So here we are smack dab in the middle of June, and the Atlanta Braves are making the American League their bleep. The Braves have played series against some of the AL’s best including the Rays, and Twins and took 2 of 3 from both. In fact Atlanta has posted an inter-league best 7-2 record with 3 games series with the White Sox, and Tigers still to come.

ESPN’s latest power rankings have Atlanta ranked 4th in Major League baseball only behind the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays. Although being ranked 4th is pretty legitimate I am not quite satisfied with that placement. I think out of those top 4 teams Atlanta has the easiest road ahead. The Yankees, Sox, and Ray’s will be forced to beat up on each other for the remainder of the season due to being jammed in baseballs best division the AL East. The Braves road may be a little easier, but it is no walk in the park by any means.

Atlanta leads the NL East over New York by only 2.5 games. There is no question about it the Met’s are just as hot as Atlanta right now. Competition is what makes America great, and judging by the amount of competition in the NL, and AL East it proves to be even more true. As much as these teams beat up on each other in there divisional games they become better teams because of it.

There has been some speculation of Chipper Jones retiring, but he laid that to rest until after the season. Jones is only hitting .250 with 4 home runs, but doesn’t want his 1st place Braves to have any kind of distraction. How perfect of an ending to an already stellar career would it be for Chipper Jones, and Bobby Cox to go out on top?

Atlanta’s offense has been in large part to Martin Prado who is hitting .339 which leads all National League 2nd basemen. Prado has come out of no where and has taken up a much needed leadership role. Troy Glaus is back to his old ways with 14 jacks, and 55 RBI’s. Both Derek Lowe, and Tim Hudson are on pace for 20 win seasons with Tommy Hanson not far behind. The trio is starting to remind me of the Maddux, Glavin, Smoltz days.

Atlanta looks to continue their dominance over the American League tonight at US Cellular field against the Chicago White Sox. The game begins tonight at8:35pm et with Tommy Hanson (7-3) taking the bump for the Braves.

The Atlanta Braves now own not only the best record in the NL East, but the entire National League at 37-27. It is still relatively early in the season, but Braves fans should be ecstatic, I know I am. Atlanta’s pitching has truly been the backbone of their team thus far. Listen, with all the hype pitchers like Halladay, Jimenez, Strasburg, Lincecum etc get (rightfully so), the Braves staff is as consistent as it gets. Just taking a quick look at the Braves box scores for the past 2 months can paint a pretty big picture for the teams success. Rarely do you see an opposing team put up more than 3 runs against this top to bottom staff.

I think it is about time I gave some props to not only Atlanta’s starting pitchers, but there dynamite bullpen. Peter Moylan has been a mainstay posting a (3-1) record and a 3.51 era. The sub marine chucker from the land down under (Australia) has proven to make big pitches in big situations on a regular basis. Kris Medlen (4-1) 3.23 era has done a little bit of everything for Atlanta this season. The 24 year old right hander has thrown 61.1 innings this year from both the bullpen, and as a starter due to the injury to Jair Jurrgens. His 4:1 strikeout to walk ratio is absolutely brillant, and he is only getting better. Eric O’Flaherty has been a left handed mastermind coming out of the pen this season by posting a (2-1) record with a staggering 2.10 era. This guy punches out left handed hitting like it’s his job….Oh wait it is!  O’Flaherty is designed specifically to get Ryan Howard down the stretch of the season. I will admit I may have been wrong about Billy Wagner from the get go. Wagner is currently relaxing at 4-0 with a team low era of 1.42. Billy is still pumping some of the nastiest pitches I have seen from any closer in a long time. He is consistently blowing up radar guns around the league at a whopping 98 mph. Wagner has 11 saves in 13 opportunites.

The start of inter-league play has been kind to Atlanta so far by taking 2 of 3 from the Minnesota Twins. There biggest challenge awaits on Tuesday against the red hot, first place, Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 doesn’t look too promising for Atlanta as Kenshin Kawakami takes the mound with a record of (0-8) against former number 1 pick David Price  (9-2) 2.23 era. Home field might give Atlanta the boost they need to prove to the rest of baseball that they truly belong.

