Braves drop 2 of 3 to the Phillies
The Good: Rafael Furcal is finally getting some good wood on the ball, going 6-for-13 with 4 runs scored in the series, and is doing his best Rickey Henderson impression. After stealing 5 bases in the series, he has 19 stolen bases on the season, which leads the National League and puts him on pace to obliterate his previous high of 40 during his rookie season. … First, there was the release of Tom Martin. Then the removal of Dan Kolb from the closer’s role. Now, Kelly Johnson is in and Raul Mondesi is out as starter in the outfield. 
All three were pivotal events that were necessary if the Braves are going to have a chace at taking their 14th straight division title. It would have been great if Mondesi’s departure had come sooner but the Braves are still tied for first and there is plenty of time to put some distance between us and the Marlins. Johnson made an impact right away, even if he didn’t get a hit in his first major league game. He scored a run, drove in a run, made a diving catch and threw out a runner at the plate. … Tim Hudson was excellent for the second straight start and is now 6-3 on the season. He gave up six hits in seven innings while walking five batters and allowing two runs.
The Bad: The starting rotation continues to disintegrate. John Smoltz could not retire the first 5 batters and gave up 4 runs in the first inning during Friday night’s loss. He has surrendered 17 hits in 10 2/3 innings during his last 2 starts. After the game Smoltz admitted he’s been affected by a strained muscle in his right side since his May 17th start. Kyle Davies has been a godsend but he’ll inevitably come back down to earth. With Hampton a question mark and Thomson out for months (and the offense still in first gear), the Braves need a healthy and consistent Smoltz to remain in first place. … Mr. Hyde returns: Andruw Jones was 2-for-12 in the series.
The Ugly: Horacio Ramirez was lambasted again. This time he gave up 7 runs on 9 hits while walking 2 and striking out 2. All of that in 3 2/3 innings. Interestingly, only 1 hit was for extra bases (a double). Is Horacio still suffering from the aftereffects of last season’s injury or is the league “figuring him out"? The Braves aren’t hitting the panic button yet and they really don’t have that luxury anyway, considering the state of their starting rotation. Methinks he’ll turn it around in the second half and help the Braves pull away from the rest of the East yet again.
