Braves swept the Royals over the weekend and won 2/3 vs the Rays before that…. Standings looking good!
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA DIFF STRK L10
Atlanta 42 28 .600 - 24-7 18-21 344 277 +67 Won 5 8-2
NY Mets 39 30 .565 2.5 24-10 15-20 311 270 +41 Lost 2 8-2
Philadelphia 35 32 .522 5.5 17-15 18-17 308 287 +21 Lost 2 4-6
Florida 33 36 .478 8.5 19-19 14-17 324 301 +23 Won 1 5-5
Washington 32 39 .451 10.5 19-15 13-24 295 331 -36 Won 1 2-8
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
NY Mets 60 47 .561 – 30-23 30-24 491 453 Won 1 6-4
Atlanta 57 51 .528 3.5 29-26 28-25 530 485 Won 3 5-5
Philadelphia 56 51 .523 4 29-23 27-28 582 541 Lost 2 7-3
Florida 50 58 .463 10.5 24-30 26-28 524 557 Won 1 3-7
Washington 47 60 .439 13 26-29 21-31 411 511 Won 2 6-4
Wild Card
2007 National League Wild Card Standings
NATIONAL W L Pct GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
LA Dodgers 58 49 .542 – 30-25 28-24 497 464 Won 1 4-6
Chicago Cubs* 57 49 .538 .5 29-25 28-24 495 432 Won 2 6-4
Milwaukee* 58 50 .537 .5 37-18 21-32 520 485 Lost 1 3-7
San Diego 56 50 .528 1.5 28-26 28-24 449 409 Lost 2 3-7
Atlanta 57 51 .528 1.5 29-26 28-25 530 485 Won 3 5-5
Philadelphia 56 51 .523 2 29-23 27-28 582 541 Lost 2 7-3
Colorado 54 52 .509 3.5 30-21 24-31 518 507 Lost 1 5-5
Watch out National League, here come los Bravos!
Separation Saturday!
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Atlanta 24 12 .667 - 13-7 11-5 181 150 Won 5 8-2
NY Mets 22 13 .629 1.5 8-8 14-5 182 133 Lost 1 7-3
Philadelphia 17 19 .472 7 8-7 9-12 187 175 Won 3 5-5
Florida 16 19 .457 7.5 10-11 6-8 176 185 Lost 1 4-6
Washington 10 25 .286 13.5 5-10 5-15 105 173 Won 1 2-8
After winning another series against the Mets the Braves are still only up a half game? It’s going to be a LONG GREAT Year!
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Atlanta 12 6 .667 - 6-4 6-2 86 79 Won 1 5-5
NY Mets 11 6 .647 .5 4-4 7-2 103 56 Lost 1 6-4
Florida 8 10 .444 4 5-6 3-4 99 97 Won 2 3-7
Philadelphia 6 11 .353 5.5 1-5 5-6 76 85 Won 2 5-5
Washington 6 13 .316 6.5 3-8 3-5 62 107 Lost 2 5-5
Now this is a beautiful thing. The way it should be.
2007 National League Standings
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Atlanta 5 1 .833 - 2-1 3-0 25 25 Won 2 5-1
NY Mets 4 2 .667 1 0-0 4-2 36 11 Lost 2 4-2
Florida 4 2 .667 1 2-1 2-1 40 29 Won 2 4-2
Philadelphia 1 5 .167 4 0-3 1-2 26 32 Lost 2 1-5
Washington 1 6 .143 4.5 1-6 0-0 18 45 Lost 4 1-6
First edition:
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
NY Mets 3 0 1.000 - 0-0 3-0 20 2 Won 3 3-0
Atlanta 3 0 1.000 - 0-0 3-0 16 9 Won 3 3-0
Florida 2 1 .667 1 0-0 2-1 24 12 Lost 1 2-1
Washington 1 2 .333 2 1-2 0-0 12 24 Won 1 1-2
Philadelphia 0 3 .000 3 0-3 0-0 9 16 Lost 3 0-3
So far so good!