It is now June 7th, and the NL East is proving to be built for not just the moment, but the long haul. Atlanta, Philadelphia, Florida, New York, and yes even Washington are making the case for Major League Baseballs most competitive division.

Think about it, Atlanta has resurrected with the emergence of rookie sensation Jason Heyward, and possible comeback player of the year in Tim Hudson. Heyward is the most hyped up position player since Alex Rodriguez, and has lived up to every breath of it. Jason is hitting .272, 10 jacks, and 39 RBI’s. The most impressive statistic however is this kids on base percentage of .400. The patience, and maturity this rookie brings to the game of baseball is unmatched around the bigs. If it wasn’t for the out of this world performances by Ubaldo Jimenez, and Roy Halladay then Tim Hudson would be in everyone’s Cy Young talks. Hudson is currently sitting at 6-1 with a 2.44 era, after coming back from the dreaded Tommy John surgery.

Philadelphia has proved to be the recent class of the NL with multiple World Series appearances. The recent addition of future 1st ballot hall of famer Roy Halladay assures an already dominant Phillies team an automatic win every 5th game. Offensive fire works from 1st baseman Ryan Howard strikes fear in the eyes of every major league pitcher. On paper Philly is the cream of the crop in the National League. Luckily for the rest of the teams in the division, baseball comes down to execution, and not reputation alone.

I think that Florida, and not Philadelphia is the biggest dark horse in the NL-East. Marlins short stop Hanely Ramirez is the best all around player in baseball. The Marlins are totally built for the future with all of the young talent surrounding the organization. Florida’s pitching staff as a whole is loaded with more talent than the rest of the division. Is it Florida’s time? I’m going to say no, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they were in the wild card running until the very end of the season.

I don’t know really what to think about the New York Mets. The inconsistency they show on a day to day basis completely baffles me. One week they look like the best team in baseball, and the next they are all injured, and losing game after game. The Met’s get the least out of the most all around talent in the league. What scares me about the Met’s is them getting healthy, and living up to their expectations. Staying healthy is a big if.

The Nationals are not contenders right now, but you better believe that when rookie sensation Stephen Strasburgh gets to town tomorrow that the atmosphere is going to change. This kid is the best pitcher to enter the league maybe ever. That is a bold statement, but I am going to stick by it until proven otherwise. With the #1 pick in the 2010 MLB draft the Washington is also expected to take Bryce Harper. Like Jason Heyward, Bryce Harper is expected to make his impact known sooner rather than later.

Okay so I made my case for the NL Beast, and showed a little biased towards Atlanta of course. The Braves are built to win this year, and have proved it thus far by leading the division by 2 games. Atlanta’s lineup 1-9, starting pitching, and bullpen may be the perfect remedy for a World Series appearance in 2010.

As winners of their last 5 games, Atlanta starts Memorial day only a half game back of Philadelphia in the NL East. Coincidentally the Braves and Phillies start a 3 game series today at 1:05pm et at Turner Field. This series is going to separate the men from the boys, and I fully expect Atlanta to live up to the recent hype. Both teams are actually very similar from top to bottom, but Atlanta has an advantage in 7 different positions.

Philadelphia @ Atlanta

Game #1:  Tommy Hanson (4-3) 4.06 era VS Joe Blanton (1-3) 5.63 era

Game #2: Tim Hudson (5-1) 2.24 era VS Cole Hamels (5-3) 3.82 era

Game #3: Derek Lowe (7-4) 4.86 era VS Kyle Kendrick (3-2) 5.04 era

Advantage: Atlanta

1B: Troy Glaus (.269 7 HR 34 RBI) VS Ryan Howard (.288 8 HR 33 RBI)

Advantage: Philadelphia

2B: Martin Prado (.325 4 HR 26 RBI) VS Chase Utely ( .277 10 HR 24 RBI)

Advantage: Philadelphia

3B: Chipper Jones (.243 2 HR 19 RBI) VS Greg Dobbs (.133 1 HR 5 RBI)

