Hitting, scoring drop to lowest in 2 decades

PHOENIX (AP) — Scoring in the first half of the season dropped to its lowest level in 19 years and the major league batting average shrunk to its smallest midseason figure since 1985, confirmation that the Steroids Era has ended and that a new Age of the Pitcher is taking hold.

There were 8.4 runs per game prior to the All-Star break, according to STATS LLC, down 6 percent from last year's 8.9 at the midpoint and 20 percent from the peak of 10.5 in 2000.

"The pitchers in the National League — it's crazy," San Francisco's Pedro Sandoval said Monday, a day before the All-Star game. "We've got Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee."

It's not only scoring that's decreased. Many offensive measures dipped during the first three months of the regular season....

http://news.yahoo.com/hitting-scoring-drop-lowest-2-decades-073003047.html

Pittsburgh Pirates were over 500 at the All Star Break.

so the pirates didn't benefit like the other clubs.

Kevin Young was named in the Mitchell Report.

Having another monster year:

BA: .334 / RBI: 65 / HR: 31 / SLG: .702

LINK: http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=430832