[PilotMan]

May Recap


May was the best month in over a year as the team roared to a 19-9 record. The surprise being the offense which seemed to find it's groove in the month and put up numbers that the team hasn't seen in a few years. The result of the month saw LA move from 2^nd place to first and open up a 3 game lead on the Astros and 4 over the Padres.


The team is in the top half of every offensive category in the NL, with of all things, stolen bases being the worst. The team has never been fast, but with Henderson and Sax at the top of the order, they've moved from the cellar to #6. Where last year's team average was sub .250, this year so far, they are hitting .282, that is tops in the NL. Also #1 in OBP, runs, hits and HR's. They are #2 in SLG, OBS, and extra base hits. I don't know if anyone believes that they can keep this up. It seems like a lot of guys are playing far above their expected performance, and it is only the end of May. Come talk to me in August about it.


As for team pitching, where this has been a strong point for the team forever, this is the worst that we've seen in LA since we started here. Team ERA is still strong at #2, however, the bullpen is 10^th with a 4.52 ERA. Odds would suggest that it should drop just on regression to the mean, but it's not the type of performance that was planned. Losing Howe can't account for all of it. Neither can losing Beattie. The team is 7^th in hits allowed, and first in walks. Opponent average is .245, good for 4^th in the NL. The starters have kept all the numbers good. There have been many deep outings for them, and they are backed up by the #3 defense in the NL.


As for individual performances? Who didn't have a bad month? Not really anyone. You can make a case for Sid Bream whose slash was .288/.330/.394. He hit 1 HR and had 8 RBI's. He was the worst. As for the best? Well is it Sax (.360/.398/.464)? Or Rickey (.311/.438/.519 5HR, 11SB)? Or Phillips again (.300/.427/.544 5HR)? Or Knight (.392/.448/..570)? Or Inky (.291/.355/.618 9HR)? Honestly, it's probably none of those guys, although in past years, all of them could have won. This month, it's Fred Lynn (.315/.375/.676 11HR, 37 RBI) Lynn finally had a massive, break out month and knocked all those runners home. He has only broken the 30HR mark once in his career, and he is well on his way to #2.


Of our pitchers, we know that the bullpen is hurting. Of those guys, it's still Don Robinson who is getting the most playing time, and posting the worst lines. His ERA was lowered to 9.00 in a month where he pitched 8 times, and allowed 7 earned runs. As for the top starter, all the guys did alright, but Tanana with his 3.15 ERA and 3-1 record was the best. His WHIP was 0.97 and lead all starters for the month. These guys all benefited from the incredible outburst of hitting that we all hope carries over into June. Tanana also recorded his 2000 career strikeout in May. A great achievement for the 33yr old pitcher. He's 32 wins away from #200, which he could see in 1990 if he stays consistent.