National's starter Scott Olsen had a no-no going for 7 1/3rd innings last night before giving up a single to Braves catcher David Ross. Had he pitched the no-no, that would be the second time the Braves were no-hit in 3 weeks.
Here are my thoughts after reviewing Thursday's boxscores:
Phillies starter Roy Halladay won his 6th game of the season, beating the Cardinals 7-2. He pitched 7 innings, giving up one earned run on 7 hits, 3 walks and striking out 9. I admit I was wrong about Halladay. He appears to be well on his way to winning 20 games this season.
Is Halladay a Top 5 pick in 2011 drafts? If he wins 25 he will.
Is it me or has Albert Pujols had a pretty quiet few weeks now? Just saying.
Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth went 3-4 with his 5th HR and 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. He is hitting .354-.417-.657 for the season, and is well on his way to earning a Jason Bay-like payday from the Angels, Red Sox or Yankees later this year.
Pirates third baseman Andy Laroche is doing his best to make the Pirates decision to call up top prospect Pedro Alvarez a difficult one, as he is hitting .320-.407-.467 for the season. He hasn't flashed the power yet, but should he start hitting for more power, the Pirates will be forced to either move Laroche to second base, or Alvarez to first base. I would keep my eye on Laroche as we approach June. If manager John Russell plays him at second base a few times before June 1, that would greatly increase his value going forward.
More thoughts on Mike Stanton, Justin Smoak and Alex Gordon after the jump:
Mike Stanton Watch-Stanton hit a 500 foot HR last night, his 14th of the young season. Here is an excerpt from the MILB story:
The 20-year-old Stanton, batting with a man on in the sixth inning, hit a 1-1 offering from Biscuits reliever Dane De La Rosa over the scoreboard in center, which sits over 400 feet away from home plate in Montgomery.
Rangers first base prospect Justin Smoak hit his 3rd HR of the season on Thursday night, but is only hitting .200-.315-.467 in the early going. ESPN's Keith Law feels that the Rangers may make prospect Chris Davis available in a trade come July 31st, meaning there is no way they send Smoak back to AAA.
Law also thinks that the Royals may put prospect Alex Gordon on the block as they are playing him at first base and left field in AAA. The multiple positions will increase his trade value.
Who else is shocked at the start that Kelly Johnson is having in Arizona this year? Wow. KJ hit his 10th HR of the season, as he went 2-4, and is hitting .294-.381-.667 for the season.
Johnson's teammate Chris Young has also started the season off strong, as he is hitting .306-.361-.486 for the season. He sports a 26/10 K/BB ratio. Has he officially turned his career around, or is this just a blip?
Checking the Orioles boxscore, I had to do a double-take as I saw Ty Wigginton his his 10th HR of the season to account for all the runs Brad Bergeson and the O's needed to best the Twins.
Carl Pavano threw 8 quality innings Thursday night, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, 3 walks and striking out 8. His ERA sits at 3.43. How many teams passed up on Pavano this offseason?
The Diamondbacks bullpen didn't get a chance to blow another win as Dan Haren threw a complete game 7-hitter, giving up 2 earned runs and striking out 9.