Braves drop 2 of 3 to the Nationals
The Good: Starters continue to shine, especially Mike Hampton and Tim Hudson, who sport ERAs of 1.29 and 1.38 respectively. … Chipper Jones went 5-for-11 in the series with 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored. … Pete Orr is finding his groove as he becomes more comfortable. Now he’ll be benched when Marcus Giles returns to the lineup. Cox should try platooning him with Raul Mondesi in right field for a week.
The Bad: Who else? The bullpen continues to stink up the joint. Of the relievers used in the series, Chris Reitsma was the only one who didn’t allow a run (and most allowed multiple runs). … Corner outfielders continue to be a liability. Mondesi is batting .133, Brian Jordan .167 and Ryan Langerhans is not the answer. … Only the Pirates have a lower team slugging percentage than the Braves currently.
The Ugly: Danny Kolb blew a 2-run lead in the ninth during Tuesday’s game, squandering Tim Hudson’s brilliant start (8 innings, 1 run on a homer). The disease is spreading!
