Braves Notes

Last Sunday, the Atlanta Braves beat the Chicago Cubs by the score of 13-12. In this game, Atlanta broke a club record for home runs in a game (1967), by hitting eight against the Cubbies. Six separate Braves connected for the long ball: Andruw Jones, Ryan Langerhans, Adam LaRoche hit two, Marcus Giles, Brayan Pena, and Edgar Renteria hit two. That completed the three game sweep of the Braves over the Cubs. In the series, Atlanta just found a way to one-up Chicago, winning the three games by a combined three runs.

Middle reliever Oscar Villareal may have very average numbers this year, as his E.R.A. exceeds 4.00, but his record wouldn't be indicative of these numbers. He's 7-0 and has posted more wins than any other Braves pitchers, including starters. He just seems to be at the right place at the right time.

Closer Chris Reitsma blew another save opportunity last Sunday against Chicago. His E.R.A. is nearly 7.00 overall and is over 9.00 on the road. Kenny Ray has been successful on his two save opportunities, which both occurred during the Chicago series and makes one wonder if Bobby Cox is starting to change his mind regarding the closer situation.

The Braves seem to struggle against the N.L. West. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks (both from the N.L. West) have posted winning records at Turner Field in the past few years. After the Braves swept the Cubs in Wrigley, they came back home to face both the Dodgers and the D-Backs. The Braves had to win the final game of a three game series against L.A. to avoid a sweep and have to win tomorrow's game against Arizona to avoid a four-game series sweep. Whether it be home or away, Atlanta struggles against the West. Bring on the East and the Central!