At a time like this, when your favorite team is struggling and difficult to watch, it helps to have other baseball stuff to look at to divert your attention. The Rays are 12-11 with the fourth-best run differential in the AL. Baseball Prospectus' third-order adjusted standings have them as the best team in the league. They have played this well without their #1 pitcher. Meanwhile, the Padres have been absolutely pathetic, wasting perfectly awesome pitching and defense by putting up an unfathomable 77 OPS+ at the plate. The Diamondbacks are awesome. The Braves have been good but unlucky. The Marlins have been lucky and average. The Giants have been exactly what we thought they'd be. The Pirates have had the worst defense in baseball by a comfortable margin. The Rangers don't strike anyone out. The Reds strike everyone out. John Smoltz will continue to exist and be excellent long after the rest of the planet blows itself up in a few hundred years. Tony Pena Jr. has more intentional walks than the Tigers. And Barry Zito - the alleged ace pitcher that so many Seattle fans wanted to sign two offseasons ago - might just be the worst pitcher in the Major Leagues.
The M's may be dull right now, but if you currently find yourself bored with baseball, then you're doing it wrong.
LET'S GO MARINERS!!