Wednesday, 4 p.m.
If you're an Atlanta Braves fan, that could become the moment that eventually cements this possible championship season. Or it could become the moment that sinks it.
For that is not only the precise time the MLB trade deadline ends, but also the general time of day in which Atlanta's three-game series at surging Washington will likely be in the books. If either of those events produces an unsatisfactory result for Braves Nation, it's quite possible that all the good work done thus far by the 2019 Bravos could eventually fall apart as well.
This is not to say that Atlanta will come up short on either or both fronts. The organization certainly has the in-house talent on both its big-league roster and throughout its farm system to pull the trigger on a much-needed deal for immediate pitching help.
And while the Nationals are plenty hot enough on the field to cut into the Braves' 5 1/2-game lead when this series begins at 7:05 tonight at Nationals Park (ESPN), Atlanta also has shown the ability to rise to the occasion, especially on the road and most especially away from home against divisional foes.
Though they do begin this crucial three-game series against the Nats having lost five of nine to the D.C. nine to date, the Braves currently own a 22-9 record against the rest of the NL East.
As Braves skipper Brian Snitker noted after Sunday's 9-4 loss at Philadelphia made Atlanta settle for a series win rather than a sweep, "We won the series. That's what we came here to do. Now we've got another tough series coming up tomorrow."
This is the advantage of being the front-runner down the stretch of a 162-game season. You don't need to win them all. You just need to win more than you lose. With a 62-44 record heading to the nation's capital, Atlanta probably doesn't need to play much better than .500 baseball the rest of the season to make the playoffs. Go 32-24 over those final 56 games - a winning percentage less than they've constructed to date - and it's hard to see them not winning the National League East.
But there's also this to consider when you own such a division lead three days from the start of August: The postseason. Unless you're the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox, or maybe the Los Angeles Dodgers of late, the playoffs aren't anything close to a guarantee.
Beyond that, Atlanta's offense may be no worse than the third or fourth best in all of baseball, right behind the Yanks, Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. Maybe that lineup will continue to be that productive for another two or three years or maybe not. Everything and everyone is clicking right now. Injuries have been at a minimum. Chemistry appears to be through the roof.
To take full advantage of that offense, the Braves brass and owner Liberty Media seemingly need to find more trustworthy pitching to support that attack, especially in the bullpen. Failing to do so would quite fairly call into question how committed Liberty really is to building a championship franchise in the Big Peach.
Even Sunday - the Braves having climbed out of a 6-0 hole in Philly to pull within 6-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh against a Phillies team with its own bullpen woes - Atlanta's pen surrendered three more runs to end much hope of a comeback.
Said Snitker of that collapse: "Just needed to put up a zero there and weren't able to do it."
Problem is, the relievers haven't been able to do it all year and without the blazing bats this team would be going nowhere fast.
But the Braves do have the bats. They also have a 32-21 road record, currently the top such mark in the NL and the second best in all of baseball behind Minnesota.
What they may not know until it's too late is whether or not this suspect pitching staff can be competitive in October against baseball's best. That's because the two series most likely to expose just how vulnerable the Braves might be come the postseason don't roll around until after Wednesday's trade deadline.
Had Atlanta traveled to Minnesota for a three-game series before the deadline rather on August 5-7, it might have had a better perspective on its strengths and weaknesses. Same with the Dodgers' three-game series in Atlanta on August 16-18.
Alas, such homework won't be possible. Nor would any deals after those series, since MLB has admirably taken all the smoke and mirrors out of post trade deadline deals. At 4:01 p.m. Wednesday, you have the team you have. Other than tapping into your farm system, you're locked in. No exceptions.
So what could prove to be the biggest three days of the season begin tonight with Dallas Keuchel facing the Nats' Patrick Corbin. Again, the Braves don't need to win every game against the Nationals, but they must avoid a sweep.
And between now and 4 p.m. Wednesday, improving the pitching wouldn't hurt, either. Not putting up a zero for the Phillies' half of Sunday's seventh inning is one thing. Putting up a zero at the trade deadline could leave Atlanta with zero margin for error both down the stretch and into October.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com