NFL 2019 Week 4 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming soon! There's a few decent matchups this week compared to last week but hopefully they will all be good games to watch. This post will have a NFL 100: A Spotlight and my picks to the games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

In the previous post I talked about the greatest defense I ever saw, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. In this spotlight I'll talk about the greatest offense I've ever seen. This particular offense was one of the greatest ever, they put the vertical passing scheme to perfection, with a quarterback that had one point was stocking groceries at a Hy-Vee for a wage of $5.50/hour. With a head coach who was known for being a hothead who had also lost a Super Bowl before. I'm of course talking about the 1999 St. Louis Rams.

The 1999 Rams seemed like a team that was from a fairy tale. The team had been in Los Angeles for 48 years and then moved to St. Louis in 1995. They made an appearance in the 1989 NFC Championship Game against their rival San Francisco 49ers. They would lose the game. The team would spend the rest of their years in LA in the cellar. When they moved to St. Louis, they would see much of the same.

In 1997, the Rams hired Dick Vermeil as their next head coach. Vermeil would have some success as a coach, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl in Super Bowl XV. He would resign after the 1982 season, citing burnout. He also lead the UCLA Bruins to a Rose Bowl victory in 1975. His first two seasons in St. Louis fared no better than the previous years the franchise had.

In 1999, the Rams traded to get two quality players, Trent Green from Washington and Marshall Faulk from Indianapolis. Vermeil finally got a quarterback to work with and a running back that he desperately needed to replace Lawrence Phillips (who ended up being a bust and cut mid-1997 season). In the 1999 preseason, Green would suffer an injury that would keep him out for the rest of the season. All seemed lost for the Rams. Until his backup came along and would lead the Rams to an unprecedented season.

Kurt Warner's journey to that moment was a long one. He was an undrafted free agent in 1994 that would get a tryout with the Green Bay Packers. He was cut before the regular season started. To keep an income while awaiting a call from the NFL, Warner was stocking groceries at a Hy-Vee in Ceder Falls, Iowa. With no call, Warner got a gig playing for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League and would lead the league in passing and touchdowns. His play would garner an offer with the Rams and he would sign a futures contract. In 1998, he was sent to play for the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe, once again leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns. He would return to the US and gain a spot on the Rams roster for the 1999 season, backing up Tony Banks. By 1999, he was #2 on the depth chart at quarterback. Once Trent Green was sidelined for the season, the rest was history.

In a press conference after the game, Vermeil would name Kurt Warner as their starter, stating "We will rally around Kurt Warner, and we'll play good football." The 1999 Rams were picked to finish last in most experts eyes. Lo and behold, they would shock the world.Even worse than the expansion team Cleveland Browns. 

What made the 1999 Rams special was the use of the vertical pro offensive scheme. The scheme was successful during the Don Coryell years in San Diego. It was a passing scheme that featured two wide receivers, a tight end, a fullback and a halfback. It utilized on timing and rhythm and putting receivers in motion. It forced defenses to cover the entire field, making them play more zone defense, than man coverage.

The Rams would jump right out of the gate strong, winning six of their first eight games before finishing the year at 13-3. They would put up 32.9 points/game with a total of 526 points that year, finishing 1st in the NFL, while their defense (which was arguably underrated) allowed only 15.1 points/game. Kurt Warner threw the ball for 4,353 yards for 41 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Insane numbers. Marshall Faulk would have a great year running the ball, finishing with 1,381 yards and seven touchdowns. Isaac Bruce would get 1,165 receiving yards for 12 touchdowns that season.

They would be dubbed "The Greatest Show On Turf" and in the playoffs is where the offense shined like no other. They would beat the Minnesota Vikings 49-37 in the Divsional playoff game. They would only need to score 11 points to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a score of 11-6 to advance to their first Super Bowl in 40 years as a franchise. In the Super Bowl they beat the Tennessee Titans 23-16 to win their first and only (as of 2018 NFL season) championship. The game would also be dubbed "The One Yard Short" game.

