Ryan Braun started the week off with a bang Monday night. Last year's National League MVP blasted three home runs at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. One landed in the kid's sandbox over the right center field fence. Another landed in the third deck of the old metal supply company building in left field. If you haven't seen the highlights, here they are. Needless to say, Braun is far-and-away the top-rated player to begin Week 5.

Here are some other great, and not so great, efforts in the first two days of the Rivalry Week series.

Torii Hunter has two home runs, five RBI and two runs scored. Too bad the Menehunes benched him. As Grey Albright at Razzball would say - Sonavabench!

A number of teams are still looking to solidify their starting pitching rotations. Anaheim's Jerome Williams could be a possibility. He tossed nine scoreless innings Tuesday, striking out six while allowing just three hits and one walk.

Justin Upton is off to a great start this week. He has a homer, two stolen bases, four RBI and three runs scored in two games. The young outfielder is single-handedly keeping Bacon at Mile 11 in a pivotal North Division series with the Bulls.

Bomba is being rewarded for not benching a slumping Cameron Maybin. Maybin already has three stolen bases this week, which is half of the team's total. It's also more than the entire Cys team, which has given Bomba a narrow 6-5 lead in the series.

Texas pitcher Yu Darvish seems to be finding his groove. Darvish struck out nine Monday while giving up just one run over seven innings. His efforts on the mound have given the Cys an advantage in quality starts and is keeping the team in the series with Bomba.

Free agent outfielder Darnell McDonald is 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored through two games this week. He's not worth a roster move but it's one more homer than Albert Pujols has this week.

Felix Hernandez was at it again Monday night, giving up just one run over eight innings while striking out nine. The Lower Haighters need his heroics. They are engaged in a crucial early-season West Division showdown with the Vicious Fishes. The defending league champions are in the division cellar, 6.5-games behind the Menehunes, and can't afford to lose more ground.

Remember when you were worried about drafting David Ortiz because he limited your roster flexibility as he's only eligible to play in the utility spot? He has another two homers this week and that whole roster flexibility issue doesn't seem so important.

Jonathan Papelbon has two more saves for the Jersey Boys this week, which raises the question - when will Leigh-Ann trade some of her excess bullpen pieces to shore up her starting rotation? Or her offensive lineup?

On the day Twinkle Toes lost third baseman Evan Longoria to a hamstring injury, Jeremy Hellickson tossed a seven-inning gem, giving up just one run while striking out seven. I'm not sure it made Joe Maddon or Sunni York feel any better.

The week's biggest upset is brewing in the North Division, where Home Run 101 has taken an early 8-0 lead over Give it a Yankee. Luke Hochevar and Corey Hart are partially to blame. Hochevar gave up nine runs in four innings Monday while Hart is 1-for-8 with five strikeouts this week.

The Cys inexplicably added second baseman Ruben Tejada and benched Elvis Andrus this week. Tejada has responded by going 0-for-7 with four strikeouts.