The two-time defending National League champions have gotten off to another fast start, going 6-1 in their first seven games.

Of course, it helps that they have started their season off against the Washington Nationals twice and the Houston Astros. They could be the two worst teams in the National League.

Regardless, the Phillies don’t make the schedule, and the way they are hitting, they probably would have beaten anyone.

Let’s see what else is going on with the team from the City of Brotherly Love.

The first week of the Major League Baseball season is in the books.

For the Pittsburgh Pirates, struggling to end 17 seasons of ceaseless losing, it was a week of ups and downs, star performers and awful performances, and a .500 record.

There were some surprises, both good and bad, and a few beliefs confirmed upon closer inspection.

Here's a look at the week that was and what we can take away from it.

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In this morning's paper, six games into the season, the order of the six National League Central division teams was listed as the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cincinnati Reds, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Chicago Cubs, and the Houston Astros.

That looks like the season-end order to me.

With an offense led by Albert Pujols and a sturdy rotation, the Cardinals figure to top the National League Central again. The main question is how far they will get in the post-season.

Bunting is meant for bad hitters or to get a man from second to third when one run will make or break a game.

Sacrifice bunting a man to second base should only happen when you have a player who has a best-case scenario of a strikeout or groundout double play.

This is why pitchers bunt. Professional hitters should not have to bunt a man to second.

It's only April, but the New York Yankees already look like winners. I'm not ready to declare them playoff bound yet, but might be doing so before the month is out.

That's because the next four series are almost as crucial as the ones that the Yankees just won.

The Yankees took two out of three EACH against the two stronger division rivals, the Boston Red Sox, and the Tampa Bay Rays on the road.

Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman are lighting up the baseball blogosphere as they make their professional debuts, and with their respective arms there is no reason that they should not be.

Both Strasburg and Chapman can reach 100 and have impressive secondary pitches, especially with their sliders.

With all of the hype surrounding Strasburg and Chapman, it makes you wonder where they would rank among the most hyped pitchers since the year 2000.

In order to make this list, you had to be a hyped arm before your rookie season.

Week one of the 2010 baseball season was a bit of everything for the Tampa Bay Rays. Dramatic come-from-behind wins over the Orioles, a blow out of the Yankees in game one, then finishing the home stand with two ugly defeats at the hands of the Evil Empire definitely leaves a foul taste in the Rays' mouths as they head out for a 10 game road trip.

Starting the season 3-3 at home, while playing four of the six games in front of crowds of nearly 30,000, is not what the Rays were expecting. Tampa Bay usually excels when the Trop is filled.

All of us who saw the game know how well Alfonso Soriano played in the outfield today. So does Uncle Lou, apparently; In his post game comments to the press he said, "Obviously if we're not scoring runs we'll have to put our best defense out there, that's for sure." Get ready for the possibility of a heavy dose of Tyler Colvin, and/or Xavier Nady in the days ahead. 
 
That's if it's not just Lou's frustration talking, although he didn't appear to be angry when he said it.
 

Look, it's hard enough to be a rookie in the majors. But to have to shoulder the burden of being the guy who brings interest in baseball back to the African-American community is taking this a bit too far.

Meanwhile, I do get it—Heyward is a very talented young black player coming along at a time when Major League Baseball is trying to encourage more African-American participation in baseball.

But there are other good, young black players in baseball that can help carry that mantle if it does indeed need to be carried.