Braves.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Blue Jays 1, Braves 0

Top of the Order: The Braves extended their major-league record for consecutive one-run losses on the road, wasting another great performance by Jo-Jo Reyes in losing the rubber game of a three-game set in Toronto.

The Good: Following the worst start of his season Monday – snapping a string of five impressive outings in a row – Reyes responded with one of the best efforts of his career. The lefty gave up six hits and one run in seven innings with two walks and five strikeouts. Gregor Blanco continued to rake from the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4; in the past four games, Blanco is 10-for-17. Blaine Boyer pitched a scoreless inning, his fourth-consecutive scoreless appearance. Mark Teixeira drew three walks, as Toronto’s pitchers smartly worked around the streaking Braves’ cleanup hitter. Off the field, it looks like Yunel Escobar will be back in the starting lineup Tuesday night against Philadelphia, and Mark Kotsay appears ready to come off the disabled list Tuesday. With that said …

The Bad: … Chipper Jones and his major-league leading .394 average may be heading to the disabled list. Chipper, who has missed eight starts in a row (appearing as a pinch hitter June 21, June 24 and June 25), told reporters Sunday his slightly torn quadriceps muscle isn’t getting any better after a week of rest. Obviously, that’s really bad news for the Braves. On the field, missing Chipper and Escobar and Omar Infante left the Braves short-handed again, and the Atlanta offense was overpowered by Toronto starter A.J. Burnett, who struck out 11 in seven innings. For the day, the Braves finished with just five hits and struck out 13 times. Brian McCann went 0-for-4 and left six runners on base. The bottom third of the lineup – Jeff Francoeur, Brandon Jones and Brent Lillibridge – combined to go 0-for-10 with six whiffs. Frenchy is down to .239; when Kotsay comes back, the Braves have to put Francoeur on the bench for a day or two and move either Blanco or Brandon Jones to right field.

View from the Sports Garage: If this team misses the playoff by three or four games, we’ll have plenty of candidates for “man, the Braves should’ve won on ‘X’ date.” I don’t think you can put this game into that category, frustrating as it is to lose a one-run game on the road for the 23rd consecutive time, extending a major-league record I’m sure the Braves would just as soon not own. Basically, the lineup employed by Atlanta this weekend consisted of Blanco, Kelly Johnson, Tex, McCann, bailing wire, duct tape and some other stuff MacGyver would have in his bag of save-the-world tricks. The Braves were lucky to get one win in this series. Reyes pitched outstanding; definitely a great sign to see him bounce back from that rough outing against the Brewers with the type of performance he had Sunday. Unfortunately for Jo-Jo, the Braves just won’t score him any runs: eight times in his 12 starts, the Braves have scored two runs or less. Now it’s home to face the Phillies in a critical three-game series at Turner Field starting Tuesday. Only four games out of first, it’s time for the Braves to step up and cut into the lead. A sweep would be great, but two-of-three would work just fine. No Chipper for this series definitely hurts, but with Escobar back and Kotsay back and, hopefully, Francoeur on the bench to try and clear his head, this lineup will be much better than what we saw the past three games. Hopefully, the results will be better, too.

On deck
Braves vs. Phillies
7:05 p.m. Tuesday, Turner Field

The Skinny: Revenge is a mighty strong word, but the Braves need to have it front and center when the Phillies come to town. Remember last month, don’t you? Johnson’s dropped final out of the game, followed by two losses that came in the late innings, as the Phillies swept their way through town. Well, the Braves get a chance to not only send a message this week, but also to pull ever closer to the lead in the NL East. Rookie Charlie Morton (1-1, 4.24 ERA) toes the slab for Atlanta in the opener. He gave up just two earned runs in six innings against Milwaukee on Tuesday, a game in which Atlanta committed three errors in the first inning. Morton’s been very good for the most part in his first three starts in the majors. For the Phillies, right-hander Kyle Kendrick (7-3, 4.59 ERA) is tied for the team lead in victories, coming off eight shutout innings against Oakland in his last start. Kendrick has faced the Braves twice this season, getting a victory May 13 at Philly and earning a no-decision June 7 in Atlanta.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Blue Jays 9, Braves 5

Top of the Order: Tim Hudson and Jeff Bennett let things get out of control in the sixth inning, and a late rally wasn’t enough as the Braves dropped the middle game of a three-game set, falling four games out in the NL East.

The Good: After struggling in a 10-game stretch where he amassed just five hits, Gregor Blanco appears to be righting the ship. He went 4-for-5 in the leadoff spot, giving the rookie eight hits in 13 at-bats in his past three games. Mark Teixeira hit his sixth homer this week, his 16th of the season, and also walked twice with two runs scored. Kelly Johnson went 2-for-4. Rookies Brent Lillibridge and Brandon Jones each had a hit, and Jones threw out a runner at third base. Will Ohman allowed a hit but struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief.

