Kotchman's Debut

The trade deadline has come and gone and looks like Mark Teixeira was the only member of the Braves exiting before season’s end. I would have liked for the Braves to have gotten Jason Bay, but it wasn’t meant to be. In the meantime I bring you the first photo of the newest Brave Casey Kotchman from last night’s loss to the Cardinals.

Kotchman went 0-for-5, but let’s be honest, it can only get better! Oh, and apparently he’s totally stoked to with Atlanta because I’m hoping it can only get better.
(Photo: Getty Images)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

bad day for the braves

Not only did the Braves effectively give up on the 2008 season by trading Mark Teixeira on Tuesday, but they also suffered another demeaning loss, their fourth straight. Jorge Campillo allowed two runs in seven innings, netting the score at 2 a piece. But Albert Pujols, who had already knocked a two run homer in the sixth, crossed home plate in the eighth, giving the Cardinals a one run advantage. St. Louis broke things open in the ninth racking in five runs (one earned) off of reliever Mike Gonzalez in their 8-3 victory.

The mood in the Braves clubhouse was practically morbid. Atlanta has not been sellers since 1990, although I’d be ok if they could follow up this “horribly unlucky year” with 1991 repeat. (However, I’d prefer to win game 7 of the World Series, but I may be a bit greedy in my daydreams.) Chipper Jones summed up the mood best, ''This is a first for all of us. We've never been sellers before. We're usually the ones adding, not subtracting. It's tough to come to grips with, because we felt coming out of Spring Training that we'd be right in the mix all year long.'' So did I!

With the likelihood of signing Teixeira low, this deal made sense. They would have needed a first baseman and if Casey Kotchman can stay healthy, he could be manning that position for quite a while. But this move is just a drop in the bucket if they hope to be in contention next season and beyond. They still need a power bat, some pitching and an outfielder. A tall order when they have very little to offer out into the trade market.

On the flip side, I can understand how hard it must be to effectively give up with two months to go in the season. If the Braves can look at it as an opportunity to get a two month head start on 2009, maybe they can begin to have a more positive mind set and hopefully start to draft a plan for the upcoming free agent market. No matter what GM Frank Wren says, the Braves don’t have enough players within the organization to get the job done.
(Photo: John Bazemore/AP)

News&Notes: Scott Thorman was placed on the temporarily inactive list after being named to team Canada’s baseball team for the Beijing Olympics...Pictures from Saturday's Braves/Phillies game are up. Scroll down to check them out.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Teixeira to the Angels

After weeks of rumors and speculation, the Braves have traded first baseman Mark Teixeira to the Angels for first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek. Teixeira had been a big boost to the Braves offense since coming over in a seven player deal last July, compiling 37 homers and 134 RBIs in 157 games, second only to the Phillies Ryan Howard. But during that mark the Braves failed to go over .500.

Kotchman, who is not eligible for free agency until 2011, has hit 12 homers while batting .287 this season.

Teixeira’s impending free agency and the Braves health problems sealed his fate in the Braves organization. What the Braves saw as an imminent departure, the Angels see as a long term asset, even though they did not request to meet with Teixeira and his agent Scott Boras before completing the deal.

Hind sight being 20/20, I’m guessing Jarrod Saltalamacchia would most likely still be with the Braves, but there are very few people who could have predicted the debilitating injuries Atlanta has suffered this year. If only 2 of the 5 projected starters had been injured or if Jeff Francoeur could have held off on his mental break down for a couple more years, maybe Teixeira could have been that push that got them back into contention. But it wasn’t meant to be.
(Photo: Gregory Smith/AP; Christian Petersen/Getty Images Source)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

The Latest Trade Talk

After losing three in a row the Braves have officially placed Mark Teixeira on the block. I know, shocking news. The Diamondbacks seem to be at the head of the field which includes the Rays, Red Sox and Angels. GM Frank Wren told the AJC that there are deals on the table but the Braves are looking to see if they can get something better. Originally, Atanta was hoping to get Conor Jackson out of a trade with Arizona, but the D'Backs are not willing to part with him instead offering 3B/1B Chad Tracy.

