17 years have passed since the picture with this blog was taken, as the Braves celebrated their 1995 World Series championship. 

But the wounds from the most recent late-season failures are much more fresh in the minds of Braves fans.  And after Wednesday's 8-2 loss (to a Padres team 10 games under .500) marked the end of a 4-6 road trip, it wouldn't be hard to understand if a Braves fan reflected back to last season's September/October collapse and wonder if this team is headed in the same direction. 

There are 16 home games and 15 road games remaining on the team's schedule, but only 6 of the final 31 are against teams with winning records (3 vs Washington from Sept. 14-16 and 3 in Pittsburgh to close out the season).  So you would think the Braves are in good shape. 

But performances like the ones from the last week-and-a-half give all of us pause.  The team is 4-8 over its last 12 games, and they're losing just enough that you couldn't blame someone for wondering what the Braves will be like if they are fortunate enough to make it to the postseason.  Atlanta has lost 10 of its 17 games against teams with winning records since the All-Star break ... not exactly the confidence builder a team that went through last year's meltdown needs to have legitimate postseason hopes for this year. 

What has long been a foregone conclusion (the Braves making the playoffs) can no longer be considered as that.  Although the team has not given up hope of catching the Washington Nationals in the National League East division (they sat 5 games back after play on Aug. 29), they're just 3.5 games out of being completely out of the postseason picture altogether.  The team the Braves are 3.5 games ahead of?  The Pittsburgh Pirates, whom the Braves visit for 3 games in the final regular season series of the year. 

At this rate, one can't discount that being a possible series to determine who advances and who goes home.