This Braves’ September isn’t anything like the last one
Jason Heyward scored in a two-run third when Braves jumped ahead 2-0, and they never looked back. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
(UPDATED: 2 p.m., Monday)
Something became apparent about the Braves after they won their first two games against the Washington Nationals, and it wasn’t just the revelation: “Wait, they just won back-to-back games over the best team in baseball on a throwing error and a hit batter? Is this the baseball gods making up for Kenshin Kawakami?”
If you walked through the clubhouse, in the dugout or on the field for batting practice Sunday, a feeling of relative serenity for a stretch drive in September was obvious.
Nobody was stressed. Nobody seemed to be obsessing over first place — or, more importantly, not first place. Nobody was thinking about injuries or losing streaks or .200 batting averages or the recent ugliness of a wrong-way series in Milwaukee.
“Somebody said yesterday we have a magic number or something,” Eric Hinske said Sunday. “Really? Who cares?”
He said that. It’s clear they’re all thinking that way.
The Braves swept a three-game series from Washington, then left town to open a three-game series in Miami Monday night. The odds remain against them moving up or down in the playoff race, but the accomplishment of this past week led to some impressive numbers and, dare we suggest, a trace of optimism about October.
The series sweep gave the Braves nearly as many wins over the Nationals in 72 hours as they had in the season’s previous 15 meetings (5-10). They also went into the Miami game with a 10-5 record in September, which means they’ve already exceeded the win total for September last year (9-18).
“Everybody is asking me: Am I going to say something? Am I going to call a meeting?” said Chipper Jones, who singled in the team’s first run in the third inning and scored the final one in a three-run seventh. “If I thought there was any sort of panic or whatnot, I would say something. I just think these guys don’t need an overbearing 40-year-old father to talk to them right now. Let’s just strap it up and play the best baseball we can.”
The Braves were 8½ games out of first place in the National League East before the Washington series. They were 5½ out after. Temper the excitement. That means even if the Nationals only split their final 16 games, the Braves would need to go 13-2 just to tie them and force a one-game playoff.
Possible. But not likely. Then again, before the Braves circled the drain last season and blew their wild card lead, we were saying: Possible. But not likely.
Regardless, what the Braves just did is significant. They’re finally giving a sense that they’re prepared for the stretch run and the playoffs. That the team returned home after getting swept by Milwaukee and didn’t devolve into full meltdown mode against the Nationals is significant, especially given how it reacted in similar circumstances a year ago.
“I know everybody has a bad taste in their mouth whenever we don’t play well for a two- or three-game span,” Jones said. “They start getting all antsy. But we learned a lot from that experience [in 2011] and I think it’s going to be a good thing ultimately that we went through it. When we win something, we’re going to be able to look back and see the silver lining. Nobnody wants to experience that again. People are using that as motivation.”
Dan Uggla, who came through with a clutch two-run single in the seventh inning after popping up on a 3-0 count with two runners on base an inning earlier, said: “You could cut the stress level with a knife in here last year. There’s a lot of things that have happened that enabled us to get to the point we’re at now, whether it was experiencing what we did last year or having everybody healthy right now, except for [Brian McCann]. I think everybody is just more at ease. I think having gone through what we went through last year helps. We kind of joke about it. It’s just a very different situation, and what we’ve done in September shows that.”
Ultimately, the Washington series may not impact the division race. But the foreshadowing for October suddenly isn’t so ominous.
By Jeff Schultz
•
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78 comments Add your comment
Greg
September 17th, 2012
10:56 am
I think they have one more series w the nats. Things could turn in an instant if they get swept.
Bobby Walden
September 17th, 2012
10:57 am
Pimping a second-rate rate team means nothing in October. Strictly an one & done outfit. And they won’t sell out the playoff game.
Bill
September 17th, 2012
11:02 am
Uggla, “We kind of joke about it”_____Yea, Uggla we (blog) kind of joke about you too– esp your 208 ba.
Morning Reads For Monday 9/17/12
September 17th, 2012
11:02 am
[...] The Falcons host Manning and the Broncos on Monday Night Football. – The Braves swept the Nats and Jeff Schultz explains why this Braves team won’t collapse and miss the playoffs. – A Chipper Jones corn maze in [...]
BW
September 17th, 2012
11:06 am
Mr Brown = public schools.