In the aftermath, Vermeil would resign as head coach and Mike Martz would take over his duties. The Rams would return to another Super Bowl in 2001 where they were the heavy favorite against the New England Patriots. They would lose the game. The Rams would never quite reach that point while in St. Louis. Kurt Warner would spend time with the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals, leading the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl in Super Bowl XLIII, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 1999 Rams were a story like no other, with a fairy tale ending. Their place in NFL history is one for the ages. However, much like all good fairy tales, they must end.

The last bitter memory for my dad, who had been a Vikings fan since day one, would be the 1999 NFC divisional playoff against the Rams. He had some good memories and mostly bad ones being a fan for over 38 years. He would pass away a couple of months after this game in March 2000. Fortunately he never got to see the horrible 41-0 loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game. Cheers dad!

Week 4 Picks

The 4th week of the NFL regular season starts in Green Bay, Wisconsin and ends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets are on a bye week. There will be a Thursday night game, eight early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. CBS will have the doubleheader and FOX will carry the single, regional game.

Note: TW is me, CV is Cardinal Viking, my roommate

Philadelphia (1-2) @ Green Bay (3-0) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Packers; CV: Eagles

The Eagles lost to the Lions and the Packers beat the Broncos last week. The matchup will be the Eagles wide-receivers vs the Packers defense. If the Packers can shut down the Eagles passing game, forcing them to go to their running game, Green Bay has a chance to get a victory. The Eagles defense is banged up and I trust Aaron Rodgers. Packers offense needs to play well all four quarters to get a win as well.

New England (3-0) @ Buffalo (3-0) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

Both teams got wins last week as the Patriots beat the Jets and the Bills beat the Bengals. We will learn a lot about the Bills in this game, if they are a playoff contender or a pretender. Tom Brady has a great record against the Bills and I can't see that changing a whole lot in this game.

LA Chargers (1-2) @ Miami (0-3) (CBS): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

Both teams took losses last week as the Chargers lost to the Texans and the Dolphins lost to the Cowboys. The game itself could be a shot for the Dolphins to get a win as the Chargers haven't played particularly well in the last few weeks. I feel that the Chargers will get back on track this week by beating a team that is tanking so hard.

Oakland (1-2) @ Indianapolis (2-1) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Colts

The Raiders lost to the Vikings and the Colts beat the Falcons last week. Jacoby Brissett keeps getting better every week it seems. The Raiders defense is very suspect after that loss to the Vikings. If the Raiders offense can get something going against the Colts defense, they could make this interesting but I like the home team in this one.

Tennessee (1-2) @ Atlanta (1-2) (CBS): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons

Both teams lost last week as the Titans lost to the Jaguars and the Falcons lost to the Colts. The matchup looks like a Falcons win on paper and I tend to agree with the paper. If the Falcons defense shuts down the Titans rushing attack, they should come out with a victory. I trust Matt Ryan enough to carve up the Titans defense. Especially when Julio Jones is in the lineup.

Washington (0-3) @ NY Giants (1-2) (FOX): TW: Giants; CV: Giants

The Redskins lost to the Bears and the Giants beat the Buccaneers. Daniel Jones is getting his 2nd start of his young career. Both teams have terrible defense and I feel the team that can get the ball rolling on defense can get a victory as this game could be a shootout. I feel the Giants will get a game-winning touchdown. Saquon Barkley will be out for this game and the Redskins could get a rollin' with their running game. I feel okay with picking Big Blue.

Kansas City (3-0) @ Detroit (2-0-1) (FOX): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

Both teams got wins last week as the Chiefs beat the Ravens and the Lions beat the Eagles. The game will come down to one thing: can the Lions slow down Patrick Mahomes? If they can and can take advantage of a poor Chiefs defense, they got a shot to win. Otherwise good luck Detroit. I'm taking KC.

