Braves-Padres: Javier Vazquez Helps Salvage Finale with NL West Bottom-Feeders

Following two demoralizing...err...humiliating losses to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday and Wednesday night, it may have been easy to say that the sky was falling and that all hopes for 2009 were lost.

Well, that's just how this entire season has been.

Even with losing ground to the Phillies, Rockies, and turning NL East second-placehood over to the Marlins, the Atlanta Braves woke up big time on Thursday night.

With Chipper busting out of his slump with a two-hit performance, Matty-D (or Captain Caveman) continuing to do his thing, and "La Cooka Roche A" (and we all share a hearty laugh) continuing his hot hitting, the Braves righted themselves to the tune of a nine-run, 17-hit performance against Clayton Richard and the Priests of San Diego (I have Spanish this semester, might as well flaunt some).

Add to that Javy being Javy (seven innings of shutout ball), and you have a very good night down at the Ted.

No, the win does not make up for 2-1 (close and frustrating to the end) and 12-5 (in control until the big inning) losses the past two evenings, but this victory tastes a whole hell of a lot better than a sweep at the hands of the Friars.

Look guys, the end is not very far away, but it isn't exactly "near."

Just think, Tim Hudson and Nate McLouth are coming back in the next four to five days.

The team managed to survive a stretch of Met-esque injuries by going over .500 and are making, in essence, two fresh All-Star acquisitions for the last month of the season.

Yeah, they're going to need to go something like 25-10 (that's 92 wins) the rest of the way, but you've gotta have faith.

I've devoted way too much of my free time to this club over the past six months to just throw up the white flag.

In the words of Uncle Kracker, "you make me smile" Atlanta Braves.

Sometimes that smile is a half-dazed, crazy-looking smile from the utter embarrassment that you are able to bring upon yourselves, but it is a smile nonetheless.

(By the way, that Prospect Profile is coming up, it just may not be on Van Pope anymore.)