Prometheus Bound: Atlanta Braves Update

The Braves took a five game winning streak into their series against the Phillies last weekend. Those five wins tied their longest streak of the season, and it was only the third time this year they strung more than three wins together. The streak poised the Braves to make a serious move up the standings in the NL East, but Ryan Howard smited them with thunderbolts, like a Greek god reminding humanity that there is a hierarchy to this world; and everyone falls prey to it.

Howard went 4 for 10 in the series, batted in 6 runs, and hit 3 home runs. For the year, he's batting .266, with 31 home runs and 94 RBI's. The Braves RBI leader is Brian McCann, with 61, and Chipper Jones leads the team with 15 home runs. If McCann played for the Phillies, he would be tied for fifth on the team in RBI's with Pedro Feliz. The same would also be true of Chipper and his 15 home runs if he wore a white "P" on his hat. The Phillies are clearly the here and now of the NL East, the Olympians of their division, and the Braves, the Titans, are a shell of a former dynasty that is no longer intimidating nor relevant.

In the third game of the series, when Howard came to the plate in the top of the 6th, the score was tied at one run apiece. Rollins was on second, and Victorino was on first. There was one out, and Drunk Noah floated an Ark of a change-up to Howard, who with one swing of his bat splintered the Braves chances for survival. There was no rainbow after the game, only more rain.

Since the Phillies series, the Braves have won two out of three, including a 15 to 2 win against the Mets last night, but without an Olympic-sized bat in their lineup, the Braves seem relegated to the vulture's peck.

Atlanta Braves Update: Building the Ark

A few days ago, the Braves went into their series with the LA Dodgers, in midst of a flood, and if the Braves playoff hopes were to remain alive, then the construction of their Ark needed to begin, in this series, against the NL's best team.

The first game of the series did not give the Braves much hope that the rains would not lay claim to their hearts and minds; Rafael Soriano blew a two-run lead in the bottom of the 9th, and all the lumber and tools for the team's life raft sat soaking in Dodger Stadium.

Then, the Braves began construction on the hull of their ship with a 9 to 5 victory that went 12 whole innings. Yunel Escobar, the King Jellyfish, knocked in Garrett Anderson for the game-winning run, and Ryan Church gave the Braves some insurance by following up Escobar's at bat with a 3-run homer.

Kelly Johnson played the hero in the third game of the series, hitting a two-run homer in the 10th inning to win the game.

The completion of the Ark took place with an 8-2 victory in the last game of the series. Javier Vazquez acted like the head of construction by pitching eight innings, giving up only 2 runs, on five hits, while striking out seven batters. Drunk Noah has won his last five starts, and his current record is 10-7, with a 2.90 ERA.

The Braves now have two games against the Nationals before their 3-game series with the NL East leading Phillies, who are coming off a 3-game sweep dealt to them by the Marlins and have lost seven of their last ten. Just a few games ago, Philadelphia looked like they had the NL East firmly in their grasp, but now, Florida is only 3.5 games back and the Braves are only 4.5 back.

With the Ark setting sail, perhaps Braves fans should not shy away from dreaming that this team can still reclaim the NL East title. The pitching has been there all year, and the bats appear to be more and more alive with each nail they drive into gopher wood.