Atlanta Braves: No Breaks, No Consistency, No Wins

The 2010 Atlanta Braves could best be characterized as a crying shame thus far.

Floundering leadoff men, poor batting averages, atrocious RISP numbers, and a lack of fundamentals.

But they can sure take those walks, huh?

It's really been a downer in A-town since late-inning dramatics last Tuesday against the NL East-leading Phillies, and a large part of the time, it's been painful to watch.

Errors, untimely Ks, passiveness, and a sense of apathy have overrun the Bravos on the playing field as this horrendous stretch (including a series loss to the Phillies, a sweep at Citi, and a tough-luck opener in the Show Me State) has dragged itself out.

If there has been a bright spot...well, even the Golden Child hasn't been hitting on this road trip.

It's still to early to panic (let Adrian Gonzalez and the surging Padres lie), as we find ourselves only one game beyond the one-ninth-of-the-way marker, but you have to start squinting and tilting your head, if you get my drift.

Monday's game, despite the outcome, could be a sign of an upswing.

The problem children, of you will, of Troy Glaus, Nate McLouth, and Melky Cabrera went a combined 5-for-10 with two RBI as Yunel Escobar put together solid ABs en route to a 1-for-4 showing.

Maybe that's being too optimistic, but little things like that mean a lot to a team flailing as the Braves have the past week.

If you maintain tonight's lineup of...

SS R Yunel Escobar
2B R Martin Prado
3B S Chipper Jones
  C L Brian McCann
1B R Troy Glaus
RF L Jason Heyward
LF S Melky Cabrera
CF L Nate McLouth

...with Eric "Red Hot" Hinske, Captain Caveman (Matt Diaz), and Omar Infante thrown in accordingly, then you have to have a little bit of hope, right?

Looked a lot better than the other combinations we've seen thus far, right?

I mean, it did match the two-and-a-half (essentially) game total of the Braves in New York.

Times are not great, but I ask that you bear with this group.

Simply too much talent to be this awful all season...this isn't the Tigers circa '03.

A little rock here, and a little roll from somebody in the middle of the order, is all it's going to take.

(Well, at least you hope.)

This song goes out to the reactionary Braves fans...