Braves could finish last in East

What once seemed nearly inconceivable was no longer: The Braves (60-80 before Thursday) could finish below Washington. With 22 games left to play, the Nationals were six games behind the Braves before opening a four-game series Thursday at Turner Field. The Nationals came in with a five-game winning streak against the Braves and 10-4 record against them this season.

“We can’t beat the Phillies [the Braves are 2-10 against Philadelphia] or the Nationals,” Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said, then smiled. “Anybody with red, we can’t beat.”

He hasn’t seemed overly concerned about the batting race with hot-hitting Albert Pujols of the Cardinals. But what about helping the Braves avoid the ignominy of a possible last-place finish in the NL East?

Asked if that was something that could motivate the team, a matter of pride, Jones said, “Yeah. But we’re trying as hard as we can. Guys are out there playing as hard as they can. We’re not giving up.”

Before Thursday, the Braves were 5-18 with a 6.98 ERA since Aug. 10. They scored three runs or fewer in 14 of those 23 games, and had also gone without a home run in 14 of 23 games.

Jones was asked if the Braves could avoid, say, 95 losses. He raised an eyebrow.

“I’m counting down to 63 [wins],” he said, referring to the number of wins it would take for the Braves to avoid losing 100 games in the 162-game season.

Kotchman in lineup

Casey Kotchman was back in the lineup Thursday, the same day his mother was released from the hospital.

Kotchman rejoined the Braves on Monday after spending two weeks at the bedside of his 55-year-old mother, Sarah, who was in an intensive-care unit in St. Petersburg, Fla., with bleeding on the brain. Tests are still being done to determine what caused the condition.

Kotchman pinch-hit Tuesday in Florida, his first game since Aug. 19 at New York. He left the team after getting a call in New York following that game, notifying him of his mother’s illness.

“It’s been tough on him,” manager Bobby Cox said. “She got to go home today. I think it was a relief for him. I asked him today if he was ready [to start]. I’m anxious to get him going. It’s his job, now he can get back in there and get going.”

He came from the Los Angeles Angels in a July 29 trade for first baseman Mark Teixeira. Kotchman hit .319 with four homers and 10 RBIs in his past 11 games for the Angels, but was just 11-for-71 (.155) with three extra-base hits, no homers and five RBIs in 21 games for the Braves before Thursday.

Reyes bumped to Sunday

Braves starting pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes was bumped from Thursday to Sunday after spending the past two days with his wife, Jamie, for the birth of their first child. Rookie James Parr replaced Reyes for the series opener against the Nationals.

Reyes was told of the change Wednesday, but the Braves didn’t announce the change until Thursday.

Reyes was given permission to leave the team in Florida so he could return to Atlanta for the birth of Payton Brooklyn Reyes, a 7-pound, 6-ounce girl. Mom and daughter were doing well Thursday, Reyes said.