Inside The N.L. West

Sporting News, The, May 15, 2000

Who's HOT

Perceived as weakened by offseason moves, the Rockies, led by sizzling Todd Helton, hit .359 with 24 homers and scored 124 runs at home through the first month of the season (vs. .277, 17 and 71 in the same number of Coors Field games last year).

Who's NOT

Through last week, D-backs RHP Matt Mantei had seen just two save situations since his season-starting stint on the D.L. He blew one by allowing a homer and was pulled from the other after issuing two two-out walks in the ninth. He's back on the D.L

CIRCLE THE CALENDAR

The Diamondbacks entered a nine-game, three-city trip (to San Diego, Montreal and New York) from May 12-21 with a 10-5 road record, Arizona, which already has won five road series and tied another, hasn't lost a road series since last July 18-20, when it dropped two of three in Seattle.

Keep an eye on

The Padres rotation, With RHP Woody Williams sidelined after surgery to repair an aneurysm in his throwing arm, San Diego will go temporarily to a four-man rotation. But a fifth starter (RHP Buddy Carlyle?) will be needed in two weeks.

High and inside

To make a roster space for RHP Antonio Osuna (elbow surgery), who was close to completing a rehab assignment, the Dodgers would like to deal overpriced and underperforming LHP Alan Mills.

TSN's Wired World

The sign at Pac Bell Park for keeping track of homers into McCovey Cove has room for three digits. After a month, it read 001. "It's not that easy to do," says Barry Bonds, who hit the one. For more on the Giants, visit:

sportingnews.com/baseball/teams/giants

PROSPECT WATCH

Arizona likes LHP Nick Bierbrodt, 21, and RHP John Patterson, 22, enough that it was willing to trade RHP Brad Penny last year. Although neither Bierbrodt (2-1, 4.82 ERA) nor Patterson (0-1, 6.10) had particularly good numbers as of last week at AAA Tucson, each still figures in the team's not-too-distant future.

Arizona

20-10: 1st

Bullpen must adjust while Mantei builds arm strength

As it did at the beginning of the season, the team will have to cope without closer RHP Matt Mantei for a while. Mantei came out of last Thursday's game in Milwaukee with a loose shoulder. No MRI was taken, and Mantei simply will build back his arm strength by working with weights and alternating playing catch and bullpen sessions. RHP Vicente Padilla was called up to take Mantei's roster spot. RHP Byung-Hyun Kim seems likely to get most of the closer duties, and RHP Mike Morgan's effectiveness so far will earn him a chance to help make up for Mantei's absence.... LHP Omar Daal was off to an 0-3 start entering this week. He had allowed seven homers in 39 2/3 innings and had a 4.99 ERA. He says it is simply a case of every mistake he makes being capitalized on by hitters. It hasn't helped that Arizona scored 17 runs in Daal's six starts.

SCOUTING REPORT: Though SS Tony Womack has the classic speed of a leadoff hitter, he rarely walks and has a low on-base percentage. And his batting approach does not make the best use of his speed. Womack, a lefthanded hitter, often hits the ball in the air to left field as opposed to chopping the ball on the ground. Womack is dangerous when he reaches base; he's the three-time N.L. stolen-base champ and the active leader in stolen-base percentage. This season, Womack was sent back to shortstop, the position he prefers, although he showed good range in right field. He has played adequately at shortstop, especially at starting the double-play and covering ground on popups.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Between watching video and talking with hitting coach Jim Presley, LF Luis Gonzalez decided he was in too much of a crouch and needed to stand more erect at the plate. Constant tinkering with his stance had gotten him away from his 1999 form. Gonzalez had five hitting streaks of 10 or more games last season but has been streaky in a different way this year. In order, Gonzalez had gone 10-for-19, 2-for-36, 13-for-36 and 2-for-27 through Saturday.

--Ed Price

BURNING ISSUE

OF Turner Ward likely will be called up from Class AAA soon. Matt Williams could be off the D.L within a month. To make room, the club may have to option RF Travis Lee, who is playing well, or try to deal Andy Fox or Lenny Harris.

DIAMOND BACKS

               AVG    G    AB    R    H    HR     RBI

Colbrunn      .448   16    29    8   13    2        7
Durazo( )     .351   25    77   18   27    6       18
Finley( )     .325   30   117   29   38   11(a)    24
Miller        .302   14    43    3   13    2        6
(*)Klassen    .286   11    28    3    8    1        4
Bell          .278   30   115   19   32    6       15
Womack( )     .271   23   107   11   29    1        8
Lee( )        .253   26    83   14   21    5       11
Stinnett      .242   18    66   10   16    7       16
Gonzalez( )   .229   30   118   23   27    8       19
Harris( )     .207   24    58    6   12    1       13
Gilkey        .194   16    31    5    6    2        6
Frias(#)      .176   14    34    5    6    1        2
Fox( )        .103   14    39    4    4    0        3

               OBP    SLG   SB    K   BB    E

Colbrunn      .628   .862    0    4   14    1
Durazo( )     .463   .649    1   15   17    3
Finley( )     .385   .641    3   16   10    0
Miller        .375   .558    1    6    5    2
(*)Klassen    .333   .429    1    7    2   21
Bell          .404   .478    3   24   25    3
Womack( )     .284   .402    4   13    2    2
Lee( )        .351   .494    1   17   13    1
Stinnett      .315   .591    0   14    4    0
Gonzalez( )   .345   .508    0   15   20    1
Harris( )     .222   .293    3    3    2    2
Gilkey        .316   .419    0    7    6    0
Frias(#)      .263   .265    1    4    4    4
Fox( )        .186   .128    1    7    4    0

GRAND SLAMS: Harris (1)

               ERA     W-L     G      IP      H    R

Johnson( )    0.93   7(a)-0    7   58.1(a)   31    9
Swindell( )   1.35      1-0    9   13.1      10    2
Morgan        1.96      1-0   11   23.0      16    5
Kim           2.03      0-1   10   13.1       9    4
Plesac( )     4.05      0-0   10    6.2       8    4
Anderson( )   4.62      2-0    6   37.0      43   21
Reynoso       4.68      2-3    6   32.2      29   18
Daal( )       4.99      0-3    6   39.2      48   25
Stottlemyre   5.97      5-1    6   31.2      36   21
Springer      7.36      1-2   11   11.0      12   10
(*)Padilla       -      0-0    0    0.0       0    0

              ER   HR     K     BB   SV    Avg.

Johnson( )     6    3   75(a)   13    0   .156(a)
Swindell( )    2    1   13       1    1   .200
Morgan         5    2   14       4    4   .205
Kim            3    0   21       8    2   .191
Plesac( )      3    1    6       6    0   .286
Anderson( )   19    7   17       5    0   .301
Reynoso       17    3   17      12    0   .242
Daal( )       22    7   17      11    0   .293
Stottlemyre   21    8   17      16    0   .295
Springer       9    5    7       9    0   .261
(*)Padilla     0    0    0       0    0      -