The Braves certainly did not have their coffee this morning. A missed pop up, a bad throw and missed catch, hits to the outfield by the Expo batters and the Braves' fielders were just a step or two behind. Before you knew it, the score was Expos 5, Braves 0 after 1 inning.

Things didn't settle down in the second with a single to start off, then an in the park home run to make the score 7 to 0. But the Braves chipped away a bit in the bottom of the second with a walk, a walk, a double and a single, bringing the score to Expos 7, Braves 3.

But the Expos added to their lead with a single, a walk, another single, a walk, and a third single making the score Expos 8, Braves 3. The third and fourth innings saw the Braves stranding runners. Each of these innings began with 2 walks each only to see the next three batters strike out.

By the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, Craig Williams found his groove and struck out batters, forcing ground outs and shutting down the Expos' bats, leaving it entirely up to the Braves' batters. Two more runs were scored in the fifth as the Braves kept trying to chip away and atone for their earlier mistakes. And finally, in the bottom of the sixth, with the score Expos 8, Braves 5, the Braves put men on base knowing there was still a chance, that maybe they could finally catch the Expos. They swung the bat, they ran the bases, they worked the count, but the Braves couldn't score the runs they needed. Not today. They played hard, they remembered the things they were taught, Respect, Effort, and Responsibility, and they didn't fail. They just didn't win. But North Cambridge should always be proud of their Braves. I am and I'm honored to have coached them. So to all of you salivating Major coaches, remember, you are not just getting great Minor Leaguers, you're getting Braves.