Mark WiedmerWhen you play 162 regular-season Major League Baseball games, it's tough to circle a dozen or so that seem more important than the others.
But starting with Monday night's 8:05 EDT first pitch at Wrigley Field, this four-game series the Atlanta Braves are about to begin against the Chicago Cubs just might come to define either who the Braves are or who they must become to make a postseason run.
It's not just that Atlanta will start Julio Teheran against the Cubs' pitbull lefty Jon Lester in the opener. Or that 11 of the 13 games the Braves have won in their past 16 have come against teams that currently have losing records. Or that those other two victories have come against the Philadelphia Phillies, who have lost seven straight.
All those facts should make every member of Braves Nation curious to see what their baseball heroes can do against the second-highest payroll in the majors and one of the sport's four or five best managers, Joe Maddon.
Beyond that, when Atlanta's best player, first baseman Freddie Freeman, says as he did after Saturday's electric 13-9 win at Washington, "It just doesn't matter. What inning it is, what score it is, we're relentless," well, how can anyone in Braves Country resist watching what happens next?
Especially when that rousing comeback from an 8-4 hole Saturday was followed by Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Nationals on the strength of a pinch-hit, two-run, 10th-inning homer by Johan Camargo.
"(Camargo) gives you a lot of versatility," Atlanta skipper Brian Snitker told MLB.com. "I love having him on the bench because it allows you to do other things when he is there. It's a tough role for a young guy. He's embraced it, done a great job and helped the club."
They are all helping the Braves at the moment. Starters in the field and on the mound. Pinch-hitters. Relievers.
Yes, the schedule's been favorable, but that's not Atlanta's fault. At some point the Braves will run into a group of teams on hot streaks. That's why 162 games almost always separates the contenders from the pretenders. And after 78 games, the schedule nearly half done, Atlanta would appear to be a serious contender to represent the National League in the World Series.
Not that the pitching isn't still an issue, particularly the bullpen. Brought in to close out Sunday's win in the 10th, Luke Jackson once again allowed a run, though he did get the save.
Still, what if Camargo's blast in the top of the 10th had been a solo shot instead of a two-run dinger? Now you go to the 11th when you should already be boarding a bus for Chi-town. Winning has a way of forgiving all flaws, but those flaws will eventually do you in if not corrected.
Still, Freeman is also right to observe these Braves are relentless. Every everyday player on the roster is capable of delivering a game-winning hit. Merely consider that Ozzie Albies, who has been batting eighth, is hitting .282 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs this season. There's not anything close to a certain out for the opposing pitcher.
And bad as the relief pitching has been overall, on Sunday the bullpen put together the type of performance that gives hope for respectability moving forward.
With starter Mike Soroka forced to the bench after being struck in the arm by a pitch while batting in the third inning, 34-year-old Josh Tomlin pitched four scoreless innings and retired the last 12 batters he faced.
All of this good work could suffer a hiccup inside the ivy-covered walls of Wrigley Field. The Cubs haven't yet performed up to their $212 million payroll, but they're at home, they seem to play better against the better teams and no one in the NL, not even the Los Angeles Dodgers, is playing better than the Braves over the past two or three weeks.
There's also this from struggling starter Mike Foltynewicz, who was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett over the weekend after giving up eight runs to the Nationals on Saturday.
If you want to know one thing that has so often made the Braves admirable in the clubhouse, regardless of their record, consider these words from Folty after his demotion: "I've got a 7.00 ERA on a first-place team. It's just tough. It's all my fault, too."
In an era when no one wants to admit fault for anything, it says a lot about one of the Braves' potentially best talents that he blames only himself for his struggles.
But as Atlanta invades the Windy City, the team's struggles seem few and far between against an NL East Division that seems to be bending over backwards to hand the Braves the title.
"It's incredible," said the 21-year-old Soroka, who's 8-1 this year and hasn't lost since April 18. "There's a new hero every single night. We really do feel like a team. It's awesome to see."
If the Braves can still say that after four games at Wrigley, it might be time to re-evaluate just how awesome they can be come October.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.