Can’t wait til tomorrow nights showdown!
| The 14 year division title streak has officially ended tonight with the Mets victory over the Marlins. Here is a look back on the magical run. | ||
| 2005 | Using 18 rookies, including 12 making their big-league debut, the Braves pull out their 14th straight division title by two games over Philadelphia. Andruw Jones finishes second in MVP balloting with 51 HRs and 128 RBI. John Smoltz returns to the starting rotation. Bobby Cox wins another manager of the year award. The Braves lose in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight year, falling to Houston in 18-inning final game, the longest in postseason history. |
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| 2004 | The Braves win the NL East by eight games over Philadelphia despite losing Javy Lopez, Greg Maddux, Gary Sheffield and Vinny Castilla as free agents. Cox is named manager of the year for the second time. It’s another quick exit in the playoffs as the Braves lose the division series to Houston. |
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| 2003 | The Braves take the East by 10 games over Florida and set numerous offensive records in the process, scoring 907 runs and hitting 235 homers. Six players hit 20 homers, led by Lopez with 43. Sheffield, with 132, leads four players with 100 RBI. Five players score 100 runs, including Rafael Furcal with 130. Russ Ortiz wins 21 games and Maddux becomes the first pitcher with at least 15 wins in 16 consecutive seasons. For the second straight year, the Braves are knocked out in division series, this time by the Cubs. |
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| 2002 | After two close calls, the Braves run away with the East by 19 games over Montreal. They clinch the title on Sept. 9, the third-earliest date since division play began in 1969. Smoltz converts 55 saves in his first full season as closer to set NL record. Sheffield sets a team record by reaching base in 52 straight games. The Braves are eliminated in division series by Barry Bonds and the Giants. |
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| 2001 | Atlanta becomes the first team in professional sports history to win 10 straight division titles. Winning only 88 games, the Braves hold off Philadelphia by two games in the East, clinching on the final weekend. Maddux sets the NL record by not allowing a walk over 72 1/3 innings. Smoltz moves to bullpen late in the season after missing all of 2000 following elbow surgery. Atlanta loses to Arizona in the NLCS. |
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| 2000 | Andres Galarraga returns after missing a year because of cancer and hits 28 HRs with 100 RBI. Furcal makes the jump from Class A to win rookie of the year. Tom Glavine leads the NL with 21 wins as the Braves win the NL East by one game over New York. But Atlanta is swept by St. Louis in the division series, and the wild-card Mets go on to play in the World Series. |
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| 1999 | Chipper Jones captures the MVP as the Braves win the NL East by 6½ games over New York, breaking up a close race by winning five of six against the Mets in late September. Jones hits .319 with 45 HRs, 100 RBI. After beating the wild-card Mets in a thrilling NLCS, the Braves are swept by the Yankees in the World Series. |
