Somebody Up There must really like the Atlanta Braves
The Braves are 10-14 in September. They’ve won one of the past seven series. They’ve gone from three games ahead of Philadelphia on Sept. 1 to six games back with six to play. And you know what?
They still should win the wild card.
They start the week a half-game behind San Diego, which is a half-game behind San Francisco in the National League West. The Braves play the Marlins these next three days. The Padres have four against the Cubs. The Giants have three against Arizona. But here’s the catch:
The Padres and Giants finish against one other. One of them has to lose each of the season’s final three days. The Braves end against the Phils, who have already clinched a playoff berth and a tie for the East title. That quirk of scheduling should be enough to get the Braves into the postseason. Provided the Braves remember what it is to win a series, which is, as we know, not exactly a certainty.
The Braves have lost three series to last-place clubs in three weeks. Of their 10 victories in September, four have been posted by Derek Lowe. Their rotation is coming unglued. Their batting order fell to pieces a while back. The wonder isn’t that this team is losing but that it still holds the chance to win something. The Braves are most fortunate.
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423 comments Add your comment
Ted M
September 27th, 2010
10:53 am
The Cubs and the Diamondbacks have both been playing a little better lately. This wild card is going to come down to who chokes the least.
benchwarmer
September 27th, 2010
10:54 am
By the way I don’t believe in jinxes. For those who do just say Voldemort ten times turn in a circle and exhale.
BravesMan
September 27th, 2010
10:55 am
Flipping between the Braves and Falcons on TV yesterday , I decided the Braves don’t play well enough for me to put any more energy into supporting them and after yesterday I am convinced they could not take a 3-game series from any team in the National or American leagues. R.I.P.
bruce mac
September 27th, 2010
10:55 am
So, D Lowe is a bust huh? D Lowe is the most consistent starter in the Major Leagues over the last 10 years. D Lowe is our best pitcher right now by far. You don’t get the best on the cheap and he is worth every penny.
Nothing Is Over
September 27th, 2010
10:57 am
Negativity is contagious around here. Six games left at home. Buy a ticket (M-W are still available)….it might be your last chance to complain until next April.
Braves can do it! Pressure is on the “perfect” teams now. Keith was right in his post earlier. Might be fun to go in as wildcard for a change! Ask Florida about that…….
Keith
September 27th, 2010
10:57 am
Re: BravesMan
While i’ve been to 20 games this year as a Braves’ fan, I’ll agree that the Falcons game was amazing and helped me forget about the horrible loss yesterday.
I guess our solace is tonight we have MNF and Hanson on the mound.
GO BRAVES!
Edward M
September 27th, 2010
10:57 am
You may think the Braves are not dead but they are.
Keith
September 27th, 2010
10:58 am
Re: Nothing is Over
I LOVE IT!!!!!!
Thinking of going to Wednesday’s game. Have a day off work.
I want to go tonight, too.
Keith
September 27th, 2010
10:58 am
Re: Nothing is Over
Thanks!
I’m thinking of going Wednesday and maybe tonight!
GermanBravesFan
September 27th, 2010
10:58 am
bruce mac: Lowe was really good last year… and this season, too. cannot remember his current ERA, though…
Keith
September 27th, 2010
10:58 am
Posts continue to disappear, Mark.
Ted M
September 27th, 2010
11:00 am
Who knows how many games Cox blew early by sticking with McLouth and other ice cold players? Several. There is nothing Cox can do now but hope… were in this situation because of him.
Dawggone
September 27th, 2010
11:00 am
Come on Braves Fans….we have the best record in Baseball @ home we sweep the Fish and get some help from the teams playing SF and SD we may only have to win one game against the Phils and be in the wildcard, we gotta believe!
bruce mac
September 27th, 2010
11:00 am
D Lowe has a bone chip in his elbow DA. D Lowe is a stud, period.
Keith
September 27th, 2010
11:01 am
Re: Mike
I would love to see Crawford on this team. Or dunn. I think Crawford does more…but either one would be a win!
Ball Boy.
September 27th, 2010
11:01 am
Braves are not dead. Just their bats.
Keith
September 27th, 2010
11:01 am
Re: Dawggone
Bring it baby!!!
I love your thoughts. We just have to remember how good we are @ home (even though of late not as good as before) and how bad we are on the road.
Home = HOPE
bruce mac
September 27th, 2010
11:03 am
With Freddie at first the Braves will not sign any more left handed hitters for 2011. Jason Worth baby. He can hit, play center, run, and add some veteran fire.
Mr. Obvious
September 27th, 2010
11:03 am
The 2010 Phillies have treated the 2010 Braves the same way the 2006 Michael Vick treated his 2006 pit bulls.
help needed
September 27th, 2010
11:04 am
Attack mode
Barnhard Stumptrian
September 27th, 2010
11:04 am
Braves are not dead. But, ask me again after this wild card thing plays out.
GermanBravesFan
September 27th, 2010
11:04 am
Keith: that’s the spirit!!! Go Braves!!
Jesse Stone
September 27th, 2010
11:05 am
How can some of you “fans” hope the Braves don’t make the playoffs, because you think they’ll be swept out? Did you also hope your turn at bat wouldn’t come up because you didn’t want to dig in against a tough pitcher? That is WEAK, girls.
T-Bone
September 27th, 2010
11:06 am
Is there any way we can get Arthur Blank to buy the team? Bradley is right; we need some talent.
droopydawg
September 27th, 2010
11:07 am
There is just no way the Braves make the playoffs, unfortunately. They have looked like a 100 loss kind of team the last month. We will somehow manage to get swept by the Marlins, which is probably better than getting swept out of the playoffs. At least if we don’t make the playoffs I can stop paying attention and hoping.
