ATLANTA – Nothing has come easy for the Braves, whose 25 final-at-bat victories are the most in baseball. So perhaps it was fitting the Braves were pushed to the last day of the season before claiming a postseason berth.
Atlanta reached the playoffs as the NL wild-card team, a first for manager Bobby Cox, after taking a six-run lead and then holding on for an 8-7 win over Philadelphia on Sunday.
“I knew all along today would be the day,” Chipper Jones said. “We’ve waited until the last minute all year. It makes perfect sense to show up and get it done on the last day.”
Tim Hudson said the key was reaching the playoffs with Cox, who is retiring.
“This being Bobby’s last year, losing today was not an option,” Hudson said.