Inside The N.L. East

Sporting News, The, July 17, 2000

Who's HOT

Mets RHP AI Leiter was chosen N.L. Pitcher of the Month for the second consecutive June. In his past seven starts entering this week, he has a 5-1 record, a 2.20 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 49 innings. Leiter, the staff ace, is 10-2 with a 2.99 ERA this year.

Who's NOT

Atlanta starters Kevin Millwood and Terry Mulholland. Millwood has been mixing good and bad starts for the past month. Mulholland finally had a good start last Saturday--his best since June 10--but he has allowed 152 hits in 115 innings.

CIRCLE THE CALENDAR

The Mets begin a brutal 11-game trip after the All-Star break that starts in Boston, goes through Canada and ends in Atlanta. The Red Sox, Expos and Blue Jays all will be tough, and New York's goal will be to get within striking distance of the Braves by the time it reaches Atlanta.

Keep an eye on

Center field in Montreal, Peter Bergeron has struggled all season--a .234 average, .303 on-base percentage and 14 RBIs--and might be replaced by fellow prospect Milton Bradley. The Expos need better production from their leadoff hitter.

High and inside

RHP Andy Ashby went eight starts (May 7-July 3) without a win, and his ERA ballooned to 6.08. A trade would do Ashby wonders, but the Phils won't get much for a guy who traditionally struggles in the second half.

TSN's Wired World

Florida 1B Derrek Lee is breaking out. After two subpar seasons, Lee has 18 homers and a respectable .268 average (through last Saturday). He also is coming through in key situations. For more on the Marlins, visit:

sportingnews.com/baseball/teams/marlins

PROSPECT WATCH

PROSPECT RHP Grant Roberts is considered the Mets' second-best pitching prospect (behind Pat WATCH Strange). Roberts had elbow surgery in 1998 but went 9-7 in a combined 28 starts at Class AA and AAA in 1999. This season at AAA, he is 4-5 with a 4.48 ERA. He features a fastball in the low to mid-90s and a good slider.

Atlanta

52-35: 1st

Schuerholz in strange spot, making a pitch for pitchers

SECOND-HALF STRATEGY: For the past nine years, the Braves marched in lock step with their pitchers, who led the majors in earned-run average six times. But without workhorse starter John Smoltz and with reliever Rudy Seanez out for the season, the staff stumbled into the All-Star break with a very unBrave-like ERA. So, having watched scores soar, which in turn has placed more emphasis on the offense to produce runs, G.M. John Schuerholz has been beating the bushes to find help. He has auditioned relievers on a weekly basis without finding any answers, and before the July 31 trading deadline, he will swing a trade involving at least one pitcher, perhaps two. At the same time, the Braves need RHP Kevin Millwood to step up and deliver a strong second half and LHP Terry Mulholland to find some consistency as the No. 4 starter. The bullpen must get healthy. LHP Mike Remlinger's importance has been underscored during his two-week absence and RHP Kevin McGlinchy has missed six weeks as he recovers from a stiff shoulder.

MOVES TO MAKE: There are a number of trades the Braves can pursue to deliver badly needed pitching, but it's going to cost them some top prospects. What Schuerholz has to decide is whether to focus on a starter or add a pair of relievers to a battered bullpen. He has asked the Phillies about RHP Andy Ashby, who would be a terrific fit, and there were signs the Orioles' RHP Scott Erickson might also be a candidate. Baltimore is intriguing because LF B.J. Surhoff is available, and the Braves have coveted him for years. If Schuerholz wanted to put together a blockbuster deal, Erickson and Surhoff would fit very nicely in Atlanta.

FEARLESS FORECAST: The end of the Braves' reign atop the N.L. East hasn't arrived yet. They will hold off the Mets and win an unprecedented ninth consecutive division championship and then wipe out their first-round opponent in the playoffs. But surviving another championship series, this time without Smoltz, who thrives in October, will be difficult. --Bill Zack

MIDSEASON GRADES

OFFENSE A

Even with Sanders' AWOL bat, the lineup has averaged more than five runs per game.

PITCHING B

It looks like the staff ERA will go over 4.00 for the first time in 10 years.

DEFENSE A

There's no hole anywhere in the field, though rookie SS Rafael Furcal has 14 errors.

BRAVES
                      AVG     G     AB      R      H     HR    RB

C. Jones(#)           .324    82    299     59    97    22     68
A. Jones              .316    87    342     71   108    23     54
Veras(#)              .311    82    293     56    91     5     36
(*)Furcal(#)          .304    57    168     35    51     0     12
Jordan                .300    72    270     44    81    13     50
Galarraga             .295    81    292     45    86    20     62
Weiss(#)              .291    48    117     20    34     0     10
Lopez                 .285    75    270     31    77    12     44
Bonilla(#)            .270    66    159     18    43     4     18
Lockhart( )           .242    51     95     13    23     2     12
(*)Lunar              .233    19     43      4    10     0      5
Joyner( )             .196    59     97      7    19     1      7
Hubbard               .178    58     73     11    13     1      5
Sanders               .177    59    198     20    35     3     12

                        OBP     SLG    SB     K     BB       E

C. Jones(#)            .420    .615     6     34    52      10
A. Jones               .396    .573     8     59    40       1
Veras(#)               .415    .413    24     47    50       6
(*)Furcal(#)           .400    .387    12     27    26      14
Jordan                 .354    .500     5     42    21       0
Galarraga              .364    .551     3     72    21       6
Weiss(#)               .388    .359     0     19    20      10
Lopez                  .333    .467     0     50    18       4
Bonilla(#)             .376    .434     0     31    26       4
Lockhart( )            .321    .411     1     11    11       2
(*)Lunar               .313    .256     0     10     3       1
Joyner( )              .295    .278     0     18    14       2
Hubbard                .286    .274     1     20    10       0
Sanders                .235    .273     9     43    14       0

GRAND SLAMS: Galarraga, Lopez (1)

                           ERA     W-L      G     IP     H     R

Kamieniecki                0.00    0-0      1    1.0     0     0
(*)Marquis                 1.80    1-0      8   15.0     9     4
Chen( )                    2.63    4-0     21   37.2    33    11
Maddux                     3.32   10-3     19  132.2   127    49
Glavine( )                 3.61    9-5     19  132.0   116    53
Ligtenberg                 3.86    2-1     30   28.0    24    12
Rocker( )                  4.62    1-0     30   25.1    19    13
Millwood                   4.96    5-7     19  110.2   119    61
Burkett                    5.05    6-4     18   71.1    92    40
Mulholland( )              5.71    9-8     20  115.0   152    73
Stevens                   12.00    0-0      2    3.0     5     4

                             ER      HR     K     BB    SV   Avg.

Kamieniecki                   0       0     1      0     0   .000
(*)Marquis                    3       2    10      6     0   .176
Chen( )                      11       4    31     19     0   .231
Maddux                       49      12   108     27     0   .249
Glavine( )                   53      14    95     45     0   .237
Ligtenberg                   12       4    25     12     7   .233
Rocker( )                    13       1    37     34    12   .209
Millwood                     61      14    89     40     0   .272
Burkett                      40       6    69     29     0   .312
Mulholland( )                73      20    53     22     1   .319
Stevens                       4       2     4      1     0   .357