The Braves could also move reliever Will Ohman. According to espn.com, the Tigers, Rays, Yankees and Cardinals have all inquired about his availability. In addition to Ohman I've read that Mark Kotsay, Kelly Johnson and even Jeff Francoeur could be made available. Fire sale, anyone?

According to mlb.com, the Braves were thisclose to bringing in Pirates outfielder Jason Bay on Friday. In the deal that was nixed by Pittsburgh ownership, the Braves would have sent four prospects, likely including Brent Lillibridge and Brandon Jones to Pittsburgh for Bay.

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Musings from Citizens Bank Park

Saturday I drove down the Turnpike to the beautiful Citizens Bank Park to watch the Braves take on the Phillies. I had read stories and heard whispers that Mike Hampton may actually take the mound for the Braves but I had adopted an I’ll believe it when I see it policy with Mikey. Not only did he have to warm-up, which could be dangerous for him (see-April’s peck muscle injury) then there was that long flight of stairs from the Braves bullpen to the outfield grass, that long walk from the bullpen to the dugout, those dugout stairs (see-Jair Jurrjens Wrigley Incident) and then some more warm-up throws. But Mr. Hampton made me eat a massive slice of humble pie as he pitched into the fifth inning before being relieved of his duties. Admittedly, not an amazing start for your average pitcher, but a solid one for a guy who hasn’t taken the mound in a major league game in oh about three years.

The Braves tacked on nine runs in the fourth inning chasing Phillies phenom Cole Hamels out, but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies struck back with 7 runs of their own in the fifth, in their 10-9 win. The fourth inning was such a mess for the Phillies between Hamels’ errant throw to nowhere, the dropped pop between Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Hamels, Mark Teixeira’s big three run homer, I figured things would have to go the Braves way, but it was not meant to be. I learned a valuable lesson on that day, nine runs means nothing if the other teams got 10!

Here are few pictures from the game:

Blaine Boyer and Will Ohman

Mike Gonzalez

Jo-Jo Reyes

Royce Ring

Buddy Carlyle have fun with the fans

Jair Jurrjens and Jorge Campillo

Proof Mike Hampton actually took the mound

Last look at Teixeira in a Braves uniform

Click here for the rest of my photos from the game.

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Huddy could be done for the year, Chipper out too

Tim Hudson’s season could be ending a bit sooner than expected after experiencing elbow discomfort during Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers. An MRI later revealed ligament damage that is thought to be both a new and old injury. Hudson will seek the advice of Dr. James Andrews and hopefully will not have to undergo Tommy John surgery. Even after experiencing some pain during a bullpen session on Sunday in Philadelphia, the extent of the injury seemed to surprises Tim, “I was floored," said Hudson. "I thought they were almost joking with me at first." Oh, no, that’s just the way things have been going for the Braves rotation.

Also hitting the DL on Monday was Chipper Jones, who had been out since leaving Wednesday’s game early with a hamstring injury. Jones said the injury did not get progressively better over the weekend and expects his 15 day vacation to be enough to get him back into action in a few weeks.

Catcher Brian McCann missed Monday’s game after suffering a mild concussion on Sunday in a collision at the plate with Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino. McCann has not hit the DL, but catcher seems to be the only position that has been injury free so far, so why not join the bandwagon?

At this point, the injuries to the Braves have been almost comical. They must be nearing some sort of record for number of players to be on the DL in a given season. I think they’re up to 15 and it’s only July so who knows how many more they can get by the end of September.

(Photo: Alan Diaz/AP)

It's been fun blogging with you,

Kate

Costly Win

The Braves bounced back from a one hit loss on Tuesday with a 9-4 victory over the Marlins. But the win was marred by the loss of Chipper Jones and Tim Hudson who both left the game early with injuries. Yunel Escobar put Atlanta on the board with a double that scored Hudson in the third and the team never looked back tacking on runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings. The Braves have an off day before marching into Philadelphia to take on the co-division leading Phils.

I can’t help but get nervous about Chipper’s hamstring injury which forced him out of the game in the fourth. Jones said he’s hoping he’ll be able to avoid the DL but will most likely miss the beginning of the series against the Phillies this weekend. On the other hand, Hudson who left after six scoreless innings, felt a bit more optimistic say, “I don't foresee it being that big of a deal. It doesn't feel too bad. It just feels like tight muscles." He doesn’t even think he’ll miss a start which is a relief.