Cleveland (1-2) @ Baltimore (2-1) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

Both teams lost last week as the Browns lost to the Rams and the Ravens lost to the Chiefs. It comes down to experience and I feel the Ravens have a bit more experience than the Browns. Both teams are really even on paper. It will be a close game by less than a touchdown but I feel the Ravens will come out of the scrum with a win.

Carolina (1-2) @ Houston (2-1) (FOX): TW: Panthers; CV: Texans

Both teams got wins last week as the Panthers beat the Cardinals and the Texans beat the Chargers. The two teams are pretty even on paper. If the Panthers can pressure DeShaun Watson they got a good shot to win the game. I feel the Panthers have an edge in running back with Christian McCaffrey. Hopefully Kyle Allen can repeat his performance from last week.

Tampa Bay (1-2) @ LA Rams (3-0) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The Buccaneers lost to the Giants and the Rams beat the Browns last week. Jared Goff hasn't gotten off to the start that most have expected compared to last year. Huge test for the Rams offense against a decent Buccaneers defense. I don't trust Jameis Winston to not throw an interception in the game. Rams defense will keep them out of the endzone for sure. Give me LA!

Seattle (2-1) @ Arizona (0-2-1) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

Both teams lost last week as the Seahawks lost to the Saints and the Cardinals lost to the Panthers. I pretty much made a pact to not pick the Cardinals for a while but this game could be one of those games where the Cards have a shot to win. A small shot but something. If the Seahawks can pressure Kyler Murray then they have a great shot to win. Steep mountain for the Cardinals to win.

Jacksonville (2-1) @ Denver (0-3) (CBS): TW: Jaguars; CV: Broncos

The Jaguars got a win against the Titans and the Broncos lost to the Packers. Minshewmania is in full swing as the Jags go to Denver. Denver hasn't played well on both sides of the ball, especially their defensive front with 0 sacks. Jacksonville is 9th best in sacks allowed. If the Broncos have any sniff of a chance to win, they need to get to Gardner Minshew. Otherwise I'll take Jacksonville.

Minnesota (2-1) @ Chicago (2-1) (CBS): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

Both teams got wins last week as the Vikings beat the Raiders and the Bears beat the Redskins. The Vikings need Kirk Cousins to get out of his funk and play well in this game. They can't rely on the running game of Dalvin Cook, let alone be one-dimensional. It's time for Minnesota to escape the "can't win in Chicago" mindset and win on the road.

Dallas (3-0) @ New Orleans (2-1) (NBC): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

Both teams got wins last week as the Cowboys beat the Dolphins and the Saints beat the Seahawks. The Saints will need a great start from Teddy Bridgewater to win this game. It's a steep mountain to ask for a guy but I feel the Cowboys will pull off a victory on the road.

Cincinnati (0-3) @ Pittsburgh (0-3) (ESPN): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

Both teams lost last week as the Bengals lost to the Bills and the Steelers lost to the 49ers. The two teams are winless so far in the 2019 campaign so certainly one of them has to win this game. I feel the Steelers have the chops to win it as the Bengals are just banged up on both sides of the ball and not very good either. I'll take Mason Rudolph to finish week 4 with a win.

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, coverage subject to change):

FOX Single:
Kansas City @ Detroit
Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

CBS Single:
New England @ Buffalo
Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

CBS Late:
Minnesota @ Chicago
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

For more information on which game is being played in your area, check out: NFL 2019: Week 4 Maps

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Overall: 31-16-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Overall: 33-14-1

See you guys on Monday night after the game for the Week 4 Recap. Enjoy the games!
-Tom

NFL Offseason Thoughts 2019

Hello readers! Long time, no blogs! The NFL regular season is coming upon us in 12 days when the Green Bay Packers visit their division rival Chicago Bears on Thursday night for Opening Night. This blog will give my take on the Antonio Brown situation, my take on the most intriguing division heading into the regular season, and my planned upload schedule for the upcoming season. Let's get to it!