The Bad: It wasn’t like Hudson was terrible, but Timmy was far from crisp: seven hits and six runs allowed with three walks and three strikeouts in five-plus innings. After the Braves tied the game on Brian McCann’s double in the fifth, Huddy gave up a run in the bottom of the fifth and worked himself into a mess in the sixth: a homer, a walk, a single and another walk. On came Jeff Bennett, who hit a batter and allowed a hit to make it 6-1. After the Braves pulled within 6-5, Manny Acosta continued to show the impact of his overuse: three hits, three runs and a walk in one inning of work, his ERA rising to 4.69. Chipper Jones and his major-league leading .394 average did not play, and neither did Yunel Escobar nor Omar Infante. But, all three did take batting practice and could be back by the start of next week’s ultra-important series against Philadelphia at Turner Field.

View from the Sports Garage: Not exactly the type of performance the Braves hoped for after Jair Jurrjens sparkled in Friday’s season opener. Hudson struggled with his control and pitch location, giving up homers on bad pitches to lead off the fifth and sixth innings. When you battle back to tie a game, as the Braves did in the top of the fifth, only to see your pitcher give the run right back on a homer, it’s a bit deflating. Huddy then made a mess that Bennett couldn’t clean up in the sixth, and Acosta – who is an absolute mess right now – let the Jays pull away again in the eighth. Not a great performance overall, but without Chipper and Escobar and Infante, the Braves should be happy they are in position to win the series today instead of facing the prospects of being swept. With Philly’s win at Texas Saturday night, Atlanta now is four games back in the NL East, tied with the Mets for third place and one game behind second-place Florida.

On deck
Braves at Blue Jays
1:07 p.m. today, Rogers Centre

The Skinny: After a run of stellar starts, Jo-Jo Reyes (3-5, 4.48 ERA) came back down to earth a little in his last outing, giving up six hits and four runs in Monday’s loss to Milwaukee. Reyes struggled with spotting his fastball, which had been the key in the left-hander pitching great in his previous five outings. For the Blue Jays, right-hander A.J. Burnett (7-7, 5.07 ERA) is coming off a four-hit, one-run performance over eight innings against Cincinnati. The Braves really, really need this one today. To win a series in which three of their top players miss all three games would be a tremendous boost heading into the showdown series with the Phillies.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 4, Blue Jays 0

Top of the Order: With only one healthy player on the bench, Atlanta cruised behind super pitching from Jair Jurrjens and a three-RBI night from Mark Teixeira to win the opener of a three-game series north of the border, pulling within three games of first place in the NL East.

The Good: Jurrjens was outstanding, spinning the best start of his brief, yet stellar career. The right-hander set down the first 13 hitters he faced and finished with just three hits allowed in eight innings. Teixeira manned up and led the way for the undermanned Atlanta lineup, blasting a two-run homer in the first and doubling home a run in the third. Gregor Blanco may be turning things around; hitting leadoff, Blanco finished 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI. Seven Braves finished with hits. Mike Gonzalez worked a perfect ninth inning. The best news of all: Philadelphia blowing a 5-1 lead and losing for the eighth time in nine games, moving the Braves to just three games out of first place. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and yes Virginia, the Braves are IN the pennant race.

The Bad: The Braves somehow won even though they had the formidable (not) Corky Miller as the only player available for full-time duty off the bench. Chipper Jones (quadriceps muscle) could pinch hit, but still cannot run well and probably won’t be able to DH during the weekend series as hoped. Yunel Escobar’s shoulder still hurts, and while he could have played defense in a pinch, dude can’t swing the bat. Omar Infante and his hamstring was too sore to even be an option. The only two starters not to get a hit – Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur – combined to leave nine runners on base. Frenchy’s struggles continue: he struck out twice, lowering his average to .244.

View from the Sports Garage: So this absolutely dizzying ride the Braves have put us on since opening day continues to make us scratch our heads. How else to explain a team that was 11-27 on the road winning with just one healthy player (the Corkster, the backup catcher) winning a road game? Actually, Jurrjens and Teixeira were the reasons on this night. First, Jurrjens. Think that missed start at Wrigley Field due to the injured ankle worked out OK? I’d say so: JJJ has not allowed an earned run in 23 2/3 innings since. Dude was absolutely brilliant on this night, facing the minimum through 6 2/3 innings, throwing strikes and displaying absolute impeccable command of all his pitches. Outstanding, and remember, this guy is just a 22-year-old rookie. Sky’s the limit for Jurrjens, who improves to 8-3 and sports a 2.94 ERA. Now, Teixeira has been grilled by the good denizens of Braves Nation – and this observer – for not stepping up and doing his part in the middle of the order. Well, look-e here: Tex has hit five homers in the past five games, and on a night where the Braves for all intents and purposes only had 11 players who could swing a bat, the cleanup hitter cleaned up offensively. At the halfway mark, Tex is on pace for 30 homers and 120 RBIs, and I don’t think any of us would complain about that. If we are seeing one of those Teixeira streaks where he carries the team offensively for a couple of weeks, then it’s reasonable to think the Braves will hit the All-Star break in a place that just two weeks ago seemed a million light years away: First place in the NL East.

