| Brian Reynolds. 10th August, 2009 - 3:27 pm
 As the Braves head back home from a 7-game trip out west, they will eye a very important series with the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies, whom they have already beaten seven out of nine times this season.
On Friday, the Phillies will come to Turner Field for three games in hopes to add to their lead in the NL East – which as of Monday stands four games ahead of the Florida Marlins and 4.5 games over the Braves.
The Braves will try to tighten the gap one more notch.
It was just three days ago when the Phillies all but had the division wrapped up. But after Atlanta took three out of four in Los Angeles and the Phillies were swept at home by Florida, the division is now there for the taking.
“It was a great win,” said Javier Vazquez after Atlanta beat the Dodgers 8-2 on Sunday afternoon. “We’re playing great baseball right now. We took a frustrating loss in that first game, but to come back against probably the best team in the National League right now and beat them three times is a great feeling for us.”
Vazquez is referring to Andre Ethier’s three-run walk off home run on Thursday night, which gave the Dodgers a 5-4 victory. Just 10 days earlier, the Braves lost in similar fashion when Ross Gload hit a two-run shot off of Rafael Soriano to give the Marlins a 4-3 win.
Two gut-wrenching losses in such a short span for a team that needs every single win might prove to be fatal for most teams. But the Braves have responded and now have a great opportunity to make some serious noise in the division.
Here’s a look at the series matchup that awaits Atlanta this weekend. With Pedro Martinez waiting in the wings, keep in mind that Charlie Manuel could shuffle his pitching staff. However, as of now, the matchups are as follows:
Friday, August 14, 7:30 PM. Cole Hamels (7-7, 4.77) Vs. Jair Jurrjens (9-8, 3.01):
These two faced each other in Atlanta back on July 1st and it wasn’t pretty for Hamels. Cole didn’t make it out of the fifth, giving up nine hits and seven earned runs. Jurrjens, meanwhile, took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning as the Braves won easily, 11-1.
Saturday, August 15, 4:00 PM (FOX). Jamie Moyer (10-9, 5.47) Vs. Kenshin Kawakami (5-9, 4.12):
Moyer’s start is in jeopardy here as the Phillies may turn to Pedro Martinez instead. Manuel has previously stated that he will not take Moyer out of the rotation, but with his recent struggles and one too many starting pitchers, it’s not that far-fetched of an idea. Kawakami is coming off a seven-inning, four-hit gem in which he allowed zero runs in a 2-1 victory in Los Angeles. Kawakami also won his only start against Philadelphia this season back on May 10th, when he went six innings, allowing just two runs.
Sunday, August 16, 8:00 PM (ESPN). J.A. Happ (8-2, 2.74) Vs. Javier Vazquez (10-7, 2.90):
It really doesn’t get any better than this. J.A. Happ, coming off a complete game shutout against Colorado will face off against Javier Vazquez, the Braves most consistent starter. Vazquez has won five straight decisions, including an 8-2 win over the Dodgers on Sunday when he went eight innings and allowed one run on five hits. This game could be a statement game for Atlanta, especially if they win the first two.
Before this highly anticipated series, the Braves will entertain the red-hot Nationals for two at Turner Field. The Nationals have won eight straight games and four of their past six against Atlanta.
The Phillies will visit Wrigley for three against the Cubs.
Depending on how these series go, the Braves may be well with-in striking distance when the weekend comes. So don’t count out Atlanta or Florida. They are in it more than you think.
After all, it’s not too crazy to think a heavy NL East favorite could choke away the division. Is it?
--Brian Reynolds is a contributing writer for RealGM and a recent graduate of Emory University. He can be reached at Brian.Matthew.Reynolds@gmail.com |