Oh Woe In Oakland

Last season, the Oakland Raiders, got rid of superstars Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper via trades to the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys respectively. To make up for the losses, the Raiders traded to get star wide receiver Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown, known for his antics during the start of training camp. Whether it be coming to camp in a limo, or this year coming to camp in a hot air balloon. As it turns out, the star wide receiver came with a bit more baggage than what the Raiders would expect.

The honeymoon of the Raiders and Antonio Brown didn't last long. The wideout went to France to go through some cryotherapy. What Brown forgot was to wear some protective socks and footwear in the cold. The result was some rather eye appealing visuals on his feet (or not). The drama would only get started.

In the endless quest to make the game safer to play, the NFL would impose rules on helmets to make them safer. Antonio Brown's helmet was deemed unsafe and he didn't like it. Brown would wage war with the league for the past few months on a helmet. Brown claimed that the "safer" helmet was harder to see the ball, and certainly the job of a wide receiver is to see the ball so that you can catch it.

The drama among Antonio Brown, Oakland Raiders, and the NFL will likely continue well into the regular season. It will be hard to see who will win in the end but one thing is for certain. Drama sells.

Remember the [AFC] North?

One of the more exciting divisions heading into the NFL regular season has to be the AFC North. At least in my opinion. You have the division winners Baltimore Ravens looking to build off of what they had the previous season, all the while the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Cincinnati Bengals look to get back into relevancy.

The Baltimore Ravens won the AFC North for the first time since 2012 when the Ravens won their 2nd Super Bowl. The Ravens traded Joe Flacco to Denver for draft picks. The Ravens put their hope and future on Lamar Jackson who would throw 1200+ yards for six touchdowns and three interceptions. The Ravens bread and butter has to be their defense and they still have the best defense in the division. If the Ravens want to go to the next level in 2019, their offense has to get to that next level.

The division powerhouse, Pittsburgh Steelers, were off to a hot start going 7-2-1 at one point last season. Pittsburgh was under the radar all season due to the holdout of Le'Veon Bell that lasted the whole season. As if that drama wasn't enough, the rift between quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown grew and the team took sides. Eventually Roethlisberger won the battle as Brown was traded to Oakland in the offseason. The 2019 Steelers look to put all the drama the previous year behind them with such players like James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Those two players will greatly depend on how well the Steelers do this season.

The feel-good story of last year was the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland came into last year with zero wins in 2017, and would win seven games in 2018, matching the same total in 2014. The Browns success has to be given to rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, a solid running game with Nick Chubb, and a stifling defense. The addition of Odell Beckham Jr from the Giants via trade will surely give the Browns more dimensions in the passing game and a weapon for Mayfield to go for. A lot of expectations are on this Browns team to go far into the season and well into January. This team hasn't had a winning season since 2007 and haven't even sniffed the playoffs since 2002. Anything but a winning season for this team would be a bad season for this team due to expectations. I feel that a winning season is achievable for this team and a playoff appearance would be a plus for them.

Then there's the Cincinnati Bengals. The divsion cellar dwellers last season got rid of their long-time head coach Marvin Lewis and brought in Zac Taylor. Much of the offensive starters remain like Andy Dalton and AJ Green but it has to be questioned on their defense. How well will their defense do in 2019? Much questions surround this team and if they can get a winning season in 2019.

Upload schedule

The coming season is coming up soon. The upload schedule essentially will remain the same. The picks column will be uploaded on Wednesday or prior to the week's games start. A recap column will come on Monday after the Monday night game or possibly Tuesday. I still plan on doing picks for the 2019 season, along with Cardinal Viking, my roommate, our 3rd season doing picks. Expect a preview column come next Friday (August 30th) or Saturday. Then the Week 1 picks column on Wednesday, September 4th. See you guys next week!

