Atlanta completes Cubs' collapse

ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO -- No World Series appearance again for the Cubs. This time, not even a spot in the postseason, thanks to a monumental final-week collapse.
A season that started with such high hopes saw them eliminated from playoff contention Saturday by their fifth straight loss, 8-6 to the Atlanta Braves.
"If you told me at the All-Star break we could be going home Oct. 3, I would have told you you were crazy," outfielder Moises Alou said.
"It hurts so bad because we had such a good team. I thought we would have a longer ride. I'm very disappointed. We're a lot better than this. Everybody knows there is no way the Cubs should be out."
But they are after losing seven of eight and squandering the wild-card lead in the last week. Chicago led this game 6-2 before the Braves rallied.
"It's hard to take," manager Dusty Baker said. "It seems like this last week has been a nightmare week. Whatever you do, it seems like it doesn't work. One of the worst stretches I've been through as a manager in a pennant stretch."
ATLANTACHICAGO
abrhbiabrhbi
Furcal ss4111Macias cf3000
MGiles 2b4122CPttson cf0000
Alfnsca p0000Grcprr ss4100
Smoltz p0000Alou lf5134
JDrew rf4112ARmrz 3b4121
CJones 3b2110SSosa rf4121
Btemit 3b1011TWalkr 2b4000
JEstda c4020DeLee 1b2000
TDrew pr0000Barrett c4000
EddPrz c1000Zmbrno p2220
Lroche 1b4001Merckr p0000
AJones cf5000Grieve ph1000
Mrrero lf5221Rusch p0000
Thmsn p1010Dmpstr p0000
JuCruz p0000Frnswr p0000
DWise ph1010Rmlngr p0000
TSmith p0000Leicstr p0000
Thmas ph1110NPerez ph1000
Colon p0000
TMartn p0000
Grybsk p0000
JuFrco ph1010
NGreen 2b0100
Totals388148Totals34696
Atlanta000113030--8
Chicago001140000--6
DP--Atlanta 1. LOB--Atlanta 9, Chicago 6. 2B--Furcal (24), SSosa (21). 3B--JDrew (8). HR--Marrero (10), Alou (38), ARamirez (36), SSosa (35). SB--Macias (4). S--Furcal. SF--Betemit, Laroche.
IPHRERBBSO
Atlanta
Thomson341100
JuCruz111100
TSmith134412
Colon1-300010
TMartin2-300001
Gryboski W,3-2110000
Alfonseca2-300010
Smoltz S,441 1-300013
Chicago
Zambrano5 2-395515
Mercker1-300000
Rusch1-320000
Dempster2-300000
Frnswr L,4-5 1-322200
Remlinger111101
Leicester2-300001
HBP--by Zambrano (CJones), by Thomson (Macias), by Zambrano (MGiles). WP--Thomson. Umpires--Home, Alfonso Marquez; First, Ed Rapuano; Second, Rick Reed; Third, Ted Barrett. T--3:17. A--38,695.
Dodgers 7, Giants 3
LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are finally back in the playoffs.
Steve Finley's grand slam capped a seven-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning and Los Angeles won the NL West.
The Dodgers reached the postseason for the first time since making it as wild card in 1996. The won the division the year before -- now, they'll look to win their first postseason game since upsetting Oakland in the 1988 World Series.
It's still not certain who the Dodgers will play in the first round, though they will open on the road.
SAN FRANLOS ANGELES
abrhbiabrhbi
Drham 2b5010Izturis ss5101
Tucker rf4000Werth lf5121
Alfonzo 3b4010SFinley cf5124
Bonds lf1100Beltre 3b4000
Snow 1b4120ShGren rf4120
DCruz ss4000Vntura 1b3100
Rnsom ss0000Cora 2b2000
Przyns c3000Mayne c2000
Hrmns p0000Grbwsk ph1000
Chrstns p0000Ross c0000
Herges p0000JHrndz ph0100
WFrkln p0000Dssens p1000
Grssom cf3123WAlvrz p1000
Tomko p3000Snchez p0000
Eyre p0000Vnafro p0000
Trralba c0000Carrar p0000
Saenz ph1010
Flores pr0000
Brzban p0000
Choi ph0001
Perez pr0100
Totals31363Totals34777
San Francisco000200100--3
Los Angeles000000007--7
One out when winning run scored.
E--Ransom (5), Grissom (2). DP--Los Angeles 1. LOB--San Francisco 8, Los Angeles 7. HR--Grissom (21), SFinley (36). S--Torrealba.
IPHRERBBSO
San Francisco
Tomko7 1-340024
Eyre1-300000
Hrmns L,6-9 2-314431
Christiansen001000
Herges011100
WFranklin011100
Los Angeles
Dessens432233
WAlvarez200010
Sanchez1-321101
Venafro1-300000
Carrara1 1-310011
Brazoban W,6-2100010
Christiansen pitched to 1 batter in the 9th, Herges pitched to 1 batter in the 9th, WFranklin pitched to 1 batter in the 9th. Umpires--Home, Tim McClelland; First, Tony Randazzo; Second, Fieldin Culbreth; Third, Jim Wolf. T--3:30. A--54,594.
Brewers 5, Cardinals 1
ST. LOUIS -- Ben Sheets pitched his fifth complete game of the season and Milwaukee took advantage of a shaky playoff tuneup by Jason Marquis.
The NL Central champions have lost five of six with one game to go in the regular season and at 104-57 they missed a chance to tie the franchise record of 106 victories set in 1942. They're 7-7 since clinching the division on Sept. 18, the earliest of any team this year.
Sheets (12-14) allowed eight hits and an unearned run, winning for only the third time in 13 decisions since the All-Star break.
MILWAUKEEST. LOUIS
abrhbiabrhbi
Pdsdnk cf3100Wmack 2b4020
Mgrder rf4100LWalkr rf4010
Ovrbay 1b4222Pujols 1b4010
Jenkins lf4011Rolen 3b4010
KGintr 2b3001Edmnd cf4000
Brnyan 3b3110Rnteria ss2000
Cunsell ss4021McKay ph1000
Moeller c4000Cedeno lf3000
BShets p4020Eldred p0000
Kline p0000
Stcchi p0000
MAndn ph1010
Mtheny c2010
YMlina c2000
Mrquis p1000
Cali p0000
Lnkfrd ph1110
Tvarez p0000
Mabry lf1000
Totals33585Totals34180
Milwaukee102000200--5
St. Louis000010000--1
E--Branyan (5), Rolen (10). DP--Milwaukee 2. LOB--Milwaukee 9, St. Louis 7. 2B--Overbay (51), Jenkins (36), Branyan (11), Counsell (19), LWalker (16), Pujols (49). HR--Overbay (16). SB--Podsednik (70), Womack (26). CS--Podsednik (13), Counsell (4). SF--KGinter.
IPHRERBBSO
Milwaukee
BSheets W,12-149810111
St. Louis
Marquis L,15-74 2-353353
Cali1-300010
Tavarez100002
Eldred232214
Kline2-300001
Simontacchi1-300000
WP--BSheets 2, Marquis. Umpires--Home, Greg Gibson; First, Larry Poncino; Second, Gerry Davis; Third, Bruce Dreckman. T--2:54. A--41,219.
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