National League Central Mid-Season Review
Cardinals, Brewers, Cubs, Astros, Reds All In The Hunt
Can the St. Louis Cardinals hold off a group of four teams that are all within striking distance?
St. Louis Cardinals - First Place
The Cardinals currently set the pace in the National League Central at seven games over .500. They have done it mostly on the strength of Albert Pujols, arguably the best player in Baseball. He leads the league in home runs and RBIs and is fourth in the league in batting. He may challenge for a triple crown. And he has done it without much protection in the lineup. Guys like Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel have not had the same type of years that they did last year. The pitching has been solid, led by ace Adam Wainright. If this team is going to win the division, though, the rest of the lineup must step up, otherwise Pujols will be pitched around more and more in the second half.
Milwaukee Brewers - 2.5 Games Back
Surprisingly, the Brewers are right in the thick of things. They lost their two best pitchers in the off season but Yovahny Gallardo has stepped up to become the ace of the staff. The offense is one of the best in the league led by sluggers Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Ultimately, they do not have enough pitching behind Gallardo to stay in the race unless they make a trade for an arm.
Chicago Cubs - 3.5 Games Back
The Cubs came into the season as heavy favorites to win the division. Thus far it has been a very disappointing season. Their lineup has been underwhelming with several guys having down years. Their pitching has been O.K. but not as good as expected. Zambrano hasn't been as dominant as he has in the past and Dempster is not having the kind of season he had last year. There are some good signs for this team, though. Derek Lee is starting to heat up and Aramis Ramirez is back off the DL. Based on talent alone, this team has an excellent chance to end up on top when the season is over.
Houston Astros - 3.5 Games Back
The Astros head into the All-Star break at .500, a big surprise. Miguel Tejada has had a nice bounce back season and is fifth in the league in batting. Wandy Rodriguez has led a surprisingly decent pitching staff. He is eight in the league in E.R.A. Roy Oswalt has bounced back after a slow start. They could use another bat, though. This team, has to be considered a longshot to win this division.
Cincinnati Reds - 5 Games Back
The Reds have been hit hard by the injury bug. Most notable, Joey Votto has missed time and Jay Bruce went down just the other day. This team has been offensively challenged all year. The pitching has also been inconsistent. Harang and Arroyo have been up and down. Cueto has struggled his last two starts. This team figures to fade away in the second half as they don't have enough to contend.
Pittsburgh Pirates - 9.5 Games Back
Somehow, this team was still in the race a couple of weeks ago, only about 5 games back. For some reason, though, they decided to trade away their best players in Nate McClouth and Nyjer Morgan. The message was obvious. The organization is looking to the future. All this team has to play for this year is the role of spoiler.
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