Advantage: Atlanta

SS: Yunel Escobar (.203 0 HR 10 RBI) VS Wilson Valdez (.250 0 HR 5 RBI)

Advantage: Push

C: Brian McCann (.263 5 HR 18 RBI) VS Carlos Ruiz (.298 2HR 11 RBI)

Advantage: Atlanta

LF: Eric Hinske (.329 4 HR 20 RBI) VS Raul Ibanez (.245 3 HR 21 RBI)

Advantage: Push

CF: Nate McLouth (.184 3 HR 13 RBI) VS Shane Victorino (.262 8 HR 33 RBI)

Advantage: Philadelphia

RF: Jason Heyward (.301 10 HR 38 RBI) VS Ross Gload (.242 2 HR 7 RBI)

Advantage: Atlanta

Atlanta 7 Philadelphia 3- Advantage: Atlanta

I can’t tell you how excited I am to watch this series. The Phillies and Braves are both the class act of the National League. People forget about the 14 straight division titles Atlanta posted under manager Bobby Cox. The boys in blue  are back, and back in the mix as a serious contender. The combination of seasoned veterans such as Tim Hudson and Chipper Jones, and young superstars like Jason Heyward, and Martin Prado, could be the right remedy for another NL East crown. I expect Atlanta to make a huge statement this week by taking at least 2 out of 3 from Philly, but a sweep wouldn’t shock me.

To start things off I would just like to say happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone, especially those families, and friends that have lost someone they truly love fighting for our country. You have done a great service to this country, and I would just like to say thank you.

This week went quite well for the Atlanta Braves taking 2 out of 3 games from the Florida Marlins. Atlanta is now 3 games over .500, and a mere 1.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL-East race. The Marlins won game 1 by a score of 6-4, but Atlanta went on to win the next 2 games creating some momentum going into Memorial Day weekend.

Okay I’m all about giving players their fair opportunities, but Kenshin Kawakami has out stayed his welcome. Kawakami’s record has now dropped t0 (0-7) to start the year. It is time to give someone else their shot at a big league opportunity because Kawakami has proved that he doesn’t have what it takes. Atlanta lost the game by a final score of 6-4.

Atlanta came roaring back in game 2 to beat Florida 7-3. Yunel Escobar snapped out of a horrific hitting slump in this game by hitting a pair of singles, in a 6 run 7th inning. Troy Glaus also brought the wood by driving in a pair with a 2 run double. Tommy Hanson improved to 4-3 by going 6 strong innings only surrendering the 2 earned runs.

Game 3 was a lot like game 2 as Atlanta went on to win by a final score of 8-3. Tim Hudson only lasted 4 innings due to a long rain delay before getting the hook. Atlanta’s bullpen once again stepped up to the challenge by shutting down Marlin hitters. Offense in this game was yet again provided by Yunel Escobar with a pair of hits, and an RBI. Chipper Jones is starting to seriously come around after one of his worst starts to a season ever. Jones went 2-4 with an RBI and a pair of walks. Jason Heyward also hit his first big league triple in this game also scoring a run.

The Braves start Memorial day weekend tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Turner field. Derek Lowe will take the hill for the first of 3 games this weekend. This is a pivotal series for Atlanta going into the Phillies series early next week. It is important not to over look the Pirates, and simply take care of business. Atlanta has a real shot to be in first place after this weekend, and I expect nothing less.

Momentum has carried the Braves back to within 3.5 games of the NL-East leading Phillies, and 2nd place in the division. Atlanta took 2 out of 3 games this weekend from the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates to continue their winning ways. The team is really starting to click at the right time. The pitching, fielding, and timely hitting as done a complete 180 compared to play early this month.

Game 1 proved to be a statement for the rest of the series as the Braves went on to win the game 7-0. Atlanta’s ace Tim Hudson (5-1) continues to prove time, and time again that he isn’t just back from Tommy John surgery,  he is better. Hudson only have up 3 hits in his 8 inning masterpiece. That combined with Jason Heyward lighting up PNC park with 3 hits including a home run, double, and 3 RBI’s was all Atlanta needed to out class the Pirates. Am I excited about Hudson, and Heywards performace? Yes I am. However I am still concerned about a few players in Atlanta’s everyday lineup. Nate McLouth, Melky Cabrera, and Yunel Escobar continue to struggling by all hitting below, or just above the Mendoza line (.200). You can’t expect the same guys to produce every night, but they have done a nice job carrying the team thus far.