On deck
Braves at Blue Jays
1:07 p.m. today, Rogers Centre

The Skinny: Well, I wrote Thursday the Braves needed Jurrjens to set the tone for this series. Check. Next up, time for the one guy in the rotation with more than one year’s major-league experience to pitch like an ace today. Tim Hudson, you’re on the clock, bro. Huddy (8-5, 2.96 ERA) toes the slab after firing seven shutout innings Sunday in a victory over Seattle, Hudson’s first interleague victory as a Brave. And dude has owned the Blue Jays in his career, with 10 victories and a 2.61 ERA. For the Blue Jays, Toronto promoted lefty John Parrish (10-1, 2.74 ERA at Triple-A Syracuse) for the injured Shaun Marcum. Parrish has pitched in the majors before, with Baltimore and Seattle, going 12-12. Time for the Braves to continue building the momentum from Friday night and continue to put more pressure on the collapsing Phillies, especially with Philly coming to Turner Field for what should be three rocking nights next week.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

ATLANTA – A baseball season indeed is a marathon, a long grind that marches on game after game, week after week, month after month. The 162 games of a baseball schedule pass by methodically – riding the highs of victory and the lows of defeat – as the days of the calendar fly by.

When the Atlanta Braves take the field tonight to open a three-game series at Toronto, they will reach the midpoint of a 2008 season that’s been far more interesting than perhaps any other season this franchise has experienced in its long and storied history – and with the exception of Chipper Jones, mostly for all the wrong reasons.

Game No. 81, tonight against the Blue Jays, is the middle mark of a campaign that’s seen just about everything that can possibly go wrong for a baseball team.

If the Braves are winners tonight, they will conclude the first half with 40 victories, putting them on a pace to finish the season 80-82. On the surface, that’s far below what the Braves and their fans hoped for coming out of spring training. Remember, this team left Lake Buena Vista the final week in March branded as a potential World Series champion by a couple of experts, labeled as a legitimate playoff contender by just about everybody.

You know the bloody details of what the Braves – and the good denizens of Braves Nation – have endured since: the injuries (nine guys on the 40-man roster currently reside on the disabled list), the abysmal 4-20 record in one-run games, the 1-7 mark in extra-inning contests, the 11-27 showing on the road, the disappointment of Jeff Francoeur, the overworked bullpen blowing saves left and right, the reliance on several players who weren’t even on that 25-man opening-day roster.

And yet, as the Braves take the field for the final game of the first half, they find themselves a scant four games out of first place. Like a grizzled prize fighter who absorbs punch after punch, the Braves have stood perilously close to the brink of slipping out of contention. Yet, Atlanta has steadied itself enough to stay in the race as June draws to a close, refusing to hit the canvas.

That is reason, Braves fans, why you should be optimistic about what could transpire during the second half.

There is no way – and I know I’m chancing fate here by stating it, but here goes – no way the Braves can have so many things go awry as the second half plays itself out. Certainly, the Braves won’t lose three starting pitchers from their rotation in the second half, as they did in the first half (John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton). Certainly, they won’t play .289 ball in games away from Turner Field in the second part of this season. Certainly, they’ll get enough clutch hits and enough solid bullpen work to win more than four out of 24 one-run decisions.

This team has survived everything that’s went haywire in the first half, from an overworked bullpen to questionable decisions by its manager, from its cleanup hitter going weeks without hitting home runs to its young superstar playing like a timid rookie, from having to employ two rookies and a journeyman to man two-thirds of its outfield to having to employ four pitchers with less than one year of major-league pitching experience in the rotation.

The Braves have survived all of it and – somehow – find themselves within spitting distance of first place.

So, during the second half – which starts Saturday afternoon north of the border – is it too much of a reach to expect an overall better showing for this team? No. They should play better. Is it too much of a reach to expect they to win eight or nine more games during the second half than they did during the first half? No. Not only is it not much of a reach, it should be expected from a team that has underachieved as a collective unit for the better part of three months.

That’s how close the Braves are, when you strip away the frustration and angst of the past three months, the injuries, the close losses, the blown chances … eight or nine more wins in the second half puts them at 88 to 89 wins, and that very well could be enough to capture the NL East title.

But it all starts this weekend in Toronto. No more six-game losing streaks. No more 1-5 road trips. No more getting swept by Philly at home. No more dropped final outs of games. For everything that’s gone wrong for the Braves in the first half, the most important thing has gone right:

They’ve reached the halfway point still in the race. And certainly, one must think the second half has to be better than the first.

