Loss on May 5th vs. the Mets Could Serve As a Great Momentum Shift For Braves

K-Rod certainly wasn't celebrating like this on Cinco de Mayo.

When he came in with a three-run lead in the ninth, I'm sure that 95 percent of us Braves fans were positive that the game was over.

Even though K-Rod has always been known as an "exciting" closer, I certainly was not expecting the mini-rally that ensued after he got the first two outs out of the way in fine fashion.

With two outs, Kelly "Streaking" Johnson singled.

Wooo (with sarcastic tone), right?

Then, Clint Sammons saw, from my count, an eight pitch at-bat, fouling off a slider and two fastballs, before drawing a walk.

"OK," I thought, "this might be going somewhere."

Omar Infante was the next batter.

My heart sank when he popped up because that was an auto...OH MY GOD!

In an epic display of self-certainty and "nonchalantness," similar to what has cost the Mets the past two Septembers, Carlos Delgado tried to one-hand the last out and dropped the ball.

KJ in to score.

Yunel Escobar then hit a single to drive in Sammons, bringing the Braves to within a run.

Then there was Chipper.

The Braves' best hitter comes up with runners on fist and third and LINES ONE TO CENTER...only to be caught by Ryan Church.

Mets win.

Now, I hate a loss, especially a forth in a row, as much as the next guy, but this is the kind of loss you feel OK about after you review it, even though the Braves bullpen could be blamed for the defeat—a problem rearing it's ugly head again.

Sure, it was another one-run loss, but when you cut into a deficit like that against the all-time single-season saves record holder, who did blow seven last year, you HAVE to feel good.

That's the type of final inning that fuels your team, the type that gets you really riled up about the next game.

I'm not saying the Braves are going to pull a Rockies and win 20-some games in a row, but I am saying that this is something the team can build on over the next few series.

Plus, this makes the Mets' "impeccable" bullpen look bad, and, in a rivalry such as this one, that is always a good thing.