falling down

Tying run on base. Two outs. Ninth inning. Must-win game. There was a time when Brian McCann was a batter Atlanta Braves fans would love to see at the plate in that situation. But the McCann of 2012 isn’t. On Monday, the former Mississippi Braves standout bounced out to the pitcher. The Braves lost to Pittsburgh 2-1 and saw their slim National League East title hopes snuffed. McCann went 0-for-4 and stranded three runners all told on Monday. His season average dropped to .227, some 50 points off his career number. He has five silver slugger awards, but his numbers have been dropping. He hit. 301 in 2008, followed by .281, .269, .270 and now this year’s skid. His RBI totals have gone from 94 in 2009 to 77, 71 and now 67 this year. He had some vision problems in 2011, and a shoulder issue reportedly has hampered him this season. Clearly something is wrong. Maybe it’s just all those games behind the plate; he’s been the Braves’ regular catcher since 2006, when he batted .333. The Braves, as a team, have fallen back into one of those spells where they can’t seem to put together hits and produce big innings. This team came out of the gates throwing up crooked numbers, but it’s been a different club the second half. Monday’s lineup included just one .300 hitter (ex-M-Brave Martin Prado). Their pitching has been good all year, especially in the recent crucial weeks. (Tip your cap to ex-Jackson Mets hurler Roger McDowell, the pitching coach.) But offensive consistency is a concern heading into Friday’s wild card showdown with either St. Louis or Los Angeles. Braves fans might want to cross their fingers and pray for a three-run homer. P.S. Mississippi natives Tyler Moore (Washington) and Seth Smith (Oakland) celebrated their team’s playoff berths on Monday. They join Zack Cozart (Cincinnati), Mitch Moreland and Roy Oswalt (Texas), Paul Maholm (Atlanta) and Eli Whiteside (San Francisco) as Mississippians who have already partied.