By Gary Brooks
SportsLine Baseball Editor

With starters on pitch counts this early in the season you can't expect them to work deep into games, but there are some staffs that aren't getting anywhere near the quality-start mark and have already overworked their bullpen.

The worst culprit has been the Minnesota Twins. Their relievers had outpitched starters 36 1/3 innings to 29 2/3 through Tuesday. But the Twins aren't expected to do any better so that makes the worst performance so far that of the Texas Rangers.

Mark Clark and the Rangers are too familiar with this scene.(AP)

It took journeyman fifth starter Mike Morgan's 6 1/3 innings Tuesday in Seattle to get the Rangers' starters past their relievers in innings pitched, 37 2/3 to 34 1/3.

After Texas gave up 35 runs and 57 hits in a four-game series to the Anaheim Angels, who were without Mo Vaughn and Jim Edmonds, Rangers manager Johnny Oates said: "I firmly believe it's going to get better because it can't get any worse."

While Aaron Sele, who pitches again Friday at Oakland, has gone 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings, Rick Helling, John Burkett and Mark Clark are 0-5 with a 13.50 ERA and just six strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings.

Texas' 15-6 win at Seattle Tuesday was over early but still, the six runs were the fewest the team has given up in the six games not started by Sele.

If the problem were too many walks getting pitchers into jams that may be correctable but Texas' pitchers have thrown strikes. Their 56-strikeout to 17-walk ratio is by far the best in the American League. But too often, the Rangers strikes are getting pounded. Opponents were hitting .321 vs. Texas entering Burkett's Wednesday night start.

The bullpen activity has already forced Oates to go to a 12th member of the pitching staff by calling up lefty Jeff Zimmerman. That limits what Oates can do with his bench, which is not a good thing when Royce Clayton, Mark McLemore and Rafael Palmeiro are all hurting.

Of course, the sizzlin' end of the pitching staff spectrum is in Gotham where the New York Yankees starters consistently work deep into games.

Yankees relievers worked only 10 1/3 innings through Tuesday. New York did have a rain-shortened game but the team with the next fewest relief innings is Cincinnati with 16 1/3.

The Reds' 45 2/3 innings from starters was given a huge boost by Pete Harnisch's shutout last week. If Cincinnati can keep from exposing a young bullpen at the same rate when Denny Neagle returns, it may be able to hang in the NL Central race.

Sizzlin' ... the countdown

5. Run producer

OK, nine RBI is eye-popping, but in the first three innings? Ridiculous. Ivan Rodriguez had the game of his life Tuesday night hitting a grand slam, three-run home run and two-run single as Texas scored 13 runs in three innings against Seattle's Ken Cloude and Mac Suzuki. Coincidently, the majors' last nine RBI game also came against Seattle when Boston's Mike Greenwell drove in a week's worth in 1996.

4. Back in good form

Mets right-hander Bobby Jones is pitching like his 15-over .500 career record and not like his 9-9, 4.05 ERA season of 1998. Off to a 2-0 start with a 0.64 ERA, the most impressive statistic may be that despite only four strikeouts, opponents are not making good contact, hitting just .180 against Jones.

3. Sox deception

If the Boston Red Sox had a pitching rotation of five Pedro Martinez's, their 1.74 team ERA would still be overwhelming. If you throw out Pat Rapp's 3 2/3-inning, 4-run start, the Sox ERA is 1.39. Since they had the second-best staff, ERA-wise, in the AL last season, it shouldn't be too much of a shock but not many people expected Bret Saberhagen (12 2/3, 0 runs) and Mark Portugal (6 2/3, 0 runs) to be so tough right away.

The Yankees (2.10) are the only other AL staff with an ERA under four. Boston does have a very soft April schedule though. It's true test will come next month when it faces Texas, Anaheim, Seattle, Toronto, the Yankees and Cleveland.

2. Venom in their bats

So the Arizona Diamondbacks hit 18 home runs in their first eight games, the really impressive part is that the long balls have come against two of the majors' best pitching staffs, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

1. Yankees pitching

Andy Pettitte's impending return will push Ramiro Mendoza to No. 5 spot. Mendoza hasn't given up a run in 14 innings. The Rangers could certainly use that kind of effectiveness.

Fizzlin' ... the countdown

5. Just like Tony said

Remember the verbal sparring Ron Gant and Tony La Russa got into a couple months ago? It looks like La Russa, Gant's former manager in St. Louis was right on when he said Gant would go to Philadelphia and whiff, whiff, whiff. Gant hasn't boosted the Phillies' offense at all going 2-for-his-first-25 with nine strikeouts.

4. Tigers purring, not roaring

Since Juan Encarnacion homered on the first pitch of the season in an Opening Day win over Texas, the Tigers lost six in a row. Their newly power-packed lineup with Dean Palmer and Gregg Jefferies joining Tony Clark, Bobby Higginson and Damion Easley, was shut out for 12 innings Monday by the worst pitching staff in the majors, the Twins'.

With pitchers Seth Greisinger and Bryce Florie out, Detroit had to use Beiker Graterol and now has called up last season's No. 1 pick Jeff Weaver who had some impressive moments in spring training but had only five Class-A starts last season before starting at Double-A this year.

3. Cubs arms

Here's your possible Chicago Cubs pitching rotation in the near future: Steve Trachsel, Jon Lieber, Scott Sanders, Brad Woodall and Terry Mulholland.

With Kerry Wood, Jeremi Gonzalez and reliever Terry Adams already on the disabled list, Kurt Miller joined them Tuesday and 1998 19-game winner Kevin Tapani had to leave his last start with tightness in his right shoulder.

2. Diamondbacks relief

Winning their 16-inning battle with the Dodgers Tuesday night took a bit of the sting from Arizona's fourth blown ninth-inning lead. The Diamondbacks would be atop the NL West but instead reside at 3-5 knowing they did nothing to assure that their bullpen would be able to save the outstanding starting performances of their new staff.

Gregg Olson did save 30 games last season but his last prior-save season was 1992 and he had arm trouble all spring. Adding to the problem, Arizona traded hard-throwing relievers Alan Embree and Felix Rodriguez to the Giants for Dante Powell and two minor leaguers.

1. Texas guns empty

Rangers general manager Doug Melvin knows his pitching staff is not the kind to win a division with but he says he can't do anything about it because so many other staffs are also hurting and he won't offer up top prospect Ruben Mateo to create any interest from other clubs.

Gary Brooks is the baseball editor at SportsLine.