Tim Lincecum has been lights out and getting wins, despite getting no run support for his teammates.

Houston Astros

Lance Berkman (17-games) and Hunter Pence (16-games) watched their hitting streaks come to an end against the Chicago Cubs. Berkman was one for 10 and Pence followed up Berkman’s performance with a three for 11 of his own. Even with the two hottest hitters combing for four hits in 21 at bats, the Houston Astros still took the series, winning two of three games.

Shawn Chacon won his first game as a Houston starter. It only took 10 starts to get there. With this type of trend, he is on pace to win three games (OUCH!). There is no doubt that the team is waiting on pitching prospect Felipe Paulino to join the rotation in mid to late-July, eventually moving Chacon to the bullpen.

San Francisco Giants

If there was any doubt that the fiery Tim Lincecum was the real deal, they should have all been dispelled at this point. With a 6-1 record, and earned run average of 2.17, and striking out 69 batters in 62.3 innings, Lincecum is defining himself as one of the hottest young pitchers out there. Like Matt Cain and Noah Lowry, he is trying to do it without any real offensive support. Hopefully he will not fall prey to the injury-plagued careers of Cain and Lowry.

Despite the news was that Barry Zito was headed to the bullpen, he still started on the 17^th, going only five innings, striking out only four batters while walking six. He is now 0-8 and his next scheduled start is against the Florida Marlins. Can he win? Not with a sub-par fastball, inaccurate curve ball and no run support. Not that this will occur, but he is on pace to lose 20+ games this season.

Milwaukee Brewers

Ben Sheets struck out six batters and did not surrender a single walk in his complete game win over the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday. It was not a very sturdy win, surrendering 11 hits in the process, but it was enough to be listed as a quality start (over six innings, surrendering less than three runs).

Where did the Prince Fielder of 2007 go? With a meager .257 batting average and six homeruns, the question is if, not when will he come out of this season long dip statistically and put on his big boy pants and start to move this club forward. There is a definite need for offense with a bullpen that has as many issues as this club has.

In the last seven appearances, Eric Gagne has only three saves, struck out only three batters, yet he has issued 11 walks and allowed seven earned runs. The team cannot rely on Salomon Torres who in his last seven appearances has not faired much better than Gagne, posting an 0-1 record, striking out four, giving up three earned runs, while surrendering five walks. The “Guillermo Mota” project has not faired well, and why Milwaukee thought that they had a chance after the Mets, Indians, Marlins, and Dodgers have all tried the same project and failed, is beyond me.

San Diego Padres

If it was difficult to look into the future of the team two days ago, it just got worse. Jake Peavy was not in the ballpark on Tuesday because he was having an M.R.I. on his elbow (elbow strain). Original releases said they did not think it was serious, but you do not go to the ballpark, go to warm up, and end up at the hospital for something that was not serious. He heads to the disabled list with serious concerns about his 2008 season. When you have a pitcher throw 200+ innings and 225+ strikeouts for three consecutive years and hear “elbow strain”, you cannot help but stop and think about a 2-year hiatus from the game with Tommy John surgery, can you?

Add in their number two pitcher taking one to the face last night. Chris Young took a line drive off the bridge of his nose. That is painful enough without adding the fact that the hitter was none other than Albert Pujols…Like he does not have enough power to put your nose through the back of your skull? At this point, I anticipate the Padres posting an ad in their local craigslist for a starting pitcher, unless of course, you think that Greg Maddux can carry your team.

Colorado Rockies

The team is starting to rebound from the post-World Series syndrome. Troy Tulowitzki is now taking batting practice and says that he is not feeling any discomfort. Although he would prefer to be on the field today, his replacement, Clint Barmes, has been better than serviceable, allowing the team the opportunity to give their star shortstop the necessary time to get to 100% percent.

With Jeff Francis looking like a number three starting pitcher to date (1-4, 5.87 ERA, 38K, 21BB), it is actually Aaron Cook who looks like the team’s ace. Cook has posted an impressive 6-3 record with an earned run average of 3.06 and 32 strikeouts to date. He is losing his flair though, dropping the last two starts, and Francis did log his first win of the season in his last start. If both can get hot and the bullpen can pull itself together, the team may start to congeal, which in turn will remove the grumbling about a potential Matt Holliday trade that is bound to crop up if the team continues to struggle.

Atlanta Braves

I now refer to the Atlanta Braves as the “McGyver” of the National League. Give this organization a piece of bubble gum, some scotch tape, and a straw, and they will win you games. With more injuries to their pitchers than any other team, the Braves continue to defy logic.

Chipper Jones is hitting like he is Ted Williams reincarnated, and Brian McCann and Jeff Franceour are both starting to hit like the organization thought they would. Even with Manny Acosta closing games out, the team is able to log wins at a rate that can only be summed up as “inexplicable”.

In other news, another fan has lost his life while attending a major league baseball game. The first occurred a few weeks ago at a New York Mets home game. This time a man fell from the upper-tier of Turner Field. In route to a win over the New York Mets, the Braves rejoiced in a win, yet suffered the loss of a fan.

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