Four games up, 74 to play: Can the Braves hold on? Sure
Even the All-Star Game broke right for the Atlanta Braves and Brian McCann. (AP photo)
On Opening Day the ballyhooed rookie hit a three-run homer on his first big-league swing. On Tuesday an All-Star catcher not having nearly his best year stroked a three-run double to ensure that the World Series will start in a National League city. And it could — yes it could — be this city.
The Braves are having that sort of year. From Jason Heyward’s first at-bat to Brian McCann breaking the NL’s 13-year All-Star Game litany of failure, 2010 began uproariously and has gotten better.
Here’s a team that had no runs after 26 outs in its first meeting against the reigning league champion … and won by hitting three home runs in the next four at-bats. Here’s a team that trailed first-place Cincinnati by seven runs after eight innings … and won in the ninth. Here’s a team that lost nine consecutive games in April … and it begins post-All-Star play with a four-game lead in the NL East.
When it’s your year, it’s your year.
This is the smartest Braves’ team since the early ’90s. These guys work the count. They get on base. They don’t hit a ton but they hit for maximum effect. They didn’t hit at all back in April, but they worked their way through that month and have been a metronome since.
Since May 9 they’ve played 19 series; they’ve lost one of the 19. One. They haven’t dropped consecutive home games since April 21 and 22. They entered the All-Star break by taking four of six on the road from teams in third and second place. When everything turned in May it was permissible to wonder if this was just a club having a hot month, but May ended a while ago and June is gone, too, and here the Braves sit, four games up with 74 to play.
Not everything has gone right. Jair Jurrjens got hurt. Heyward got hurt and didn’t tell anybody until his average had dipped under .260. Chipper Jones has had to work to lift his average above .250. Kenshin Kawakami needed 15 starts to win a game. In the final week of June the Braves used a starting outfield of Eric Hinske, Gregor Blanco and Melky Cabrera.
And none of it has mattered. This is one of those harmonic convergences where the whole outshines the sum of its parts. The Braves are eighth among National League teams in batting and 11th in home runs, but they’re first in walks and on-base percentage, which makes this a Braves’ team unlike any we’ve seen. Their starting pitching has been as advertised, and the bullpen has been great.
Even with five All-Star selections, this isn’t a collection of stars. It’s simply a heck of a ballclub. The Braves went from last in the division to first in two dizzying weeks, and they’ve increased their lead by grinding out five more winning weeks since Memorial Day. The starting pitching gives them a shot every night, and the offense fashions enough runs to make it work. It’s not quite domination, but it’s absolutely the formula for winning baseball.
Loading ...And yes, for winning a division. The pitching shouldn’t falter, and the hitting isn’t reliant on any one Brave. This is team in the strict definition of the word, a team that has patched the holes that were apparent in April. It’s also a team that feeds off itself. There’s a confidence among Braves, the confidence that comes from the sight of someone different — Omar Infante, Kris Medlen, Brooks Conrad — delivering when deployed. (And the subtraction of Yunel Escobar should only enhance the ambiance.)
It’s also Bobby Cox’s final season. The notion of a big-league club carrying a win-one-for-the-skipper imperative through a six-month season was always fanciful, but if gets down to September and the race tightens … well, these players’ feelings for their manager might well take hold.
Four games up, 74 to go. Can they hold on? Yes they can. Sure they can. I didn’t believe in March and April, but I’ve learned my lesson. And I’ve been around enough division winners to know this:
When it’s your year, it’s your year. This is the Braves’ year.
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146 comments Add your comment
Tale of Woe
July 14th, 2010
12:12 pm
MLB Trade Rumors has the details…More details to come
GTSteve
July 14th, 2010
12:12 pm
oops, spoke too soon, looks like it is real
Tale of Woe
July 14th, 2010
12:12 pm
I wonder if the Cody Ross rumors was just to hid the fact that we were trading for Gonzalez?
nola atl fan
July 14th, 2010
12:13 pm
still was a good line GT Steve… considering your a techie!
BK
July 14th, 2010
12:13 pm
How easy we forget. This is Atlanta. The other shoe will drop soon. Expect a massive let down in the 2nd half.
GTSteve
July 14th, 2010
12:13 pm
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/07/blue-jays-acquire-yunel-escobar.html
Halberstram
July 14th, 2010
12:14 pm
Curious trade to say the least
hal
July 14th, 2010
12:15 pm
yea everyone knew heystack was hurt right aFTER he went into a 3 week slump that made it obvious the national league had figured out his 3foot diameter hole in his swing lol
Dr. Warren
July 14th, 2010
12:16 pm
Not sure why you want to ruin it for all of us, MB. At least pick the Falcons to go 7-9.
GTSteve
July 14th, 2010
12:16 pm
Somebody please assure me that this is not going to mess with the Chemistry on this team
yunel gone?
July 14th, 2010
12:17 pm
http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=327480
Tale of Woe
July 14th, 2010
12:18 pm
The other guy is a young shortstop. I think the team was tired of Yunel’s attitude. We wanted someone not to sulk after we win a game.
