Two big downfalls for the Atlanta Braves in 2017

Consistency is key in all areas

Throughout the Major League Baseball season, teams have to remain consistent to be playing good baseball.  Yes, there are going to be ups and downs in a season, as evident of how the Los Angeles Dodgers have been playing lately — yet they are still forty-two games above .500 and look to clinch not only the National League West, but also clinch home-field advantage in the postseason.

However, the ups in a season have to outweigh the downs, which is the case for the Dodgers and that is why they are so strong this year.  Unfortunately, the Atlanta Braves have not seen a season in which they have played consistent baseball.

In 2017, the Braves have had streaks, just not the right kind of streaks.  They have had pretty significant losing streaks, three that is, of six games in a row.

That is eighteen games right there that go in the “L” column.  Now if you look at the Braves winning streaks in 2017, they have had a few here and there, but the longest winning streak is five for the Braves, which happened way back in April at the beginning of the year.

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Take the longest losing and longest winning streak for the Braves and by doing the math, that is a difference of thirteen, which those thirteen games are losses.

How many games are the Braves under .500 right now?  Thirteen.

Pitching

To be able to remain in games, teams need to also have a core pitching rotation.  The Braves have lacked a solid starting rotation in 2017.

Of the starting pitchers who have started at least ten games for the Braves, none of these pitchers have a winning record.

The best is R.A. Dickey and Julio Teheran, each with a .500 record and isn’t saying a whole lot.

Also, the Braves do not have a starting pitcher who has started at least ten games in 2017 with an ERA under 4.00.  The best, R.A. Dickey again with a 4.28 ERA.

Who would have thought that going into the season, a forty-two year old pitcher would be your most reliable man in the rotation?

Next: Chop, box score, AJ Minter proving himself worthy

Pitching and winning and losing streaks have been the downfall for the Braves this year.  The good part, they are both fixable and will be fixed.