A year after the Atlanta Braves blew a big September lead to miss the playoffs, the team locked up its spot with over a week to go.
Freddie Freeman hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to put the team past the Miami Marlins 4-3 on Tuesday night and clinch the playoffs for the Braves. The team is guaranteed to finish with at least a wild-card spot, just one season after the team had a big collapse and missed the playoffs.
"They took the attitude last year to try and hang on," Chipper Jones told the Associated Press. "This year we took the bull by the horns. We're shooting for the stars. We're still shooting for the division until they close us out."
Jones led off the ninth inning with a double and scored on Freeman's home run. Jones, who will retire after the season, will make the playoffs for the 13th time in 19 seasons.
"There was never any doubt," Jones said during the clubhouse celebration. "We knew that last year was somewhat of a fluke."
Kris Medlen started for the Braves and pitched seven innings, giving up three runs and five hits while striking out eight batters. It is the 22nd straight win for Atlanta in games that Medlen has started, which is the longest in the major leagues since 1953 when the Yankees won 22 straight that Whitey Ford started.
"You can't really win consistently until you lose," Medlen said. "Losing's a big part of being able to win."
Medlen has a 15-0 record in his last 27 starts, although he didn't get credited with the win on Tuesday.
The Braves clinching a spot helps erase some tough memories from last season's collapse. The team had an 8 ½ lead in the wild-card race, but went 9-18 in September and lost their playoff spot to the St. Louis Cardinals, who went on to win the World Series.
It makes it all worth it. I'm happier for these guys because they worked hard," Jones said.
Freeman gained some redemption with his home run after being the last batter for the Braves in 2011. He finished Atlanta's season with a double play in a loss to the Phillies on the last day of the season that knocked the team from the wild-card.
While it's unlikely with only a week left to play, the Braves are still alive to capture the AL East division from the Washington Nationals, who lost on Tuesday to Philadelphia 6-3. Atlanta now sits four games behind Washington.
The Marlins got off to a quick start with a home run from Donovan Solano in the second inning, but couldn't get back on the board until he homered again in the seventh inning. It was Solano's first two career home runs.
Jones was 1 for 2 on the day and scored on Dan Uggla's single in the second inning to tie the game after Solano's home run. He also hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to put the Braves up 2-1.
Jones was involved in most of the action on Tuesday night, including in the ninth inning. With the Braves down 3-2 after Solano's second home run, Jones led off the ninth with a double and then moved to third base on a wild pitch.
"He's done it all year," the 23-year-old Freeman said. "That's what he's a Hall of Famer for. He got the rally started today."
Freeman then stepped up to the plate and put Atlanta in the postseason with one swing of his bat. He became the seventh player in history to clinch a team's postseason spot with a walk-off home run.
The NL playoff picture is mostly set, with Washington, Cincinnati, San Francisco and now Atlanta clinching spots. The Braves last made the playoffs in 2010 as the wild-card.
Marlins starter Nate Eovaldi struck out eight while giving up four hits and two runs in six innings. He was going for his fourth win in the last six starts before reliever Mike Dunn gave up Freeman's home run.
"Yeah, I mean, we've lost a lot of games and to lose that game like that is heartbreaking," Dunn said, "especially with the way the team played today."
The game assured Jones at least one more chance at a World Series. He played on the Braves teams that won 11 straight division titles from 1995-2005 and on the 1995 World Series team.
"We're not done yet," he said. "We've got one more step that we've got our eyes on."
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