Six Reasons Why The Atlanta Braves Are Going to Win the East
When the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Roy Oswalt shortly before the trade deadline, Atlanta Braves fans braced for impact as everyone in the sports world predicted a late-season push from the Phillies to overtake the Braves in the quest for the NL East title.
The Braves' recent struggles and acquisition of dead-weight Derrek Lee haven't done much to dispel those fears, and at the time of this writing, they have fallen a half of a game behind Philadelphia.
But Braves fans need to keep an eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. That light is not a NL Wild Card berth. It's an NL East Championship. Here are six reasons why.
(All statistics accurate through September 6).
Bullpen Domination
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Atlanta's top five bullpen arms have an average ERA of 2.29 on the season (not to mention an entire staff ERA of 3.53). Billy Wagner has recorded 32 saves, and setup man Jonny Venters has a 4-2 record and a 1.77 ERA.
The top five relief pitchers for the Phillies have an average ERA of 3.83, a run and a half higher than the Braves' bullpen. Closer Brad Lidge has contributed 21 saves. Any way you slice the numbers, the Braves clearly have the superior bullpen.
Playing the Braves without a top-flight bullpen is a big mistake, because...
The Braves Are The Masters of Last At-Bat Wins
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Atlanta has won 29 games this season on their last at-bat. That's five more final at-bat victories than the legendary 1995 Braves team that won the World Series had. Rookie phenom Jason Heyward has contributed five of those game-winning hits himself.
If the Braves can get into your bullpen in a close game, watch out. There's bound to be some late-game heroics from at least one of Atlanta's many role-players. And speaking of role-players...
Brooks Conrad Is On a Mission From God
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Brooks Conrad is an Atlanta Braves bench player that has started in spot-duty at third and second base. He is also the most clutch batter that you may have never heard of.
Conrad has only seven home runs this year. Two of those have been grand slams. Both were in pinch-hit situations. He is one of only five players in Major League history to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in the same season.
It seems like every time this guy comes up to bat in a clutch situation, he delivers with a game-winner.
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The Braves Are 7-5 Against The Phillies This Season
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It's important to remember that the Braves have a winning record against Philadelphia this season, because the two teams play each other in two more three-game series before season's end. That includes a series in Atlanta that will be the last three games of the season for both teams.
While they may have struggled mightily this year against teams that shouldn't have been a problem, Atlanta has been able to put it together against Philly so far.
The NL East race is almost certain to come down to this final series in Atlanta on the last weekend of the season, so it's a good thing that the Braves are equipped with...
The Better Ace
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Yes, Roy Halladay may be the best pitcher in baseball. But he has not been better than Tim Hudson has this season.
Halladay has posted an outstanding 2.36 ERA this season. It's too bad for the Phillies that this number is just barely trumped by Tim Hudson's 2.30 ERA. And while Halladay has amassed a truly impressive 196 strike outs compared to Hudson's 113, Hudson has been able to get batters out efficiently with ground balls, and has given up only twelve home runs compared to Halladay's 21.
Tim Hudson is having one of the best years of his stellar career, and although Halladay is great, this is Hudson's season to shine.
This Is Bobby Cox's Season
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The sixth and final reason is for Number 6.
Bobby Cox is a living legend. He ranks fourth all-time on the managerial wins list. He's a three-time NL Manager of the Year. His fifteen division titles are a Major League record for a manager. He led the Braves to an unprecedented fourteen straight division titles. He also holds the record for the most managerial ejections. And he's hanging it up after this season.
Yes, the 2010 NL East race is going to come down to the wire. Yes, the Phillies are a good team. But there's no way that the Atlanta Braves let Bobby Cox go out without one more division championship. They will win this one for Bobby!
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