-Tom

MLB 2019 Week 4 Recap (4/15/19 - 4/21/19)

First pitch (1st Inning)
Hello readers! Another week of Major League Baseball action has come to an end. High scoring games, low scoring games, pitching duels, and hitting displays galore, we have it all this week's column. In this week's column, I'll talk about all 30 teams week that were, injuries, news and notes, and a remarkable "Final Out" that you have to see. Let's get to work!
American League

American League East (2nd Inning):

Baltimore Orioles (5th in AL East; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 8-15; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Orioles would take a split in a 4-game series with Boston, take 1 of 3 against Tampa Bay, and get swept by Minnesota in 3 games. The long hitless streak from Chris Davis is finally over but the injuries for the O's piled up during their weekend series against the Twins. Seems that first week of the season drifted away like a dream. Should be noted that I only took Monday's game of their series against Boston into account for this week.

This week: 3 games vs Chicago (AL); 3 games @ Minnesota

Boston Red Sox (4th in AL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 9-13; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Red Sox would take a split against the Orioles in 4 games, get swept by the Yankees in 2 games, and sweep the Rays in 3 games. The offense and starting pitching has still yet to figure its groove but certainly a sweep against the division leading Tampa Bay Rays has to give them some confidence. Chris Sale needs to improve as well. The loss of Dustin Pedroia yet again is hard to swallow as well. Might be time for him to retire.

This week: 4 games vs Detroit; 3 games vs Tampa Bay

New York Yankees (2nd in AL East; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 11-10; Week Runs Scored: 36):
The Yankees swept the Red Sox in 2 games and took 3 of 4 against the Royals. The Yankees still keep rolling along despite hovering above .500 for this season. The injuries to Aaron Judge on Saturday could be impactful if this team wants to get to the playoffs again. Yet again they seem to be doing just fine with their offense. Pitching has stepped up big time for the Bombers.

This week: 4 games @ Los Angeles (AL); 3 games @ San Francisco

Tampa Bay Rays (1st in AL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 14-8; Week Runs Scored: 29):
The Rays took 2 of 3 against the Orioles and got swept by the Red Sox in 3 games. The division leading Rays took a bit of a detour this week as their pitching went south. Tyler Glasnow has looked a bit more vulnerable now and Blake Snell was hit with an injury but will be back later in the week. Hard to say that this is the Rays team that we expected but they need to get back to their bread and butter with pitching. At least their offense somewhat kept them in games.

This week: 3 games vs Kansas City; 3 games @ Boston

Toronto Blue Jays (3rd in AL East; Week Record: 6-1; Overall Record: 10-12; Week Runs Scored: 39):
The Blue Jays took 3 of 4 against the Twins and swept the Athletics in 3 games. The Blue Jays were one of the better teams this week. Taking on some quality teams and running them over. Their offense needed it too. I mean to put up 39 runs. The loss of Matt Shoemaker for 2 weeks will be tough to manage. Aaron Sanchez would get hit with the injury bug too but will be out for at least a week.

This week: 2 games vs San Francisco; 3 games vs Oakland

American League Central (3rd Inning)

Chicago White Sox (4th in AL Central; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 8-12; Week Runs Scored: 30):
The White Sox took 2 of 3 against the Royals and took 1 of 3 (possible 4 but the April 20th game will be played on August 6th) against the Tigers. The Southsiders were .500 for the week and certainly it can be said for their season so far. Their offense looks good to keep them in games but their pitching has still hasn't come to bat. The loss of Lucas Giolito for a week will be hard but they can't do worse than lose every game.

This week: 3 games @ Baltimore; 3 games vs Detroit

Cleveland Indians (2nd in AL Central; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 12-9; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Indians took 3 of 3 against the Mariners and took 1 of 3 against the Braves. Cleveland is an interesting team, they can have a good day on hitting, then a bad one, likewise for pitching. They can score 6 runs in one game and then 1 run the next. Fortunately that 1 run was a 1-0 shutout. They really took it to the Mariners and then look awful against a Braves team with bullpen issues. I don't know what to think of this team.

