Braves begin last 10-game trip of season

The Braves began a three-city trip Friday that should fairly gauge where the team stands entering July.

Three games in Washington, four in Chicago and three in New York comprise the team’s final 10-game trip of the season. The Braves were 6-4 on their other three-city trip, which included Miami, Los Angeles and Arizona.

Coming off an 8-2 homestand, the Braves entered play Friday up four games on the Phillies in the National League East. The Nationals, playing better of late, are at 36-38 and trying to climb back into the mix.

Another 6-4 trip would give the Braves a 50-35 record going into July, well-positioning them for their final six games before the All-Star break. Even a modest 5-5 could be considered a win given the schedule (because of an improved Washington and the challenge that is defeating the Cubs in Chicago).

Consider this: After the Braves finish this road slate, they have only two-city treks remaining outside a makeup game in Denver on Aug. 26, admittedly a pain, since it’s sandwiched between New York and Toronto.

But of their final six road trips, two are Washington-Philadelphia (an easy task, travel-wise). They open post-break in San Diego for three before traveling to Milwaukee. They also have a Minnesota-Miami trek before ending the regular season at Kansas City and New York.

It remains significant, however, that the Braves will knock out their final West Coast trip immediately after the break, and they won’t have any lengthy travels remaining (again, sans the awkward one-day drop in Colorado).

Half their home slate is yet to come (41 games), and their once-pedestrian results at SunTrust Park have transformed into a 24-17 mark with a revitalized homefield advantage.

In other words, if the Braves hold serve for the next 10 days, they’ve favorably positioned to make another postseason run. That they’ve already built a four-game cushion – with plenty of games against the Phillies remaining – only helps.

And it starts with Dallas Keuchel, the team’s mid-season acquisition who makes his debut Friday night.