Dontavius Supremo
September 27th, 2010
11:08 am
They’re not dead, but they’re on life support.
USED CARS
September 27th, 2010
11:10 am
I suggest we petition the commissioner to allow us to play all three of CF simultaneously. McLouth could go after balls in the gap, Melkie would be active on balls hit directly at CF and Ankiel could throw for both. At the plate, McLouth could come up in unimportant situations, Ankiel could bat when we need a strikeout to avoid the double play and Melkie could stand in the on-deck circle and eat donuts. I see no competitive advantage over any other team, just a sort of evening the deck to give us a true 9-man lineup
Ted M
September 27th, 2010
11:10 am
Zambrano has a good shot at beating the padres tonight
TU87
September 27th, 2010
11:10 am
Hate to say it, I don’t see the Braves in the playoffs. At Florida this week where the Marlins always play them tough and home against the Phillies, who just swept the Braves. Yes Phillies will probably rest their top 3 pitchers, but their offense is good enough to win 1 or 2 games here. Padres get 4 games at home against the Cubs, they could easily win all 4.
IBAR
September 27th, 2010
11:11 am
You are killing us Mark! Anyway, I think the Phillies would love to beat us in the final series and knock us out of the playoffs, so I don’t think that series will be any easier. Also, there is no reason to believe we will all of a sudden start playing good baseball these last 6 games.
Ted M
September 27th, 2010
11:11 am
“Zambrano” must be a dirty word because posts with it get filtered out.
help needed
September 27th, 2010
11:11 am
GET ANDRUW ASAP GLAUS at 3b PRADO lf. Heyward bats 3rd dont pitch pitchers on short rest. they could use an extra day off . or we are done. now we can hit the Bomb more . not worrie about risp. the bomb gives mo.
Keith
September 27th, 2010
11:12 am
Re: Jesse Stone
You are one reasonable poster.
To say you’re a “fan” and say you don’t want them to make the playoffs is laughable. Either you’re a nominal fan and don’t know how the postseason is a fresh start and usually bares nothing from Sept play, or you’re a Phils fan trolling!
Keith
September 27th, 2010
11:12 am
Re: TU87
We are @ home vs the Marlins.
Ted M
September 27th, 2010
11:13 am
“there is no reason to believe we will all of a sudden start playing good baseball these last 6 games.”
Home is the reason.
Brave Observer
September 27th, 2010
11:13 am
The excitement is gone for with the Braves. Even if they make it to the playoffs I can just about predict how it will play out. Braves lose in 4.
Jalen
September 27th, 2010
11:14 am
Stop playing Melky Cabrera and Nate Mclouth over Rick Ankiel! move Jason Heyward down to THIRD so he can drive some runs in.
SG10
September 27th, 2010
11:14 am
Mark,
I said it on some other blog and saying it again here. If the Braves had played this same team all year, they would have had 100 loss season. By same team, I mean, without Glaus’ 2 month spark, Chipper, Medlen out, Prado, JJ hurt. If the braves are losing to Pirates and Nationals right now, it is because Nationals and Pirates have better teams at this point of time. Essentially, this current team is riding the success of a different team that was arguably better the the most teams in NL. Despite the recent surge by Lee, he is not carrying the Braves like Glaus did in May and June, getting those big hits..plus McCann is having ordinary year. (Is he the same guy who hit 0.500 in spring training prompting Cox to say he was in the mid-season form already?)
Barnhard Stumptrian
September 27th, 2010
11:14 am
Yes Virginia, the Braves are not dead. They just crossed over the ‘ol river Jordan to be with Granddaddy and we’ll see them again one day soon.
Kentavo
September 27th, 2010
11:14 am
Say what you want about ‘em, but we really are missing Chipper, Medlen and Saito; those guys were/are key. There is not a game-changer in the lineup on offense – just look at what Adam Dunn does in the middle of a lousy (but still good enough to beat us) Nationals team. We need a power threat like that.
And the pitching? We’re trying to win crucial games with key contributions from a bevy of rookies.
And I’d rather the Braves play the Fish and Phils’ starting lineups and pitchers as we’ve seen how the team performs against AAA talent already. Can we just call up the entire Gwinnett squad to finish it out for us?
Ted M
September 27th, 2010
11:14 am
Keith you beat me to it
David Granger
September 27th, 2010
11:18 am
I hate to admit this, but I don’t want them to make the playoffs only to turn around and lose out in the very first series, Mark. As in other years, Bobby Cox has put together a pretty good team for the long haul, but not so good at shifting gears and using that team in a short series.
Booby's booger finger
September 27th, 2010
11:18 am
Are the Braves still playing? I didn’t notice…
Ted M
September 27th, 2010
11:20 am
David Granger you should hate to admit it.
david
September 27th, 2010
11:20 am
What good will it do for the Braves to make the post season they will be one and done.
zulu doctor
September 27th, 2010
11:20 am
The Braves are not dead. A dose of viagra would make them play harder.
urm
September 27th, 2010
11:20 am
I’m tired of throwing my remote watching this team…….
Bullwinkle
September 27th, 2010
11:20 am
The goal is to make the playoffs. Then it’s a crap shoot. Anybody can win it.
johndawg
September 27th, 2010
11:21 am
Please… the Braves were put on life support 2 weeks ago when they lost the East lead to the Phils. And last week the Phils smothered them with a hospital pillow to put them out of their misery.
They are DEAD… along with the Dawgs!
Go Falcons!
Wrenmeadeal
September 27th, 2010
11:22 am
Stop the hatred… franky put us RIGHT in the thick of things now that rick ankiel found his power stroke!!!