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| 1998 | The Braves set a franchise record with 106 wins and win the NL East by 18 games over the Mets. Free-agent signee Galarraga leads the offense with 44 HRs, 121 RBI. Andruw Jones becomes youngest 20 homer-20 steal player in baseball history and wins his first of eight straight Gold Gloves. All five starting pitchers win at least 16 games. Glavine leads the league with 20 wins and wins his second Cy Young. The Braves lose to San Diego in the NLCS. |
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| 1997 | Moving from Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to Turner Field, the Braves win their sixth straight division title to break the major-league record. They finish nine games ahead of Florida. Denny Neagle wins 20 games, and the top four starters all finish among top 10 in NL ERA. After beating the Marlins easily during the regular season, Atlanta loses to the wild-card winner in the NLCS. |
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| 1996 | The Braves become the first NL team to win five straight division titles, winning the NL East by eight games over Montreal. Smoltz goes 24-8 to give Atlanta its fourth straight Cy Young winner and fifth in six years. Mark Wohlers sets a team record with 39 saves. The Braves lose the World Series to New York after winning the first two games at Yankee Stadium. |
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| 1995 | The Braves cruise to their first NL East title by 21 games over the Mets. Maddux claims his fourth straight Cy Young Award. The Braves defeat Cleveland in six games to win the first World Series title in Atlanta history. Glavine was named World Series MVP, combining with Wohlers on a one-hitter in the deciding Game 6. |
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| 1994 | The Braves move to the NL East as part of baseball’s realignment to three divisions. Six games behind Montreal when a strike wipes out the season Aug. 12. Kent Mercker pitches a no-hitter. Maddux wins his third straight Cy Young, second in Atlanta. Fred McGriff is the All-Star Game MVP. |
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| 1993 | The Braves rally from 10 games down on July 22 to beat San Francisco. Atlanta goes 54-19 after the All-Star break, finishes with 104 wins and edges the Giants on the last day of the season by a single game. Maddux wins his second straight Cy Young in his first year with the Braves. The team draws a franchise record of nearly 3.9 million, but the season ends with an upset loss to Philadelphia in the NLCS. |
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| 1992 | In last place on May 27, the Braves finish the season with a 78-37 run to beat Cincinnati by eight games for their second straight NL West title. The beat Pittsburgh in the NLCS on Francisco Cabrera’s two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning of Game 7. They lose to Toronto in the World Series. |
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| 1991 | The Braves win the NL West by one game over the Dodgers, becoming the first team in NL history to go from worst to first. Terry Pendleton is named MVP. Glavine wins the Cy Young Award. Cox is manager of the year. The Braves beat Pittsburgh in the NLCS and lose to Minnesota in World Series. |
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As of right now…
2006 National League East Standings
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
NY Mets 56 37 .602 - 27-18 29-19 502 426 Won 2 7-3
Atlanta 45 49 .479 11.5 21-23 24-26 505 477 Won 7 9-1