Trade Update: Jon Heyman of si.com is thinking that Mark Teixeira will go and that the Braves will be well compensated for his services, but still not as well as the Rangers were in 2007 when the Braves brought him over…Ken Rosenthal of foxsports.com is feeling the same way making a case for a possible Diamondbacks or Yankees trade…And Mark Kotsay is ok with any decision the Braves make regarding his future with the team.

News&Notes: Are you ready for hell to freeze over? Because that’s what will happen if Mike Hampton steps on that mound in Philly on Saturday. I’ll be at CBP and report back if he indeed makes a start...The Braves offense is driving hitting coach Terry Pendleton mad.
(Photo: Alan Diaz/AP)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

one hit again, the Braves look to be sellers

Rick VandenHurk had spent the last three months in the minors after a pretty horrible start in April, but that time looked as if it was well spent after he went five innings of no hit baseball in the Braves 4-0 loss to the Marlins. This is the 10th time this season the Braves have been shut out, matching their season total for 2007. With the loss, the Braves now sit seven games behind the division leading Phillies and 10 games behind Milwaukee in the wild card. I hate to give up on things but it’s looking like the Braves could be big sellers over the next eight days.

The question now becomes who will be traded and to where? Obviously Mark Teixeira seems to be destined for greener pastures come 2009, but can the Braves find a new home for him in 2008? There aren’t that many teams in need of first baseman that are willing to trade the farm for him, especially without knowing whether they’ll have him after the end of the season. And while he could serve as a DH for a team in need of some pop, part of what makes him so great is his defense, which he would be unable to use in that position. I’ve heard of a couple of teams that could have some interest mainly Arizona, the Dodgers, the Angels and Boston, but they seem like long shots. (Plus Boston has said they are not interested in Mark.) Not only would the quality of players included have to be better than the compensation draft picks they would receive in the offseason if Teixeira walks (which come on, he’s not staying in Atlanta with the Yankees in need of a first baseman) they would also need a major league ready replacement in the deal.

Another name bandied about is Will Ohman. A solid reliever, many teams would love to get him on their staff. To me, he seems more likely to go, but that depends mostly on what the Braves could get for him and whether they feel like they can re-sign him in the off season. A lot of the rumors have been surrounding the Rockies Brian Fuentes and the Orioles George Sherrill, but with many teams looking for relief help, Ohman could be just what they’re in the market for.

Finally it looks like Mark Kotsay could be on the block. With teams looking to fill up an outfield holes, Kotsay could be a welcomed addition. I've been reading a lot of rumors about the Pirates Xavier Nady and Jason Bay and also the Rockies Matt Holliday so Kotsay seems like a likely plan C or D for some teams but so far I haven't read about anything in particular about Mark.

But not likely to be shopped are Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano who the Braves are willing to pay top dollar to to keep them on the team next season. I'm a bit nervous about that. I like Gonzo, but both he and Soriano are coming off of tough injuries, I don't want to start throwing around money to people who won't be able to play for the forseeable future because they're constantly injured. Call it the Mike Hampton effect.

News&Notes: Tom Glavine and Mike Hampton both had throwing sessions on Tuesday. Mike Hampton even boldly predicted he could be ready to go next week, “I told them if everything went well, I would be ready.” Oh, but Mr. Hampton your career for the past two years has been nothing but “ifs.” Not that I don’t want him to take the mound to justify his crazy contract, but if he doesn’t make a start this season, does that mean the Braves can collect insurance on him, because that might be better for the team...Meanwhile Glavine says he felt he threw better on Tuesday than he did on Saturday and could make some rehab starts next week, if everything goes well…Bobby Cox served his one game suspension for what was deemed an extended tirade following his ejection on Sunday…The Braves optioned Brent Lillibridge to Richmond after activating Omar Infante from the DL.
(Photos: AP/Yahoo! Sports)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Braves win, Soriano activated and Glavine throws off the mound, oh my!

After a disastrous weekend series against the Nationals that included a 15-6 blowout on Sunday, the Braves rebounded nicely off the strength of Jorge Campillo’s seven inning shutout in their 4-0 victory over the Marlins. Mark Kotsay, Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Martin Prado all tallied RBIs in the win.