This week: 2 games vs Miami; 3 games @ Houston

Detroit Tigers (3rd in AL Central; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 10-10; Week Runs Scored: 19):
The Tigers were swept in 2 games against the Pirates and took 2 of 3 (possible 4th was postponed and was rescheduled for August 6th) against the White Sox. Getting enough runs and innings enough to get to Shane Greene is a sound strategy for the Tigers. Greene got two saves this week increasing his season total to 10. Christin Stewart will miss a week due to injury but its the Tigers batting that can't seem to get them wins.

This week: 4 games @ Boston; 3 games @ Chicago (AL)

Kansas City Royals (5th in AL Central; Week Record: 2-5; Overall Record: 7-15; Week Runs Scored: 25):
The Royals took 1 of 3 against the White Sox and took 1 of 4 against the Yankees. Kansas City has a lot of problems, their offense doesn't score enough runs, their pitching can't stop no one and a bullpen to close down opponents. The loss of Danny Duffy to injury will be less than a week but their injury list of pitchers is one too many problems that KC can handle. The basement in the division is nice and cool.

This week: 3 games @ Tampa Bay; 3 games vs Los Angeles (AL)

Minnesota Twins (1st in AL Central; Week Record: 4-3; Overall Record: 12-7; Week Runs Scored: 42):
The Twins took 1 of 4 against the Blue Jays and swept the Orioles in 3 games. A whopping 42 runs were scored by the Twins this week. They score 16 on Saturday against the Orioles. Still its the Orioles who have not a lot of pitching depth. The Twins have the best batting average in the majors with .275, not too shabby. Their pitching can always improve too.

This week: 3 games @ Houston; 3 games vs Baltimore

American League West (4th inning)

Houston Astros (2nd in AL West; Week Record: 2-3; Overall Record: 13-8; Week Runs Scored: 31):
The Astros took a 2-game split against the Athletics and took 1 of 3 against the Rangers. The Astros had a meh week. Average would be more like it to them. Gerritt Cole has certainly been questionable with his 1-3 record and an ERA over 5. They should be fine but certainly your division games are important, especially against an in-state rival. Michael Brantley has a 13-game hitting streak though.

This week: 3 games vs Minnesota; 4 games vs Cleveland

Los Angeles Angels (5th in AL West; Week Record: 1-6; Overall Record: 9-13; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Angels got swept against the Rangers in 3 games and took 1 out of 4 against the Mariners. Their offense can get them runs but their pitching has done jack for them. Same story, same old Angels.

This week: 4 games vs New York (AL); 3 games @ Kansas City

Oakland Athletics (4th in AL West; Week Record: 1-4; Overall Record: 11-13; Week Runs Scored: 9):
The A's took 1 of 2 against the Astros and took 0 of 3 against the Blue Jays. A whopping 9 runs of offense. The most they would get was 4 in a 5-4 loss against the Blue Jays. Their offense took a week off this week certainly. Still, Ramon Laurenado is quite a spectacle on defense.

This week: 3 games vs Texas; 3 games @ Toronto

Seattle Mariners (1st in AL West; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 16-9; Week Runs Scored: 34):
The Mariners got swept in 3 games against the Indians and took 3 of 4 against the Angels. The Mariners are still a pretty solid club who was laxed on offense earlier in the week and then took advantage of not good Angels pitching. Need to get better to keep off the surging Astros though.

This week: 2 games @ San Diego; 4 games vs Texas

Texas Rangers (3rd in AL West; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 12-8; Week Runs Scored: 44):
The Rangers swept the Angels in 3 games and took 2 of 3 against the Astros. Certainly the bigger surprise this week was the Rangers who took it to the defending division champs at home. Their offense really took off and certainly their pitching has done well too. Kudos to Texas.
This week: 3 games @ Oakland; 4 games @ Seattle

National League

National League East (5th inning)

Atlanta Braves (2nd in NL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 11-10; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Braves got swept against the Diamondbacks and took 2 of 3 against the Indians. Bullpen issues still plague the Braves as Arodys Vizcaino was hit with injury and his season was over. Not looking promising for Atlanta but you did look good against a solid Indians team on the road.

