The Turnaround of the Atlanta Braves
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by user Ufgators
Chipper Jones (I know i'm biased) had a tremendous week this week, as he was voted NL Player of the Week, hitting .500 with 3 Homeruns and 8 RBI. His recent hot streak is indicative of the recently gained luck that the Braves are enjoying. Said luck turned into confidence for the Braves, and confidence turned into success. In the tenth inning tonight, Chipper hit a double to left that made the fans go nuts, followed by a Francoeur single that knocked Chipper in to win the game.
As it stands, the Braves are 38-48 and are 13.5 games back in the East. However, they have won four of their last five, including two of three from the Cardinals. In one of those games, the Braves won 14-4. The division leader Mets lost to the lowly Pirates 11-1 earlier this month, but won every game thereafter. Ahead of the Mets are the resurging Marlins, who are capable of winning the NL Wild Card.
New closer Jorge Sosa is a talented pitcher, and will soon be racking up the saves. Kenny Ray has 4 saves and a 2.79 ERA. Their rotation/bullpen isn't what it used to be, but they are hanging in there. Over Chuck James' last three starts, he has gone 3-0 with 14 K's. Could this be the turnaround for the team that has won the last bajillion division titles?
I believe so. Although I think the Mets are working well together, they don't exactly have the best luck in baseball. The Braves do have luck on their side. Fortunately, they are in a weak division and have always been able to fix their problems before it is too late.
Whether the Braves are buyers or sellers before the deadline will certainly dictate which road they want to take. I say that if the Braves make the right acquisition, they will be headed for their 15th straight division title.
Date
Thu 07/06/06, 7:00 pm EST
