Results tagged ‘ playoffs ’
Joboo Loves Me
Over the past few weeks I have considered making a sacrifice to the baseball gods so that the Braves could win. There were times I was convinced that it was the only way they would. Maybe just wanting to make a sacrifice was enough. The Braves finally pulled it out at the last minute and secured a post season spot. I honestly thought they wouldn’t do it. The Padres had already taken 2 games from the Giants and the Braves had looked just terrible against the Phillies. But hope springs eternal. The Braves behind Tim Hudson were up 7-2 in the 7th inning of the game. I thought, wow, they just might do it and lo and behold the Braves I know and love reappeared. The Phillies pulled to within 1 run. I was sure that this would turn out the way so many Braves games do with them losing by 1 run in the last inning. Fortunately, that was not the case, this time. The Braves are now in the post season. I relish this as much as possible because based on their play in September, a long stay in the playoffs may not be in the cards. The Braves have to face the Giants in San Francisco starting Thursday. The Giants are on a roll and fresh off their very exciting come back to down the Padres rally. These games will not be easy and the Braves will have to play mistake free baseball to advance. So, while I am thankful to the baseball gods that the Braves made the post season, I am not so naive to think that they are playing the kind of baseball that wins championships.They are going to need all the help they can get – looks like I will be paying another visit to Joboo and soon.
Slip Sliding Away
Pit Of Despair
Yesterday, it was just a slight nudge. Today, it’s a full blown kick to the midsection and I’m in the pit of despair. The Braves are now 5 games back of the Phillies and the Padres are now only 1 game out of the wildcard race. It’s becoming very tentative now and another loss tonight by the Braves could spell certain doom. The Braves have had opportunity after opportunity in this series with the Phillies. And time after time they have failed to capitalize. They once again committed 2 errors. Once again, the inning ending double play groundout was evident. Poor baserunning decisions. And another great pitching performance from the Phillies starter, this time Roy Halladay. All of this added up to yet another loss for the Braves. Tonight’s game is so important. To leave Philly with a win would be such a morale boost for the Braves and their fans. The Braves have Thursday off to recover from this grueling, playoff like atmosphere of the last 3 days. Up next the Braves have a series with the Nationals, a team as everyone knows, who can pull a win out on any time in the National League. These games are must wins for the Braves as well. After the Nationals, the Braves get the Mets again. Then, it’s the end of the season and the Phillies again at home this time. During this time, the Phillies get the Mets and then the Nationals before going to Atlanta to play the Braves. The Braves have to win. The Padres have the Reds, the Cubs, and the Giants to finish the year. The Giants are in this mix too and the Rockies as well. But the Braves have to concentrate on what they are doing on winning their games – all of them. Nothing else matters at this point. The pit of despair is a difficult place to be – and an even harder place to get out of. I hope the Braves don’t leave me here.
Edge Of Despair
As fingers of ice slip softly around the soul in the dark of night pushing ever closer to the edge of despair so the Braves have done to me. With each turn of an inning, the cold grew more bitter tightening it’s grip to the edge of despair. Only one game in a series of three but slowly it seeps the faith away from me. Okay so I’m a little melodramatic. Poets often are. Last night was one of the toughest sports nights I’ve experienced in a while. The Braves vs Phillies was every hyped thing come true. A playoff atmosphere. Live or die for the Braves playoff hopes. A brand new pitcher fresh out of the minors going for the Braves. A box of Pepcid wasn’t going to cover this. The game started out well enough. Brandon Beachy went 1-2-3 for the first inning. I could actually breathe again. The Braves came up in the 2nd and promptly got on the board first with 1 run. I thought, hey this might be okay. Beachy looked really really great for a 24 year old just out of instructional league. He was holding the Phillies down admirably. I started to breathe a little better. Beachy gave up doubles to Howard and Ruiz that produced only 1 run. The game was tied. It was still okay. Then, like the unfolding of a nightmare in slow motion it all came apart in the 5th inning. Victorino hit a fly ball to right field. Heyward was on the run for it. Seconds ticked by that seemed like hours. Heyward was right at the ball and he knuckled it with his glove. Wait, what? Knuckled it. The ball went to the wall. Error. The word hung in my mind. Victorino gets to third base with no outs. Error. Polanco grounded out (Gonzalez chose to throw to first rather than home) and Victorino scored. Utley singled and Beachy was done. Through really no fault of his own – his major league debut was over. I’m still wondering now if taking him out was the right move, but out he was. In comes O’Flaherty who seemingly forgot where the plate was and so he walks the bases loaded. Ibanez hits a grounder but it was a bit of an awkward play for Gonzalez and another run scores. Three runs. The Braves were unable to capitalize yet again with multiple ground out double plays that killed any opportunities for scoring. The Phillies Hamels pitched a great game. The Braves committed 2 errors and made a couple of bad decisions and it cost them the game. Now 4 games back of the Phillies, the edge of despair is where all true Braves fans must now live. Inching ever closer to the pit, we continue to hope but faith is fading with every missed opportunity. Only 12 hours until the next game first pitch….perhaps prayer is in order.
Rollercoaster
I’ve been a Braves fan for years now, most of my life in fact. I’ve been a fan when they were really, really bad and when they were really, really good. I’ve been through it all pretty much, but I’ve just about had all of this rollercoaster ride I can take. I love baseball. I love the Braves. I don’t love how they win and lose every other night. It’s not just now and then, it’s all the time. They rarely ever put together winning streaks of longer than 2 or 3 games before they resort back to the win one lose one scenario. In a race for the post season that is so close, the Braves are now 2 games back of the Phillies and in first for the wild card, they continue to win and lose night after night after night. The team they are playing has no bearing on this rollercoaster ride. They can play one of the hottest teams in the league or one of the worst and the result is the same. Win Monday, lose Tuesday, win Wednesday, lose Thursday. On and on and on it goes. I’ve almost taken to not even bothering to check the scores in the morning because I already know the results. I cannot figure it out. It’s not as if the Braves pitching is good and then bad. It’s not as if hitters aren’t hitting. It’s not as if some of these below .500 teams have suddenly become great. In all of this, nothing at the core changes. So what causes this up and down rollercoaster? Are they just unprepared every other day? Do they feel the need to rest every other game? I just do not know nor do I understand. All I do know, is that my mind and heart are growing very weary. I also know that you cannot go very far in the postseason with this kind of win/loss performance. If the Braves get to the postseason, and that’s a big IF, they won’t last long if they can’t put more than 2 wins together at a time. Teams like the Reds will make short work of them. To win a national title of any kind, you have to want to more than anything, more than the other team. I would hate to think that this rollercoaster is the result of not wanting to badly enough. Whatever the reason, I want off this rollercoaster – I’m starting to become nauseous.
Deborah Horton
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