Cardinals beat Braves 6-3 in disputed playoff

By Paul Newberry

Associated Press

Published: Friday, Oct. 5 2012 7:05 p.m. MDT

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Atlanta Braves pitcher Kris Medlen, right, tosses the ball to Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) as St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Holliday, left, heads back to first base during the National League wild card playoff baseball game on Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, in Atlanta. Holliday was safe.

Todd Kirkland, Associated Press

Summary

The St. Louis Cardinals won baseball's first wild-card playoff, taking advantage of a disputed infield fly call that led to a protest and fans littering the field with debris to beat the Atlanta Braves 6-3 Friday.

ATLANTA — The St. Louis Cardinals won baseball's first wild-card playoff, taking advantage of a disputed infield fly call that led to a protest and fans littering the field with debris to beat the Atlanta Braves 6-3 Friday.

Matt Holliday homered and the defending World Series champion Cardinals benefited from three Braves errors. St. Louis advanced to play Washington in the division series starting Sunday.

Chipper Jones played his final game for the Braves, and made a crucial throwing error in the fourth inning that led to three runs.

But the first game in the majors' new postseason round — and one-and-done matchup — will be remembered forever for a wild play in the eighth on a shallow fly to left field.

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