Braves 3 TD's, Mets One Field Goal

Before the season so many "experts" picked the Mets to win the NL East. How's that working out for them? 

Even the great Tom Verducci picked the Mets. So rare is the team built solely on aged free agents to dominate. Mets are 12 games below .500 - and 22-1/2 games out of first place.

Braves win 7-0 last night despite below average pitching, then 21-3 in game one of today's doubleheader. Dimino noted a lack of effort by the Mets - before the Braves scored their final 16 runs (included eight runs in the 8th inning.

Braves starting pitcher was just called up to be the fill in starter - and earned his first MLB victory.

Matt Olson retakes the MLB home run lead over Ohtani, and is on pace to break the franchise HR record - a pace of 59 home runs. Both Olson and Riley have been particularly hot since the all star break. The team leads baseball in several offensive categories.

I listened to the last few innings on the radio. Newcomer Nick Lopez pulled an Ohtani, with 4 hits, 5 RBI, played great defense at short for 8 innings - then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. 

Crazy busy day - another 10,000 stepper.

i play golf at first light for several reasons. During summer its cooler. I can play at my own pace, especially if I'm playing by myself, which I don't mind. I can hit several balls if I want. No one nipping at my heels while I'm hacking it around. Might even find a lost ball or three. And I see some amazing sunrises. Like this morning.

But this morning my playing partner was late. Again. I hit the utting green. Then I chipped some balls. We let one guy go ahead of us. By the time he got there the three of us had teed off and another threesome was waiting. So we didn't play well. I had told Ceil I would be back home by 8:30, but we were still playing then. Frustrating.

Met two friends for lunch at Righteous Que. Good food and a good time. Stayed there talking for over 2 hours.

Got back home and C needed to go down to Krog Street Market. BIG MISTAKE. Every yahoo was out on the road. Car stopped at a green light. I honk and C gets mad at me. Gridlock traffic downtown. Cars passing on the right. I let one car in, and a hot rod noses in as well. I honk. C not happy.

We exit on Freedom Parkway. C had the directions on her phone. I ask if it's clear to go all the way over to the right. She says yes. I merge over one lane, then almost plow into a car in the next lane. I scream. C hadn't listened to all of my question.

We take a right then a left. C screams STOP!! I slam on the brakes. Poor Winnie hates riding in the car as it is. She gets thrown off the backseat into the foot. By now C is laughing.

Gridlock all around Krog Street Market. Narrow streets. No parking. Folks driving huge Escalades and Suburbans that don't fit on the tiny streets. I drop C off and park half a mile away, on a quiet street with Winnie. She sees a dog and starts barking.

While we wait a huge thunderstorm hits. Trees blowing. I half expected a huge tree to fall on us. I check traffic. 75 north jammed. 400 north jammed. GPS says to take Northside, like I did last Saturday.

C hasn't eaten and wanted Taqueria. Traffic around us is jammed. I didn't want to go cross town to Howell Mill. I take back streets to Boulevard to Ponce, cut through to Virginia Highland over to Lenox. Rain coming down in sheets. Going down the hill on Lenox with all the water, over a foot deep.

Anna had gone to Taqueria last night. I saw a car like hers, but they were at home.

By then I'd had it with the gridlocked interstates. With all the rain I didn't want to be in them. Took Cheshire Bridge up Lenox, cut over to Roxboro to Ashford Dunwoody, then Glenridge to Mt Vernon to Johnson Ferry home. More torrential downpours. Had to honk at another car cutting in front of me. Wore me out.

Got home and the Braves game was supposed to be on, but that TV station is messed up due to the storm. Crazy day.