Indianszone.com | Cleveland Indians News, indians Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>WHO'S UP - Fitted for a crownCardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (right) finished April within hailing distance of the Triple Crown that Atlanta manager Bobby Cox once said Pujols was capable of winning. Pujols led the league in RBIs (28), was second with eight home runs and ninth with a .337 batting average. Pujols is already positioned to be the first NL player since Cardinals great Rogers Hornsby to win a league decade triple crown (leading the NL in homers, RBIs and average over the span of a decade). But he's inching toward a major-league crown, too. With fallen star Alex Rodriguez now nearing his return from hip surgery, Pujols has closed the gap during the Yankees third baseman's absence. Since Pujols debuted on opening day 2001, A-Rod is the only player with more homers and RBIs than Pujols. No everyday player has a better average than Pujols' .334. Their numbers - triple crown and beyond - since 2001: </div>PLAYER Gms Runs Hits RBI HR BB Ks Batting line BA-OBP-SLG Rodriguez 1,252 978 1,438 1,011 364 670* 1,025 .304-.399-.589 Pujols 1,262 969 1,559 1,005 327 714* 513 .334-.426-.625 * Pujols also leads Rodriguez in intentional walks, 159 to 70. WHO'S DOWN - American League contenders Three teams, one in each division, pegged as preseason favorites - or at least candidates - to win their divisions finished April with losing records, and two of the three were in last place. Tampa Bay became the first defending AL champ to finish April with the most losses in the league since the 1980 Orioles, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The three stumbling contenders, complete with causes for their April hiccups and signs of optimism: Rays 9-14 (.391) 5 ? games back 5th place in AL East April showers - Before Thursday's 13-run burst, the Rays ranked 12th with a .260 average and were scoring 4.4 runs per game. Starters had league-high 11 losses. May flowers - Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria lead the AL in RBIs without having many folks to drive in. Imagine when B.J. Upton starts getting on base. Indians 8-14 (.364) 4 games back 5th place in AL Central April showers - Any team with Carl Pavano as its third starter is in trouble, especially when his 9.50 April ERA inflates rotation's ERA to 5.81. May flowers - Led by Grady Sizemore, the Indians' lineup had an on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) of .799 and 117 runs scored; both stats lead the AL Central. Angels 9-12 (.429) 3 ? games back 3rd place in AL WestApril showers - Emotionally stunned by the death of Nick Adenhart, the Angels pushed ahead. Their bullpen was a ghastly 1-7 with a 7.07 ERA in April. May flowers - The starting rotation has a 3.77 ERA, the third-best in the league, and the lineup's .280 average is also third-best in the AL. CROOKED NUMBERS - One wild debutAccording to Baseball-Reference.com, a player, in one game, has had at least one hit, at least one RBI, at least one run scored and at least a stolen base 26,679 times since 1954. But only 21 times has it been done by a rookie in his first game. Cardinals shortstop Tyler Greene became the 21st overall and the 10th in the National League to pull it off. He is the first in the league since '54 to do all of those firsts in one inning, as he did in the ninth inning Thursday without the ball leaving the infield. The NL players to pull off the wild debut, including two Cardinals : PLAYER Pos. Team Date AB R H RBI SB Tyler Greene SS Cardinals April 30, 2009 5 1 1 1 1 Jay Bruce CF Cincinnati May 27, 2008 3 2 3 2 1 Jeff Salazar CF Colorado Sept. 7, 2006 2 2 2 1 1 Eric Young 2B LA Dodgers July 30, 1992 4 1 2 1 1 Ray Lankford CF Cardinals Aug. 21, 1990 4 1 2 1 1 Jose Offerman SS LA Dodgers Aug. 19, 1990 5 1 3 1 1 Delino DeShields* 2B Montreal April 9, 1990 6 2 4 1 1 Lenny Dykstra CF NY Mets May 3, 1985 5 2 2 2 1 Kevin McReynolds CF San Diego June 2, 1983 4 1 1 1 1 Rod Gasper RF NY Mets April 8, 1969 5 1 2 1 1 * DeShields had a hit, an RBI, a run scored and a steal all in the seventh inning against the Cardinals in his debut, but the hit was his third of the game, not the first of his career. FARM REPORT There's another converted catcher coming up as a closer in the Cardinals' organization. Casey Mulligan ditched his knee pads and a .218 career batting average last season, and he's now closing for Low-A Quad Cities. Mulligan, who throws a low-90s fastball, had six saves and 17 strikeouts against two walks in nine innings to claim the club's minor-league pitcher of the month award. ...... Steven Hill, a Class AA catcher, won the player of the month award with a .391 average, a .734 slugging percentage and five homers and 17 RBIs in April. ... Two Cardinals' High-A prospects are in the top three in Florida State League hitting. Adron Chambers is second at .375, Shane Peterson third at .370. ... Jess Todd is five for five in save opportunities since moving into the role with Triple-A Memphis. He has 17 strikeouts and seven hits allowed in 12 1/3 innings.

