Once again, extra innings make a sombrero possible

Bottom 3: Lou Marson called out on strikes against Rick Porcello

Bottom 5: Marson called out on strikes against Porcello

Bottom 7: Marson grounds out to third against Porcello

Bottom 10: Marson strikes out on foul tip against Al Alburquerque

Bottom 12: Marson strikes out swinging against Brayan Villarreal

Final Line: 0-5, 4 strikeouts

Notes: Marson did absolutely nothing to help his team win the extra inning affair against the Tigers.  He is the second player on the Indians to record a golden sombrero this season (Shin-Soo Choo the other).

Total 2011 Sombreros: 15

You know things are bad when the Mariners are about to give up on you…

Top 1: Jack Cust called out on strikes against Justin Verlander

Top 4: Cust struck out swinging against Verlander

Top 5: Called out on strikes against Verlander

Top 8: Called out on strikes against Al Alburquerque

Top 9: RBI double off of Brad Thomas

Final Line: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, 4 K

NOTES: With his golden sombrero against the Tigers on Wednesday, Cust has now fanned 29 times in 79 at-bats and sports a .177/.316/.203 slash line.  The fading slugger has struck out multiple times in eight of his 22 games.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 14

For as many hot starts as there have been across Major League Baseball, there have also been an alarming number of terrible starts.  Considering that we are now two and a half weeks into the season, it may be time to borderline-panic with some players, or if you are big league or fantasy manager, at least begin to consider an alternative.  For some players that may mean a trip to the minor leagues, while for others it may mean more days off and a possible platoon scenario.

One thing I’ve noticed thus far: several players known for their wheels simply aren’t hitting, and more significantly, aren’t getting on base.  So, I thought I’d poll our readers to find out which speedster’s slow start has been the most concerning: Brett Gardner, Chone Figgins, Austin Jackson, or Carl Crawford.

[poll id=”6″]

National League

West Division

1.     San Francisco Giants

2.     Colorado Rockies

3.     Los Angeles Dodgers

4.     Arizona Diamondbacks

5.     San Diego Padres

Central Division

1.     Milwaukee Brewers

2.     Cincinnati Reds

3.     St. Louis Cardinals

4.     Chicago Cubs

5.     Pittsburgh Pirates

6.     Houston Astros (tear drop)

East Division

1.     Atlanta Braves

2.     Philadelphia Phillies

3.     New York Mets

4.     Washington Nationals

5.     Florida Marlins

Wild Card Winner– Colorado Rockies

NLDS

Milwaukee vs. Colorado- Milwaukee wins in 5

San Francisco vs. Atlanta- San Francisco wins in 4

NLCS

San Francisco vs. Milwaukee- San Francisco wins in 6

Series MVP= Tim Lincecum

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AL East

1.     Boston Red Sox

2.     Tampa Bay Rays (Wildcard)

3.     New York Yankees

4.     Toronto Blue Jays

5.     Baltimore Orioles

AL Central

1.   Minnesota Twins

2.   Detroit Tigers

3.   Chicago White Sox

4.   Kansas City Royals

5.   Cleveland Indians

AL West

1.   Texas Rangers

2.   Los Angeles Angels

3.   Oakland Athletics

4.   Seattle Mariners

ALDS 1: Red Sox over Twins (4 games)

ALDS 2: Rays over Rangers (5 games)

ALCS: Red Sox over Rays (6 games)

MVP: Dustin Pedroia

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