–30–

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 4, Brewers 2

Top of the Order: Jorge Campillo dominated on the mound and threw in two hits for good measure, leading the Braves to victory in the finale of a three-game set at Turner Field.

The Good: Campillo was outstanding on the bump, giving up just two runs and four hits in seven innings. He walked nobody and struck out six, throwing 61 of his 88 pitches for strikes. The Braves bullpen, which had an excellent series, slammed the door from there. Blaine Boyer pitched a scoreless eighth, and Mike Gonzalez struck out two in the ninth for his second save. Campillo helped to spark the charge with the sticks, going 2-for-3 and scoring twice. Kelly Johnson, hitting third, was the real catalyst, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs (a pair of those coming with two outs), raising his average to .284. Gregor Blanco had a good day in the leadoff spot, with two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Gotta give some love to Brent Lillibridge, who doubled in the eighth for his first major-league hit. Down on the farm, big doings at Double-A Mississippi. Mark Kotsay – on a rehab assignment – had two hits against Birmingham. But the big story was Tommy Hanson, a hard-throwing right-hander who spun a no-hitter, striking out 14. Hanson was promoted in early May from Single-A Myrtle Beach, where he fanned 49 in just 40 innings. And we have a Mike Hampton sighting, this time in the Gulf Coast League: Hampton gave up two hits in 2 2/3 innings, striking out two and reported no pain afterward. He’ll make three more minor-league starts and (hold your breath) if he’s healthy, he could (operative word here: could) join the Braves after the All-Star break.

The Bad: Another day, another injury. This time, it’s Omar Infante, who pulled his right hamstring rounding first base on a double in the second inning. He’s listed as day-to-day for now, but could end up going on the most-populated part of Braves Nation – the disabled list. Chipper Jones, nursing his slightly torn quadriceps muscle, struck out as a pinch hitter, dropping his big-league leading average a point to .394. Tough day for Brian McCann, who struck out three times. Also a tough day for the Braves’ defense – again. Brandon Jones misplayed a ball in left field, Lillibridge got eaten up on a ball during the Brewers’ two-run third, and Campillo committed a throwing error. Gotta tighten up the defense, guys. Finally, Yunel Escobar did not play with a sore shoulder. One might think his DNP has something to do with his Tuesday ejection, although the Braves’ brass denied it.

View from the Sports Garage: Facing the prospects of being swept, the Braves turned on the way-back machine and fashioned the type of victory we saw hundreds of times during their decade of dominance in the 1990s: fantastic pitching and just enough clutch hitting. Campillo, who struggled with his curve ball the past two starts, threw enough effective Uncle Charleys to complement his fastball and change-up, keeping the Brewers off stride and uncomfortable all afternoon. He set down 12 hitters at one point and was in complete control. From there, Boyer and Gonzalez both did their thing in the eighth and ninth, respectively. Gonzo looked fantastic, owning the moment from the time he toed the slab, and further making Braves fans salivate over the fact this team finally has an honest-to-goodness closer. Johnson stepped up and led the way offensively on a day where the Braves played without Jones and Escobar. Down 2-0 going to the bottom of the third, the Braves stayed patient at the plate against Jeff Suppan, didn’t press, and took control of the game. Blanco, who lately has wilted somewhat under the pressure of playing everyday while Kotsay’s back is healing, had a nice day setting the table in the leadoff spot. Very encouraging, to say the least. The Bravos needed this one, without a doubt, and they rebounded from Tuesday’s abysmal performance to win the series finale, finishing the homestand at 3-3. Granted, we all wanted a 5-1 or 6-0 homestand, but given the Phillies’ recent struggles and the fact nobody in the NL East wants to grab control of the division, the .500 showing at home the past week hasn’t hurt this team. Atlanta remains 4 ½ games out. Now it’s on to Toronto for three with the Blue Jays, then back home to welcome in the Phils for three next week. Atlanta needs to make a statement in the final two weeks before the All-Star break. Maybe today’s win is a start. We shall see.

On deck
Braves at Blue Jays
7:07 p.m. (what, 7:05 isn’t good enough north of the border?) Friday, Rogers Centre (gotta love that wacky Canadian spelling, eh?)