The Braves are a strange animal; they can play as poorly as ever and then turn around and show signs of real live major league team. I just wish they could do that more often. I know I always tout how important each series is, but this one against the Marlins is truly make or break. Not only do they get a chance to add some momentum heading into this weekend’s series against the Phillies (which I’ll be attending on Saturday and post some pictures on Monday) but the Phillies will be battling with their co-NL East leading Mets beginning on Tuesday, meaning the Braves must keep pace. Adding to the urgency is the July 31st trade deadline which would spell doom if the Braves chose to become sellers in the trade market, a fact that is looking incredibly more likely by the minute.

Tuesday the Braves will send Charlie Morton to the mound to take on Rick VandenHurk who is 0-1 with an 11.81 ERA. Hopefully the real live major league team can show up and take advantage of this kid, but you’ll have to tune into SPSO at 7:10 PM to find out.

News&Notes: The Braves activated Rafael Soriano from the DL on Monday. Let’s hope he’s able to stay relatively healthy for the foreseeable future…Yunel Escobar was held out of Monday’s lineup but is expected to return on Tuesday after missing a few games with a shoulder injury…Tom Glavine threw off the mound for the first time since hitting the DL…John Smoltz will join the pregame crew on FSN South and Sports South.
(Photo: AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Mike Hampton Injured Again, Anyone Surprised?

Mike Hampton was forced to leave his start with Class AA Mississippi short after "tweaking" his groin. This was his sixth rehab start since straining his pectoral muscle warming up in early April. Six starts?!?!?!?! He made it to his sixth start without being injured. This must be like some sort of modern day record for Hampton. And he couldn't have been sent up to make one of those starts with the Braves? Who am I kidding, he probably would have gotten injured throwing a signed ball up to some kid behind the dugout. So I guess we'll be waiting a bit longer for Mr. Hampton to make his first start with the Braves in three years or about the same time for his contract to finally expire.

News&Notes: Because I stayed at Yankee Stadium until 1:37 AM, I got to see Brian McCann finally take the field as a catcher in the 15th inning. Here's an article about his trip to the Big Apple...And here is one about Chipper's start for the National League.
(Photo: Forbes)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Homerun Derby

As I had mentioned, I actually got tickets for the all-star events at Yankee Stadium this year. While I was seated pretty high up in the bleachers, I got a couple of photos of Braves players Brian McCann and Chipper Jones.

View from from my seats. Yeah, I was pretty far back in the bleachers, not even close to one homerun ball.

Brian was one of the first to take batting practice

Mac walking to the outfield

McCann talking to Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, Cardinal Ryan Ludwick, Phillie Chase Utley and Met David Wright.

Chipper at bat

Chipper on the field

Chipper with Cardinals teammates Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick

For more of my photos from the event, click here.

News&Notes: Mike Hampton is looking to make his second rehab start. Cross your fingers, toes and eyes that he doesn't pull something or break something or strain something or just do something that sets him back until October...Chipper Jones brought his father along to New York to help share in his All-Star experience.

It's been fun blogging with you,

Kate

Braves close out "first half" winning two straight

With the unofficial end to the first half of the season upon us, I thought it would be fun to recap a few themes of the first three months.

INJURIES: The biggest recurring theme has been the influx of players headed to the DL. From John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton and Rafael Soriano to Mark Kotsay, Omar Infante and Matt Diaz, there hasn’t been one area that has not been hurt by injuries at some point this season.

Comebacks: It’s hard to say that a guy that has only been in the league for about three years could be having a comeback year, but that’s just what 2008 has been for catcher Brian McCann. 2007 was definitely a down year for him as he struggled with an injury, but in 2008 he leads NL catchers in homeruns, 2nd in average and 3rd in RBIs.

Speaking of big years, Chipper Jones is having a monster of a first half. He spent most of April and May flirting with .400 and still leads the league in average at .378. But most importantly, he has remained healthy.

Tough Losses: The Braves have had quite an issue winning one run games this season standing at just 4-22, and 0-17 in such games on the road. They also have not been doing so well in extra inning games, proving very costly in their hopes of making to the playoffs.