Philadelphia 42 50 .457 13.5 21-26 21-24 455 485 Lost 2 4-6
Florida 41 51 .446 14.5 21-23 20-28 432 450 Lost 1 5-5
Washington 40 55 .421 17 20-24 20-31 434 498 Won 1 3-7
2006 National League Wild Card Standings
NATIONAL W L Pct GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Cincinnati 49 45 .521 - 24-23 25-22 472 485 Lost 1 5-5
LA Dodgers 47 47 .500 2 28-18 19-29 484 446 Won 1 3-7
San Francisco 47 47 .500 2 25-23 22-24 437 443 Won 1 4-6
Arizona 46 47 .495 2.5 22-25 24-22 455 471 Lost 1 6-4
Milwaukee 46 49 .484 3.5 29-20 17-29 438 507 Lost 1 4-6
Colorado 45 48 .484 3.5 22-22 23-26 439 427 Won 1 2-8
Houston 45 49 .479 4 28-22 17-27 431 452 Lost 2 3-7
Atlanta 45 49 .479 4 21-23 24-26 505 477 Won 7 9-1
Philadelphia 42 50 .457 6 21-26 21-24 455 485 Lost 2 4-6
Florida 41 51 .446 7 21-23 20-28 432 450 Lost 1 5-5
Washington 40 55 .421 9.5 20-24 20-31 434 498 Won 1 3-7
Chicago Cubs 36 56 .391 12 16-27 20-29 377 471 Won 1 6-4
Pittsburgh 33 62 .347 16.5 23-26 10-36 436 503 Lost 1 4-6
2006 Major League Standings
MLB W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Detroit 62 31 .667 - 29-16 33-15 484 357 Lost 2 6-4
Chicago Sox 58 34 .630 3.5 33-14 25-20 539 442 Won 1 5-5
Boston 56 36 .609 5.5 30-13 26-23 507 445 Won 2 6-4
NY Yankees 55 36 .604 6 31-17 24-19 514 424 Won 5 9-1
NY Mets 56 37 .602 6 27-18 29-19 502 426 Won 2 7-3
Minnesota 52 40 .565 9.5 35-11 17-29 454 412 Won 5 6-4
Toronto 52 41 .559 10 32-19 20-22 498 452 Lost 1 5-5
St. Louis 52 41 .559 10 30-19 22-22 469 460 Lost 2 7-3
San Diego 50 43 .538 12 25-27 25-16 431 417 Won 2 7-3
Oakland 49 45 .521 13.5 24-22 25-23 416 418 Won 1 5-5
Cincinnati 49 45 .521 13.5 24-23 25-22 472 485 Lost 1 5-5
LA Angels 48 45 .516 14 24-23 24-22 444 433 Won 8 9-1
Texas 48 46 .511 14.5 25-25 23-21 472 453 Won 1 6-4
LA Dodgers 47 47 .500 15.5 28-18 19-29 484 446 Won 1 3-7
San Francisco 47 47 .500 15.5 25-23 22-24 437 443 Won 1 4-6
Arizona 46 47 .495 16 22-25 24-22 455 471 Lost 1 6-4
Milwaukee 46 49 .484 17 29-20 17-29 438 507 Lost 1 4-6
Colorado 45 48 .484 17 22-22 23-26 439 427 Won 1 2-8
Atlanta 45 49 .479 17.5 21-23 24-26 505 477 Won 7 9-1 (yikes!)
Houston 45 49 .479 17.5 28-22 17-27 431 452 Lost 2 3-7
Seattle 44 50 .468 18.5 24-24 20-26 446 444 Lost 4 2-8
Baltimore 44 52 .458 19.5 27-24 17-28 459 527 Lost 1 5-5
Philadelphia 42 50 .457 19.5 21-26 21-24 455 485 Lost 2 4-6
Florida 41 51 .446 20.5 21-23 20-28 432 450 Lost 1 5-5
Cleveland 41 52 .441 21 23-23 18-29 510 478 Lost 5 2-8
Washington 40 55 .421 23 20-24 20-31 434 498 Won 1 3-7
Tampa Bay 39 55 .415 23.5 22-20 17-35 394 491 Lost 5 2-8
Chicago Cubs 36 56 .391 25.5 16-27 20-29 377 471 Won 1 6-4
Pittsburgh 33 62 .347 30 23-26 10-36 436 503 Lost 1 4-6
Kansas City 32 61 .344 30 19-23 13-38 422 562 Lost 2 3-7
| 2006 AL Leaders Batting Avg 1. J. Mauer MIN .376 2. D. Jeter NYY .342 3. I. Suzuki SEA .339 ERA Home Runs Wins RBIs Strikeouts |
2006 NL Leaders Batting Avg 1. F. Sánchez PIT .365 2. N. Garciaparra LAD .346 3. M. Holliday COL .335 ERA Home Runs Wins RBIs Strikeouts |
2006 National League Standings
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
NY Mets 53 36 .596 - 27-18 26-18 473 404 Won 2 6-4
Philadelphia 40 47 .460 12 21-26 19-21 420 454 Won 2 5-5
Atlanta 40 49 .449 13 21-23 19-26 440 449 Won 2 7-3
Florida 38 48 .442 13.5 18-20 20-28 409 420 Lost 2 3-7
Washington 38 52 .422 15.5 20-24 18-28 407 470 Lost 3 5-5
Okay, so I must have died and woke up in bizzarro world because as much as this is fact it is still hard to believe.
