Braves have 6-1 week, move closer to Mets

September 7, 2009


Good pitching beats good hitting..and vice versa...
(Casey Stengall)

The Braves, who lead the National League in batting average and run production , did not have a great offensive week. But, they did get some clutch hitting and great pitching to sweep the Marlins in Florida and win 2 0f 3 from the Reds at home. The Braves move to 4.5 games behind the first place Mets with twenty five left to play.

The Braves pitching staff had a 2.25 ERA from August 31-September 6 to give the Atlanta hitters a chance to win each game. In the Florida series the Braves picked up three of their four wins in extra innings. In the 10th inning of Monday's game Nate McLouth drove in Jordan Schafer (pictured above), who had doubled to lift the Braves to a 5-4 win. Tuesday Josh Phelps delivered a homerun in the top of the 10th to take another 5-4 win from the Marlins. After winning 8-2 on Wednesday, the Braves took the series finale 2-1, as Brandon Jones, with a 10th inning single, knocked in Chipper Jones.

At home against Cincinnatti, neither team hit a single home run in the series. The Reds won the first game 4-3. The Braves followed with 6-2 and 6-0 victories behind gritty outings by Tim Hudson (8.1 IP, 9 hts, 2 ER, 1K, and 0 BB) and Derek Lowe (7 IP, 5 hts, 0 ER, 6 K, 1BB).

Schafer was the only hitter to really have a stellar week at the plate as he slammed a double, a triple, a homer with six RBIs and a .444 BA.

Next the Braves go on the road to Houston and St Louis for a couple of three game sets before coming home on the 15th to face the Mets and the Phillies. The Braves trail the surging Astros in the wild card race by 5.5 games, a game more than they trail the division leading Mets. As Braves manager Bobby Cox said, "They are all important this time of year, but none more so than the games against the ones you're trailing. We're going to see some great baseball over the next few weeks. Houston is hot, the Mets are hungry to win, St. Louis and Philadelphia would love to be the spoilers. Same is true for the others we face as well."

"We've got to be ready to play every day, " added Cox. "We're where to want to be in September... we got a shot at the playoffs. I believe the guys are ready."