DO NOT LET THIS MAN PITCH PAST THE 5th INNING...EVER!!!

That's right Bobby Cox, this one-time ace and current underachieving Oakland Athletics cast off can never be allowed to approach the mound again after the 5th inning until you have the N.L. Wild Card mathematically locked up.  Even if Hudson has a no-hitter or perfect game going you should still greatly consider removing him.  Otherwise you may soon be completely out of the postseason hunt altogether.

Case in point? Today's Mets game.

After allowing three runs through five innings and with the scored tied at 3, Hudson strolled out to the mound in the top of the sixth.  I clinched my fist and held my breath for I knew disaster loomed right around the corner.  How was he going to blow it again?  Sure enough, soon thereafter Hudson came unglued in the sixth and gave up 6 more earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning.  New York has blown another must win game for Atlanta wide open.

This has become a menancing trend for Hudson.

Including today's game, over his past three starts, Hudson has managed a solid ERA of 3.00 through the first 5 innings of each game.  He has either had the lead or been tied in all three of those games, and still miraculously managed two wins in two of the games despite the disturbing fact I am about to unleash upon Braves fans.

For once Hudson takes to the mound in the 6th, that solid ERA of 3.00 through 5 jumps all the way to 49.50 after the 5th.

In each of his past three games Hudson has pitched just 2/3 of an inning after the 5th in each game.  During that span he has given up 11 runs.  The guy simply melts down after 5, no doubt about it.  You can not afford to leave him in there longer than that, unless you don't care about things like actually winning the game and going to the post-season.

While the Atlanta Braves had a remote chance of still catching the New York Mets for the division title just a few days ago, this weekend series against New York at Turner Field has sealed the deal. 

Taking every remaining Mets/Braves series was imperative and mandatory if Atlanta and Braves fans wanted to even entertain the notion of possibly catching New York in the standings.  Now Atlanta is faced with just trying to avoid the sweep tommorrow.

Then to add insult to injury...

Despite Chipper getting hurt yet again yesterday, the Braves shipped Betemit to the Dodgers for a washed up middle reliever (Danys Baez) and a talented but raw infielder (Willy Aybar).  Forget being the Braves best bench player, Betemit was the Braves only decent bench player.  He is going to be a .300, 25 HR, 90 RBI guy in the very near future and is currently the only decent backup plan for an injured Chipper. Or should I say was?

The month of June was one the Atlanta Braves would care to forget rather quickly.  July on the other hand? Well now, that is an entirely different matter. 

After compiling an abysmal 6-21 record this past June, the Braves found themselves in quite the calamitous predicament.  Immediately before the Braves began their horrid month long march to kick off the summer, the club stood just 3.5 games back in the N.L. East and only one game out of the National League Wild Card lead.  By the time July finally rolled around, Atlanta was buried 15 games back behind the New York Mets and were 10 games behind the Cincinatti Reds for the N.L. Wild Card.  It is the worst record the Braves have registered in a single month since the 1935 season, back when the club still played in Boston.  What a difference just one month can make!

However, Atlanta's prospects for success have looked much more promising in the month of July thus far.  The struggling club opened the month by winning six of their first nine games, and seven out of its last ten played.  That mark was good enough to tie San Diego for the best record compiled in the N.L. during the final ten games before the All-Star break.  It goes to reason that if one terrible month can nearly derail a season, one spectacular month can get a season right back on track. 

Which is exactly why it is so puzzling that Fox Sports contributing writer Dayn Perry has already dismissed them and ranked them as one of the worst three teams in the N.L.  By giving them an "F" grade he put them on the same level as Chicago and Pittsburgh.  He awarded higher grades to the Marlins and Nationals despite being lower than Atlanta in the standings.  He also gave a "B' to a Cincinnatti club that only had 5 more wins than the Braves at the break and had just dropped 3 of 4 while visiting the Chop Shop immediately before the All-Star festivities began this week.  I could see such a disappointing grade being accurate two or three weeks ago, but did Perry bother to pay any attention whatsoever during the team's last ten game homestand?

Atlanta has already managed to match its win total for the month of June and stands ready to embark upon a key road trip against two first place teams before returning home to face three division rivals.  If the club can continue to win two games for every one it loses over that stretch (just as Atlanta has done ever since July 1st), then the team will surely be right in the thick of the playoff picture and quite possibly within striking distance of the Mets by the trading deadline.  Those expecting Atlanta to cut loose a player like John Smoltz or Andruw Jones by the end of the month have another thing coming.  With over two months to play and only being six games back of a playoff berth, Atlanta has no intention of calling it quits just yet.

The Braves are no strangers to July turnarounds.  Just last year the Braves trailed the Washington Nationals for first place by 4.5 games on June 31st.  The Braves would later reemerge and held a five game lead in the division a month later after going 17-8 (.680 winning percentage) last July.  It is a rite of passage that the Braves embark upon year after year. The team's late seasons efforts always yield the same result; one divisional title after another.

However, no team has ever done what the Braves did while still back in Boston in 1914. 

After trailing the New York Giants by 15 games on July 4th while sitting in dead last in their division, the Braves went on to win 41 of the club's next 53 games and would finish with a second half record of 68-19.  They ended up winning the division by 10.5 games, and are still the only team in the history of MLB to win their division after being in last place on July 4th.  The Braves would match that achievement this year if they do indeed manage to win their 15th straight title. For on this past July 4th, the Braves were in last place in the N.L. East.

