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Massive Temperature Check Coming For Atlanta Braves

By W. M. Lawson

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 22: Closer Arodys Vizcaino #38 of the Atlanta Braves gestures after getting the final out in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during a game at Citizens Bank Park on May 22, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Braves defeated the Phillies 3-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 22: Closer Arodys Vizcaino #38 of the Atlanta Braves gestures after getting the final out in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during a game at Citizens Bank Park on May 22, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Braves defeated the Phillies 3-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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The Atlanta Braves (29-19) lost the series in Philadelphia, and grip tightly to a 1/2 game lead in the East. The coming schedule will test their mettle.

At just over the quarter mark of the season, the Atlanta Braves have passed that demarcation where folks say, “Well, yeah. But it is still early”, to, “Maybe these guys are for real.”. The national media has taken notice. The NL Eastern Division certainly has taken notice. The next week, though, will be a massive temperature check for the Braves, and we’ll get to see just how good they are.

I’ve maintained in this space before that folks shouldn’t discount the early part of Atlanta’s schedule this year. It might not be the most difficult, but it certainly isn’t one the easiest, either. In fact, these folks have it right in the middle at 15 out of 30. That ranking, with the backdrop of a bunch of road games, and in lousy weather, and you get the picture.

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The fact that Atlanta is 10 games over .500 still is encouraging even for the most pessimistic, or “realistic”, fans. The fact that the Braves still lead the NL East, which is pretty darn good this year, is also encouraging.

Starting May 25, 2018, though, as my Dad would say, “The price of poker is going up”.

ATL travels for a three game set this weekend with Boston. That would be the (34-15) Red Sox at Fenway. They, then, come home for a 4 day stretch with the NY Mets, but have a double-header thrown in there as a make-up game. 8 games in 7 days is a lot of baseball. Especially, when three are on the road against the best team in MLB (record wise, anyway).

It is true that the six game West Coast trip after that features the struggling Padres and Dodgers, but it is still a West Coast trip, and any Braves fan knows what that could mean.

So, as the legendary Skip Caray used to say, “Here it is Braves fans.” Some folks might still be holding out from believing that the Atlanta Braves are legit.

If Atlanta were to come out of next week successfully, and by that I mean winning series, there will be no one left to dismiss and deflect.

It’s a tough stretch of baseball our Braves have before them. We’re about to find out what they’re made of. Either they’ll be forged by fire or will melt and wither.

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