National League
East W L Pct GB Home Road East Cent West Streak L10
NY Mets 44 26 .629 – 21-14 23-12 21-10 7-6 13-7 Won 1 7-3
Philadelphia 35 36 .493 9.5 18-22 17-14 14-14 5-10 13-7 Lost 1 3-7
Florida 30 37 .448 12.5 15-17 15-20 9-15 8-10 9-9 Won 9 9-1
Washington 32 41 .438 13.5 15-19 17-22 14-17 12-15 2-5 Lost 2 3-7
Atlanta 30 41 .423 14.5 14-18 16-23 15-17 4-6 11-14 Lost 8 1-9
The Mets are having a great season. Florida got hot recently and the Braves have lost the last 17 out of 21 games including 8 straight. It doesn’t get any easier in the schedule either. After the Blue Jays series it goes: @Tampa, @Yankees, then home vs Baltimore, St Louis, and then Cincinnati. This will mark the All Star break. The Braves need to win 60 percent of these games. It doesn’t look good. But I live in Michigan so according to Darren, I am supposed to root, live, and die by the results from the home team. At least in this case, this year, that’s the Tigers who are actually playing pretty good. Like I still say, It’s early yet.
It’s getting TIGHTER!!
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
NY Mets 24 15 .615 – 12-6 12-9 196 162 Lost 1 4-6
Philadelphia 22 17 .564 2 12-11 10-6 187 190 Lost 2 7-3
Atlanta 20 20 .500 4.5 11-6 9-14 212 191 Won 3 8-2
Washington 13 27 .325 11.5 3-10 10-17 170 202 Lost 2 3-7
Florida 11 27 .289 12.5 3-14 8-13 180 216 Lost 3 3-7
It’s pretty ugly but…
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
NY Mets 18 9 .667 - 9-5 9-4 128 99 Won 1 6-4
Philadelphia 13 14 .481 5 6-10 7-4 128 145 Won 4 6-4
Atlanta 12 15 .444 6 6-5 6-10 126 124 Lost 1 4-6
Washington 9 19 .321 9.5 1-8 8-11 120 143 Lost 1 2-8
Florida 7 18 .280 10 2-9 5-9 110 130 Won 1 2-8
so just to follow up
Here is what I had vs what the actual records were
Standings in 1 week
Mets 10-5 (11-4 1 off)
Braves 10-7 (8-8 2 off)
Phillies 7-8 (6-9 1 off)
Nats 5-11 (6-10 1 off)
Marlins 4-10 (4-10)
So I was only 1 off overall with all my picks. Not bad I think I think.
For April 20th, one week from original post.
Posted on 4/27
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Atlanta 2 1 .667 – 0-0 2-1 24 23 Won 1 2-1
Washington 1 1 .500 .5 0-0 1-1 11 8 Won 1 1-1
NY Mets 1 1 .500 .5 1-1 0-0 8 11 Lost 1 1-1
Florida 1 2 .333 1 0-0 1-2 16 9 Lost 1 1-2
Philadelphia 0 2 .000 1.5 0-2 0-0 8 17 Lost 2 0-2
In other news Billy Wagner blows his first save.
Braves celebrate another division title, their 14th straight
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves celebrated No. 14 like it was the first. For all those rookies, it was.
With a youthful, joyful exuberance that was there way back in 1991 — when it all started — the Braves wrapped up their 14th straight division title on Tuesday night.
And what a party it was, especially for Jeff Francoeur. The rookie got tackled on the field by Chipper Jones, stuck his head in an ice bin and got taken down again by Jones in the clubhouse.
“Let me at him!” Francoeur mockingly screamed.
He was held back by Marcus Giles, who is 8 inches shorter and 45 pounds lighter.
“It’s not worth it,” Giles said. “We’re going all the way to Halloween. You can get him then.”
The Braves actually clinched midway through a 12-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies, the title assured when the second-place Philadelphia Phillies lost to the New York Mets 3-2.
Manager Bobby Cox cleared his bench, finishing the game with a lineup that included eight rookies and second-year player Adam LaRoche.
That was only appropriate, considering the Braves have used 17 rookies during an amazing season in which they shrugged off injuries and breakdowns by several key players.
“This ranks right up there,” said Cox, standing outside his office in a champagne-drenched T-shirt that proclaimed another NL East championship. “This goes back 14 years.”
Clinching in style, Giles hit a pair of homers and LaRoche also homered.
“We knew we had clinched in the sixth,” the 21-year-old Francoeur said. “But we wanted to win. We wanted to earn it.”
