San Francisco Giants pitcher Brian Wilson, second from right, celebrates with teammates including Travis Ishikawa (10) and catcher Buster Posey,...
(AP Photo/Dave Martin)
San Francisco Giants pitcher Brian Wilson, second from right, celebrates with teammates including Travis Ishikawa (10) and catcher Buster Posey, left, after a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of baseball's National League Division Series on Monday, Oct. 11, 2010, in Atlanta.
ATLANTA — 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.