Tomahawk Flops: Daily Atlanta Braves News Clippings For Tuesday, September 20th

Your one-page daily morning overview of Atlanta Braves news:

Braves quotes after Monday’s loss to Marlins | Atlanta Braves
Chipper Jones, So many different things have gone wrong in past couple of weeks, this is one of the freakiest? "Yeah, that’s kind of the way we feel. You make your own luck. At some point we’ve got to go out and give ourselves some margin for error. I mean, we’ve played so many close games this year. It’s like… Tonight was a little different. We fell behind, then we fought to get back, took advantage of some of their mistakes. You felt like tonight was going to be our night to win one maybe we should have lost. One strike away and you lose a ground ball in the lights. That makes you think that the baseball gods have been on our side for 154 games, and now they’re turning their back on us."

Kimbrel is undone by Infante, and this believer says, 'Uh, oh' | Mark Bradley
Even in a season where Dan Uggla stopped hitting for three months and 40 percent of the rotation has gotten hurt, these Braves have been able to bank on their bullpen. It’s why they were 8 1/2 games in front the morning after Labor Day. It’s why they figure — figured? — to be a tough out in the postseason. But now the bullpen is showing the strain, and if that goes then what’s left?

Braves collapsing, may need another last-day miracle | Jeff Schultz
Much like last season, the Braves are dropping engine parts down the stretch and all of those postseason ticket ads that have been running on radio and television seem a tad premature.

Fatigue works in Venters' favor | braves.com: News
Given that Jonny Venters entered Monday's series against the Marlins with five more appearances than any other Major League reliever, it's not as though manager Fredi Gonzalez has forgotten about his prized reliever. But while making an effort to rest Venters a little more frequently over the past few weeks, Gonzalez has seen the lefty prove that like many other sinkerballers, he is more effective when his arm feels a little fatigued. "He's a sinkerballer, and those guys rely on feel," Gonzalez said. "The less rested they are, the better feel they get.

Hanson throws two pain-free innings | braves.com: News
Tommy Hanson took another positive step on Monday when he completed two pain-free innings during a simulated game at the Braves' Spring Training complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Hanson told the Braves that he had no problems with his previously ailing right shoulder. After throwing a bullpen session on Wednesday, he will complete three or four innings in an instructional league game on Friday.

Hanson, Jurrjens make progress, but time's an enemy  | ajc.com
The Braves indicated there's a reasonable chance that Hanson (shoulder) could return in time to make a regular-season start and be a rotation candidate for the division series, provided they hold on to win the wild card and make the postseason. Jurrjens (knee) probably wouldn’t be an option unless the Braves advanced beyond the first round of the postseason.