Providing some much needed inspiration, Marcus Giles and Edgar Renteria have been on a tear recently.  Giles is currently on a 11 game hitting streak and is batting .333 for the month. Meanwhile, Renteria has hit safely in 13 straight games and is batting a remarkable .447 this month.  The Braves major offseason acquisition has to have Red Sox fans livid.  Renteria has already surpassed his homerun mark of 8 homers last year (9) and matched his stolen base total for all of last season (9).  More importantly, his .318 season average is up 42 points from last year, while his on-base percentage of .397 is up 62 points from a year ago. 

The real show stopper as of late however has been Chipper Jones.  Mets fans know him affectionately as "Larry." They are also well aware of just how hot the Braves third baseman can get in the second half of a season (1999).  After a brief injury scare caused him to miss a few games, Chipper is ready to stick it to teams in the second half once again.  He is 20 for his last 40 and is batting .538 in his last ten games played.  He has hit 3 homeruns and batted in 13 runs in that same span.  His current 11 game streak with an extra base hit is a franchise record, and has also hit safely in 12 straight.  He has a 1.000 SLG% (tied 1st in MLB), .625 OBP% (1st), and .550 avg. (2nd) thus far on the month. The guy has simply been next to unstoppable. 

As the fortunes of your top three hitters go, usually goes the fortune of your team.

Add to that the fact that Smoltz is pitching brillianly as of late (2-0, 2.14 ERA, 22 K's, 3 BB's over last three starts), rookie hurler Chuck James has been perfect in his three starts, and Horacio Ramirez has been solid with exception to last Friday's brief outing. The Braves rotation has suddenly begun to greatly resemble one capable of sustaining a winning streak.

Now if Tim Hudson, John Thomson, and the bullpen could just come around; another New York franchise could be in grave danger of squandering a huge mid-season lead by season's end. 

In all seriousness, I have every bit of faith the Braves will make the postseason once again. Whether its as a wild card or improbable division winner, Atlanta will play this October. It is a sight I eagerly await, if for no other reason than to make Dayn Perry look clueless yet again when it comes to covering our national past time.  Shame on him for not knowing that a six game deficit in early July means absolutely nothing.  Doesn't he know that two and a half months is an eternity in baseball?

With Saturday's 4-1 win over the Cincinnatti Reds, the Atlanta Braves already stand just one win shy of matching the club's entire win total for the month of June.  Braves young right fielder Jeff Francoeur has undeniably been one of the key contributors during the Braves recent and sorely needed run this July.

Some players simply can't handle the pressure.  Two outs, runners on, the game is tied, or even more nerve racking, your team is trailing.  Your teammates are counting on you to make the difference in the ball game.  Come through and be the team hero.  Fail, and find yourself between the cross hairs of countless fans and sportswriters around the country.

It is a scenario by which every player's value must be measured.  Can they come through when the pressure is on and it matters most.  Are you clutch?  Or are you Alex Rodriguez?

For Jeff Francoeur, it happens to be a situation he relishes.

Coming into Saturday's game, Francoeur was tied with Boston Red Sox first baseman David Ortiz for most two out RBI's this season (33) in all of MLB after hitting a two out RBI single in extra innings this past Thursday to help the Braves take the first game of the team's current four game series with the Reds.  Following the game when Francoeur was asked about his success with runners on and two out he earnestly replied, "I enjoy being in those kind of situations. I am just more dialed in." 

It should therefore come as no surprise that when his team was down 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning and one man was aboard, Francoeur was ready to deliver.  And boy did he ever! 

Following a two out single by Braves catcher Brian McCann, also Francoeur's roommate, the Georgia native and life long Braves fan sent a shot past Reds centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr and over the outfield wall to give the Braves their first runs and first lead of the game.  It was a lead that Atlanta would never relinquish, and a two run homer that gave Francoeur sole possession of first place in MLB for most two out RBI's.  35 of his 62 RBI's this season have come with two outs. It is hard to get more clutch than that.

However, countless writers have still found ways to give Francoeur grief this season.  Mostly commonly Francoeur is heavily criticized for being too much of a "free swinger."  Some say he lacks discipline and gets too much "exposure" for such a low average hitter.

Hard to believe that one of the game's top clutch hitters and a guy who is on pace to reach 30 homeruns and 120 RBI's is being criticized for not doing enough at the plate.  Perhaps these narrow-minded writers just have a tad bit of jealousy over the Sports Illustrated covers, Delta Airlines fan friendly commercials, and the "Francoeur's Franks" and have to invent ways to bash the second year outfielder.  Surely this must be the rationale fueling the criticism because I can find no other reason for such an unwarranted uproar of negativity.

Would it be nice if Francoeur was batting .290 and putting up those same numbers?  Sure it would.  But you can bet your rear that any team in the bigs would still be ecstatic to have a player who produces like Francoeur has this season (especially in the clutch), even if he is only batting around .260. 

What is even more remarkable about Francoeur's numbers is that he was absolutely lifeless for the first month of the season.  Now that he has gotten himself going, he does more closely resemble that .290 hitter that so many expect him to be, lest they label him a failure.  For those writers, it is time to do some homework, get your stats straight, and give Francoeur the respect he deserves.  He has definitely been one of the bright spots for a struggling Atlanta team that has underachieved much of this season. 

 However, much like Francoeur, the Atltanta Braves are turning their season around after a slow start and during a crucial time.  With a couple series against the top two teams in the central division nearly in the books, and leading wild card contenders like San Diego coming up after the All-Star break, the Braves have picked a prime time to heat up and climb the N.L. Wild Card standings. 

Who knows?  Get the divisional deficit down to single digits by month's end and perhaps 15 straight isn't totally out of the question.  But I don't want to get too far ahead of myself quite yet.  Getting win number 6 for the month is first on the list of priorities for now.  After that, it's getting back to .500.