(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

As the series finale against the Brewers came to a close on Sunday, there were some promising signs that Atlanta was making some small strides in the right direction.

Braves fans can only hope that this will spark the struggling offense into creating more positive situations and scenarios to manufacture runs. With the Pirates coming to town for a four-game home stand, the Braves really need to sweep Pittsburgh in order to put themselves in a good position to take on the powerhouses of the American League.

Starting next Friday, June 19, the Braves will endure arguably the toughest level of competition that any one baseball club will see this season.

For a stretch of 13 games, the Braves will travel to Boston to take on the Red Sox for a three-game series. The Braves will then travel back to Atlanta to start a 10-game home stand.

• One make-up game with the Chicago Cubs (June 22)
• Three-game series—New York Yankees (June 23-25)
• Three-game series—Boston Red Sox (June 26-28)
• Three-game series—Philadelphia Phillies (June 30 - July 2)

With Atlanta already 5.5 games back in the NL East, these games are sure to test their grit.

While the schedule seems intimidating, the Braves have fared well against tough opponents this year, sweeping the Blue Jays as well as taking four of six from the division-leading Phillies.

Look for the Braves bats to start generating some much-needed offense in the coming weeks. While the Braves rotation has done extremely well, they have had no run support. 

When the Braves score four or more runs, their record is an astonishing 27-6.

Now would be a great time to get the bats going for Atlanta to boost confidence and hold steady in the East. If the club fails to do so, Atlanta might want to start wheeling and dealing for the 2010 season.  

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