After Atlanta became the second team to wrap up a title, following the NL Central champion St. Louis Cardinals, everyone gave credit to the rookies. Yep, even Andruw Jones, a leading candidate for MVP with 51 homers and 128 RBI.
“Sure, I’ve had a good season,” he said. “But without them, we wouldn’t be here.”
The celebration at Turner Field took a while to get going. The Braves had just finished off a four-run fifth inning, giving them a 7-1 lead, when the Mets finished off Philadelphia.
A smattering of fans apparently learned of the Phillies’ loss via cell phone or other means, clapping as soon as Bobby Abreu struck out. “Let’s go Mets!” one man yelled. A tomahawk-chopping woman held up a handmade “2005″ sign above the left-field seats, right next to the official pennants detailing each of the Braves’ playoff seasons.
But most of the crowd was apparently in the dark. The out-of-town scoreboard merely showed the Mets leading 3-2 in the eighth. Even after the Rockies were retired in the top of the sixth, there was no mention of the division title.
Instead, the Braves showed the “Kiss Cam” on their massive center-field scoreboard — encouraging couples to kiss when the camera turned on them.
In the bottom half, Giles hit his second homer, a two-run shot, to give the Braves a 9-3 lead. When the Rockies made a pitching change, the crowd passed the time singing “YMCA.”
Finally, as Chipper Jones stepped into the box, the public address announcer revealed the news.
Mets 3, Phillies 2.
The celebration was on. The crowd of 25,306 gave the Braves a standing ovation, and several fans broke out signs marking the occasion. “In case you didn’t know — 14 in a row,” one said. Two shirtless men had painted a “1″ and a “4″ on their chests.
After Jones struck out, Cox began pulling his starters. Rookie Kelly Johnson pinch-hit for Andruw Jones. Little-used Brayan Pena batted for Brian McCann.
After Pena came through with a bases-loaded double, pushing the lead to 12-3 before he was thrown out at third, Cox cleared his bench. Starting pitcher Tim Hudson (14-9) was replaced by Jim Brower. Rookies Pete Orr, Wilson Betemit and Andy Marte entered the game.
Even Eddie Perez, who missed most of the season with a shoulder injury, got in as a pinch hitter — his first appearance since May 18. The Braves came out of the dugout to clap for one of the team’s most popular players. The crowd chanted, “Eddie! Eddie!”
“A lot of people ask me what was my best moment in baseball,” said Perez, who was MVP of the 1999 NL championship series. “This was it. This was No. 1.”
The Braves overcame all sorts of adversity to do what they always do — win the East.
When pitchers Mike Hampton and John Thomson went down with injuries, Atlanta dipped into its bullpen for journeyman Jorge Sosa, who had a career record of 11-26. He’s 13-3 this season.
When aging outfielders Raul Mondesi and Brian Jordan failed to recapture their past form, the Braves turned to Francoeur and fellow rookies Johnson and Ryan Langerhans.
When Chipper Jones was sidelined by a foot problem, Betemit filled in ably. When new closer Dan Kolb didn’t work out, the Braves traded for Kyle Farnsworth. When catchers Johnny Estrada and Perez were ailing, McCann came up from the minors.
If nothing else, this season showed off the philosophy that has carried the Braves to one of the most remarkable streaks in any sport. It’s all about scouting and player development, which was evident in the clinching game.
Atlanta’s lineup included three rookies and eight homegrown players, the only exception being Hudson. And even he grew up a Braves’ fan in neighboring Alabama.
The youngsters were right in the middle of a four-run fifth, which essentially finished off the Rockies. Francoeur beat out a bases-loaded dribbler to third, driving in one run. Langerhans and McCann followed with bases-loaded walks to make it 7-1.
Aaron Cook (6-2) took the loss, giving up eight hits and six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.
“This is pretty special,” Cox said. “When the rookies came up, the veterans turned it up a notch.”
Together, they knew how to celebrate.