This week: 3 games @ Cincinnati; 3 games vs Colorado

Miami Marlins (5th in NL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 6-16; Week Runs Scored: 14):
The Marlins got swept against the Cubs in 3 games and took 2 of 3 against the Nationals. The worst team in the majors had a bright spot in taking 2 of 3 against a good Nationals team. Other than that their offense is non-existent and their pitching can't keep offenses off base. Its a long season yet.

This week: 2 games @ Cleveland; 4 games @ Philadelphia

New York Mets (3rd in NL East; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 11-10; Week Runs Scored: 23):
The Mets took 1 of 3 against the Phillies and 1 of 3 against the Cardinals. Mets took a hit for pitching as Jacob DeGrom was diagnosed with an elbow injury that will last for a week. Their pitching hasn't kept offenses off the bases. Still if you can get through to the 9th with a lead, Edwin Diaz can get them a save if its possible.

This week: 3 games vs Philadelphia; 3 games vs Milwaukee

Philadelphia Phillies (1st in NL East; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 12-9; Week Runs Scored: 37):
The Phillies took 2 of 3 against the Mets and took 1 of 4 against the Rockies. The offense is still quite good if only the pitching can stop giving up home runs. Bryce Harper is quite fun to watch.

This week: 3 games @ New York (NL); 4 games vs Miami

Washington Nationals (4th in NL East; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 10-10; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Nationals took 2 of 3 against the Giants and took 1 of 3 against the Marlins. Max Scherzer was hit with a rib injury but it will be a short injury stint. The Nationals offense was a bit lax and a bit up and down during the week. Didn't quite gain any ground on teams in their division.

This week: 3 games @ Colorado; 3 games vs San Diego

National League Central (6th inning)

Chicago Cubs (4th in NL Central; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 10-10; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Cubs swept the Marlins in 3 games and took 2 of 3 against the Diamondbacks. On the Northside this week the Cubs improved greatly this week. They had good pitching performances like Tyler Chatwood (who would get a no decision) and Cole Hamels. Hamels is sporting a 3-0 record so far this season. Offense is efficient as well.

This week: 3 games vs Los Angeles (NL); 3 games @ Arizona

Cincinnati Reds (5th in NL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 8-13; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Reds got swept in 3 games against the Dodgers and took 3 of 4 against the Padres. The Reds are certainly a team in rebuilding and a 3-4 record this week and only 20 runs scored. The offense could do better but no one on bat stands out as a powerhouse that can put up numbers. Pitching as well.

This week: 3 games vs Atlanta; 3 games @ St. Louis

Milwaukee Brewers (3rd in NL Central; Week Record: 3-4; Overall Record: 13-10; Week Runs Scored: 30):
The Brewers took 2 of 3 against St. Louis and took 1 of 4 against the Dodgers. Christian Yelich is probably best thing the Brew Crew have had a long time. Their offense and bullpen are playing well but its their starting pitching that still proves to give them hiccups.

This week: 3 games @ St. Louis; 3 games @ New York (NL)

Pittsburgh Pirates (1st in NL Central; Week Record: 4-1; Overall Record: 12-7; Week Runs Scored: 17):
The Pirates took a 2-game sweep against the Tigers and took 2 of 3 against the Giants. Pittsburgh's pitching did really well against some decent hitting teams in the Tigers and the Giants.
This week: 4 games vs Arizona; 3 games @ Los Angeles (NL)

St. Louis Cardinals (2nd in NL Central; Week Record: 3-3; Overall Record: 12-9; Week Runs Scored: 28):
The Cardinals took 1 of 3 against the Brewers and took 2 of 3 against the Mets. St. Louis' offense has shown to get 10+ run games while not always the case as they can win games with lesser run amounts, the pitching should be called into questioning during their series against the Brewers. It needs to get better against a team like the Brewers if they want to get to bigger and better things.