Dawg Haus
September 17th, 2012
11:19 am
That sweep in Milwaukee really hurt any last chance the Braves had for the division, but you have to love how they came out and handled Washington this weekend. The team showed a lot of fight and hopefully gained a lot of confidence as October approaches.
They’ve done well against the Cardinals this year (didn’t they only lose one game to those guys?) so the wild card game might not be the end of the world.
I wish it was 1984 again
September 17th, 2012
11:21 am
I would like to get Schultz or O brien opinion on the one game playoff and the stress involved with it.
Steve
September 17th, 2012
12:00 pm
What gripes me though, as stated above in this article, Dan Uggla popped up on a 3-0 count. Why do the Braves always swing on 3-0 instead of making the pitcher not walk them ? A base runner is a base runner no matter how they get on. All too often the Bravos swing on 3-0 and end up out………
Tomahawkin
September 17th, 2012
12:17 pm
BulldogBen
“The closer the Braves get to wrapping up a wild card spot, the more I am hating this new “One Game Playoff”. So terrible.”
Agreed, We will get screwed in that stupid 1 game playoff, by either the Bats Not showing up, Fredi starting Huddy, which is predictable, or bad umpiring or all 3 combined
So I’m not Drinking the Kool Aid, Nice sweep but the race for the division ended a month ago
Tomahawkin
September 17th, 2012
12:19 pm
Bobby Walden
“Pimping a second-rate rate team means nothing in October. Strictly an one & done outfit. And they won’t sell out the playoff game.”
I called it in May that they are a 1 and done team…They are too inconsistant especially the offense
This is the streakiest Braves team i have ever seen…They lose 5 in a rown then win 5 in a row, that has been the trend all season…starting when we started the season 0-4 in The Rotten Apple and Houston….
Fact
September 17th, 2012
12:24 pm
If the one game playoff is our fate and Meds isn’t the starter, Fredi needs to be run out of town…and I’m one of his supporters!
Tomahawkin
September 17th, 2012
12:28 pm
Fact
“If the one game playoff is our fate and Meds isn’t the starter, Fredi needs to be run out of town…and I’m one of his supporters!”
Co-Sign, I’m Not a Fredi Basher, but I’m with you on that one, but bet the Mortgage that Fredi does it by the Book and goes with the Veteran Huddy who will implode in a big game because he isn’t a Shutdown starter like he was in Oakland when they were a playoff team a decade ago…
DawgNole
September 17th, 2012
12:37 pm
Tomahawkin
September 17th, 2012
12:19 pm
This is the streakiest Braves team i have ever seen…They lose 5 in a rown then win 5 in a row, that has been the trend all season…starting when we started the season 0-4 in The Rotten Apple and Houston….
_______________________
Agreed. Been that way all season.
DawgDad
September 17th, 2012
12:39 pm
You want to know why the Braves offense is streaky? The leadoff hitter tanked for a month, the middle of the order is age 23-40-23, the All-Star catcher is beat up, the veteran second baseman is barely hitting .200.
The biggest differences this year over last are the starting pitching isn’t in complete shambles and Prado and Heyward are having solid seasons.
The right approach for the rest of the season is to play one game at a time.
I’d probably set the rotation to have Medlen and Hudson available for the one-game playoff. If Medlen is still pitching like he is now you’d have to give him the start.
Tomahawkin
September 17th, 2012
12:43 pm
@Dawgdad
Matt Chernoff pointed it out a month ago that this offense have guys that who all seem to go into slumps all at the same time
For awile there were 4 Automatic outs in the linep
Struggla
B-Macc
Yawnish (Janish)
(Pitcher)
That was 4 automatic Outs for 2 months (Spanning over the course when Lil Andy Simmons was Out)
Tomahawkin
September 17th, 2012
12:44 pm
WTF Is up with B-Macc other than he was Injured more than he led the team and fans to believe
We have a 7 game lead in the WC, I say we shut him down until That last Series in Pittsburgh. We are gonna need him to be as healthy as possible for That Stupid 1 game WC playoff
Tick Off A Bloodhound
September 17th, 2012
12:48 pm
Anybody else ever saw the goofy stuff Chipper & Freeman do congratulating each other after they win a game ? That’s stuff 8 year-olds do after a win… I take it back, my son didn’t even do it when he was 8 years-old. He just hi-fived all the players.
