2012 Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves will try to complete a three-game sweep against the Washington Nationals, who are closing in on their full year division title, going all the way back to their days as the Montreal Expos.  The Braves still have an outside chance at making up 6.5 games against the Nationals and winning the National League East, but the Braves' best chance at the postseason is as a wildcard team.

Last year, the Braves held a big lead in the wildcard race before collapsing in September.  In the final regular season game, rookie closer Craig Kimbrel blew the save, and the Braves finished one game behind eventual and improbable World Series victors, the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Braves lead the Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers by seven games with sixteen games remaining.  This number comes with two pieces of good news.  First, Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez appears to have used his bullpen more effectively this season than last, so Kimbrel and his setup men still look fresh and effective.  In the first two games of the series against Washington, Kimbrel has six strikeouts in only two innings.

Also, the Cardinals or Dodgers catching and passing the Braves would not eliminate Atlanta from the postseason this year.  Major League Baseball has added a second wildcard team for each league, meaning the Braves would have to fall behind the Cardinals and the Dodgers (or some combination of these teams and their pursuers that equals at least two), or they're in.

Since the Cardinals and Dodgers are playing each other today, one of those teams is guaranteed a loss.  A Braves win, then, would decrease the Braves "magic number" against that team by two. 

If the Braves can win 10 or more of their remaining 16 games, they'll not only play in the Wildcard Game, but they'll host it.  Health permitting, then, Atlanta fans will watch retiring superstar Chipper Jones play at least one more home game.

I can't vouch for Chipper's aging legs, but I do think they Braves will make the 2012 playoffs.  Judging from the 2011 Cardinals' magical postseason, that playoff slot may end up meaning a lot.  Here's hoping.