Sunday Night Braves Notes

Here are some notes on the Atlanta Braves as they enjoy a day off on Monday.

The Braves are now 51-48 on the season. They are 6.5 games back of the Phillies in the NL East and 3.5 games behind the Rockies in the wildcard race. They are tied with the next opponent, the Florida Marlins, with the same record after 99 games.

Braves are 27-23 at home and 24-25 on the road. They are 8-3 since the All Star Break.

They are 17-8 in their last 25 games and have outscored opponents 134-81 in that stretch. When this stretch began the Braves were a season-low six games under .500 at 34-40.

They are 15-8 in July and have outscored opponents 127-76 this month. The Braves are now 12-5 in the last 17 games.

Their run differential for the season is now +31.

When the Braves score first they are 38-15.

Atlanta is 44-11 when they have scored four runs or more, and only 6-36 when they have scored three or fewer runs in a game.


OFFENSE

Yunel Escobar:
- seven-game hitting streak came to an end on Sunday. He went 0-3 with 2 walks and a RBI (58).
- hitting 16-40 since the All-Star Break (.400) with three doubles, four home runs, and 14 RBI.
- hitting .369 in July (24-65).
- hitting .316 (79-250) with 9 HR and 49 RBI since May 1st.
- hitting .339 (74-218) vs. RHP and .238 (25-105) vs. LHP.

Brian McCann:
- hitting .349 (15-43) with 3 HR and 12 RBI since the ASB.
- hitting .302 (26-86) in July with 3 HR and 18 RBI.
- Since he came off the DL on May 8th McCann is hitting .325 (78-240) with 9 HR and 42 RBI.
- McCann is hitting .351 (66-188) with 10 HR vs. RHP.

Garrett Anderson was 2-4 Sunday vs. Milwaukee. Since May 1st he’s now hitting .303 (74-244) with 7 HR and 37 RBI.

Matt Diaz was 1-5 with a RBI Sunday. He is hitting .370 in July (20-54). Since May 1st he’s now hitting .336 (44-131) with 2 HR and 16 RBI.

Martin Prado was 0-4 on Sunday. He’s now hitting .315 on the season and since June 1st he’s hitting .354 (56-158). I remind all of you that before June 1st Prado was hitting only .247.


THE PITCHING

Braves now have 58 quality starts in 99 games.

Braves are 15-8 in the month of July. They have 15 quality starts in those 23 games. They are 12-3 when they get a quality start in July. When they don’t get a quality start, the Braves are 3-5.

Braves rotation since the ASB: 7-2 - 2.52 ERA - 62 hits allowed in 71.1 innings pitched - 20 runs - 20 earned runs - 23 walks - 49 strikeouts - Team: 8-3

Derek Lowe won his 10th game of the season Sunday. He’s now 10-7 with a 4.20 ERA this year. He has four straight quality starts, and in his last four games he’s pitched six innings in each start. Lowe is now 3-1 in July with a 3.38 ERA in five games, after posting a 6.54 ERA in June. Lowe now has 16 quality starts this season, tied with four others for fifth in the big leagues in QS.



Bill Shanks hosts The Bill Shanks Show on WFSM Fox Sports 1670 in Macon, Georgia and The Braves Show Talk Show. Shanks writes a weekly baseball column for The Macon Telegraph and is the author of Scout's Honor: The Bravest Way To Build A Winning Team. You can email Bill at .