ATLANTA — This is baseball’s version of sudden death, Game 7 disguised as Game 1, a one-off, play in to play on between a pair of division runners-up for the right to advance to the Division Series.
The first wild-card showdown in MLB history will be played late this afternoon between the 94-68 Braves and the 88-74 Cardinals, who get to defend their World Series championship only because the playoff structure expanded to accommodate a fifth entry from each league.
“The new format, we’re ecstatic,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said yesterday. [Without it], we’d be home right now and be spectators. So we’re exceptionally happy about it.”
The Cardinals are perhaps almost as ecstatic about this as they were a year ago about erasing a double-digit deficit in the standings to steal the one-and-only NL wild-card spot from the Braves on the final night of the season before taking out the Phillies, Brewers and Rangers on their way to the Series title in Tony La Russa’s last act before retiring as manager.
Just 12 months ago, the Braves were attempting to pick up the pieces of a 9-18 September collapse that included a final five-game losing streak and defeats in eight of the final 10. They and the Red Sox shared a 2011 fate. But only the Braves rewrote history for 2012 and only the Braves are in the post-season; well, sort of.
For Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez called the one-and-someone-is-done showdown: “crazy.” The winner of today’s game will advance to play the NL East champion Nationals in the best-of-five division series.
“We feel like it’s a pretty good lineup we’re running out there,” Gonzalez said after naming his order. “It gives us a good chance to win this crazy one-game playoff, which is crazy, but both teams are playing the same rules.”
Chipper Jones will be batting cleanup against Kyle Lohse (16-3, 2.86) in what could be the final game of his 19-year career. Jones, of course, was feted across the NL this season after announcing his plan to retire at the end of the year.
Shea Jones’ father thus will be done when the Braves are, a moment that Atlanta starting pitcher Kris Medlen (10-1, 1.57) intends to do whatever he can to postpone.
“You can’t take any of these opportunities for granted. You don’t have that many opportunities in your career to play in the playoffs or play in whatever this is called,” said Medlen, who went 9-0 with a 0.97 ERA in 12 starts beginning July 31 after spending the season’s first four months in the bullpen. “But especially for [Jones]. It’s his last year. It inspires you to kind of want to get him a few more games under his belt and let him go out on top, where he belongs.”
Lohse, who turned 34 yesterday, got three postseason starts for the Cards last year, Game 1 in the Division Series against Philadelphia, Game 5 of the NLCS against Arizona and Game 3 of the World Series against Texas. He was 0-2 with a 5.54 ERA.
“It’s a new year and a new situation,” Lohse said. “I felt differently going into [the opener against the Phillies] than the confidence I have going into this one.
“I think last year’s experience helps tremendously, not just for me but for a lot of the guys in the clubhouse, coming from 10 1/2 back, going down to the final day.”
Today will be the final day for somebody. Game 1 as Game 7. Baseball’s version of sudden death.
* Despite losing Albert Pujols to free agency, the Cardinals scored three more runs this season than last (765-762). St. Louis was second-highest scoring team in NLBrewers scoring 776 runs. … Carlos Beltran will bat second for the Cardinals in his first postseason game since Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.
* David Ross will catch for the Braves in place of six-time all-star Brian McCann, who has been bogged down by injuries including a right shoulder cyst. Medlin had a 0.81 ERA in throwing 44 1/3 innings to Ross this season
* Despite losing Albert Pujols to free agency, the Cardinals scored three more runs this season than last (765-762). St. Louis was second-highest scoring team in NL, Brewers scoring 776 runs. … Former Met Carlos Beltran will bat second for the Cardinals in his first postseason game since Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.