On April 30, after a 3-1 loss at Texas, the Atlanta Braves stood 10-12 on the season and three full games behind the New York Mets in the National League East.
As May 30 dawns, the Braves are still two games under .500 (23-25) after Sunday afternoon’s 6-3 victory over the Miami Marlins, yet remained eight games behind the first-place Mets prior to New York’s game with the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday evening.
When you’re in the weakest division in Major League Baseball – excepting the Mets – and you’ve done no better than tread water record-wise over the past 30 days while losing at least 4 1/2 games in the standings, is it not fair to say you’re underwater when it comes to any postseason aspirations?
Even if you are the reigning world champions?
To listen to the Braves after the win against the Marlins is to hear hope buoyed by hard work.