Travel is Overrated

I just landed in Atlanta (approximately 3am San Diego time) after a brutal red-eye flight. I normally don't have an issue with red-eyes, and I figured that this one would give me an extra evening at home with my kids before I left, so I didn't hesitate to book it. When I saw that I had an exit row window seat, I figured I was in good shape. Then I boarded the plane.

First and foremost, my exit row was the first of two successive exit rows, which equals no reclining. That's a tough realization at 11pm before you even begin to taxi. Getting some sleep in an upright and locked position was going to be a challenge. Next nice feature? Bulkhead...against the bathroom. Now add in that my row was adjacent to the flight attendant station, which meant that the lights were on the entire time, and it was clear that my luck wasn't changing.

Did I mention that Atlanta is only a stopover? Yeah.

In any event, it was a tough game against the Braves on Thursday. They did a great job of getting key hits with two outs, and we just weren't able to cash in on some big chances despite good at-bats and hard contact. Sometimes that'll happen, but it's a little more frustrating when it wouldve meant a series win against a good team, and the Braves are a good team. Their lineup really doesn't have any outs (guys like Escobar, Heyward, and McLouth hitting at the bottom of the order), and their rotation is full of guys who can pitch like #1's on any given day.

Speaking of rotations, we've faced a tough run of starting pitchers in our first nine games. It's not an excuse, because we have to get it done regardless, but we've had just two, or maybe three, games against guys who would be considered less than a #1 or #2 on most teams. The off-days were a devil in disguise for us for the first week and a half.

Now we have a divison rival coming to town with some good crowds expected at PETCO, which would be the perfect time for a series win. I just hope to get a little bit of sleep between now and then.