Braves 7 Phillies 2

After two dispiriting losses, the Braves avoided a sweep at the hands of the Phillies by winning handily today. The offense exhibited disdain for Brett Myers's newfound stature as one of the best NL starters as they unveiled their new number 3 hitter (for today, anyway), Kelly Johnson. Johnson went hitless, but reached base twice via a walk and fielder's choice, notched his first major-league run and RBI, along with a beauty of an outfield assist, nailing Thome at the plate.

Of course, Johnson's on-field contributions are secondary to the impact of his mere presence on the roster, as he replaced Mondesi, who's been offered a AAA slot that he's almost certain to pass on. Recent mention of nagging injuries has been offered as an excuse for Mondesi's poor play, but I think that's just Cox and Schuerholz being polite, stand-up guys. From where Brave-O-Matic sits, Mondesi just looked through. No complaints about his comportment while a Brave, but he'll be soon forgotten, except by those troubled souls whose dreams are populated by the ghosts of Rico Brogna, Ken Caminiti, T.P. v.2, Robert Fick, Jose Hernandez, and Dave Gallagher (betcha forgot about him).