The Braves Should be Embarrassed
By raykelsey
I made the argument last week that in order for the Braves to contend again, they had to keep pitching, play Prado, and stay poised. They managed to do 2 of 3. So they lost 2 of 3 to the pitiful Nationals, who consist of Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman, and a bunch of K-Mart clerks.
Tommy Hanson pitched his best game yet on saturday, breezing along into the 8th inning with a three run lead, when he handed the reins over to the bullpen, who in turn handed the game to the Nats. The demoralizing spilled into the next day, when–Martin Prado notwithstanding–the Braves looked like the walking wounded. That’s not poise. That’s predictable. Pathetic.
We all remember what happened in game 4 of the 1996 World Series against an inferior Yankees sqaud, when the Braves, up 2 games to 1, leading 6-0 in the 6th, simply unraveled. They lost the game, the series, and the ability to stake their claim as THE team of the 90’s. Some would argue they’ve never been the same since. Fast forward to 2008, when, during a nip and tuck division race against the Phillies, Kelly Johnson dropped what would have been a game ending Victorino pop up. The Braves lost in extra innnings, and never made any serious threat to win the division again. One single play, a tiny grain of sand in an hour glass, essentially flushed the entire season down the toilet. The Braves have habitually lacked resillience in the wake of missteps, a necessary ability to endure the setbacks that are endemic of championship caliber teams. A wasted opportunity to put away the second game of the Nationals series became a sulking session in game 3.
The ghosts of chances past, Denny Neagle, Charlie Liebrandt, are long gone, but the cloud of anxiety seems to persist. The Braves are still only 3 games back. Losing to the Nationals should in no way effect the morale during the Cubs series. It shouldn’t…