Atlanta Sports Fan Blog

The first thing Bobby Cox said to me after the game was, “Don’t expect miracles now.”

And part of me felt like saying, “You mean we shouldn’t expect Jason Heyward to hit 162 homers and drive in 648 runs this season? Why not? He’s on pace to do it.” But the bigger part of me said (grudgingly), “Yeah, you’re right.”

We waited long to see what the new guy could do, and with his first swing he gave us reason to believe. But baseball, as we know, is a game of failure. The best hitters make outs seven times in 10, et cetera. And Heyward, who’s the best-looking rookie any of us has ever beheld, is nonetheless a rookie.

He won’t hit 162 home runs in 2010. He might not hit 25. (He had only 29 homers in the minors.) We — and I plead guiltier than anyone — spent yesterday falling all over ourselves to gush, but in the cold light of Tuesday morning we — and I’m talking to myself here, too — have to remember: The guy’s 20; he hasn’t yet figured out everything.

Although it must be said that the least surprised person at Turner Field on Monday was … Jason Heyward. Someone asked if he’d ever dreamed of hitting a home run as a Brave, and he almost laughed off the question. “If I played here in my home town, I’d hope I’d hit a home run in 81 games,” he said.

Click here to read the full article – By Mark Bradley of Atlanta Journal Constitution

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Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson highlighted the early power display that helped Derek Lowe feel less uneasy about his latest finger ailment and the possibility of reliving the nightmare that he’d experienced when he last stood on Citi Field’s mound.


It took the Braves just three innings to provide Lowe comfort and compile all of the runs that would encompass the 11-3 bashing that they handed the Mets at Citi Field on Monday night.

“A lot of this game is momentum, and if you can seize the momentum early and set the tone, you’ve got a good chance to win it,” said Jones, whose three-run homer capped the four-run second inning.


Click here to read the full article – By Mark Bowman of MLB.com

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It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. This is the mindset the Braves are taking as they enter the season’s final two months with a sense of optimism that wasn’t present when they concluded the first two.

While the Braves were able to keep their heads above water with a .500 record through the end of May, general manager Frank Wren entered June knowing he needed to make changes, and he did so with the acquisition of center fielder Nate McLouth and the promotion of top pitching prospect Tommy Hanson. With these moves, Wren upgraded his lineup, fortified his rotation and provided the framework that has allowed the Braves to enter this week confident that they can find entry into the postseason — even if the Phillies continue their torrid pace.

Click here to read the full article – By Mark Bowman of MLB.com

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