For the rest of the season we'll keep a daily tally of the Atlanta Braves chances of making the postseason, along with daily commentary. Also consider this a daily open thread for general chatting.

I spent much of last night just shaking my head. This team is really beginning to frustrate. Big games lately seem to elude them somehow. It was a shame watching Mike Minor struggle because I know that's not the kind of pitcher he is. His velocity is clearly down several miles per hour and that has become a big part of his game. The Braves need to shut him down for the rest of the year and save his arm.

The Braves also lost ground in the Wild Card race as San Diego won.

The Padres are precariously close to us now. The Braves need to be winning games to stay in the Wild Card lead, not to try and overtake the Phillies. Similarly, the Braves are going to have to find a way to beat the Phillies by the time they come to Atlanta, or it could be a miserable end to the season.

Tommy Hanson needs to be a stopper tonight.