Braves' surprising shot in the arm may bruise easily if they fail to make postseason

The Atlanta Braves would not be one game away from clinching a seventh straight postseason berth without the terrific pitching performance it got on Saturday night out of Reynaldo Lopez. Fresh off his second post All-Star Game stint on the injured list, Lopez went six innings, allowing two hits and one run, while striking out nine Kansas City Royals hitters and walking no one. Atlanta is one game away!

With one more Braves win or an Arizona Diamondbacks defeat, Atlanta will be back in the postseason as one of three NL Wild Card teams. Atlanta closes out its series finale with Kansas City on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, they will have a doubleheader at home vs. the New York Mets with potentially playoff berths and postseason seeding on the line. Arizona has one left with the San Diego Padres.

Altanta skipper is calling on 40-something Charlie Morton to toe the rubber for the Braves in a potential clincher. All signs point to some combination of Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach getting the start in one or both of the doubleheaders on Monday. Max Fried will not pitch again this regular season. The same principle applies to his fellow All-Star teammate Lopez. Do not blow this!

On the season, Lopez is 8-3 in 25 starts with a 2.00 ERA over 134.2 innings to go with 146 strikeouts.

The good news is Atlanta has many ways of getting into the postseason, needing one positive result.

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Atlanta Braves better not squander Reynaldo Lopez's final start of season

As crazy as it may sound, the Braves are playing some of their best baseball of the season. They have won five games in a row and seven of their last 10. Taking Game 1 of their interrupted home series vs. the Mets due to Hurricane Helene was a huge boost, as was taking the first two at home over a reeling Kansas City team. Even as the have lost seven of their last 10, they are still playing in October.

As far as the Braves are concerned, they need to take care of business at least one more time in the their next three chances over the next two days. Yes, they could get some help from the Diamondbacks-Padres game. The point is the numbers are so incredibly in the Braves favor to make the postseason, it would be absolutely ridiculous for them not to qualify at this point with three left.

For those keeping score at home, there is only scenario in which the Braves do not make the postseason now. They need to lose their final three games (Kansas City on Sunday and both to New York on Monday) and for the Diamondbacks to win on Sunday vs. San Diego. Atlanta has the best chance of getting in, followed up by New York and then followed by Arizona hanging on by a thread.

The Braves have 27 innings to show they belong in the postseason, but will they make it happen?