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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > April > 02
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Braves’ only weakness is their bullpen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Francoeur told me something funny before the Braves’ home opener on Monday night at Turner Field. He said the previous night, when they lost their season opener at Washington on a Ryan Zimmerman home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, a Washington-area reporter asked Francoeur, “So do you still like your chances of winning the division?”
Francoeur laughed. Not only when he told me the story, but also after the reporter asked him the question.
Now the Braves are 0-2 courtesy of Monday night’s bullpen-induced meltdown against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In a flash, the Braves went from a 4-2 lead after five innings to a 9-4 deficit to a 9-9 tie after rallying in the bottom of the ninth to a 12-11 loss in the 12th.
Here’s my question to me: Do I still like the Braves’ chances of winning the division?
Yes. Definitely, yes.
Despite those ugly defeats, the Braves already have flashed signs of a glaring positive: Starting pitching. Both Tim Hudson and Tom Glavine did their jobs, and now we’ll see tonight at Turner against the Pirates if rookie Jair Jurrjens looks as good as he did in spring training.
Next the Braves will start the rejuvenated Mike Hampton, suggesting that he’ll stay injury-free for a change. The Braves also will have the return of John Smoltz over the weekend after his brief trip to the disabled list for a sore shoulder.
Neither the New York Mets (Pedro Martinez is displaying more and more physical cracks) nor the Philadelphia Phillies (Jamie Moyer is how old?) can top the potential goodness of the Braves’ starting rotation.
It’s just that the Braves have these bullpen issues, at least for the moment.
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