(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

1.       Will the starting pitching staff stay hot?

-While the Braves’ offense hasn’t been hitting on all cylinders for the better part of the year, the same can’t be said about the pitching staff.  Thus far the Braves starting pitching has been consistently good for the whole season led by Jair Jurrjens (2.67 ERA), Javier Vasquez (2.86 ERA), and rookie Tommy Hanson (5-0, 3.00 ERA).  Derek Lowe has had his struggles, but his past two starts might indicate he’s ready to duplicate the success he had with the Dodgers in last year’s second half when he went 7-3, 2.38 ERA.  Japanese import Kenshin Kawakami has pitched very well after April with a 3.20 ERA, making it seem as if the cultural adjustments were the biggest reason for his early season struggles. 

In Short: All indications pint to the staff keeping up their great work down the stretch to keep the Braves in just about every game from here on out.

2.       Will Martin Prado make the Braves lineup feared?

-“Feared” may be a bit of a stretch, but since Martin Prado has gained the starting job at second base, the Braves have went 13-7 and are putting up a lot more runs than before.  Prado is hitting at a .324 clip and has been a catalyst for the offense while batting in the number two hole in front of the run producers, Chipper, McCann, and Escobar.  Escobar may have been the bigges beneficiary of Prado’s emergence as he has been moved down from the 2^nd to the 5^th spot in the lineup and is driving in runs at an overwhelming clip with 18 RBI in July while hitting .396.

In Short: Prado may not instill “fear” into opposing pitching staffs, but his impact on the Braves lineup is undeniable.  I’m very intrigued to see if he keeps up his torrid pace and helps the Braves’ offense give the starting pitchers the runs support they deserve for the rest of the year.

3.       Will the middle relief be reliable?

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