3 Tomahawk Takeaways as Atlanta Braves pound the ball early and often in offensive show vs. Pirates
2. Still trying to figure out the Bucs
So here’s a team that’s still hanging around in the NL Central – currently 6 games under .500 and nearly in last place, yet 10 games ago, were exactly at .500.
Wednesday will be the last time that Atlanta sees them for the year, and the Braves have a chance to sweep the series and finish with a 4-2 season series win.
Mike Soroka‘s start notwithstanding, that probably needs to happen.
The Bucs were expected to be on the fringes of competing in this NL Central… maybe battling with Cincinnati for that 4th place. Since June started, that’s essentially what’s been happening.
They have been thorns for some opponents (like they were to Atlanta a week ago) and yet have rolled over for some others:
- Arizona: 6-1 vs. Pittsburgh
- Dodgers: 6-0 (okay, the Dodgers smack everybody around)
- Milwaukee: 6-1
Thus far against the NL East, Pittsburgh is…
- 2-1 vs. Washington
- 2-3 vs. Atlanta
They haven’t yet played Philadelphia or the Mets. They still have a series remaining against the Nats.
The Pirates are still a dangerous team. They aren’t going to ‘buy’ at the trade deadline and they aren’t going to sell off much of their assets, either. But manager Clint Hurdle won’t let them quit, either.
But they will have something to say about the races for division titles in both the Central and the East – and it’s probably a good thing that the Braves are nearly done with them on the schedule.
That’s why I suggest that the Braves better not look past them on Wednesday, for they will do so at their own peril.
Sure: Mitch Keller makes his 2nd start of the year after a forgettable outing against Cincinnati… 2 weeks ago. Sure: Mike Soroka will be on the hill for the Braves.
Looks like a huge mismatch. It should be. But if Keller shows up with the stuff that recorded a 3.10 ERA at AAA, then things might get more interesting… and we don’t want ‘interesting’.