Big first-week surprises

NL West: Padres

Record: 6-2

Lead: 1 game

Why: San Diego got off to an almost identical start a year ago, but by mid-April had sunk below .500, never to rise above that mark the rest of the season en route to its worst record in 15 years. The real surprise has been the pitching staff, which ranks third in the majors with a 2.88 ERA and has surrendered just three home runs in eight games. The bullpen, which includes five members who joined the team after the start of spring training, has been even more impressive, posting a big-league-best 1.17 ERA. But even Padres manager Bud Black didn't see this start coming from his team, which finished 10-21 in the spring, the worst in baseball. "The last game of spring training is a different animal from the first game of the season," said Black. "We didn't know what would happen but we're happy with how it's going. We're playing the game the way we've talked about."