Derek Lowe (6-4) continued his dominance over the Pirates by extending his career record to (8-0) lifetime against them. Lowe got the credit for the win, but the game was all about Atlanta’s bullpen. Lowe went 5 innings, walking 4 batters, and allowed 5 hits. Moylan, O’flaherty, Saito, and Wagner combined to finish the game off by allowing no runs the rest of the way. Melky Cabrera hit his first home run as a Brave in the 2nd inning to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead. Eric Hinske is now hitting a whopping .358 on the season including his 3rd home run of the season in the 3rd inning of the game. Hinske is surely making his case to be an everyday outfielder for the this club, and what a strong case he is making.  Atlanta went on to steal this game by a final score of 4-2.

Atlanta found themselves on the wrong side of a walk off performance in game 3. Pittsburghs Ryan Doumit homered with 2 outs in the 10th inning off of Takashi Saito to avoid the sweep. Kris Medlen went 5.2 innings in a decent outing only giving up 2 earned runs.

The goal for Atlanta is simple. Win every series, and lately they have being doing just that. The Braves head to Miami Tuesday to start a 3 games series with the fish before returning home to rematch the Pirates. Kenshin Kawakami (0-6) looks to notch his first victory of the season Tuesday night in South Beach.

Atlanta played host this week to both the New York Mets, and the Cincinnati Reds. All four games were decided by one run, and Atlanta got the best of three of them. This week more than any showed me that the Braves are indeed for real. What separates the good teams from the bad is not only winning, but winning tight ball games.

Game 1 was Atlanta’s solo loss of the week  against New York by a final score of 3-2. Derek Lowe (5-4) looked impressive going 7 innings giving up 4 hits, and only 3 earned runs. Lowe was just out pitched on this night by New York’s Mike Pelfrey who also went 7 innings only surrendering  2 runs. The Braves only real offense came in the 5th inning when Eric Hinske belted a solo home run off Pelfrey.

Game 2′s rubber match was all about execution, and New Yorks 3rd baseman David Wright did not. Wrights throwing error in the bottom of the 9th inning gave Atlanta a walk off victory. This isn’t necessarily the way I’d want to win a ball game, but I will certainly take it. David Wright is among the elite 3rd baseman in the game, and will win New York a lot more games then he will lose them for sure. Troy Glaus has been Atlanta’s hottest hitter in the month of May hitting .371 with 4 homers, and 18 RBI’s. I have been saying for months now that Glaus has been the unluckiest hitter in baseball statistically. Every at-bat Glaus tears the cover off the ball only to be robbed of a hit. You can be lucky, or unlucky in baseball for a game, week, or even a month, but you can’t be for an entire season. One of his 4 home runs came off Mets ace Johan Santana. The game ended in the bottom of the 9th when Melky Cabrera hit a swinging bunt down the 3rd base line to Wright who made the game ending throwing error giving the Braves the 3-2 edge.

Jason Heyward came up huge in game 1 against Cincinnati with a final out walk off RBI single to win the game 5-4. Heyward bailed out Braves closer Billy Wagner after he gave up the game tying run in the top half of the inning. Heyward finished the day 3-5 including his first major league triple, and 2 doubles. Jason Heyward has already won the rookie of the year in my eyes, and could have his sights set on the national league MVP award. After watching the E60 special on Heyward you can’t help but root for a guy who does so much to help others. I will be ordering me #22 jersey shortly.  Kenshin Kawakami (0-6) can’t seem to buy a win. The Braves starter went 6 innings and gave up zero runs only for the bullpen to allow the game to be tied up. Other offense was provided by Brian McCann’s 1st inning home run off Aaron Harang. Atlanta went on to win the game 5-4 thanks to Heyward’s 9th inning heroics.

