Perhaps most impressively, Nolasco struck out nine straight batters. With one more strike out, he would have tied Tom Seaver for the most consecutive strikeouts in a game.

With Nolasco fanning batters left and right, the Marlins were able to beat the Braves by a final count of 5-4. It was a costly lost for the Braves, who lost their second straight game and now trail the Colorado Rockies by four games in the NL Wild Card race.

Coming into the season, there were whispers that Nolasco could be in the NL Cy Young Award talk — but that hasn’t been the case. Even after Wednesday’s performance, he’s now 13-9 on the season with a 5.06 ERA.

Ricky Nolasco - Florida Marlins (Image: Zuma Press)

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Ricky Nolasco Strikes Out 16 Batters

However, this season hasn’t been as kind to the 37-year-old third baseman. He’s hitting .269 with 16 homers, 64 RBIs and 70 runs. Since the All-Star break, Jones is hitting just .237 in 173 at-bats.

When talking to the Associated Press, Jones strongly hinted that he’d retire after next season if he doesn’t start to play better.

Said Jones to the AP: “If I back up this year with the same kind of year next year, I don’t want to play the game. The game is not fun to me when I’m not playing up to my standards.”

Dealing with nagging injuries, Jones has only one at-bat in the last three games for the Braves. Despite missing arguably their best player, Atlanta has won seven games in a row and now stand just 4.5 games back in the NL Wild Card race. If the Braves can get a strong finish from Jones, that will help their cause this season and for a few years to come.

Is Chipper Jones headed toward retirement (Image: Zuma Press)

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Chipper Jones Thinking About Retirement

Before getting hurt last season, Hudson had a record of 11-7 to go with a 3.17 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. It was his fourth season with the Braves after playing with the Oakland Athletics for the first six years of his big league career.

To make room in the starting rotation, the Braves will sit Kenshin Kawakami. Although the rookie from Japan is having a solid season, the Braves didn’t have much choice. The rest of the starting rotation — Jair Jurrjens, Javier Vazquez, Derek Lowe and Tommy Hanson — are simply too good to sit at this moment.

At 67-60, Atlanta is currently 7 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. In the NL Wild Card race, the Braves trail the Colorado Rockies by 4.5 games.

Tim Hudson - Atlanta Braves (Image: Zuma Press)

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Tim Hudson to Return for the Braves

The 43-year-old future Hall of Fame pitcher recently threw the ball on a flat surface. Although he hasn’t gone back on the mound, he reported that his throwing session went well.

In the offseason, Glavine had shoulder surgery on his left shoulder. The left-hander has reported shoulder soreness and even in his latest session, he admit to having some pain. However, despite the pain, Glavine insists he is more optimistic and is willing to give his body more time.

The next step for Glavine will be to pitch off of a mound. That will be the ultimate test to see if his shoulder will allow him to pitch a final season for the Braves. If not, he has a place in Cooperstown waiting for him.

Tom Glavine (Image: Flickr)

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Tom Glavine Feeling Better – Remains Unsure

Boyer is a 27-year-old right-hander who was born in Atlanta. So far this season, he’s been far from impressive. In 1.1 innings over three appearances, Boyer has a 40.50 ERA after giving up three hits, three walks and six home runs. Last season, Boyer had a 5.88 ERA in 76 games. His best season came in his rookie year in 2005 when he had a 3.11 ERA in 37.2 innings.

Barton is a 26-year-old outfielder who hadn’t played on the big league level this season. Last year, he hit two homers, nine doubles and two triples while hitting .268 in 153 at-bats. Barton has more of a chance to play in Atlanta than St. Louis due to the Cardinals’ outfield depth.

Brian Barton Steals Second Base (Image: Flickr)

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Blaine Boyer Traded to the Cardinals

The Braves scored two runs in the top of the first inning off of Phillies starter Brett Myers. In the top of the second, Atlanta added two more runs. All four of the runs were via the home run. Brian McCann hit a two-run dinger, while Jordan Schafer and Jeff Francoeur added solo shots.

Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves

However, the best player for the Braves on the day was starting pitcher Derek Lowe. Signed in the offseason, Lowe showed why the Braves gave him big money. Over eight innings, Lowe gave up only two hits and no walks while striking out four batters.

The Phillies were able to score off of Mike Gonzalez in the bottom of the ninth but when the final out was recorded, the Braves had a 4-1 victory.

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Braves Beat Phillies in 2009 Season Opener

The first pitch of the 2009 baseball season will be thrown by Phillies starter Brett Myers. At that point, the 2009 season will officially be underway.

2009 Baseball Opening Day - Brett Myers, Phillies (Image: Newscom)

The goal for the Phillies this season is simple — to win the World Series once again. However, that is obviously easier said than done. The last team to win back-to-back World Series titles was the New York Yankees, who won the World Series in 1998, 1999 and 2000. A National League team hasn’t accomplished that feat since the 1970s Cincinnati Reds.

For the Braves, their goals aren’t quite as grand. After finishing last season with a 72-90 record, the Braves will be looking to find their way back to the top of the National League. While many experts expect the Braves to struggle once again in 2009, manager Bobby Cox has a long history of being able to keep his teams in the hunt.

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2009 Baseball Opening Day Preview

Who are the best teams during 2009 spring training? Here are the top five:

1. Los Angeles Angels
Last year, the Angels finished with the best record in baseball at 100-62. During 2009 spring training, Los Angeles is 24-7. They have outscored their opponents 247-158. All in all, it appears like it will be another very good year for the Angels.

2. New York Yankees
Like the Angels, this is no surprised. The Yankees spent millions upon millions of dollars during the offseason to better their roster. Even this early in the process, these Yankees look like World Series contenders. If their pitchers can remain healthy, they’ll be scary.

3. Milwaukee Brewers
After the Brewers lost CC Sabathia, many thought their chances of doing much in 2009 had vanished. But their bats look strong in spring training and the pitching has shown signs of potential. The Brewers are definitely a sleeper at this point.

4. Atlanta Braves
For many years, the Braves were a favorite in the National League. Currently, most experts don’t consider the Braves a true contender. Despite the doubters, the Braves are 20-11 in spring training and their pitching has been very impressive.

5. Texas Rangers
The Rangers are utilizing their typical formula. They’ve scored 226 runs so far in spring training but they’ve also given up 206 runs. The Rangers will score runs but their record will depend on whether or not Texas can have a halfway decent pitching staff.

Here is a video of Michael Young of the Rangers talking to Jim Rome:

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Top Five Baseball Teams in Spring Training

Check out this ouch-if-there-ever-was-one collision between the two players (38s).  The New York Mets‘ Church takes a knee to the head from the Atlanta Braves shortstop while sliding into second. He ended up with a mild concussion and Escobar got himself one heck of a sore knee:

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VIDEO: Ryan Church Slides Into Second, Gets a Knee to the Head