This week: 3 games vs Milwuakee; 3 games vs Cincinnati

National League West (7th inning)

Arizona Diamondbacks (3rd in NL West; Week Record: 4-2; Overall Record: 11-11; Week Runs Scored: 24):
The Diamondbacks swept the Braves in 3 games and took 1 of 3 against the Cubs. It's quite preposterous how well the Diamondbacks are at .500 this week. All their facets to the game they do well at. The record could've been easily 5-1 had they not lose a game in a walk-off fashion on Sunday at Wrigley Field. You don't quite know what you're going to get with this team.

This week: 4 games @ Pittsburgh; 3 games vs Chicago (NL)

Colorado Rockies (4th in NL West; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 9-13; Week Runs Scored: 32):
The Rockies swept the Padres in 2 games and took 3 of 4 against the Phillies. Colorado needed this week to get back into the division race and boy did they answer. The Rockies got a good week from Jon Gray who got 2 wins during the week. Offense too is starting to wake up after a early slump.

This week: 3 games vs Washington; 3 games @ Atlanta

Los Angeles Dodgers (1st in NL West; Week Record: 5-1; Overall Record: 15-9; Week Runs Scored: 26):
The Dodgers swept the Reds in 3 games and then took 3 of 4 against the Brewers. Kenley Jansen got 3 saves this week increasing his total to 7. The Dodgers had a better week than last week in terms of record and certainly you have to give the credit to their pitching while their hitting has given them enough runs to close games out.

This week: 3 games @ Chicago (NL); 3 games vs Pittsburgh

San Diego Padres (2nd in NL West; Week Record: 1-5; Overall Record: 12-11; Week Runs Scored: 13):
The Padres got swept against the Rockies in a 2-game set and took 1 of 4 against the Reds. I certainly thought the Padres would fall back down to earth eventually but certainly not against a Reds team. I felt the Padres offense was better. Baseball is a finicky sport. Still Kirby Yates got his 10th save on Sunday.

This week: 2 games vs Seattle; 3 games @ Washington

San Francisco Giants (5th in NL West; Week Record: 2-4; Overall Record: 9-14; Week Runs Scored: 20):
The Giants took 1 of 3 against the Nationals and took 1 of 3 against the Pirates. The Giants still are struggling on offense, this has been most of the case so far this year. While their pitching can do so much to help the team.

This week: 2 games @ Toronto; 3 games vs New York (AL)

League Leaders and Notes (8th Inning)

Your American League leaders in batting are: Tim Anderson (White Sox) with .422 batting average, Khris Davis (Athletics) 9 home runs, Domingo Santana (Mariners) with 25 RBI's. In pitching your leaders are: Tyler Glasnow (Rays) and Marco Gonzales (Mariners) tied with 4 wins, Tyler Glasnow with a 1.13 ERA, and Shane Greene (Tigers) with 9 saves.

Your National League leaders in batting are: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers) with .407 batting average and Christian Yelich (Brewers) with 13 home runs and 31 RBI's. In pitching Zach Greinke is tied with 4 other pitchers with 3 wins, Joe Musgrove (Pirates) with a .081 ERA, and Kirby Yates with 10 saves.

In injury news, Aaron Judge will be out until May 28th with an Oblique injury that was suffered during a Saturday game against the Royals. Matt Shoemaker of the Blue Jays was put on the 10-day Injury List with a left knee injury he suffered during a rundown. Rich Hill of the Dodgers is expected to throw during a spring game before returning to the club to start next Sunday against the Pirates.

The Final Out (9th inning):

If in case you haven't learned about Ramon Laureanado of the Athletics, you've either been living in a cave or you try not to remember him because he's not on your team. On Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, he made a play that has to be considered play of the year. I'll be back next week to recap the week that was in baseball, until then, enjoy the video and have a good week.