Braves Weekly Wrap-up

This week for the Braves was a very up-and-down ride.  The week began on Sunday with the 7^th straight loss for the Braves. On top of that, it finished off a three-game sweep at the hands of the NL East division rival Washington Nationals.  Another loss on Monday brought the losing streak to 8 games, the longest for the Braves in over two years.  The long losing streak can be attributed to a couple of key injuries as well as lackluster play from some of the healthy starters.  Injuries to Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann, David Ross, and Chipper Jones left a gaping hole in the Atlanta offense.  Guys like Eric Hinske, Juan Francisco, J.C. Boscan, and Matt Diaz were called on to fill those holes.  While they are excellent players to come off the bench, they are not everyday players. 

Uggla will need to stay hot, if the Braves want to make a run in the playoffs

                On Tuesday, the Braves finally ended their losing streak by beating the Cardinals 5-4 behind a strong performance at the plate from Dan Uggla, who went 1-2 with a 3-run homer and 2 walks.  Wednesday brought Braves fans some hope for the season as both Brian McCann and Freddie Freeman hit their first home runs since their respective injuries.  The Braves had a scheduled off day on Thursday, and the game on Friday with the Nationals was postponed due to inclement weather.  On Saturday, the Braves were dominated by the Nationals’ top starter, Stephen Strasburg.  The Braves were only able to get 4 hits off of Strasburg while striking out 9 times. 

A dejected Pastornicky will be headed down to Triple-A Gwinnett

Simmons will look to make a quick impact in the majors

One of the major storylines of the week was the struggles of SS prospect Tyler Pastornicky.  For the season, “Rev” is only hitting .248.  However, the most important thing that led to him being replaced on the major league roster was his defense.  He only had 7 errors on the season, but his lack of range and a subpar arm were his ultimate undoing.  Many plays that should have been made were not, although errors weren’t charged.   Because of his struggles, Pastornicky was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett Thursday.  To replace him, Andrelton Simmons was called up.  The scouting report on Simmons is that his defense is top tier, but his offense is still a work in progress.  Simmons is projected to hit about the same as Pastornicky, but his defense is worlds better.  With the addition of Simmons to the defense and the health of their starters, the Braves have the potential to turn an up-and-down season into a playoff run.