In a crucial series this weekend, the Atlanta Braves swept three straight games at home against the Florida Marlins, virtually guaranteeing the Braves their 14th consecutive division title. Starting pitchers John Smoltz, John Thomson and Jorge Sosa dominated the Marlins' bats as the Braves widened their lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East to five games.
Smoltz has been the ace of the pitching rotation as well as the veteran leader in the clubhouse. He heads into the season's final week with a 14-7 record and 3.06 ERA. Smoltz, who will make his final regular-season start tomorrow night, is the only Brave to play in all 14 division-winning seasons.
The other leader of the Braves' rotation has been Tim Hudson, who was acquired last December in a trade with the Oakland Athletics. Hudson has excelled in his NL debut, going 13-9 with a 3.48 ERA.
One of the biggest surprises for Atlanta has been Sosa, especially down the stretch, where he has won his last four starts and is 6-1 in his last seven. Thomson and Horacio Ramirez round out one of the league's best rotations, with Chris Reitsma and Kyle Farnsworth leading the Braves' strong bullpen.
On the offensive side, the Braves are led by centerfielder Andruw Jones, who is having a career year at the plate. Jones hit his 51st home run of the season on Saturday, comfortably leading the major league in homers and finishing the weekend with 128 runs batted in.
Despite an injury-plagued first half of the season, third baseman Chipper Jones has returned and had a strong summer, belting 20 home runs of his own. Middle infielders Marcus Giles and Rafael Furcal, both former All-Stars, are turning in solid seasons as well.
But for the Braves, the biggest surprise has been 21-year-old Jeff Francoeur, a product of the local Atlanta high school system, who hit the major leagues with a bang on July 7 and hasn't looked back. In two and a half months, Francoeur has hit 13 home runs and has been batting consistently over .300.
Hopes are high in Atlanta, where Jones vies for an MVP, Francoeur fights for Rookie of the Year honors, and the Braves are cruising to another title in the NL East. However, in 13 straight playoff appearances, the Braves have just one World Series ring, and the pressure is on this year's team to lead a return to glory.
While it appears likely that the Braves will start the first round of the playoffs with the home-field advantage, their opponent has yet to be determined. The Houston Astros currently lead the wild card race in the NL; if they hold on, they should be headed for Atlanta.
However, Philadelphia is still alive and well in the wild card standings. If they overtake Houston, the Phillies will open the playoffs on the road, facing the league's best team, the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Phillies, while not likely to come back and win the East, have been on a recent tear. Led by shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who extended his hitting streak to 30 games over the weekend, the Phils are gunning for the Astros as they look to make their first postseason appearance since their pennant-winning run in 1993.
The wild card race could come down to the season's final weekend, as the Phillies play the Washington Nationals on the road, and the Astros host the Chicago Cubs. Both opponents are former wild card contenders, and now that they are both out of the race, it will be interesting to see who will step into the role of playoff spoiler.
