MLB Notebook: The Red Sox are rolling

The MLB season is in full swing. With fans beginning to return to ballparks and the grind of a 162-game season upon us, let’s take a look at some of the biggest storylines to this point from the past week.

Reigning Champs are in a Groove

The Los Angeles Dodgers are riding a six-game win streak following three-game sweeps of the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies.

Now 11-2 on the season, the Dodgers boast the best record in baseball ahead of a weekend series with the up-and-coming San Diego Padres, who may have Fernando Tatis Jr. back in the lineup following his return from the injured list. And speaking of Tatis...

How will Padres manage Tatis?

The potential return of one of the most exciting players in baseball certainly merits attention. Tatis went to the sidelines with a shoulder injury, but is expected to return sooner rather than later.

The big question is how will the Padres manage their young star this early in the season? We’re less than 10% of the way home, and there’s a lot of baseball left to be played.

The Red Sox are rolling

The Boston Red Sox started their season in less-than-auspicious fashion, as they were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game series. However, the Sox responded by winning nine games in a row before Thursday’s 4-3 loss at Minnesota, and that streak has vaulted them to the top of the AL East.

They begin an all-footwear series with the White Sox Friday.

Odd Trend in the Pacific Northwest

As of this writing, the Seattle Mariners hold a tenuous, half-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West. They’ve gone 8-5 in their first 13 games, and are the only division leader with a negative run differential to this point in the season.

How did they get there? Well, the Mariners are 6-1 in games decided by two runs or less and 2-4 in all others. That "all others" category includes two blowout losses to the White Sox (6-0 and 10-4) and a 10-2 romp by the Twins. Seattle gets its first test against a division rival this weekend, when the Houston Astros come to town.