The Skinny: Jair Jurrjens (7-3, 3.20 ERA) might want to go back to the clubhouse steps at Wrigley Field, lean down and whisper “thank you.” The young right-hander was struggling with his control when he slipped on the steps June 9, injuring his left ankle and missing his scheduled start the next night. But since returning to the rotation, Jurrjens has shown the sharp location and sparkle that made him an early candidate for rookie of the year. In two starts since injuring the ankle, Jurrjens hasn’t allowed an earned run in 13 2/3 innings. For the Blue Jays, Dustin McGowan (6-5, 4.21 ERA) is on a roll, winning four of his past six starts with 32 strikeouts and just six walks in that span. At home, McGowan has posted a 1.73 ERA. He’s certainly familiar with the Braves; he was an outstanding prep prospect in Georgia during his high-school days, and is one of the better pitchers you probably don’t know a whole lot about. With Tim Hudson and Jo-Jo Reyes slated to pitch the other two games in this series, the Braves turn to Jurrjens to set the tone and build momentum through the weekend, with the division-leading Phillies coming to Turner Field for a critical three-game series starting Tuesday.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Brewers 4, Braves 3

Top of the Order: Three errors in the first inning dug the Braves a hole from which they nearly emerged, only to lose yet another one-run game and fall to 2-3 on the homestand.

The Good: The pitching was quite good, which makes the Braves’ pitiful display of defense all the more frustrating. Rookie Charlie Morton gave the Braves a very solid performance in his third major-league start: seven hits, four runs (only two earned), one walk and four strikeouts in six innings. Blaine Boyer and Manny Acosta, who have struggled in the late innings of close games, both made strides toward regaining their confidence. Acosta walked one but otherwise was perfect in his two innings. Boyer struck out one in one perfect inning. Mark Teixeira continued his good work at the plate with two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs, his 14th homer of the season in the bottom of the ninth pulling the Braves within a run. Chipper Jones didn’t start, but provided a pinch-hit single in the eighth, bumping his big-league leading average to .395. Jeff Francoeur did have two hits. Speaking of Frenchy …

The Bad: Defensively, the Braves played their worst game in recent memory, committing four errors in a game for the first time since June 2, 2004. Francoeur and Yunel Escobar combined to effectively allow the Brewers to play 9-on-7 in the first inning. Francoeur committed two errors in the frame; Escobar was charged with one. The gathering at Turner Field booed its displeasure, and rightly so. In fairness to Frenchy, Escobar should have handled a throw that Francoeur was charged an error on, but that’s the type of inning it was for those two on defense. Absolutely, totally horrible. Together, neither Frenchy nor Escobar looked like they belonged on a major-league field. And Escobar didn’t stay there long, getting ejected for slamming down his batting helmet in the fourth inning. With Chipper limited to pinch-hitting, Escobar getting tossed shortened the Braves’ short bench even more. Thanks, Yunel. Oh, and why is Corky Miller on the team again? With the Braves needing a pinch hitter and the Corkster being the only guy left, Miller and his .103 batting average popped up with runners on the corners to end the game. A fitting end on this night, for sure.

View from the Sports Garage: Right now, all 25 guys on the Braves’ active roster – and the 50 or so (just seems to be that many) on the disabled list – should sit down and write the baseball powers-that-be a letter of thanks. Because the Braves are in the National League East, their flickering hopes of playing meaningful baseball in August and September are alive. Every other team in the East stinks right now. The first-place Phillies have lost six in a row. The Marlins and Mets both have lost two straight. The Nationals are 3-7 in their last 10. But even for the Braves, who have produced their share of stinkers this season, Tuesday’s was tough to take. Nobody would’ve blamed Morton if he’d walked off the mound in the midst of that putrid display of defense in the first inning and sued Francoeur and Escobar for non support. I give the kid a ton of credit for settling down after the first couple of frames and pitching well. You can tell he has the stuff to win in the bigs. Escobar getting tossed is an unpardonable sin when you have no bench to speak of since either Omar Infante or Ruben Gotay has to start at third while Chipper’s quadriceps is healing. It forced the Braves to trot Miller to the plate with the game on the line. Yep, that’s who I want batting with the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth. Corky Miller! His pop-up sealed the Braves’ 20th one-run loss in 24 games this season. I don’t need to tell you if the Braves had won just HALF of the one-run games they have lost in 2008, they would lead the East by 5 ½ games, do I? The Braves have blown a big chance to pull closer to first place in the past week while Philly has hit the skids. But eventually the Phillies are going to start playing better again. And if the Braves continue the type of play we saw in the first inning Tuesday, we’ll all be looking ahead to college football season before you know it.

On deck
Braves vs. Brewers
1:05 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: Jorge Campillo (2-2, 2.54 ERA) has watched his ERA climb gradually since his first three starts of the season. Still, the right-hander hasn’t pitched poorly. He gave up eight hits and four runs while pitching into the seventh inning Friday against Seattle, a game the bullpen totally let get out of hand. His last victory came in Milwaukee on May 29, when he gave up one run in five innings (he also got his first major-league hit and RBI in that game). Jeff Suppan (4-5, 3.92 ERA) toes the slab for the Brew Crew, and he authored a stinker his last time out. The right-hander allowed seven hits and six runs on just 1 2/3 innings Friday against Baltimore. The Braves have to win today to salvage a .500 homestand. Not exactly what this team needed to do with the Mariners and Brewers, but a win today at least would give them a little momentum heading into the weekend series at Toronto.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Brewers 4, Braves 1

Top of the Order: The Braves were mowed down by Ben Sheets’ complete game, dropping the opener of a three-game set at Turner Field and falling 4 ½ games behind Philadelphia in the NL East.

