Hitters way ahead of pitchers in majors

The first week batting average of .270 is the highest since 1961.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Tim Hudson laughed off his two rough outings to start the season. Atlanta's ace knows he's far from the only one with an extra-high ERA after the first week.
"I think it's just stumbling out of the box from a pitching standpoint," Hudson said after watching his ERA balloon to 12.38 with a weekend loss to the San Francisco Giants. "We just have to get some confidence back. It's just executing, that's about it."
Hitters have had little trouble producing so far. The .270 major league batting average in the first week was the highest in an opening week since the expansion era began in 1961, the Elias Sports Bureau said Monday.
Home runs in the first week were up 10.6 percent from last year and scoring increased 5.3 percent.
Home runs increased
Teams hit 216 home runs last week and the average of 2.40 per game was the highest in the opening week since 2001's 2.49. Runs per game (10.51) reached a level that hadn't been seen since 2000 (10.68).
"It is unusual," Giants manager Felipe Alou said. "Of course you see no-hitters early and shutouts. I don't know, maybe something is going on. There have been a lot of wet fields, even in California. That probably has something to do with commanding the baseball. Then, it's been cold and cold weather helps pitchers and not hitters. It's one of those things that's hard to explain."
Baseball toughened drug testing last year, suspending first offenders for 10 days. Home runs dropped 8 percent to their lowest per-game average since 1997, and some thought there was a link. This year, first offenders will be suspended for 50 games.
Barry Zito was on the losing end of Oakland's 15-2 rout by the New York Yankees on opening day in which the left-hander lasted only 1 1/3 innings -- the shortest outing of his career. Zito, tagged for seven runs, was done after 59 pitches, the first time he failed to last two innings.
The 15 runs were the most allowed by the Athletics on opening day, surpassing the 14 the Philadelphia A's gave up in a 14-8 loss to the Washington Senators on April 17, 1945.
Then, on Saturday, Zito bounced back to combine on a one-hitter in a 3-0 win at Seattle.
More base on balls
Pitchers gave up 634 walks compared to 573 last year, according to Elias. Braves leadoff hitter Marcus Giles drew 11 free passes and Barry Bonds had seven -- two of those intentional.
"You know, in spring training, you go two, three, four, five innings and you almost forget what it's like to go seven, eight innings," Oakland No. 3 starter Dan Haren said. "Some pitchers in April, their arms feel great. They are fresh coming out of spring training. Me, I feel like my command gets a lot better after April."
The Giants went 4-2 in the first week without an RBI or home run from Bonds, taking three of four from Atlanta by outscoring the Braves, 31-29.
"We've got a winning record, so it doesn't matter," said Bonds, who is 2-for-12 and was looking forward to the Giants' off day Monday to rest his troublesome right knee.
Bonds without a homer
The 41-year-old slugger remained stalled at 708 home runs, seven shy of passing Babe Ruth's 714 and 48 from breaking Hank Aaron's record of 755.
"We know Barry's going to hit and Barry's going to come around," said Giants center fielder Randy Winn, who blooped in the winning single in the ninth inning of San Francisco's 6-5 victory over the Braves on Sunday. "It's nice to get some wins when the guy who is your biggest power hitter isn't going well."
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