Week in Review

After squaring off against the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves have a huge inter-division series against the first-place Washington Nationals. After last night's heartbreaker, the Braves are currently six games behind the Nationals. On Thursday, the Braves will be in San Francisco to play the Giants in a four-game set. At the current moment, the Braves are in control of the top National League Wildcard spot.

The only way to describe the Braves this past week is average. Even though Atlanta took three of four from the Padres, the Braves dropped two of three against the Dodgers, no thanks to Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez. The Braves have been playing great baseball since the All-Star Break, however it seems as if the Nationals never lose. In order for the Braves to gain ground on Washington, winning head-to-head match ups is crucial.

Notes/Transactions: Braves signed first baseman Lyle Overbay to a minor-league contract...Catcher Brian McCann may require offseason shoulder surgery due to a "frayed labrum."....The Braves have won pitcher Kris Medlen's last 15 starts dating back to 2010...Expect shortstop Andrelton Simmons back around mid-September

Stat of the Week: Though the Braves have been on fire since the break, second baseman Dan Uggla has not. He is batting .181 since the All-Star Break with only 3 HR and 17 RBI. Not to mention an OBP (.321) that is higher than his slugging percentage (.319). Uggla's .219 August batting average is 38 points higher than his overall 2012 second-half batting average.

Week in Review

The Atlanta Braves began the week by playing the Philadelphia Phillies on the road for three games. The series went well as the Braves took two out of three, and continued a steady pace as we head towards the end of the season. The weekend series pitted Atlanta against the New York Mets. The Braves were going for the sweep heading into Sunday night's match up, but a ninth inning rally fell shirt, and once again took two of three from our division opponent. Its hard to ask for the team to play better at the moment, but with Washington Nationals' strong pace, each head-to-head match up will become increasingly important.

This upcoming week includes two series against some NL West teams. The Braves are at home everyday this week and start with a four game set against the San Diego Padres. The latter part of the week is a three game series series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The latter will be a tough opponent as they too are in the thick of a pennant race.

Notes/Transactions: Pitcher Tommy Hanson is likely to make his return from the DL this Friday against the Dodgers...Manager Fredi Gonzalez said the team will use a six-man rotation through Aug. 29 (The Braves play 20 consecutive games up until then)...Outfielder Matt Diaz is out for the season after undergoing surgery on this thumb...Shortstop Paul Janish has been everything Frank Wren has asked for and maybe even more

Stat of the Week: We might not resign him, but can we at least appreciate Michael Bourn while hes still wearing a Braves uniform? Offensively, he leads the league in three-hit games and stolen bases. He is on pace to finish with 198 hits, 111 runs, 72 rbi, and 43 stolen bases. Add that to the fact that he's one the best in the field, and you've got yourself an all-star caliber center fielder. In fact he leads the team with a 4.6 WAR. I'm not saying Atlanta should resign him, but he's been a damn good player in a Braves uniform thus far.

Should the Braves Consider a Six-Man Rotation?

When the Atlanta Braves announced that Kris Medlen would move from the bullpen to the rotation to replace the injured Tommy Hanson, the move was intended to be temporary. But in two starts, Medlen has proven to be a capable starting pitcher in the MLB, posting a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 innings. The Braves won both games, pushing the Braves' record in Medlen's 20 career starts to 16-4.

The Braves' pitching staff has been amazing since the All-Star break, as their 3.12 ERA since then ranks second in the National League. Medlen likely only has one start remaining before Hanson is eligible to come off the disabled list, but they would likely love to keep riding Medlen's success. While the Braves would love to replace somebody else with Medlen, the other four starting pitchers, Tim Hudson (7-2, 3.13 ERA in last 10 starts), Ben Sheets (3-1, 1.46 ERA in four starts), Mike Minor (2-1, 1.74 ERA in last five starts) and Paul Maholm (5-2, 2.49 ERA in last 10 starts; 7 IP, 3 ER, 8 K, 2 BB in one start with Braves), have shown that there is no weak link in the Braves' rotation.

With a staple of starting pitchers at their disposal, it would be smart for the Braves to at least consider using a six-man rotation.

It wouldn't be completely out of the ordinary for the Braves to employ an innovative rotation idea, as managers are beginning to push the limits of conventional baseball wisdom. Already this year, the Colorado Rockies have experimented with a four-man rotation, while the Chicago White Sox have used a six-man rotation.

Perhaps the greatest benefit to a six-man rotation is that allows the pitchers an extra day of rest. This would be very beneficial for the Braves, as Tim Hudson is 37 years old, Ben Sheets has only thrown 35.1 professional innings over the past two years, Hanson is likely tired as his 5.73 IP/GS is the lowest in his career, and Medlen isn't fully stretched out yet.

One of the arguments against a six-man rotation is that it takes one player out of the bullpen, leaving them understaffed. However, there is no reason that the Braves bullpen should fall into that trap. The Braves currently have Cristhian Martinez, Luis Avilan and Cory Gearrin in their bullpen, along with Anthony Varvaro in the minors and Jair Jurrjens on the disabled list, who are all capable of providing more than one inning of relief. If one of the starters struggles, all of those five are capable of offsetting any pitching problems. At the back-end of the bullpen, the Braves have Eric O'Flaherty, Chad Durbin, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel, who have been absolutely dominant in recent weeks. This season, the Braves are 51-1 when leading after six innings.

As the Braves find themselves only three games back of the Washington Nationals, it wouldn't be surprising if manager Fredi Gonzalez sticks with what has got him to this point. However, if the Braves are going to rely on their veteran pitchers for a deep playoff run, it might be best for them to rest those players down the stretch.

Week in Review

After a one week hiatus, Week in Review is back and boy is there a lot to talk about. The trade deadline has come and gone, signaling the beginning of the stretch run. As the Atlanta Braves enter the dog days of summer, they currently sit three games back of the Washington Nationals in the NL East and are safely in first place in the NL Wildcard. After finishing this past homestand 8-2, the Braves have certainly started playing confident baseball again. The pitching is keeping the team in the game, and the bats have been very hot. In fact, Atlanta's 3.12 post All-Star break ERA leads the National League.


This upcoming week, Atlanta first travels to Philadelphia to play three against the Phillies. The Braves' 7-2 record against the Phillies this season has been a welcome sight, considering the Phillies have had our number the past few years. After an off day on Thursday, the Braves square off against the New York Mets at Citi Field. The Mets have been struggling after a strong first half, and the Braves hope that continues this weekend. Due to the Phillies, Mets and Miami Marlins' struggles, the division has turned into a two-horse race.


Notes/Transactions: Shortstop Andrelton Simmons still appears weeks away... Pitcher Jair Jurrjens was placed on the 15-day DL on 8/1/12 ... Pitcher Tommy Hanson was placed on the 15-day DL on 7/31/12 ... Pitcher Cory Gearrin returned to the big club on 7/31/12 ... Second baseman Dan Uggla is hitting .286 in August, much better than his .115 July average ... Pitcher Paul Maholm has a 1.72 ERA post all-star game, he's going to help this team a lot


Stat of the Week: Through August 5 last year, outfielder Jason Heyward's had a slash line of .221/.313/.393 with 11 home runs, 29 RBI and five stolen bases. After working hard in the offseason, Heyward's current slash line is .272/.348/.479 with 17 home runs, 53 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He has laid to rest any worry for the future and is showing the baseball community why he was a highly regarded prospect. He has been a rock this season and will be extremely fun to watch in the future.