Todays day game against Cincinnati may have been the game of the year for the Braves. Trailing the Red’s 9-3 in the bottom of the 9th inning the Braves scored 7 runs including a walk off grand slam by the pinch hitting Brooks Conrad. I felt like a little kid watching this 9th inning unravel. I even scared a friend of mine half to death by screaming with excitement during the grand slam by Conrad. Atlanta opened the 9th with 4 straight hits including a 2 run single by center fielder Nate McLouth. Tommy Hanson got the start for Atlanta in his worst outing of the season lasting only 1.2 innings giving up 8 earned runs, including a grand slam to Joey Votto. The Braves bullpen quieted the Red’s bats for the rest of the game enough for the 30 year old Conrad to create some fireworks.

These are the type of games good teams come out on top of. Atlanta is now above .500 for the first time since April with a record of (21-20). They are only 4.5 games behind the division leading Phillies, and look to shorten the gap this weekend against the Pirates. Braves ace Tim Hudson will take the bump in game 1 on Friday.

After sweeping in Milwaukee Atlanta came home to take two out of three from the Arizona Diamondback. Now winners of their last 5 out of 6 games Atlanta seems to have risen from the dead. The Braves still remain 5 games behind the NL-East leading Phillies. Other than game 2′s loss Atlanta played with a lot of fire, desire, and urgency. When this team clicks they are among the best in baseball.

Game 1 was the result of yet another Arizona bullpen meltdown. Martin Prado hit a walk off single in the bottom of the 9th to win it. Prado had a gigantic series for Atlanta by contributing 6 hits, and 6 RBI’s including 2 home runs. Prado’s average has now improved to .323.  For the first time all season Atlanta proved that they could come from behind to win a ball game. Atlanta trailed by 4 runs up until the 7th inning when both Brian McCann, and Nate McLouth added home runs to tie the game. Other offense was provided by Omar Infante’s 4 hit evening. Everyone knows that Yunel Escobar is Atlanta’s short stop, but the numbers don’t lie. Infante has been brilliant in the field, and is hitting a whopping .313 compared to Escobars anemic .213 average. I am a numbers kind of guy so Omar has my vote unless Escobar can somehow redeem himself.  Kenshin Kawakami has yet another disappointing outing by surrendering 4 runs on 5 hits. Kawakami (0-6) got the no decision due to Atlanta’s come from behind 6-5 win.

Game 2 was a complete meltdown for Atlanta. Tommy Hanson (3-3) gave up 5 runs on 7 hits in one of his worst outings of the season statistically speaking. For most of the night Hanson looked to over power most of the Arizona hitters, but Atlanta’s offense was non existent. The Braves bullpen also imploded giving up another 6 tuns to close out the game. The Braves went on to lose game 2 by a final score of 11-1.

After game 2′s blow out loss Atlanta brought a whooping of their own. The resurgent Braves banged out 13 runs on 14 hits. Not to be outdone, the Braves pitching staff was on point led by a masterful Tim Hudson performance. Hudson went 8 strong innings only allowing 1 run on 3 hits. Hudson has now improved his record to (4-1), and has proved to be Altanta’s clear cut ace.  Eric Hinske is starting to prove that he belongs as an everyday left fielder. Hinske blasted a 3 run homer to spark the Braves attack. Martin Prado had the biggest night statistically by going 4-6 with a pair of home runs.

Atlanta starts a short 2 game series against the rival Met’s tomorrow night, and Tuesday. On the bump for the Braves is Derek Lowe (5-3) and Kris Medlen (1-1) in game 2. It is imperative that Atlanta finishes the final 4 games of their home stand with a winning record to get back in the NL East picture.

What a week it’s been with the Celtics knocking off the Cavs, the Canadians jousting the Penguins, and my Braves sweeping the Brewers in Milwaukee! Atlanta appears to be back in business after beating Milwaukee by three touchdowns 28-7 in the 3 game road trip. This series was no fluke either. Atlanta has the ability to light up the scoreboard week in and week out. The offense was matched by the Braves own pitching performances with wins by Tommy Hanson (3-2) Tim Hudson (3-1) , and Derek Lowe (5-3).