The Good: The Braves’ bullpen fired 6 1/3 shutout innings against a team that has won eight of its past 11. Buddy Carlyle was most impressive, allowing just two hits in 4 1/3 innings with a walk and four strikeouts. Jeff Bennett gave up one hit in two innings. Royce Ring pitched 1/3 inning. Kelly Johnson was the only Atlanta hitter to hurt Sheets on this night, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Mark Kotsay begins a rehab assignment today for Double-A Mississippi and could be activated in time for next week’s big homestand against the Phillies. Yunel Escobar returned to the starting lineup after not starting the past two games with a hip flexor injury.

The Bad: As good as Sheets was, Jo-Jo Reyes was just as, shall we say, not good. The left-hander, who had been so impressive in his past five outings, gave up six hits and four runs in 2 1/3 innings, getting hurt time and time again with pitch location. Just not a good outing at all. And, getting four runs down to Sheets is paramount to falling six or seven behind some other pitchers. The Braves finished with just four hits. Sheets struck out seven in going the distance, earning his ninth career victory against Atlanta. Jeff Francoeur, fitted with a contact lens for his right eye before the game, went 0-for-3 as his average dropped to 243. Chipper Jones did not play with his injured quadriceps and the Braves indicated Hoss may not play until this weekend in Toronto. Chipper still leads the majors with a .393 batting average.

View from the Sports Garage: On a night where the Braves faced Sheets, arguably the toughest pitcher for Atlanta to beat, Reyes couldn’t spot his fastball effectively enough to work ahead in the count. The result: the Braves fell behind early and that was nighty-nite time with Sheets on the bump. Dude simply blew the Braves away with that devastating curve of his; Atlanta didn’t have a chance. Sheets just owns this team, and he owned them again last night. So, the best the Braves can do on this homestand is 4-2. I think most of us hoped for 5-1 given the fact three came against Seattle, the worst team in baseball. Milwaukee is hot as fire right now. They were my pick in the NL Central this season and they’re finally rounding into form. With that said, the Braves can ill-afford to lose any more ground between now and next week’s three-game series with the Phils at Turner Field next week.

On deck
Braves vs. Brewers
7:05 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: Charlie Morton (1-0, 4.91 ERA) makes his first start at Turner Field, and the right-hander hopes for better results than the last time out. Following up his impressive victory over the Angels in his major-league debut, Morton wasn’t bad against the Rangers on Thursday. But he clearly ran out of gas after five innings, allowing the first two runners to reach before Jeff Ridgway gave up a homer that put Texas in front. Still, Morton didn’t pitch bad in that outing, even if his location wasn’t as sharp as it was in his first outing. For the Brewers, Dave Bush (3-7, 5.26 ERA) grabbed lots of attention Thursday by carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Blue Jays, finishing with a two-hitter through eight innings. Speaking of the Blue Jays, the Braves really need to win the final two games on this homestand before heading north of the border for a weekend gathering in Toronto.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 8, Mariners 3

Top of the Order: Mark Teixeira blasted three home runs and Tim Hudson notched his first interleague victory as a Brave, Atlanta taking the rubber game of a three-game series and moving within four games of first place in the NL East.

The Good: Teixeira, who came in with just 10 homers on the season, launched bombs in the second, fourth and seventh innings, the second three-homer game of his career as he finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBIs. He had plenty of company in the hit parade on a day where the Braves bashed Seattle pitching for 14 hits. Gregor Blanco, Brian McCann and Greg Norton each had two hits. McCann scored twice. Ruben Gotay, starting at third base again, drove in two runs and walked once. Just one run would’ve been enough for Hudson, who bounced back from his last start in Texas with a very good performance. He did walk four, but Timmy gave up just four hits in seven shutout innings. How good was Huddy? How about 15 ground-ball outs compared to just four in the air. When you see numbers like that from Timmy, you know he’s getting the movement he wants. Will Ohman rebounded from a really bad outing Friday night with a scoreless, hitless inning, striking out one.

The Bad: Both Chipper Jones (quadriceps) and Yunel Escobar (hip flexor) sat out. Gotay made an error at third for the second game in a row. Mike Gonzalez, pitching for the second time since coming off the disabled list, got hit around in the ninth: three hits, two earned runs. Good for it to come with an eight-run lead, though. Had to complain about anything else, really … we ripped this team apart Friday night, and deservedly so. Much better effort the past two days. Gives one hope there may be meaningful baseball after the All-Star break.

