Giants advance in MLB playoffs

By AP Wire

The San Francisco Giants couldn't wait to get to the champagne, to pop the cork on a celebration eight years in the making.

But first, they had to pay their respects to the guy in the other dugout.

Bobby Cox's career ended when the Atlanta Braves lost to the Giants 3-2 in the deciding game of the NL division series Monday night, giving San Francisco its first playoff victory since a run to the World Series in 2002.

The chants of "Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!" from the crowd at Turner Field were to be expected for a retiring manager who's sure to wind up in Cooperstown. The more touching gesture was provided by the Giants, who quit jumping around long enough to clap for Cox and tip their caps in his direction.

"He's a legend in this sport," second baseman Freddy Sanchez said. "He's been a great mentor to so many people in the sport. We had to show our respect. First things first. Then we could go celebrate."

They certainly had reason.

Twenty-one-year-old rookie Madison Bumgarner pitched six strong innings. Late-season pickup Cody Ross homered and drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the seventh. Finally, the San Francisco bullpen closed out a series that was tight and tense to the very end.

The Braves coaxed two walks out of San Francisco closer Brian Wilson in the bottom of the ninth, but they couldn't get the hit that might've extended Cox's career for at least one more game. Omar Infante struck out on a checked swing, and Melky Cabrera hit a routine grounder to third.

Just like that, it was over.

The Giants were moving on to face two-time NL champion Philadelphia in the league championship series.

Cox was hanging up that familiar No. 6 uniform for the final time.

"It doesn't feel like the last time I'm putting it on, but it certainly is," he said, his voice cracking. "I won't put it on again."

Every game was decided by one run, but the Giants won three of them to take the best-of-five series and earn a shot at knocking off the mighty Phillies. Game 1 is Saturday at Philadelphia and features a marquee matchup of Cy Young winners: Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Halladay.

Lincecum beat the Braves with a two-hit, 14-strikeout shutout in Game 1. Halladay pitched a no-hitter against Cincinnati in his postseason debut, getting the Phillies started on a sweep of the Reds.

"They have unbelievable pitching," Ross said. "It's going to be pretty much like this series."

In the next round, the Giants will be facing a much more potent lineup than anything the Braves could muster. They didn't have the strongest lineup to begin with and came into the playoffs without two of the their best hitters, Chipper Jones and Martin Prado, both out with season-ending injuries.

Atlanta hit .175 as a team and scored only nine runs in the four games.

"Our pitching, I can't say enough about," Ross said. "We scored only a handful of runs and ended up winning the series in four games. It just goes to show how valuable they are."

Bumgarner did his part, allowing only six hits and two runs. He wound up getting the win as the Giants scored twice in the top half of the seventh, again aided by some shaky Atlanta defense.

That miscue allowed Ross to get to the plate, and he came through with a single to left just out of Gonzalez's reach to bring home the go-ahead run. Pat Burrell also attempted to score, but he was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Santiago Casilla worked 1 2-3 innings, Javier Lopez struck out Jason Heyward to end the eighth and Wilson earned his second save in as many nights.

"This series had everything," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Just the intensity and excitement of the series, it had to be thrilling for the fans. There was never an easy moment for Bobby or myself, because these games could have gone either way."

"I really didn't know what to expect," Lincecum said. "Guys tell you, but you don't know until it happens. A lot of swearing, a lot of screaming, a lot of alcohol."