Heading into Milwaukee, I was feeling pretty good about the Atlanta Braves. Their pitching was phenomenal, their offense came off an 11-run game, and spirits for the team were high.
They won a series on the road against a team that has given Atlanta fits in the past two years. It looked like the Braves would be able to open at home with a winning record due to their success against Milwaukee.
Then they actually played the games. As per usual, the pitching was great. Both the starters and the relievers gave up minimal runs. They only allowed 11 runs during the four game series, which is great by any standards.
But just like last year, the offense did not come through. Yes they did hit two home runs in one inning in the first game, which they won, but they after that did not score crucial runs.
The Braves looked hapless against Yovani Gallardo, they did not take advantage when they had ample opportunity against Marco Estrada, and they could not come through with big hits against Shaun Marcum.
I will concede that many of the players hit at 'em balls, which is a good sign. They were not flailing at the ball and giving up. They just could not come up with that timely hit.
I also will tip my hat to Yovani Gallardo. He pitched a great game, but I still fault the offense because they are supposed to be one of the best in the NL yet they couldn't even score a run.
The Braves need their offense to come alive against the Phillies. This next series is crucial because the Phils are 5-1 and are two-and-a-half games ahead of the Bravos.
The pitching will always be there, so everything now depends on the offense. When they score at least four, then they have a good chance of winning.
They just need to actually do that.
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