Tick Off A Bloodhound
September 17th, 2012
12:49 pm
There’s only been 2 months in 2 years that Uggla WASN’T in a slump…His middle name is slump.
Tomahawkin
September 17th, 2012
12:55 pm
Tick Off A Bloodhound
“There’s only been 2 months in 2 years that Uggla WASN’T in a slump…His middle name is slump.”
Is he still hitting around the Jack Wilson line..? .I’m in Football mode now, Boring baseball games takes a backseat during the weekends
DawgDad
September 17th, 2012
12:57 pm
Another big difference is Simmons. The kid can flat play. Gonzo disappeared offensively down the stretch last year.
Three key regular starters on the Braves are 23, including the regular third and fifth place hitters, and then Chipper is 40. They are going to run into playoff teams stacked with players in their primes. But you’d be hard pressed to find a better nucleus to build around for the future, considering as well the pitching.
Dave
September 17th, 2012
1:20 pm
The more Chipper says, the more obvious it becomes he has and continues to develop quite a “feel” for the game, the players and the moment … fun to watch him evolve
Kendell Jones
September 17th, 2012
1:58 pm
If the Braavos can win half of the games that are left, they will be in a one game playoff, but I think they willwin more than half of the games remaining. And then if they do that, it will carry over into the playoff game, and put them iinto the series.
Thomas Brown
September 17th, 2012
2:04 pm
The Braves should wear spandex. I love men in spandex!
Tomahawkin
September 17th, 2012
2:04 pm
Lets Kill The SmallTalk:
Braves Have the #1 WC Spot in The Bag!
Pick the Score of that Stupid WC elimination game as well as the opponent
With Meds Starting Braves 4, Cardinals 1
With Huddy Starting Braves 1, Cardinals 5
Bank On It
DawgNole
September 17th, 2012
2:12 pm
Really?
September 17th, 2012
7:13 am
@Thomas Brown… see a specialist. There is a lot that can be done for people with ADHD including meds…. please take them. Something clearly is wrong.
Thomas Brown
September 17th, 2012
7:27 am
Because the Braves are the # 8 baseball team, or that UGA is not the # 5 football team ?
___________________
No, not at all. Rather, it’s because you’re scary sick/perverted–and thus require help beyond what those of us on the blog can provide. Meds may be your only hope.
Stinger2
September 17th, 2012
2:23 pm
I feel I am being stalked by someone who thinks I wear Braves pajamas. He posted @9:06 Go Braves. Go. Chipper. Go Uggla. t
Banned Poster
September 17th, 2012
2:37 pm
Maybe a little too late to affect the NL East, but at least one huge thing this sweep does is put the thought in the back of the minds of both teams that Atlanta can beat the Nationals. If the Braves win the one game Wild Card round, they will host Games 1 and 2 of the NLDS against the best team in the NL, which as it stands right now, would be Washington. Make no mistake, this series sweep is huge to the psyche of the entire Braves team. And it finally seems this team has figured out the Nats. Over the last 10 games vs the Nats, the Braves are 6-4, which is a good turn in the right direction over how they have played against them since 2008. As Tito mentioned on TV last night, with the speed of Bourn at the top and the back end of the bullpen to shut the lights out on opposing teams, the Braves are setup to be a dangerous playoff team. Got to get there first, but I for one am excited. Just don’t pitch that bum Maholm.
DawgNole
September 17th, 2012
3:00 pm
Banned Poster
September 17th, 2012
2:37 pm
Maybe a little too late to affect the NL East, but at least one huge thing this sweep does is put the thought in the back of the minds of both teams that Atlanta can beat the Nationals. If the Braves win the one game Wild Card round, they will host Games 1 and 2 of the NLDS against the best team in the NL, which as it stands right now, would be Washington. Make no mistake, this series sweep is huge to the psyche of the entire Braves team. And it finally seems this team has figured out the Nats. Over the last 10 games vs the Nats, the Braves are 6-4, which is a good turn in the right direction over how they have played against them since 2008 . . . .
_______________________
Good points–especially the psyche part vs the Nats. Problem is, the Braves have been so streaky this year (see last week’s sweep at the hands of the so-so Brewers) that they’re liable to go to FL this week and start another run of losing. Every time they establish momentum, they lose it. Every time they lose momentum, they re-establish it. They’re hard to figure this season–and frustrating.