Moving Up and Down the Ladder: Mostly due to injuries, the Braves have seemingly had a rotating group of guys come up to the Majors for a couple of games before being sent back down. And then there’s the whole Jeff Francoeur debacle, but I think we all know where I stood on that issue.

The Braves will now move into the second half riding a two game win streak. But they sit five games below .500 and 6 ½ behind the Phillies in the NL East. They aren’t out of it...yet...look at the Mets, two weeks ago they were tied with the Braves and now they’re just a half by Philadelphia, but the clock is ticking even faster for Atlanta. If they don’t turn things around in the next ten days, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Mark Teixeira wearing a different uniform on August 1st.

News&Notes: Greg Maddux might have played his final game against his former team...Congrats to Jair Jurrjens who was named National League Rookie of the Month for June.
(Photo: Danny Moloshok/AP)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

braves get big night from Mac

Jeff Francoeur returned to the Braves after being sent down to AA-Mississippi over the weekend, but it was buddy Brian McCann who stole the show launching two homeruns in the Braves 9-3 defeat of the Dodgers. Just one day earlier a very tired Atlanta team had been one hit by Hiroki Kuroda, but their bats came alive on Tuesday night including Mark Kotsay who had three hits in the game. Jair Jurrjens allowed just one earned run in six innings in the victory. This is most likely his final start until after the All-Star break.

Meanwhile, Mark Teixeira says he’s trying to keep his focus on baseball as rumors swirl about his future. The Red Sox maybe one of the many teams in the market for Big Tex’s services, but that move depends on how the Braves play out the next few weeks. A win last night was a huge boost, but can they continue to clean up in the next few days to head into the all-star break riding high? I pray so, especially over the weekend when they take on the Padres, but the team has not showed consistency, so it’s anybody's guess.

News&Notes: The Braves have signed pitcher Julian Tavarez. This will be Tavarez’s third team this season, but with eight pitchers on the DL, the Braves are pretty much desperate for some help…It will be a few more weeks before Tom Glavine will know if he will be able to rejoin the Braves pitching staff…Atlanta is currently seeking the services of a power hitting outfielder like maybe Jason Bay...Jeff Francoeur was unable to get to the ballpark in time for Monday night’s game, making Tuesday his first game back...Finally, Larry Brown Sports (via the Hot Clicks) has a funny Chipper Jones story.
(Photo: Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Well, that was quick

The Braves have recalled Jeff Francoeur after just three days at Double-A Mississippi. Francoeur batted .583 (7-for-13) with a triple and two RBIs in three games. The demotion was a bit of a surprise to Frenchy who says he felt “betrayed” by the move.

“I feel like after three years, I was owed a little more of an explanation. But that's Frank [Wren, GM]’s deal and that's what I guess they decided to do.”

I can understand recalling him a bit earlier than expected with Omar Infante landing on the DL, but by sending him down for just three days, I think this could have done more harm than good. Either you say, you know what Jeff, you’re just not playing up to your capabilities and we want you to take a few weeks and play down in Mississippi, get your bat back, get your confidence back and just have some fun. Or you give him a couple days off to clear his head or whatever, but by just sending him down for three days, it could back fire on the team. In theory, yes, he could rejoin the team in LA and just tear up the joint, but it could also create disloyalty on the part of Francoeur, which is completely understandable. From a fan’s view, you want your players to play for the good of the team and not just themselves and when you distrust your GM that could make things a little more difficult.

(Photo: Brad Mangin/SI; source)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Braves win marathon battle against Astros

I guess when the game is delayed by an hour and 50 minutes to begin with, it’s going to be a long day, but no one could have predicted the additional 17 innings that would accompany the rain delay especially after Houston jumped out to an early 5-1 lead. But the Braves never gave up, getting a run here and there until finally tying it up at six a piece thanks to Yunel Escobar’s two-run single in the eighth. Nine innings later and the Braves found themselves with the bases loaded and Mark Teixeira up at bat. Big Tex knocked a walk off single into right that scored Gregor Blanco to give the Braves a 7-6 victory. The game marked just their second win in extra innings and fifth in one run games this season, which will hopefully spark something during their six game west coast road trip.

