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For Better or Worse takes a look at the best and worst pitching/hitting performances of the day. I started doing this last year and I am back at it again. I would like to think I could do this everyday, but I just don't have time for that. Plan on seeing it two or three times a week. So let's get into this years first edition of For Better or Worse

Best Hitting Performance: Felipe Lopez, Washington Nationals

Worst Hitting Performance: Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks

                                        Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres

                                        Adam Melhuse, Texas Rangers

Best Pitching Performance: Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians

Worst Pitching Performance: Francisco Liriano, Minnesota Twins

The Best Hitting Performance for this edition goes to Washington National's second baseman, Felipe Lopez. In the Nats 10-5 victory over the New York Mets, Lopez went 2-4 with a run scored and a walk. So why did he get the Best Hitting Performance. Oh yeh, because he hit 1HR, and compiled a total of 6RBIs on the night. Lopez now has a total of 7 RBIs, pretty amazing for a guy who isn't known for his production at the plate.

It was hard to make a decision on the Worst Hitting Performance. All of the three players had the same stats in their respective games last night. Mark Reynolds of the Diamondbacks, Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres, and Adam Melhuse of the Rangers all went 0-4 with 3 K's. None of them reached base on a walk or an error either, so this one was hard to pick a "winner" (if you can call it that) for the Worst Hitting Performance.

This edition's Best Pitching Performance goes to the starting pitcher on the Cleveland Indians, Cliff Lee. Cliff Lee pitched a gem on thursday night against Kansas City, making them look foolish throughout the night. Lee pitched a complete game, three hitter. And as if 9 innings and only 3 hits wasn't good enough for you, he also struck out 9 and didn't walk any batters. Lee is definatley the best pitcher right now. On the season he is 4-0, with a  0.28 ERA (1ER), 2BB, 29K's in 31.2 IP.

This editions Worst Pitching Performance goes to the starting pitcher on the Minnesota Twins, Francisco Liriano. Liriano showed off his unexperienced arm in a start that didn't even last an inning as the Twins fell 11-2. You heard it right. In Francisco's 0.2IP, he gave up 6 earned runs off of 5 hits. And as if it couldn't get worse, Liriano had control problems as well as he walked 3 batters in this game. Liriano is now 0-3 with an 11.32 ERA on the season.

That does it for this edition of For Better or Worse, as always thanks to my readers who make this all worth it.