The San Francisco Giants clinched a spot in the NLCS opposite the Fightin' Phils with a 3-2 win Monday Night in Turner Field, eliminating the injury-ridden Atlanta Braves. The winning run came on a bouncing Cody Ross single to left with the bases loaded in the seventh, shortly after Braves pitcher Derek Lowe was removed from the game by manager Bobby Cox, arguing all the way. It was most certainly anticlimactic, considering the crowd roared with delight on that very play when the second runner coming to the plate, Pat Burrell, was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Matt Diaz, and stoned by a rock-solid Brian McCann, the Atlanta catcher.
However, the Braves' offense, which had been on something resembling life support for a while anyway without the lost-for-the-season Chipper Jones and Martin Prado, wasn't able to make up the deficit. The final out came in the ninth, on an infield chopper, with a runner on second.
The Giants now move on the NLCS, where they will be underdogs, but match up as well with the Phillies as anyone could. Their rotation of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez may actually give H20 (Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels) some trouble, and if they can score enough runs, it could be an interesting series. It's their first LCS appearance since 2002, when they went all the way to the World Series.
However, the final out resembled something other than just the end of a game, the end of a series, and the end of a season for the Braves. It was, of course, also the end of Atlanta manager Bobby Cox's 29-year-career. Cox had been preparing to retire at the end of the season, and, shortly after the Giants' celebratory scrum on the mound had turned into a series of hugs and high-fives, Cox came out of the dugout, and the fans roared appreciatively. Even the Giants turned around and clapped, the coaches emptying the dugout to clap for a man who managed a record 16 postseason appearances, 15 of them in a row from 1991 to 2005. Cox won a World Series over the Indians in 1995.
After the game, Cox had an emotional press conference, talking about his last game, how he wouldn't be putting on a uniform anymore. But he was humble and optimistic to the last, saying over and over how proud he was of his guys, and of pitcher Derek Lowe. "He could be a 20 game winner next year, if they support 'im."
Cox retires ranked third all time in managing wins, and first in managerial ejections by umpires.
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