It's hard to remember a time when the Braves looked like they were doing anything they could to lose a ballgame. Not that any ball player ever wants to lose but with the Braves, something (a big something) is just not clicking. It's not happening and the Braves aren't firing on all cylinders. It brings me back to the disgusting June of 2005, or the days of Dan Kolb and Chris Reitsma. Let's hope we're not there again!

Of course, it's definately too early to speak doom and gloom, but for a Braves fan watching night after night and seeing a team that had the potential of grabbing early wins and setting a tone for the National League east it's been disappointing to say the least.

I think that may be the problem also. This team knew they had the guys put together to win series after series this season and they've seen their own best fall around them.

They've seen Glavine go out after 16 pitches in his second start, Smoltz start the season on the DL and Mike Hampton go on the DL minutes before his first start.

They watched their closer land on the DL and then his backup closer (Peter Moylan) after pitching so phenomonally also hit the DL, possibly for an extended period of time. The off season talk was about pitching depth and the Braves have it, but far too early in the season are we seeing that depth tested.

They've seen Chipper immediately strain his oblique muscles, and Mark Teixeira's cool bat ground into too many double plays in key situations. When the pitching has been great the hitting has been gone and also the other way. Everything just isn't clicking.

Through this the Braves will be tested. Is this the team the critics feared? Can the young guys show consistancy and depth mentally to overcome these early struggles? Can Bobby Cox find the magic he always had to right the ship no matter how bad things look, to keep the players positive and ready for another game?

This remains to be seen but for now, it's another night of baseball with fans getting itchy to see the Braves team they expected.

5-8 isn't the way we expected to see the first two weeks of April go.