Braves: Consistently Inconsistent

(Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)

The Atlanta Braves need something more than offense and a decent bullpen. They need something to get them rolling. They need a boost of some sort to shoot them to the top of the NL East. Only two and a half games back, a winning streak could really go a long way for the inconsistent Braves.

The longest streak they have had all year has been three games when they swept the slumping Blue Jays and the Nationals back in the first week of the season.

Out of the first place teams in the MLB the Phillies have the shortest streak at five games. Texas, Detroit, and Milwaukee all have streaked for seven straight, and Boston leads all first place teams with 11 consecutive wins.

If the Braves can stay in the hunt for the East, one six or seven game winning streak could put them in the leader spot. The only problem is winning the games.

The Braves best 10 game span was May 10th through May 21st. The Braves went six and four and gained no ground on the Phillies.

It's not going to be a Phillies collapse to cause the Braves to obtain first place. It's going to take a huge effort from the bullpen and offense for Atlanta to streak.

The Braves are preparing for a five game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This may not be a bad thing. Last year the Braves were pretty terrible on the road. This year the Braves are 12-10 on the road and 11-12 at home.

After Arizona the Braves head back home for a 10 game home stand where they will face the Cubs, the Brewers, and the Pirates. The Braves have potential to really do well in the next 15 games.

The consistently inconsistent Braves could really turn their season around these next few weeks. It's up to the shaky bullpen to stand stable. The mysterious offense will have to become reliable. The Braves need to stop being average and start being a first place caliber team.

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