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Don't look now, but here come the boys. After they blew that game last Thursday night (eliciting a string of F-bombs from me), they took the next three from the NL-best Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. Then, they followed that up by coming home and tonight pounding their longtime bugaboo, the Nationals (who came in hot themselves, winners of 8 in a row), 8-1.
The Fillies are currently knotted with the Cubs in the 8th. They come to Turner Field this weekend for a huge series. The Braves have the best record in baseball over the last 40 games, and they have Tim Hudson imminently returning to one of the handful of best starting rotations in baseball.
They're a season-high 5 games over .500 (good enough yet, Lavabe? ;) ), and seem to be picking up steam. The playoffs are very much in reach for this club.

...and now, the Baseball Tonight guys are talking about how the Braves are gunning for the Fillies and a "very scary" contender.

They need to get over the hump already and make .500 seem so long ago.

GOT to love Bobby Cox throwing a fit on Game 2 vs. the LA Trolleydodgers. If they had lost that game after that HORRIBLE call, I think Bobby would have blown up Trolleydodger Stadium.

I believe the Bravos and the Phillies are on Sunday Night Baseball. I'm sure Ozzie won't care. After all... it doesn't involve the New York Steroid Users and the Boston Steroid Users, nor does it involve Clemson and UVa.

wilson wrote:...and now, the Baseball Tonight guys are talking about how the Braves are gunning for the Fillies and a "very scary" contender.

You realize that the Braves were waiting for me to return to the US, right?

Lavabe wrote:

wilson wrote:...and now, the Baseball Tonight guys are talking about how the Braves are gunning for the Fillies and a "very scary" contender.

You realize that the Braves were waiting for me to return to the US, right?

Well whatever they've been waiting for, they're honestly playing their best ball in years. It's been lots of fun to watch pretty much ever since the All-Star break.

Biggest series in years, but I can't get the game on TV, radio, anything. And I'm at Charleston Girl's parents' house, so I have to behave myself.
Shitty.

gotta check tonight's result

The Braves, good but not good enough.

YmoBeThere wrote:The Braves, good but not good enough.

The Braves are something like 3.5 games behind 1st place Colorado in the Wild Card race.

Lavabe wrote:

YmoBeThere wrote:The Braves, good but not good enough.

The Braves are something like 3.5 games behind 1st place Colorado in the Wild Card race.

Yeah, but zero chance at winning the Series...well, that's what I give them.

Looks like the Braves win again against the fish.

I guess they are now moving up in the WC race.

Lavabe wrote:Looks like the Braves win again against the fish.

I guess they are now moving up in the WC race.

Yep. Good series this weekend, and a nice hard-fought win today. We're definitely looking at wild card or bust at this point, and frankly, it's not looking too rosy, but there's time yet. 38 games left, 29 of them intra-division.
The Braves are now 8 games above .500; they haven't been this much better than break even in two full years.

I see that Smoltz pitched 5 innings of shutout baseball today for the Cardinals.

I know... this is a Braves thread. Some traditions die hard.

This just in from SportsCenter's wild card discussion...John Kruk (no slouch as an analyst, IMO) says it's the Braves' to lose.

wilson wrote:This just in from SportsCenter's wild card discussion...John Kruk (no slouch as an analyst, IMO) says it's the Braves' to lose.

And they just did: a 2-1 stinker to the Padres last PM. At home. With 6 hits. Does not bode well for a stretch run.

Another favorite Bermanism: John "I am not a" Kruk

devildeac wrote:

wilson wrote:This just in from SportsCenter's wild card discussion...John Kruk (no slouch as an analyst, IMO) says it's the Braves' to lose.

And they just did: a 2-1 stinker to the Padres last PM. At home. With 6 hits. Does not bode well for a stretch run.

Another favorite Bermanism: John "I am not a" Kruk

Yep; after that one last night (coupled with another Rockies win), I think the Braves' goose is just about cooked. They looked like absolute shit last night against a no-name pitcher and a last-place team. I'm in a very foul humor about it.

But didn't Gonzales look good?

captmojo wrote:But didn't Gonzales look good?

I'm too pissed off about it all to find good in the game. No hits until the 5th, and leaving runners on like that in the 8th, 9th, and 10th...just unacceptable.

I'll blame everything wrong with the Braves on LaRoche. He was an absolute boat anchor on the Pirates and I'm glad they got rid of him.

BTW, the Sillies and the Bucs had a great three game set. Bucs took 2 of 3, and in the three games, there were a game winning dinger in the 8th, a game winning dinger in the 9th, and a game winning dinger in the 10th. All close games.

Turk wrote:I'll blame everything wrong with the Braves on LaRoche. He was an absolute boat anchor on the Pirates and I'm glad they got rid of him.

It greatly pains me to say this, but Adam LaRoche has been absolutely scorching since we re-acquired him...right at .400 with 7 or 8 homers on the month.