Atlanta Braves: 4 Reasons Braves Aren't Ready for 2011 Postseason

Last night was a huge blow to the confidence for all of us Atlanta Braves fans. 

Former Brave Omar Infante crushed a 97 mph fastball from Craig Kimbrel into the empty outfield seats of Sun Life Stadium. A game that seemingly would have been a win for the Braves at any other stadium—note the lighting interfering with Chipper's fielding—turned into a Marlins' victory in just a few moments.

Their lead in the National League Wild Card is now down to 2.5 games. St. Louis' strong play in September is making for one tight battle.

Assuming that the Braves do hold on, they don't look like they are ready for the postseason. Matt Chernoff, talk show host at Atlanta's 680 The Fan, even admitted that he thinks this team will be a one-and-done, and he has been one of their biggest supporters.

I hate to say it, but Atlanta is not going to do well in the playoffs if they continue playing this way. 

1. Bullpen Fatigue

Everyone is making a note of how overworked the Braves bullpen is. This morning, Buster Olney said that Mariano Rivera has never pitched in more than 74 games in one season. The Braves have three relievers who have 75 or more appearances this year.

Craig Kimbrel has pitched in 77 games now. Last night was his seventh blown save of the year. It very well could have been his 46th save, but there's still no denying what happened.

Jonny Venters leads the majors with 82 games played in 2011, and it has shown. Venters has a 4.82 ERA in September with batters hitting .286 against him. He's been untouchable at times, but the All-Star is clearly wearing down a little.

The Braves have one of the best one-two-three setups in all of baseball. But how will their overuse this season affect them in the playoffs? Things don't bode well for the young bullpen if they are fatigued.

2. Starting Pitching

You can't blame the Braves pitching staff for getting injured. However, their ailments are not going to get them far in the postseason.

Tommy Hanson is currently on pace to make a start at the end of the season. He threw two innings yesterday in a simulated game. Hanson said he felt no pain, so hopefully he can continue this trend going into the playoffs. It is unsure how effective Hanson will be though.

Jair Jurrjens does not look like he will see playoff action. The latest news says that Jurrjens will only pitch if the Braves make a run in the postseason.

Derek Lowe has been awful lately. He's now 9-15 with a 4.94 ERA. He's a veteran on this staff, but I don't see him magically turning things around once the playoffs arrive.

The Braves will have to rely on some of the youngsters as well. Mike Minor and Brandon Beachy have winning records this season, and have been impressive at times. They have not seeing playoff action before, though. Let's hope they can handle the pressure.

3. 7-12 in September

You can't go into September in a slump.

The Braves so far are 7-12 this month. If they want to win in October, things are going to have to pick up. Take San Francisco for example. They went 18-8 last September and followed up with a run for the title.

As mentioned previously, Matt Chernoff said it himself yesterday. Chernoff stated that a team doesn't go into October playing like this and turn things around instantly. 

If the Braves continue their dismal play this month, I'm afraid it will only lead to more of the same in the postseason.

4. Morale Is Down

I'm sure the Braves hear all the speculation about them potentially blowing their wild-card lead, but does it get to them?

Lately it has looked like the team is just not the same. Morale seems to be down, and why shouldn't it? Their lead has gone from 8.5 games down to 2.5 in the past couple weeks. 

With games like last night, the team has to find a way to stay positive. You could tell how Craig Kimbrel felt as he walked to the dugout after the loss. Dan Uggla came over for support, so it's good to see the team is tight-knit. Kimbrel knows these guys have faith in him.

If they barely slide into the playoffs, they might not be the most energized ballclub. You can't be demoralized in October.