Tommy Hanson got the win in game 1 going 8 strong innings surrendering no runs, and striking out 8. Martin Prado provided some much needed power in this game by blasting the Braves 1st grand slam since Vietnam. Okay maybe not since Vietnam, but it’s been awhile. July 25th 2008 to be exact.  The 6th inning was where it was at for Atlanta piling on 7 runs (Prado’s grand slam) to go along with Troy Glaus’s 3rd HR of the season.

Game 2′s win goes to Timmy Hudson (3-1) backed by offensive from Troy Glaus belting his 2nd home run in as many nights, and Eric Hinske driving 3 runs. Atlanta went off for 16 hits in this 11-3 dismantling of Milwaukee. It was good to see Jason Heyward back in the lineup after being out 2 weeks with a pulled groin. In his first game back Heyward contributed with 2 hits, an RBI, and 2 walks.

Derek Lowe improved to (5-3) with a 6 inning 2 earned run outing. Brooks Conrad provided enough offense for Atlanta by homering, doubling, and driving in a game high 4 runs. Chipper Jones remains out of the lineup with a pulled groin. His return is still day to day. I’m not going to write Chipper off this early, but it’s not looking good for the Braves future hall of famer. Age is Chippers worst enemy, and he isn’t getting any younger.

All in all Atlanta had a fantastic week of baseball. They hit, pitched, and fielded better than they have all season. The key to making a run this year has to be staying healthy. Atlanta is awaiting the return of short stop Yunel Escobar, Chipper Jones, and Jair Jurrjens. The Braves kick off a 7 game home stand tonight with the first 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kenshin Kawakami (0-6) will be hungry for his first win of the season tonight. Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson get the starts in games 2 and 3.

Atlanta’s weekend was a real bust losing yet another 2 out of 3 games to division rival Philadelphia. I will be the first to admit that it is tough to watch bad baseball this time of year especially with the NBA, and NHL playoff excitement luring me in. This weekend has been as good as any for sports fans like myself in Boston. The Yankees are in town, along with the Celtics, and Bruins playoff series.

Watching Atlanta lose to Jamie Moyer for the second time this season was almost as bad as “Rocky V”. Not only did the Braves lose, but they were shut out by a 47 year old lefty who tops out in the low 80′s. Derek Lowe fell apart dropping his record to (4-3), and raising his ERA to a whopping (6.16). Lowe allowed all 7 earned runs on 11 hits. In order to have a chance to beat the Phillies left handed dominant lineup, Atlanta needs to sign at least one left handed starting pitcher! I don’t think there are many teams out there with less left handed support than the Wahoo’s.

The second game of the series was nothing too glamorous either even though Atlanta squeaked out a 4-1 win. The one bright spot of this game had to have been Atlanta’s bullpen by committee. The Braves threw 7 different pitchers in this game, and all 7 were very effective. Offensive production from Eric Hinske, and Melky Carbrera was all Atlanta needed in this game.

Kenshin Kawakami got the start in game 3, and it doesn’t take a genius to predict this outcome. I’m no “John Anthony”, but I know throwing an (0-6) pitcher against one of the top hitting lineups in baseball is a huge mismatch. I want to rent a bus, and on this bus I would like to invite Mr. Kawakami, Mr. McLouth, and maybe a couple others to take it out of Atlanta!  They can stop by Fenway, pick up Ortiz ,and ship him out of Boston yeah, yeah, yeah. There is my Red Sox plug for the week. Sorry Big Papi, but your time is up brotha.

Jason Heyward has been in and out of the lineup all week due to a strained groin muscle, and should resume playing shortly. Yunel Escobar still remains on the DL, but Omar Infante has done a nice job replacing him hitting .288 with stellar performances in the field. Look for Atlanta to start shaking up the lineup pretty soon if production from the starters continues to decline. Atlanta needs to have a “what have you done for me lately” type of attitude in order to compete with the elite teams. The Braves kick off 3 game road trip at Milwaukee tomorrow night, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Game 1′s starter will be Tommy Hanson followed by Tim Hudson, and Derek Lowe in games 2 and 3.