Mac saying all the right things

It warms my heart. Steve Novotney has a good line of talk from the manager in that article.

McClendon acknowledged that his starters have disappointed him this year as much as the relievers did last season. "I think that's a fair assessment," he said. "But this is why I'm encouraged about where we are - we're two games under .500 and our starting pitching has been terrible, for the most part.

  "If you would have told me when we left spring training that we would be 23-25 and our starting pitchers would be where they are right now, I'd have hugged you because I think they are going to get better.

John Perrotto also remarked that the starting rotation, which we all thought might be the strength of this club, has been its weakest part. I was thinking the same thing last night. Mac's right, though, it's too early to give up on anyone, and it's pretty remarkable how bad the starters have been and how close to .500 the team has remained.

Hopefully the rotation will get it going before the offense hits one of those mass slumps like the Astros suffered at the end of May.