View from the Sports Garage: Good morning. Do you know where your baseball team is in the standings? Well, if you don’t, I’ll save you the trouble: this crazy team has played its way to within four games of first place. This team that is 4-19 in one-run games, 1-7 in extra-inning contests, is 16 games under .500 on the road and has pushed its fan base to the brink of swearing off this madness forever, sits just four games behind Philadelphia in the NL East. True, the Braves are in fourth place, but as we’ve said time after time after time this season, with everything that’s happened, there is no way this team should be this close to a playoff spot. And it’s about time we saw some power from Teixeira. Yeah, I know all of you Tex Apologists scream until you’re blue in the face that he starts slow, blah, blah blah … but it’s late June. Time for the cleanup hitter to start hitting like a cleanup hitter, instead of hitting like he’s counting down the days to free agency. I’ve grown tired of those who are making the excuses for Tex, the “he’ll heat up in the second half” argument. He better get hot and stay hot if this team is serious about contending – and you have to say a team that’s four games out of first in late June is in the race, right? If Tex gets hot and slams the ball all over the place like he did after being traded to the Braves from Texas last season, look out. He can carry a team for weeks at a time. If this is the start of one of those stretches for Tex, the Braves won’t be four games back for long. For now, I still hold my breath on Tex, and this team. Milwaukee comes in having won seven of its last 10 and 15 of 22. Ned Yost’s Brewers will be a much stronger test than the Mariners. Braves really need to win at least two before hitting the road for slumping Toronto this weekend.

On deck
Braves vs. Brewers
7:05 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: Jo-Jo Reyes (3-4, 4.05 ERA) faces the team where his season – and maybe when all is said and done somewhere down the line, his career – turned. Facing Milwaukee on May 28, Reyes showed the dominant form Braves’ management has expected from the 23-year-old lefty, going seven innings and allowing just two hits while striking out nine. Starting with that outing, Reyes has given up just 11 earned runs in 35 1/3 innings, walking 12 and striking out 29. His ERA has dropped from 5.84 to 4.05 in that stretch. For the Brew Crew, ace Ben Sheets (8-1, 2.74 ERA) climbs the bump. The Braves missed Sheets on their late-May swing through Beer City. No such luck this time. Sheets held Toronto to two runs over six innings in his last start. Sheets is on a four-game winning streak and lifetime is 8-3 against the Braves with two complete games. Yikes!

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Braves 5, Mariners 4

Top of the Order: Down a run entering the bottom of the ninth and staring at another frustrating loss to the worst team in baseball, the Braves pulled themselves off the deck and won a one-run game for just the fourth time in 23 tries this season.

The Good: Greg Norton, playing against the team that released him in late April, extracted some sweet revenge with a two-hit game, none bigger than the double to right-center that scored Kelly Johnson to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Brian McCann also finished with two hits, his broken-bat blooper over second with the bases loaded in the ninth scoring Norton to win it. Batting leadoff and playing shortstop for the injured Yunel Escobar, Omar Infante continued his good work at the plate, going 3-for-5 and moving to 5-for-8 in the series. Ruben Gotay, starting for Chipper Jones at third, hit his first homer as a Brave to start the comeback in the eighth. Speaking of Chipper, (who didn’t start after aggravating his quadriceps Friday), he came off the bench with a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth, pulling the Braves within 4-3 and raising his major-league leading average to .393. Jair Jurrjens, let down by his defense in the first inning, responded with a solid outing. The righty allowed just three hits and no earned runs with two walks and four strikeouts in six innings. Blaine Boyer pitched a perfect ninth inning. Mike Hampton pitched without pain in the Gulf Coast League as his latest minor-league rehab assignment begins. Jeff Ridgway is where he belongs … back at Richmond, as the Braves called up Brent Lillibridge to give them a backup infielder with Jones and Escobar hurting.

The Bad: Another bad night by the defense, and it put Jurrjens and the Braves in a 3-0 hole. Infante committed two errors (both in the first inning, leading to three unearned runs) and Gotay added a miscue. For some reason, Bobby Cox doesn’t realize two-inning outings for Manny Acosta just don’t work. Acosta gave up a run and walked two in two innings, that run coming in Acosta’s second inning of work and meaning the Braves entered the bottom of the ninth trailing by one instead of being tied. Escobar didn’t start after injuring his hip flexor Friday night. He did pinch hit, grounding out in the sixth.

View from the Sports Garage: One night after being embarrassed at home, it looked like another hide-your-eyes performance was unfolding before us. But that’s before the Braves gathered themselves in the late innings and avoided what simply would have been another unacceptable loss. I’m not even going to go into the thought process of maybe this is where the Braves finally turn things around on this 2008 season. Instead, I’m going to view it for exactly what it is: a good victory. Nothing more. Nothing less. Down 3-0 after allowing three unearned runs, Jurrjens showed that maturity we’ve raved about all season long, not letting his lack of defense or the early deficit bother him. He pitched great, and the Braves chipped away, coming through with some clutch hitting in the late innings. Chipper gave them a boost coming off the bench, and you know Norton had to be happy to tie the game against his former mates. All in all, a good victory, one that helps to wash away the stench of Friday’s horrid showing. Gotta win today, though, and take care of the Brewers first of the week. The Phillies lost again, so the Braves are (stop me if you’ve heard this before), for all their problems, just five games out of the top spot in the NL East.