WHO'S UP - Fitted for a crownCardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (right) finished April within hailing distance of the Triple Crown that Atlanta manager Bobby Cox once said Pujols was capable of winning. Pujols led the league in RBIs (28), was second with eight home runs and ninth with a .337 batting average. Pujols is already positioned to be the first NL player since Cardinals great Rogers Hornsby to win a league decade triple crown (leading the NL in homers, RBIs and average over the span of a decade). But he's inching toward a major-league crown, too. With fallen star Alex Rodriguez now nearing his return from hip surgery, Pujols has closed the gap during the Yankees third baseman's absence. Since Pujols debuted on opening day 2001, A-Rod is the only player with more homers and RBIs than Pujols. No everyday player has a better average than Pujols' .334. Their numbers - triple crown and beyond - since 2001:

PLAYER Gms Runs Hits RBI HR BB Ks Batting line BA-OBP-SLG

Rodriguez 1,252 978 1,438 1,011 364 670* 1,025 .304-.399-.589

Pujols 1,262 969 1,559 1,005 327 714* 513 .334-.426-.625

* Pujols also leads Rodriguez in intentional walks, 159 to 70.

WHO'S DOWN - American League contenders

Three teams, one in each division, pegged as preseason favorites - or at least candidates - to win their divisions finished April with losing records, and two of the three were in last place. Tampa Bay became the first defending AL champ to finish April with the most losses in the league since the 1980 Orioles, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The three stumbling contenders, complete with causes for their April hiccups and signs of optimism:

Rays 9-14 (.391) 5 ? games back 5th place in AL East

April showers - Before Thursday's 13-run burst, the Rays ranked 12th with a .260 average and were scoring 4.4 runs per game. Starters had league-high 11 losses.

May flowers - Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria lead the AL in RBIs without having many folks to drive in. Imagine when B.J. Upton starts getting on base.

Indians 8-14 (.364) 4 games back 5th place in AL Central

April showers - Any team with Carl Pavano as its third starter is in trouble, especially when his 9.50 April ERA inflates rotation's ERA to 5.81.

May flowers - Led by Grady Sizemore, the Indians' lineup had an on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) of .799 and 117 runs scored; both stats lead the AL Central.

Angels 9-12 (.429) 3 ? games back 3rd place in AL WestApril showers - Emotionally stunned by the death of Nick Adenhart, the Angels pushed ahead. Their bullpen was a ghastly 1-7 with a 7.07 ERA in April.

May flowers - The starting rotation has a 3.77 ERA, the third-best in the league, and the lineup's .280 average is also third-best in the AL.

CROOKED NUMBERS - One wild debutAccording to Baseball-Reference.com, a player, in one game, has had at least one hit, at least one RBI, at least one run scored and at least a stolen base 26,679 times since 1954. But only 21 times has it been done by a rookie in his first game. Cardinals shortstop Tyler Greene became the 21st overall and the 10th in the National League to pull it off. He is the first in the league since '54 to do all of those firsts in one inning, as he did in the ninth inning Thursday without the ball leaving the infield. The NL players to pull off the wild debut, including two Cardinals :

PLAYER Pos. Team Date AB R H RBI SB

Tyler Greene SS Cardinals April 30, 2009 5 1 1 1 1

Jay Bruce CF Cincinnati May 27, 2008 3 2 3 2 1

Jeff Salazar CF Colorado Sept. 7, 2006 2 2 2 1 1

Eric Young 2B LA Dodgers July 30, 1992 4 1 2 1 1

Ray Lankford CF Cardinals Aug. 21, 1990 4 1 2 1 1

Jose Offerman SS LA Dodgers Aug. 19, 1990 5 1 3 1 1

Delino DeShields* 2B Montreal April 9, 1990 6 2 4 1 1

Lenny Dykstra CF NY Mets May 3, 1985 5 2 2 2 1

Kevin McReynolds CF San Diego June 2, 1983 4 1 1 1 1

Rod Gasper RF NY Mets April 8, 1969 5 1 2 1 1

* DeShields had a hit, an RBI, a run scored and a steal all in the seventh inning against the Cardinals in his debut, but the hit was his third of the game, not the first of his career.

FARM REPORT

There's another converted catcher coming up as a closer in the Cardinals' organization. Casey Mulligan ditched his knee pads and a .218 career batting average last season, and he's now closing for Low-A Quad Cities. Mulligan, who throws a low-90s fastball, had six saves and 17 strikeouts against two walks in nine innings to claim the club's minor-league pitcher of the month award. ...... Steven Hill, a Class AA catcher, won the player of the month award with a .391 average, a .734 slugging percentage and five homers and 17 RBIs in April. ... Two Cardinals' High-A prospects are in the top three in Florida State League hitting. Adron Chambers is second at .375, Shane Peterson third at .370. ... Jess Todd is five for five in save opportunities since moving into the role with Triple-A Memphis. He has 17 strikeouts and seven hits allowed in 12 1/3 innings.