Tale of Woe
July 14th, 2010
12:19 pm
http://790thezone.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=676
hal
July 14th, 2010
12:21 pm
if that trades true pat yourself on the back racist pigs of atlanta i hope you like gonzalezs one home run a week and dont expect him to throw out guys from the hole eather lolbut hes better at ss then infante before that lil bubbles bust
Jeff Blouser
July 14th, 2010
12:21 pm
Either Yunell starts hitting or he starts sitting….One or the other. The Braves also need a centerfielder….That trade for Milkey was awful!
nola atl fan
July 14th, 2010
12:21 pm
i like the move… play for the now. i know Yunel might end up being a real stud down the road, but this year, he has been TERRIBLE. No HR, bad errors. This guy is like the mold of the clubhouse now, veteran, plays the right way, etc..
BravesFan79
July 14th, 2010
12:23 pm
I want it to be Braves vs Yankees.. .just so we can get revenge for 96!
GTSteve
July 14th, 2010
12:25 pm
Hal , I will take 1 home run a week over no home runs
I scooped Mark!
July 14th, 2010
12:26 pm
Escobar gone in a trade. Does it count as scooping Mark if I got it from the AJC?
But they wish they had Elvis back at shortstop. Whatever happened to that Texarkana guy anyway?
Gen Neyland
July 14th, 2010
12:26 pm
The stretch run will be full of Met’s Blue and Phillie’s Red but as of today they’re in the Braves rearview mirror. This team is capable of keeping them there. What has to be going through the mind of Bobby Cox entering the last half of his final season as a manager..? On another note, I’ll wage that Bobby gets ejected 3 times before the playoffs begin. Congrats to Brian McCann. Go Braves and Go Bobby…
I scooped Mark!
July 14th, 2010
12:27 pm
Aw heck, half a dozen others already scooped him.
Power Up In My Pants
July 14th, 2010
12:29 pm
Escobar was traded for Adrian Gonzales!!!
Oh wait…
Josh
July 14th, 2010
12:29 pm
Hate to say this but I am starting to believe…In the Bradley curse. Mark please just say they are doing ok. Don’t make any grand proclamations because when you do things go very very badly for our teams.
Gene
July 14th, 2010
12:35 pm
McCann just does his job without any drama. MVP is a well-deserved honor for him. Furthermore, I will not curse Frank Wren, at least for the rest of the season. Great trade of a player whose head was somewhere other than the ball field.
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July 14th, 2010
1:35 pm
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July 14th, 2010
3:19 pm
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July 14th, 2010
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[...] Four games up, 74 to play: Can the Braves hold on? SureAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Wagner is the real deal and helps the young pitchers. no negatives here… this is adream season and I am enjoying every minute. Mark, As promised, I went …All-Star Game best left as fun exhibitionMiami County RepublicFixing the All-Star GameFire Brand of the American LeagueAL and NL All-Star streaks add up to an almost even matchLos Angeles TimesFS West -msnbc.comall 2,779 news articles » Leave a Reply [...]
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July 14th, 2010
3:54 pm
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yunel escobar
July 14th, 2010
4:00 pm
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Braves’ McCann All-Star MVP, Team Trades Escobar – GPB
July 14th, 2010
4:08 pm
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July 14th, 2010
4:43 pm
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BravesFan86
July 14th, 2010
4:54 pm
Great read mark! This article got me even more excited for start of 2nd half…if thats possible! and i hope Alex G can continue his power surge!!!
Mark Bradley
July 14th, 2010
4:58 pm
Thanks, BravesFan86.
Sports Review
July 14th, 2010
5:35 pm
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July 14th, 2010
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July 14th, 2010
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July 14th, 2010
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July 14th, 2010
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July 14th, 2010
6:19 pm
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Robbie
July 14th, 2010
7:14 pm
good job makin
NFLGames.Net » Four games up, 74 to play: Can the Braves hold on? Sure – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
July 14th, 2010
7:28 pm
[...] Four games up, 74 to play: Can the Braves hold on? SureAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)Even with five All-Star selections, this isn'ta collection of stars. It's simply a heck of a ballclub. The Braves went from last in the division to first in …All-Stars really tried to win this exhibitionOCRegister [...]
Robbie
July 14th, 2010
7:45 pm
i hope the BRAVES KICK ASS AND GO ALL WAY AND WIN AND BECOM THE 20010 WORLD CHAMPIONS HELL YES
Braves’ McCann All-Star MVP, Team Trades Escobar – GPB | Hot Topics
July 14th, 2010
8:17 pm
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July 16th, 2010
12:35 am
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Steve
July 16th, 2010
3:16 am
Ummm ~ 5 games up with 73 to play. Yeah, GO BRAVES!!!
ZX-14 lady
July 17th, 2010
12:17 pm
Thinking. It’s always the same thing. To think is to go insane.
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