A Sweep

The Braves did it. They have swept the Phillies and are now onto Washington. Unbeleivable 3 days for the Braves, starting 5 games behind and now they are only 2 games out. How? Well the pitching has been great and they are getting timely hitting. Has Martin Prado turned the Braves around with his clutch hitting? I think he has been the biggest offensive reason for the sweep of the Phillies, so what was Bobby Cox waiting for to make him the everyday second baseman. I have been saying for a while now that Prado should be starting. The Braves must keep their foot on the pedal and not take Washington lightly. There is still alot of work ahead for the Braves and a 7 game winning streak or 2 series sweeps in a row would be a great start.

2 down 1 to go

Well the Braves are two thirds the way of a sweep against the Phillies. Jair Jurrjens was dominate last night and really has been great all year despite his win loss record. Martin Prado is showing why so many fans wanted him to be a starter instead of Kelly Johnson. Tonight the Braves throw Javier Vazquez at the Phillies. Vazquez has been great all year. Lets hope the Braves bats have something left tonight after scoring 11 runs last night

In need of a Sweep

The Braves are in DESPERATE need of a sweep against the Phillies. The division leading Phillies are 5 games ahead of the Braves heading into this very important series. My opinion only but it is do or die time for the Braves. In order to sweep the Phillies the pitching will have to continue to be good and the bats must wake up. Only scoring 2 runs in three games against Boston is unbeleivable and they actually got a win. If the bats dont wake up in this series I really feel their season will be over.

Snake Bitten

What does Javier Vazquez have to do to get a win? His pitching of late has been brillant and overall very good this year. He is at the top in K's, walks very few, goes deep into ball games and has a very good ERA of 3.04, yet has a record of 5 wins and 7 loses. On just about any other team you could add atleast 3 more wins and subtract 3 loses, making him in the area of 8-4. I think now even if the Braves acquire the big bat they lack, they still will not make the playoffs, as the are just to many holes in the lineup. I think it is time to either sign Gonzo and Soriano or trade them. Also it is time to move Frenchy, Johnson, Anderson( back to AL, for DH) and dare I say Chipper. The return on Chipper could provide this team a great return in arms and a possible replacement for him at third. One last guy to consider moving is Escobar. His attitude and mental mistakes have many in the organization and fans scratching their heads. Although he has great talent it may be time to move him. Let me know your thoughts.

Another Series Lost

Finally this team gets some runs but 7 isn't enough. Even though they plated 7 tonight, the timely hitting is still hurting the Braves. Eleven runners were LOB tonight and that is not good. On the other hand what is up with D Lowe and his personal 3 game losing streak. If this isn't bad enough, the defence has not been good either, with 3 more errors tonight. The Braves now face Boston and their old friend John Smoltz. After seeing his performance tonight against the Nationals maybe it is to bad he won't pitch against the Braves. Anyways I keep saying this but the Braves need to reel off 4 or 5 wins in a row.

Tight Budget ?

According to Ben Nicholson-Smith the Braves are looking to add a bat, but might not be able to due to financial reasons. As Braves fans we already know this, but could we trade Frenchy to the Royals with Crisp out for the year and use the return or a prospect for an inexpensive hitter. Is a combo of Brandon Jones/Matt Diaz better than whats on the market right now with our lack of funds. Could a healthy Jordan Schafer be the answer, I am not sure but we do need more production from our right field spot. Let me know what you think Braves fans.

2 in a Row

The Braves are on a mini roll against some good teams. This is necessary in order to catch up in the standings. Tommy Hanson is 3-0 and when he cuts down on his walks and throws more first pitch strikes look out. Imagine if that 5th starter was Tom Glavine. I dont think Glavine would be 3-0. Peter Moylan has been good of late and showing signs of improvement from his surgery. Moylan is a real key to the Braves success in their playoff chase. Hope Kawakami can have another strong performance against the AL tomorrow night. His 2 most impressive games have been against the Red Sox and Jays, so keep your fingers crossed.