After sweeping the Mets again.. (Season series 12 to 4).. here’s a look
East W L PCT GB E# HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST AL L10 STRK
Atlanta 81 59 .579 – - 48-24 33-35 34-22 28-14 12-15 7-8 7-3 W3
Florida 74 65 .532 6.5 17 41-31 33-34 27-27 19-20 18-13 10-5 5-5 W2
Philadelphia 73 67 .521 8.0 15 40-31 33-36 25-31 19-19 22-9 7-8 3-7 L5
Washington 72 68 .514 9.0 14 39-29 33-39 27-32 19-20 14-10 12-6 5-5 L2
New York 70 69 .504 10.5 13 41-27 29-42 29-30 19-18 17-11 5-10 2-8 L3
Haven’t posted this in a while. Not much has changed… Easy does it.
2005 National League Standings
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Atlanta 78 59 .569 – 45-24 33-35 657 557 Lost 1 6-4
Philadelphia 73 64 .533 5 40-28 33-36 636 614 Lost 2 5-5
Florida 72 64 .529 5.5 41-31 31-33 603 582 Lost 1 6-4
Washington 71 66 .518 7 38-27 33-39 534 553 Won 2 5-5
NY Mets 70 66 .515 7.5 41-27 29-39 623 545 Won 1 4-6
Marcus drives in the game winning run in the bottom of the 12th. Braves win! Braves win! Braaaaaaves win! Braves increase their lead in the NL East to 6 Games. Andruw hits homer 36 and 37. Smoltz pitches a gem. Giants rally in the ninth. Francouer hits another homer. EXCITING!
Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz works against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning in Atlanta.
Atlanta Braves’ Andruw Jones, left, is congratulated by Marcus Giles after Jones knocked in Giles with a two-run homer during the sixth inning.
Atlanta Braves’ Marcus Giles follows through on his 12-inning game-winning hit.
Atlanta Braves’ Marcus Giles celebrates with teammates after driving in the winning run against the San Francisco Giants in the 12th inning. The Braves won 5-4.
Atlanta Braves’ Wilson Betemit scores the game-winning run in the 12th inning on a hit by Marcus Giles as San Francisco Giants catcher Yamid Haad misses the throw.
all photos- (AP Photo/John Amis)
East W L PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST AL L10 STRK
Atlanta 66 48 .579 - 37-15 29-33 29-20 22-11 8-9 7-8 6-4 W2
Philadelphia 60 54 .526 6.0 36-25 24-29 20-26 17-15 16-5 7-8 6-4 W2
Florida 59 54 .522 6.5 31-24 28-30 23-25 15-15 11-9 10-5 5-5 W2
Washington 59 54 .522 6.5 34-22 25-32 19-23 17-15 11-10 12-6 4-6 L1
New York 58 55 .513 7.5 36-23 22-32 25-22 17-17 11-6 5-10 6-4 W1
p.s. Mets in last place.
go 3 games up.
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Atlanta 58 44 .569 - 32-14 26-30 473 390 Won 3 6-4
Washington 55 47 .539 3 32-18 23-29 397 420 Lost 4 2-8
NY Mets 52 49 .515 5.5 32-21 20-28 457 417 Won 1 7-3
Florida 50 48 .510 6 26-23 24-25 461 439 Won 1 5-5
Philadelphia 52 50 .510 6 33-22 19-28 474 476 Lost 3 5-5
Atlanta Braves’ Rafael Furcal scores on a Chipper Jones hit as the ball gets past Washington Nationals catcher Brian Schneider in the third inning Thursday, July 28, 2005 in Atlanta. (AP Photo)
Braves take sole possession of first
07/26/2005 10:19 PM ET
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
ATLANTA — Everything seemed to be going according to the script usually used for a key divisional matchup. Two All-Star starters provided impressive performances, and the offenses did whatever they could to be recognized.
Fortunately for the Braves, the final scene involved them claiming a 3-2, 10-inning win over the Nationals in front of a raucous and sold-out crowd at Turner Field on Tuesday night.
