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A season that most people just wanted to end goes out with a game that just wouldn't end. The announcers were having a good time of talking about the fact that they had run out of things to talk about, and the fans only stayed around because there was a post-game concert scheduled.

Things got so lean in the position player department that Martin Prado played right field for the first time in his career. That actually might be the highlight of the game. As they have done for the last week they just didn't do much hitting, and when they did have runners on base, they just didn't do much hitting. The only run was a Nate McLouth solo homerun in the 6th inning. McLouth almost won the game in the 13th with a shot that took the center fielder to the back of the warning track... there was a big sigh from the announcers, Joe and Boog, who were hoping that would have gone out.

It seems weird to talk about how well a starting pitcher did... wait, no it doesn't, that's par for the course for this team. Tim Hudson finished strong, pitching 7 innings allowing only one run and striking out 7. The bullpen also put in some great work, pitching 7 more innings without allowing a run. Boone Logan did in the 15th what Manny Acosta tried to do in the 14th, and that was end the game. The Braves almost came back in the bottom of the ninth, but you know, it's the Braves.

Hey look, no offense! Braves starter Jair Jurrjens had some early trouble, but cruised late in the game while pitching 8 innings of terific baseball. He allowed only 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 9 -- that should get him a win, but not this offensively-challenged Braves team.

The Braves tied the game in the sixth on a Brian McCann 2-run single. The Nats went ahead in the tenth inning when Peter Moylan got into some two-out trouble, but the Braves came back in the bottom half of the inning on two RBI pinch hits -- when was the last time that happened. Kelly Johnson had an RBI double and Greg Norton produced an RBI single.

Then Manny Acosta came on to pitch the eleventh and (of course) gave up a two-run homerun and sent the Braves to their fifth loss in a row.

Derek Lowe pretty much laid an egg in this game. For going down the stretch like such a lion, the Braves seem to be intent on closing out this season like a lamb. I tied one on at Le Flash last night, so I was not one of the dozens of people who watched this game.

There's not too much to say about this game, read here if you want a recap. Martin Prado had four hits, and David Ross had a big hit that put the Braves in front for a half inning. The middle of the Braves lineup was totally lost at the plate. The bullpen put in some good work.

More photos » by John Amis - AP

Atlanta Braves' Tommy Hanson delivers a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009, in Atlanta.

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No offense and a stellar starting pitching performance. If that isn't the refrain for our season I don't know what is. Losing a 2-to-1 game like this to the worst team in baseball is like rubbing salt in the wound of the Rockies clinching the wild card earlier in the evening.

Tommy Hanson was awesome -- 9 strikeouts, just 7 baserunners in 7 strong innings of 1-run pitching. The Braves matched that one run with their offense on a Nate McLouth homerun.

Rafael Soriano fell victim to a big hitter in the ninth inning -- Pete Orr. I knew I should have sucker punched him when I saw him walking around Phipps Plaza at noon today. But we should never have been in a one-run tie game in the ninth. We need offense people!

Garret Anderson did provide some sentimentality by collecting his 2,500th hit as a major leaguer.

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Javier Vazquez took the loss, allowing 5 runs in 6 innings.

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The Braves fell short in their most important game of the season. Starting pitcher Javier Vazquez unfortunately chose to emulate Tim Hudson's performance from last night, as he allowed 5 runs in 6 innings, taking the loss for the Braves. Florida's starter Ricky Nolasco, on the other hand, pitched his best performance of the season, striking out a career high 16, including striking out 9 consecutive batters at one point, becoming just the 4th player in Major League history to accomplish the feat.

But, as masterful as Nolasco was, he wore down a bit toward the end of the game, as the Braves were able to scratch two unearned runs across the board in the 7th inning on an Adam LaRoche double. A win seemed tantalizingly close as Florida closer Leo Nunez lost control of the strike zone in the 9th, allowing Yunel Escobar to drive in Brian McCann and Omar Infante to drive in Escobar.

