I feel like my recaps keep getting shorter and shorter, but what do you want me to say? 

Nothing will ever compare to 2011 in terms of a regular season collapse, just because it is impossible to comprehend the magnitude of losing 11.5 games in a month. But this sure feels like it. A week ago the Atlanta Braves had a five game lead in the division. Now the lead is one game, and it doesn’t look like the bleeding is going to stop. 

And really, that is the only relevant thing here. We could break down the bits and bobs of the lineup or the minutiae of Charlie Morton’s outing, but does it really matter? The regular season ends in two weeks. We know who this team is, we know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and we know what we have seen for two almost six months. All that’s left to do is determine is if those six months will have been in service of another division title or not. 

And right now, after a 2-0 loss to the Giants on Saturday night that was the team’s fourth consecutive defeat? 

It’s looking pretty bleak.

Positives: 

  • Charlie Morton had one bad inning, but he kept the Braves in the game all night. It’s not his fault the offense is dead as a doornail right now. 
  • A.J. Minter threw a really good 7th inning with a pair of strikeouts. That’s a weapon for this bullpen from the left side when he is on like that. 
  • The Braves held the best team in baseball to two runs on five hits. Usually that should be enough. 
  • The Braves don’t have to play the Giants again after tomorrow. That’s about all I’ve got. 

Negatives: 

  • I mean I kind of covered it in the open, but it’s never fun watching your team break down in September. It’s beginning to feel a lot like 2011, or maybe 2014 is a more appropriate comparison given the fact that this team’s ceiling was probably lower to start with. 
  • The Giants got three innings from starting pitcher Alex Wood and the Braves still couldn’t break through against what was essentially a bullpen game. The offense just needed one big hit and it never came all night. 
  • Orlando Arcia has one hit since July. That’s it. That’s the negative. 
  • Top of the 4th inning, runners on the corners with nobody out. A chance to give Morton the lead or maybe even put up a crooked number. Strikeout. Strikeout. Strikeout. 
  • The Braves really can’t afford to lose the games at the top of their starting rotation given the inconsistency at the bottom, but they just burned a Charlie Morton start. There will probably only be two more of those, and that one just went to waste. 
  • The Phillies are going to lose a baseball game again at some point, right? Right??

Former Brave Of The Day: 

Josh Donaldson hit a two-run home run for the Twins this afternoon in Toronto. 


Quote Of The Game: 

“I’m drowning in the deja vu. We’ve seen it all before.” 

— Bring Me The Horizon

Tomorrow’s Goal:
Just win the game. I don’t want to call it a must-win, but it definitely feels like one.