Atlanta, like every other major league team, sported fresh caps for the holiday weekend. The Navy hats were sparked with an American flag embedded “A”, as sported by recent call-up Jason Perry (right). I thought they especially looked nice with the red alternative home jerseys. Although that may just be because I am one of the few people who actually like that jersey.

News&Notes: Add Omar Infante, Jeff Bennett and Manny Acosta to the Braves players on the DL. Atlanta has had 13 players make 18 trips to the DL in the opening three months of the season. Bennett and Acosta became the seventh and eighth pitchers currently out, joining Mike Hampton, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Peter Moylan, Anthony Lerew and Rafael Soriano…Speaking of Soriano, after throwing a bullpen session, he told pitching coach Roger McDowell that he’s about “80 percent.” Although not ready for a rehab assignment, yet, the Braves are hoping he’ll be ready by the end of the week. I’m putting Soriano into my Hampton file, in that I’ll believe it when I see him jogging out of the bullpen during a game.
(Photos: John Amis/AP)


It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Chipper Jones and Brian McCann make the All-Star team

For the first time since 2001, Chipper Jones will be a member of the National League All-Star team. Jones, who has flirted with batting over .400 all season, was rewarded for his stellar first half by being voted as the starting third baseman for the NL. Jones will be joined by catcher Brian McCann, who'll be making his third straight appearance in the midsummer classic. McCann became the first Braves player to be selected to three straight all-star games in his first three years. I would have liked to have seen an additional Braves player make the squad like Tim Hudson or even Yunel Escobar, but Jones and McCann have played excellent ball over the past three months and deserve their recognition. Congrats to the two and I'll be seeing you guys in the Bronx next week!

(Source)

It's been fun blogging with you,

Kate

Francoeur sent down

Happy Fourth of July all. It’s been an unfortunate couple of days for the Braves with their whole getting swept by the Phillies at home thing. But that wasn’t the worst of it, the Braves have decided to option right-fielder Jeff Francoeur to Double-A Mississippi in hopes of getting him out of his worst career slump. GM Frank Wren says they will call Frenchy up within the next 20 days, but hope that the move will give him “a chance to relax and play well.” I guess it’s good that he didn’t get that pay raise he was hoping for in the off season. At the same time, I feel like the team is dropping like flies. Seriously, if they’re not hanging out at a local doctor’s office, they’re moving up and down the ladder. Well, the contact lens didn’t work for Jeff, so hopefully this will. Meanwhile, for the rest of the team, I’m hoping the Astros will be the cure for the Phillies blues.

News&Notes: The AJC takes at look at the 2005 Braves Rookies to see where are they now.

(Photo: Tami Chappell/REUTERS; Source)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate

Jones and Kotsay return to the lineup...yet the Braves still lose

Fine, it wasn’t the night I was hoping for, when I read late yesterday afternoon that Chipper Jones would avoid the DL and play in Tuesday’s game against the Phillies. I had visions of Jones regaining his stride, possibly becoming the hero of the game by hitting a walk-off homerun to celebrate his return. Instead, it seemed more like the Phillies' Shane Victorino enjoyed a coming out party in their 8-3 defeat of the Braves. Victorino went 2-for-5, driving with a homerun and four RBIs in the game, while the Braves Charlie Morton left in a hurry, giving up five runs before being pulled in the third. The relief staff including Buddy Carlyle and Manny Acosta was able to hold the Phils scoreless until Blaine "major appliance" Boyer allowed three runs in the ninth. Oh, and Chipper...he went 1-for-3 with two walks and a double in his first game back.

But all was not lost for the Bravos who also got Mark Kotsay back from the DL on Tuesday. Greg Norton drove in two runs in the loss, but the Braves went 1-for-15 with men in scoring position basically nailing their own coffin. Atlanta will continue its series with the Phillies on Wednesday night with Jorge Campillo going up against Adam Eaton. Philadelphia has been right at home at Turner Field so far this season, but it’s Adam Eaton, if ever there was a game to take out the Phils, it would be when Adam Eaton is on the mound. Too bad they sent down Brett Myers, that would have been a win for sure.

News&Notes: Even with all of the injuries, somehow the Braves pitching staff has been able to stay on course. Maybe it has something to do with pitching coach Roger McDowell?
(Photo: Gregory Smith/AP)

It’s been fun blogging with you,
Kate