have to update the part on Toronto ejections 
by Mike Lopresti
Baseball by the numbers
Here at the end of the baseball season, the numbers do not lie.
Well, some might.
In any case, every team has an eccentric statistic or two, in the way every family has an odd uncle.
Detroit ... will break the all-time loss record. But leads the majors in turning double plays.
Florida ... hasn't hit a grand slam all season.
Seattle ... is a week from becoming only the second team since 1904 to use the same five starting pitchers all year.
Atlanta ... has its highest earned run average in 13 years and the third worst defense in the National League, but owns the best record in the league.
Arizona ... used 140 different lineups in its first 155 games.
San Francisco ... will be making consecutive trips to the postseason for the first time since 1937, when the Giants were in New York.
Baltimore ... has had six straight losing seasons, after having seven in the previous 35 years.
Boston ... averaged 33,603 fans to its home games, or 100.1% of capacity at Fenway Park.
Philadelphia ... had only one home game this season where it scored the first run, but didn't win.
Cincinnati ... has used 57 players and 30 pitchers.
Oakland ... has the second best record in the American League, with the second lowest batting average.
The New York Mets ... have scored only two runs in extra innings.
The Chicago Cubs ... will join Los Angeles to become the second and third pitching staffs in baseball history to have more strikeouts than hits allowed.
Los Angeles ... is 75-0 when leading after eight innings. The Eric Gagne effect.
Cleveland's ... top five spots in the opening day lineup included four players now on the disabled list and a fifth who has been traded.
Toronto ... has the cleanest vocabulary in the game. One player has been ejected all year ? Eric Hinske back on April 5.
The New York Yankees ... have not spent a day out of first place after July 7 since 1997.
Tampa Bay ... is last again, but has played 86 one- and two-run games, most in the majors.
Montreal ... scored more than three runs in only seven of 28 road games since the All-Star break.
Houston ... has had one complete game all season. The Astros used six pitchers on a no-hitter.
St. Louis ... Albert Pujols needs one more homer for 115, which would be the most ever in a player's first three years. Hank Aaron had 66, Barry Bonds 65.
Kansas City ... with three more wins will match the third biggest one-year victory turnaround in history. The Royals have gone from 62-100 to 81-74.
Minnesota ... has the best record in the majors since the All-Star break at 43-20.
Colorado ... is the usual schizophrenic. The Rockies are 48-30 in Coors Field, 23-55 everywhere else.
Anaheim ... has been outscored 542-427 in the first six innings, and outscored opponents 284-179 from the seventh inning on. The Rally Monkey lives. But not enough.
San Diego ... is a combined 126 1/2 games out of first place since its World Series only five years ago.
Texas ... hit 140 home runs at home, the most ever by any team not named the Colorado Rockies.
Milwaukee ... had its two worst home records in history in the first three years of Miller Park.
Pittsburgh ... had the lowest batting average in baseball last season, but the highest since Aug. 1.
The Chicago White Sox ... have seen Esteban Loaiza go 0-3 with a 7.05 ERA trying to win his 20th.
The American League East ... will finish in the same order for the sixth straight year.
---
Mike Lopresti writes for Gannett News Service.
by Mike Lopresti
Baseball by the numbers
Here at the end of the baseball season, the numbers do not lie.
Well, some might.
In any case, every team has an eccentric statistic or two, in the way every family has an odd uncle.
Detroit ... will break the all-time loss record. But leads the majors in turning double plays.
Florida ... hasn't hit a grand slam all season.
Seattle ... is a week from becoming only the second team since 1904 to use the same five starting pitchers all year.
Atlanta ... has its highest earned run average in 13 years and the third worst defense in the National League, but owns the best record in the league.
Arizona ... used 140 different lineups in its first 155 games.
San Francisco ... will be making consecutive trips to the postseason for the first time since 1937, when the Giants were in New York.
Baltimore ... has had six straight losing seasons, after having seven in the previous 35 years.
Boston ... averaged 33,603 fans to its home games, or 100.1% of capacity at Fenway Park.
Philadelphia ... had only one home game this season where it scored the first run, but didn't win.
Cincinnati ... has used 57 players and 30 pitchers.
Oakland ... has the second best record in the American League, with the second lowest batting average.
The New York Mets ... have scored only two runs in extra innings.
The Chicago Cubs ... will join Los Angeles to become the second and third pitching staffs in baseball history to have more strikeouts than hits allowed.
Los Angeles ... is 75-0 when leading after eight innings. The Eric Gagne effect.
Cleveland's ... top five spots in the opening day lineup included four players now on the disabled list and a fifth who has been traded.
Toronto ... has the cleanest vocabulary in the game. One player has been ejected all year ? Eric Hinske back on April 5.
The New York Yankees ... have not spent a day out of first place after July 7 since 1997.
Tampa Bay ... is last again, but has played 86 one- and two-run games, most in the majors.
Montreal ... scored more than three runs in only seven of 28 road games since the All-Star break.
Houston ... has had one complete game all season. The Astros used six pitchers on a no-hitter.
St. Louis ... Albert Pujols needs one more homer for 115, which would be the most ever in a player's first three years. Hank Aaron had 66, Barry Bonds 65.
Kansas City ... with three more wins will match the third biggest one-year victory turnaround in history. The Royals have gone from 62-100 to 81-74.
Minnesota ... has the best record in the majors since the All-Star break at 43-20.
Colorado ... is the usual schizophrenic. The Rockies are 48-30 in Coors Field, 23-55 everywhere else.
Anaheim ... has been outscored 542-427 in the first six innings, and outscored opponents 284-179 from the seventh inning on. The Rally Monkey lives. But not enough.
San Diego ... is a combined 126 1/2 games out of first place since its World Series only five years ago.
Texas ... hit 140 home runs at home, the most ever by any team not named the Colorado Rockies.
Milwaukee ... had its two worst home records in history in the first three years of Miller Park.
Pittsburgh ... had the lowest batting average in baseball last season, but the highest since Aug. 1.
The Chicago White Sox ... have seen Esteban Loaiza go 0-3 with a 7.05 ERA trying to win his 20th.
The American League East ... will finish in the same order for the sixth straight year.
---
Mike Lopresti writes for Gannett News Service.
