MLB: Braves Face Big Deficit Early in NL East

The Atlanta Braves put a positive spin on losing two of three games to the New York Mets.
The Braves left New York on Sunday with a 13-3 win over the Mets to avoid a sweep. They also avoided falling 10 games behind New York in the NL East. It's certainly better to trail the New York by eight games, but eight is still a big number.
"What everyone will always tell you, when you're chasing a team, whatever deficit it is, if you've got enough games to play that team you always feel like you can come back," said John Smoltz, the winning pitcher Sunday. "But the games that you lose now make it difficult."
The Braves wasted seventh-inning leads in losses to the Mets on Friday and Saturday.
"Baseball is one of those momentum, confidence, streaky games where no matter how close you keep playing a team, if they keep winning those games, they have a mental edge on you," Smoltz said.
The Braves (13-18) have won 14 consecutive division titles, but they are much closer to the bottom than the top of the National League Championship. Only three NL teams have fewer wins. Two of the three _ Washington and Florida _ are in the East.
The good news is the Braves' next 10 games are against Florida and Washington. Atlanta opens a three-game series at Florida on Tuesday night.
The Braves have looked like also-rans in head-to-head battles with the Mets and Phillies. Atlanta is 1-4 against Philadelphia and 4-5 against the Mets.