Braves, keep on choppin’!

Published 12:00 am Thursday, July 22, 2010

I couldn’t be more happy for the baseball team that I grew up watching when I was a little kid.

The National League East leaders — the Atlanta Braves — are on fire right now, and many commentators have said that the All-Star break would have hindered them.

The break only added to the Braves’ momentum as of Wednesday, their lead is 6.5 games over the New York Mets.

Atlanta’s success this season has been attributed to great pitching from the bullpen, batting, infield and outfield defense.

The leading home run and RBIs hitter for the team is Troy Glaus, whose batting average is at a staggering .257 as of press time.

Other notable leading hitters include Martin Prado, Brian McCann, Melky Cabrera, Jason Heyward and Braves veteran Chipper Jones.

Now on to the pitching.

Tim Hudson is currently the leading guy on the mound with a 2.60 ERA, and a 9-5 record.

He has 63 strikeouts, and will start tonight in the third of a four-game series against the San Diego Padres.

In addition to Hudson, Derek Lowe has the most wins with 10, and Tommy Hanson has the most strikeouts with 109.

So, they have a pretty good pitching crew.

On the infield defense, Glaus at first base, Alex Gonzalez at shortstop, Omar Infante and Jones at third base, Prado and Brooks Conrad at second base, and McCann at catcher makes for an impenetrable defense.

Jones is on the injured list, but he is day-to-day. I hope he can come back soon.

With their impressive batting and defense, the Braves have allowed 360 runs and scored 429 runs as of Wednesday.

Whenever I get the chance to sit down and watch a Braves game, it’s mind blowing to see the infield working together to make an out, finding a way to shorten an inning.

And, in the outfield, with Cabrera, Matt Diaz, Heyward, Gregor Blanco and Eric Hinske, the Braves will make those routine pop ups and diving catches.

The bats have been alive for Atlanta since the season started, and I don’t think they’ll slow down now.

The Braves have a lot going for them, and I feel as if they will go far in the playoffs this year.

One thing that I’d love to see is them hoisting the trophy in October.

That would be nice.