On deck
Braves vs. Mariners
1:35 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: If baseball ever gets rid of interleague play, Tim Hudson (7-5, 3.17 ERA) probably will pop a bottle of champagne. Huddy absolutely stinks when the American League and National League get together, posting a career record of 0-10 with a 7.82 ERA with the Braves in interleague games. Yikes! Huddy didn’t have it Tuesday at Texas, allowing six runs and not making it through the fifth inning. For the Mariners, right-hander Carlos Silva (3-8, 5.79 ERA) pitched 4 2/3 innings his last time out against the Marlins, before being ejected for arguing. He is riding an eight-game losing streak, after starting the season 3-0.

—30—

By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com

Mariners 10, Braves 2

Top of the Order: Playing the team with the worst record in the majors, it was the Braves who were awful, giving up 15 hits and seeing two starters injured in a disastrous start to a six-game homestand at Turner Field.

The Good: Mark Kotsay, out since late May with back problems, swung the bat in the hitting cage before Friday’s game and said he’s hoping to return in a week. That’d be great; this team needs him. Starting at second base and later moving to third, Ruben Gotay had two hits in four at-bats. Omar Infante continued his good work at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Kelly Johnson came off the bench with a hit in his only at-bat. The Braves did turn three double plays … you see where this is going. There be not much good from this horrid showing. So, onto …

The Bad: Where to begin? First, the injuries. Chipper Jones aggravated his quadriceps muscle scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning (a run which actually gave the Braves a 1-0 lead). Hoss, who went 0-for-2 and saw his major-league average drop to .390, likely will miss the remainder of the series. Yunel Escobar scored in the eighth inning, but strained his hip flexor sliding into home plate. He’s day-to-day. You get the idea: The Braves scored two runs on this night, and lost starters on both plays. Fantastic. Now, the bullpen. Absolutely brutal. Jorge Campillo didn’t pitch bad (eight hits, four runs in 6 1/3 innings), but was left in too long and ran out of gas. Jeff Bennett came on and allowed two inherited runners to score. Will Ohman, who’s been great all season, finally fell off the tracks: three hits, five runs, two walks in 2/3 of an inning. Braves’ pitchers allowed 15 hits in the game, including eight doubles. Braves hitters got just seven knocks. Defensively, Infante had an error, Gregor Blanco took way too long to return the ball to the infield on a couple of balls that went for doubles, and Jeff Francoeur let a ball fly past his glove.

View from the Sports Garage: Simply put, this was the absolute worst effort of the season. A totally listless effort from a team that gave its fan base reason to believe by winning four of the final seven on that long road trip. Hey guys, I’d rather you had gone 1-9 on the roadie than come home making us think you had a chance to climb back into this thing, then subject the 40,268 in attendance and the rest of us watching on TV to a performance like last night’s. Inexcusable. Bad defense. Sorry hitting. Bad managerial decisions. Crappy bullpen work. That’s not the way to get back into the race, especially against the WORST TEAM in baseball. On a night where the Phillies lost and the Braves had a chance to get within five games of first place, Atlanta looked like a squad counting down toward the start of football season. (Come to think of it, so am I … Go Dawgs!). It’s one thing if the Braves play well and lose. That happens. But to play like they did and get bashed around your home ballpark like you’re a Double-A team, that’s inexcusable. And, in case you’ve forgotten, the aura of dominance at Turner Field is as finished as yesterday’s lunch. The Braves have lost five of their past six at 755 Hank Aaron Boulevard. But it doesn’t matter where they play. When the Braves play like they did Friday, they’re not beating anybody.

On deck
Braves vs. Mariners
7:05 p.m. today, Turner Field

The Skinny: Jair Jurrjens (7-3, 3.43 ERA) dominated the Rockies in his last start Monday, hurling 7 2/3 innings of shutout ball at Coors Field and displaying excellent control. The Braves really need that type of shut-down performance tonight against the Mariners. Maybe missing that start in Chicago with the twisted ankle was what the young right-hander needed, as Jurrjens pitched as well against Colorado as he has against anybody all season. For the Mariners, Jarrod Washburn (2-7, 5.83 ERA) is on a roll, even if his June numbers don’t show it: 0-1, but a solid 3.63 ERA this month. The lefthander has pitched well in his past four outings, giving up two runs in six innings Sunday against Washington.

—30—