the bullpen, which has posted a 5.47 ERA (26th).
The biggest disappointment has to be Octavio Dotel, who was the league's most dominant middle reliever last season but is letting hitters slug .509 this year. The breakdowns in the middle and late innings have translated into only three save opportunities for closer Billy Wagner.
Cal Ripken Jr. has been retired less than a year, and he's already a baseball commissioner ... of President Bush's T-ball league.
Bush started the league, which will have about one game a month on the South Lawn of the White House, to combat the waning popularity of baseball. Opening Day will be Sunday with the Uniondale (N.Y.) Sluggers facing the 6&11 Sluggers from Trenton, N.J.
Ripken has enough to worry about with his new minor league team, the Aberdeen IronBirds. What is he going to do when the T-ballers want more than just pizza and ice cream after every game? And how is he going to get angry parents to agree with contraction?
Tommy Boy
Atlanta's Tom Glavine has been untouchable lately. He's 5-1 with a 0.93 ERA this season, and he has a streak of 13 consecutive starts allowing two earned runs or fewer dating to last season.
Breaking a trend
Notoriously slow starter Johnny Damon, a career .250 hitter in April, finished the first month of the season batting a robust .360 for Boston. He hit .211 last April with the A's.
Dunn deal
Reds outfielder Adam Dunn has hit home runs in four of his past five games, including a two-homer game Sunday in San Francisco.
Road trip!
The Mariners' loss at Chicago on Tuesday ended their 10-game road winning streak to start the season. The major league record for consecutive road wins in a single season is 17, set by the 1916 Giants and equaled by the '84 Tigers. The Mariners had won 15 straight on the road dating to last season, but baseball only was recognizing the 10 games from this year.
Dry spell
Marlins Opening Day starter Ryan Dempster hasn't won in 11 starts since Sept. 2. He is 0-4 with an ERA of 6.32 in that span, including a loss Wednesday at St. Louis.
Sheffield
Gary Sheffield went 0-for-4 on Thursday to extend his hitless streak to 28 at-bats, a career high. It makes you wonder if the sprained left wrist he suffered is still a problem. ... By hitting his 500th career double Wednesday, Rafael Palmeiro became the 11th player in history and the only active player with 450 homers, 500 doubles and 2,500 hits. ... The Indians, losers of 14 of 16, have many problems right now, not the least of which is the presence of Brady Anderson on their roster and in their lineup way too often. Anderson is hitting .201 since the start of last season. To say he is a shell of his former self would be an understatement. ... Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki has drawn six intentional walks this season, more than seven AL teams. ... Cardinals outfielder Kerry Robinson has five stolen bases in only 32 at-bats this season. ... Cubs ace Jon Lieber has allowed one earned run in 16 innings in winning two starts at Wrigley Field. On the road he is 1-1 with an ERA of 4.00 in three starts. ... Toronto rookie Joey Lawrence collected his first career hit Wednesday (Whoa!) ... The Braves' 12-15 record this April was its worst since going 4-13 of April in 1990. They have had only three worse months since beginning their run of 10 consecutive division titles: 12-17 (June, '91), 12-16 (May, '92), and 12-16 (August, '01). ... The Marlins have been at .500 for three straight months. They were 13-13 in April, 3-3 in October and 11-11 in September of last season. ... With his no-hitter Saturday, Derek Lowe joined Dennis Eckersley and Dave Righetti as the only pitchers to have a 40-save season and a no-no in their career. ... Fox Sports Net, which owns broadcast right for most teams, is showing endless replays of The Best Damn Sports Show Period during rain delays. Can't they dig up some old Mel Allen This Week in Baseball episodes instead? Sanford and Son? Anything but Tom Arnold and company, please.
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