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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves were one strike away from
opening the postseason on Tuesday at Turner Field.
|  | | Todd Helton, center, is congratulated by Jeff Cirillo and Todd Walker after his three-run homer did in the Braves. |
Todd Helton changed that in a hurry.
The Braves blew their chance to clinch home-field advantage for
the first round of the playoffs when third baseman Chipper Jones'
two-out error in the ninth inning set up Helton's homer on an 0-2
pitch and helped Colorado to a 10-5 win Sunday in the
regular-season finale.
The Rockies rallied for seven runs in the ninth, most of it off
John Rocker.
Chipper Jones told Braves' officials he would not be available
for comment and never showed up in the locker room where most of
the players spoke in whispers and several others never showed up
until at least an hour after the game.
Asked for his comment, Rocker said: "Do I ever talk? Ask these
guys," waving his hand in the direction of the Atlanta media.
As a result of the loss, coupled with the Cardinals' 6-2 win
over Cincinnati, Atlanta will start the best-of-five playoffs at St.
Louis on Tuesday.
The Braves and Cardinals both finished 95-67 -- St. Louis won the
tiebreaker because it was 4-3 against Atlanta this season.
"It's not a crusher," said Atlanta's Kevin Millwood, who
pitched 2 1/3 of scoreless relief in his first work out of the
bullpen since September 1998.
"Obviously, we wanted to open up here, but we'll just have to
go to St. Louis and win a couple there instead," he said.
Braves manager Bobby Cox took the loss in stride.
"Well, we haven't blown one in a long time," he said. "The
best hitter in the game hit a homer. That happens when you make an
error and walk a couple of guys."
Rocker took over to start the ninth with a 5-3 lead. With two
outs and two on, Jeff Cirillo hit a grounder that skipped off
Jones' glove for an error, allowing a run to score.
Helton followed with a three-run homer, his 42nd. He led the NL
in batting (.372) and RBI (147).
"If I faced him 10 more times I probably wouldn't get a hit off
him," said Helton. "I didn't think I'd hit a home run on an 0-2
pitch. It was a fastball."
As for his chances of winning the NL MVP award, Helton said it
was out of his control.
If it were up to Colorado manager Buddy Bell, it would be no
contest.
"I just can't imagine any player doing as much as Todd's done
for us. This guy has had a tremendous year and he capped it off
with the HR he hit today," said Bell.
The Rockies scored three more times in the ninth inning on a
two-run single by Brent Mayne and an RBI single by Ben Petrick.
Rocker (1-2) blew only his third save in 27 opportunities. He
pitched two-thirds of an inning and gave up six runs -- all unearned
-- on three hits and two walks.
Julian Tavarez (11-5) got the win with a scoreless eighth.
Javy Lopez hit a two-run homer in a three-run sixth inning to
put the Braves ahead 5-3.
The Braves trailed 3-2 entering the sixth but Rafael Furcal
opened the inning with a triple and scored on a groundout by Andruw
Jones.
Chipper Jones, who had hit a two-run homer -- his 36th -- in the
fourth, then drew a walk and Lopez hit his 24th homer of the season
off Kevin Jarvis for a 5-3 lead.
Atlanta starter John Burkett went 5 2/3 innings and gave up 10
hits and three runs.
Game notes
Atlanta RF Brian Jordan saved a run in the second when he
threw out Juan Pierre trying to score from second on a two-out hit
by Cirillo. ... The double by Atlanta's Reggie Sanders extended his
hitting streak to 10 games. ... Millwood, who made 35 starts, made
his first regular-season relief appearance since Sept. 26, 1998,
against the New York Mets, throwing 2 1-3 scoreless innings. ...
Andruw Jones went hitless in four at-bats and ended the regular
season with 199 hits. The last Braves player to have at least 200
hits was Marquis Grissom (207) in 1996.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Colorado Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
See you in St. Louis: Cardinals open playoffs at home
RECAPS
Cleveland 11
Toronto 4
Detroit 12
Minnesota 11
Tampa Bay 3
Boston 2
Baltimore 7
NY Yankees 3
Kansas City 6
Chi. White Sox 2
Seattle 5
Anaheim 2
Oakland 3
Texas 0
Colorado 10
Atlanta 5
NY Mets 3
Montreal 2
St. Louis 6
Cincinnati 2
Florida 7
Philadelphia 5
Chicago Cubs 10
Pittsburgh 9
San Diego 4
Los Angeles 0
San Francisco 11
Arizona 4
Houston 6
Milwaukee 1
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