The Atlanta Braves are struggling--but there's no need to throw in the towel or trade Mark Teixeira. The Braves are within reach (see my scenario below) and don't need prospects--just look at the great young talent playing every day for the injured stars. If anything, the Braves need to trade a future star for a solid pitcher or outfielder... to be buyers, not sellers.
If the Braves can sweep the Phillies this weekend, I'll allow the Marlins and Mets one win a piece. This will move the Braves from 6.5 games out to 4.5 games out. They'd improve to 51-53 and be within 1.5 games of Philadelphia, 2.5 games of Florida, and remain in play for the postseason.
Rookie sensation Jair Jurrjens (9-5, 3.22 ERA) and Jorge Campillo (5-4, 2.83) need to win--very doable. The X factor is whether the Braves can top Philly when Jo-Jo Reyes (3-9, 4.95) faces Cole Hamels (9-6, 3.11) on Saturday. We'll see.
Wooo-hooooo! Braves win 8-2 behind eight shut-out, 3-hit innings by Jurrjens! Brad Lidge gives up his first HR of the year--a grand slam to Brian McCann in the 9th. Ho-ho! Sadly, Mets & Marlins also won on Friday night. Hampton starts today.
Posted by: johnvano | July 26, 2008 at 03:53 PM
tsk, tsk... don't celebrate too soon, now. :)
Posted by: Wendy Melchior | July 26, 2008 at 08:07 PM
It was the perfect afternoon... cleaning out a closet and doing a massive cleaning of the garage with my wife and oldest daughter. Braves were on and they scored 9 runs in one inning to go up 9-3. I loved life... then, they gave up 7 runs the next inning and failed to score a single run the rest of the way! I feel used. Still, their bats seem to be working now and Hampton was impressive (despite the five runs). We can still win the series--go Braves!
Posted by: johnvano | July 27, 2008 at 01:16 AM
Fourth place. Mark my words.
Posted by: Darnell Lamb | July 27, 2008 at 05:15 PM
poor Johnny V
just couldn't see
the power of the Phils
and Braves running for the hills
the story is quite sad
or Atlanta's just that bad
so to my Phillies hater:
see you later, alligator
Posted by: Wendy Melchior | July 27, 2008 at 10:02 PM
I'm honored that my passion and yearning inspired a poem!
No, I just put this prophecy out there to inspire the Braves players who read my blog. Apparently, Jurrjens is the only pitcher reading this thing... the rest are all hitters. Gotta work on that.
That said, though the Braves went 1-2 and are now 7.5 back (and yes, out of it), they could have won (and should have won) all of the games. Which is in itself better than the way they have been playing.
Go Twins! Go Red Sox!
Posted by: johnvano | July 28, 2008 at 01:46 PM