Andruw Jones drew a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk off Luis Ayala that allowed pinch-runner Jeff Francoeur to casually stroll home with the winning run amid the loud cheers of a home crowd that got to enjoy the fact that their Braves had finally overtaken the Nationals and assumed sole possession of first place for the first time since June 4.
Whereas the Braves were able to do little damage against Livan Hernandez, they had little problem with All-Star closer Chad Cordero, who suffered just his fourth blown save in 38 chances. Andruw Jones opened the ninth with a double off Cordero, advanced to third on a Chipper Jones single and scored on Adam LaRoche’s sacrifice fly.
LaRoche’s two-out, seventh-inning homer had proved to be the Braves’ only offense against Hernandez, who allowed just the one run and four hits in eight innings. The late comeback simply extended the woes of the veteran right-hander, who had been 0-10 with a 6.91 ERA in his previous 12 regular-season starts against the Braves.
Smoltz, who is 7-0 with a 1.90 ERA in his past nine starts, allowed just two runs on eight hits in eight innings. He retired eight of the final nine batters he faced and made sure that this battle between All-Star pitchers lived up to its hype.
Brad Wilkerson, who had three hits and made an acrobatic catch that robbed Chipper Jones of a seventh-inning homer, provided a two-out RBI single in the third inning and a fifth-inning single that put Hernandez in position to score the other run charged to Smoltz.
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Washington 53 40 .570 – 30-14 23-26 374 382 Lost 2 2-8
Atlanta 53 41 .564 .5 29-14 24-27 443 364 Won 1 6-4
Philadelphia 48 45 .516 5 29-20 19-25 448 442 Won 2 6-4
NY Mets 46 46 .500 6.5 27-20 19-26 402 390 Won 1 5-5
Florida 45 46 .495 7 25-22 20-24 415 414 Lost 3 3-7
EAST W L PCT GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Washington 51 34 .600 - 30-13 21-21 345 348 Lost 2 7-3
Atlanta 49 37 .570 2.5 28-12 21-25 416 330 Won 5 7-3
Florida 44 39 .530 6 25-19 19-20 373 342 Won 2 6-4
NY Mets 43 42 .506 8 25-18 18-24 372 363 Won 2 6-4
Philadelphia 43 43 .500 8.5 24-18 19-25 397 405 Lost 1 4-6
After a 4 game sweep of the Cubs, the Braves are now 2.5 games from First Place. The Nationals are finally losing a few games. The Braves bats are heating up. Hudson and Hampton will be ready after the All Star Break and AJ still leads the league in Home Runs with 27.
2005 National League Wild Card Standings
NATIONAL W L Pct GB HOME ROAD RS RA STRK L10
Atlanta 49 37 .570 - 28-12 21-25 416 330 Won 5 7-3
Florida 44 39 .530 3.5 25-19 19-20 373 342 Won 2 6-4
NY Mets 43 42 .506 5.5 25-18 18-24 372 363 Won 2 6-4
Philadelphia 43 43 .500 6 24-18 19-25 397 405 Lost 1 4-6
Houston 41 43 .488 7 27-14 14-29 352 353 Lost 1 7-2
Arizona 42 45 .483 7.5 21-23 21-22 387 469 Won 1 3-7
Chicago Cubs 40 44 .476 8 21-21 19-23 368 384 Lost 8 2-8
LA Dodgers 40 45 .471 8.5 22-20 18-25 375 409 Lost 1 5-5
Milwaukee 40 45 .471 8.5 23-16 17-29 374 362 Lost 2 5-5
Pittsburgh 37 47 .440 11 19-21 18-26 347 388 Won 1 3-7
San Francisco 36 48 .429 12 19-24 17-24 387 450 Won 2 6-4
Cincinnati 33 52 .390 15.5 24-22 9-30 424 511 Lost 2 3-6
Colorado 30 54 .357 18 23-21 7-33 381 473 Won 1 5-5
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