Manager Bobby Cox is not in panic mode. He is neither concerned nor frustrated. But he is experimenting with his batting order, thanks to three key injuries, a rookie and one batting slump.
Chipper Jones and Brian McCann are the team's big guns, and the Braves have had trouble scoring runs without them. The team is 0-5 when Jones doesn't start, but even with both players in the lineup at the No. 3 and 4 slots in the order, the Braves have a tough time scoring more than four runs. McCann was supposed to be the linchpin of the lineup, batting cleanup behind Jones. But he was forced to go on the 15-day disabled list while undergoing exhaustive fittings for new contact lenses and, ultimately, eyeglasses.
In McCann's absence, Cox has batted Casey Kotchman fourth, based more on a desire to get him started than on performance. And that grand experiment has worked in spurts, including five multi-hit games in a span of 10 games, raising Kotchman's average from .235 to .289.
Jeff Francoeur drove in three runs batting cleanup Friday, including a first-inning two-run homer, exactly the kind of early lead the Braves have desperately needed. But Kotchman, inexplicably, was back at cleanup the next day.
Kelly Johnson, in a prolonged slump, was benched for three consecutive games in favor of Omar Infante, who was batting .449 leading off through the weekend. Johnson was back in the lineup Saturday, this time batting sixth, while rookie Jordan Schafer hit first. Infante was atop the order Sunday.
Schafer's batting average has declined, predictably, as pitchers got a read on him. And his left wrist has been banged up since opening day. But he has kept his head, for the most part, and adjusted nimbly.
The third key injury? Garrett Anderson has had two stints on the disabled list already, for a strained right calf and a strained left quad. He hasn't had a chance to show much, but Cox is adamant that Anderson's offense will be critical. Until that actually comes to pass, however, the lineup will not be a powerhouse.
ASTROS 7, BRAVES 5: LHP Jo-Jo Reyes pitched well until giving up four consecutive hits in the sixth inning. The Braves did score five runs, which is more than they've been able to muster lately, but unfortunately, that wasn't enough to beat the bottom-dwelling Astros.
