ATLANTA BRAVES +105 ? It is hard for me to resist taking a red-hot Atlanta team as an underdog in this spot vs. a struggling Vazquez. Yesterday?s loss notwithstanding, the Braves are still 17-4 in their last 21 games, and are now 58-33 on the season, 10 ? games in front of Montreal. They have gone nearly a full month without losing back-to-back games, not losing 2 straight since June 16-18 during Interleague play. Moss is having a fine rookie season, with a 3.38 ERA and a very good 1.19 WHIP in 14 starts. The Braves as a team are 10-4 in all of his starts. He did lose to these Expos in his last start, allowing 5 runs but only 5 hits in 7 innings. He was done in by one bad inning in that contest in which he allowed 2 home runs, including a grand slam to Fernando Tatis. In his prior 2 starts, he allowed just 1 run and 4 hits in 13 innings. Vazquez has not been his usual self as of late, with a 7.02 ERA and a very poor 1.74 WHIP in his last 3 starts. Granted, he only allowed 1 run in his last start, but he had to be pulled after just 5 innings after allowing 5 hits and 4 walks, needing 90 pitches to complete the 5 innings. He was pummeled for 12 earned runs and 17 hits in 11.2 innings in his prior 2 starts. One of those starts came against these Braves, when he allowed 5 earned runs and 9 Men on Base in 7 innings on July 1. Finally, the Braves are 8-4 in their head-to-head meetings with the Expos this year, including 3-2 here in Montreal.
