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Around the NL East: Marlins climbing out of early-season hole

ATLANTA BRAVES 

While Nats fans are still reveling in Tuesday night’s historic comeback victory, imagine what Braves fans are feeling right now. Their hot start to April has dissipated, losing seven of the last 10 games and falling below .500 for the first time this season at 10-11. Worst of all for Atlanta was that dropping the series to Washington might have awakened a sleeping giant.

It was just one outing, but losing that dramatic game to the Nats shows the value of former closer Craig Kimbrel. That’s no slight to Jason Grilli, who has been a proven closer at other stops, but who thinks Kimbrel would have given up a go-ahead three-run homer to Dan Uggla on an 0-2 pitch?