Then, with two outs and the bases loaded, Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez opted to bring in super-vet Brendan Donnelly to face Martin Prado. Donnelly needed only one pitch to end the game, but not in a manner anyone could have guessed. Catcher Ronny Paulino lost the ball in the dirt and as it squirted away from him Matt Diaz began down the third base line toward home. But, Diaz showed indecisiveness, ultimately retreating to third base, but not before Paulino could retrieve the ball and throw him out to end the game.

This was a heartbreaking and somewhat baffling loss. The onus has been on the Braves to win at the end of the season and the last two nights they have failed. This loss puts their elimination number at 2, meaning any combination of Rockies wins or Braves losses equaling 2 will eliminate the Braves from winning the Wild Card. The Phillies clinched the Eastern Division tonight, so the Wild Card remains the Braves lone hope, but, as I write this, they lead Milwakee 8 to 4 in the top of the 7th inning in Colorado. If the Rockies hold on to win the game, the Braves elimination number drops to 1, meaning any Braves loss or Rockies win after tonight kills the Braves playoff hopes.

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Atlanta Braves' Matt Diaz connects with a three-run home run against the Florida Marlins during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, at Turner Field in Atlanta.

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Hey, if over the last 18 games I told you this was only our third loss, you would probably be ecstatic. But this Braves team is at a point in their season where every game is the most important game, and should be won, without question. We did the job of scoring runs, but out vaunted pitching did not live up to the pressure. Not the starter Tim Hudson, and not his replacement Kenshin Kawakami (who was only given one inning).

There was a nice homerun from Matt Diaz, which was apparently "the only hit the Braves have registered in 17 at-bats with runners in scoring position during this series" -- that's not good. These Marlins will do this to us. Yes, there were many run-scoring opportunities, but none of them came to fruition. 

Bad night for the Braves, perhaps bad enough to be... un"believe"able!!!

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Atlanta Braves starter Jair Jurrjens delivers to the Florida Marlins during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 28, 2009, at Turner Field in Atlanta.

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The Atlanta Braves got a half game closer to their post-season goal today by shutting out the Marlins. Jair Jurrjens looked like an ace while pitching 7 strong innings, and Chipper Jones slugged his 18th homerun, one of only 3 hits the Braves had all night. They did, however, get walked 11 times.

At one point, Jurrjens retired 11 straight batters from the second to sixth inning. In his early and later innings he worked around runners like a magician with key strikeouts when he needed them most. Jurrjens allowed only 6 base runners and no runs. He comes up huge in a big game... but then, he's pretty much done that all season.

The Braves scored two runs in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. The Marlins starter, Anibal Sanchez, was a little more than wild and walked the first three Braves batters. A ground out and a sac fly later and it was 2-0 Atlanta. A Chipper Jones homerun two innings later pushed the score to 3-0 Atlanta. In all, Sanchez walked 8 Braves batters in just 5 innings. It's kind of amazing he only allowed 3 runs.

The Marlins bullpen also had a case of the walks when one of their relievers walked in another Braves run with three bases on balls. The Braves bullpen, on the other hand, was almost perfect as Peter Moylan and Rafael Soriano combined for only one walk in 2 innings of work.

Two games out of the wild card with six games left. I guess the word of the day is "Believe."

More photos » by Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP

Members of the Atlanta Braves celebrate on the field following their win against the Washington Nationals in a baseball game in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. Braves won 6-3.

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This winning thing, this is fun, and I could get used to it. Derek Lowe was Derek Lowe and held the Nats close and allowed the Braves to get back into it after giving up 2 runs in the first inning, and then the lead again after the Braves had tied it in the fourth. Apparently the solo homerun was the problem for Lowe, as three homeruns accounted for all the Nats scoring on the day.

The Braves came back and tied it in the seventh and then won in the tenth off of the the Nats "closer." Brian McCann didn't ground into a double play while driving in the go-ahead run, and Omar Infante came through with a key 2-run, 2-out hit to put the Braves up by 3. Rafael Soriano came on in the ninth to toss some easy-queso by the Nats "hitters."

And currently Colorado is losing...