While the parity-stricken American League resembles one giant pennant scramble, the National League standings remain a story of surprising teams maintaining their first-place perches while disappointing teams continue to lag behind.
NL EAST
Philadelphia (60-35)--The Gashouse Gang of the 1990s has finally come down to earth, but the pitching remains solid, with Terry Mulholland's 2.72 ERA and Danny Jackson holding his own. It looks as if John Kruk (.347 BA) might move to the outfield to make room for prospect Ricky Jordan at first base. Look for Dave Hollins, Lenny Dykstra and Co. to open up a bigger lead and win the division on shear hitting power alone.
St. Louis (55-38, four games back)--The Cardinals give the N.L. its only true pennant race at the moment. St. Louis has been inching closer to the Phillies all year, and manager Joe Torre deserves much of the credit. Lee Smith's 33 saves, Mark Whiten's 15 homers and Donovan Osborne's six game win streak have kept the Cards in contention, but the Redbirds will likely stay perched in second.
Montreal (49-46, 11 gb)--Les Expos have too much talent to be a .500 club, but there they are, making moribund Olympic Stadium seem eerier than usual. Marquis Grissom and Delino DeShields, with his 21 game hitting streak, should spark the Expos on one of their patented too little, too late mini-runs, but they'll probably do it without staff ace Dennis Martinez, who is likely to be traded in the next few days.
Chicago (47-46, 12 gb)--Though this collection of over-achieving players is somehow above .500, many Cub fans are calling for Manager Jim Lefevbre's head. Are they nuts? On paper, this is a bad team. The former Mariner skipper has coaxed career years out of Rey Sanchez, Jose Vizcaino and the like and should be rewarded with a new contract.
Pittsburgh (44-51, 16 gb)--With the free agent defections of Doug Drabek, Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla this young team is about where it should be and then some. The onslaught of Don Slaught (I always wanted to say that) continues, as the catcher is hitting .301 with power.
Florida (40-54, 19.5 gb)--After coming within one game of .500, this club has slowly coasted back down towards .400, but it is still a decent expansion team with a bright future. Florida has some great prospects in the minors, and it did not even have to part with its top ones in the Gary Sheffield trade. The Marlins also have an All-Star closer in Brian Harvey.
New York (31-63, 28.5 gb)--Can enough bad things be said about this team? The justified cockiness of the Mets' clubhouse of years past has been replaced by a funeral-like atmosphere devoid of confidence or caring. While Bobby Bonilla and Dwight Gooden have tried to hold down the fort, former star Howard Johnson (.235 BA) has hit a whopping seven home runs. Enough said.
NL WEST
San Francisco (64-32)--The Giants are playing out of their minds, and the Bondses deserve the credit. Hitting coach Bobby Bonds has helped Matt Williams augment his already formidable power with a .298 average, and Barry Bonds is in a class by himself, offensively and defensively. In addition, Rod Beck and Bill Swift have led an effective pitching staff. All that being said, something has to give. This team is just not as good as its record suggests, and a slump is imminent.
Atlanta (54-41, 9.5 gb)--The team that will capitalize on such a slump will be Atlanta. With Fred McGriff acquired from the Padre flea market, the slow-starting Braves will finally climb out of the N.L.'s hitting cellar and begin a march toward the top. Remember, the Braves have a history of such endeavors with their catching of Los Angeles in the 1991 N.L. West race.
Los Angeles (49-44, 13.5 gb)--Fred Claire, Tommy Lasorda and the rest of the Dodger brass have to be pleased with the turnaround this team has made since its disastrous 1992 campaign. The defense has improved, catcher Mike Piazza (19 HRs, .316 BA) likely will win N.L. Rookie of the Year and Ramon Martinez is back pitching well.
Houston (49-45, 14 gb)--The Astros should be better than this; it's that simple. Youngsters Andujar Cedeno at shortstop and Scott Servais behind the plate have done their part, but free agents Doug Drabek (7-11), Greg Swindell (6-8) and Doug Jones (5.13 ERA) have disappointed.
Cincinnati (49-48, 15.5 gb)--The Reds are seeing red, and their playing shows it. This talented club has been in constant turmoil following Marge Schott's off-season remarks and Tony Perez's abrupt, secretive early-season firing. Set-up man Jeff Reardon wants out and Chris Sabo, once thought untouchable, might be traded.
San Diego (37-59, 27 gb)--Poor Padre fans; their team trades Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff for a smaller payroll and not much else. If owner Tom Werner cannot afford to be a major league owner, he should sell the team to someone who can. Tony Gwynn (.342 BA), a future Hall-of-Famer, is wasting away in obscurity and should be traded to a team that wants to win.
Colorado (34-60, 29 gb)--If attendance and merchandise sales determined divisional standings, the Rockies would be in first place. Unfortunately for Colorado, talent is the key element, and besides Andres Galarraga and Dante Bichette, the Rockies don't have much of it. There is some good news. Colorado may finish with a worse record than Florida, but the Rockies did win the season series 6-4.
