Constant rain and the attendant rain delays -- nearly six hours in three home games since the start of the season -- are taking their toll on spirits in the Braves clubhouse -- but not as much the offense's inability to score.
The latest disappointments came over the weekend. The Braves lost Sunday to the Astros, 7-5, despite putting 11 runners on base. Chipper Jones' fielding error in the 5-1 loss to the Astros on Saturday led to three runs, which Jones did not hesitate to acknowledge, calling it "inexcusable" and "bad, bad infield play."
But even an average offense should be able to overcome that when the pitching is doing its job, which the Braves' pitching is right now.
"Our offense, there's no continuity," a subdued Jones said. "There's no flow.
"We get the leadoff guy on, we don't get a bunt down. Or we get picked off. (Or) a double play. There's just something that happens to thwart a possible big inning.
"When you do it time and time again, it's awfully deflating. It's frustrating. Guys in here feel it. They're out there, they're focused and they're trying, but it's not happening for us right now."
Manager Bobby Cox is dong something unusual for him: adjusting some part of the lineup every day. So far, nothing has changed.
"Avoiding over-frustration is important right now," Jones says. "Because I'm teetering on breaking something myself."
METS 6, BRAVES 4: RHP Javier Vazquez was cruising and the Mets' offense was snoozing until the sixth inning. That's when Vazquez gave up two-run home runs to CF Carlos Beltran and 3B David Wright. Beltran clobbered another two-run homer in the seventh for good measure.
