The Atlanta Braves are going to the 2012 playoffs.
With the team trailing 3-2 in the ninth inning, Mike Dunn came out of the Marlins bullpen. Chipper Jones, playing the final home stand of his career, led off the inning with a line-drive double to right-center field. That brought up Freddie Freeman.
Freeman took ball one and then swung through a slider for the first strike against him. The next pitch was a knee-high fastball, which the 23-year-old first baseman crushed into the Turner Field sky. The ball sailed over the center field wall, clinching the first playoff birth for Atlanta since 2010.
Kris Medlen had his worst start of the season, giving up three runs over seven innings. With the Braves leading 2-1 in the seventh, Donovan Solano hit his second homer of the night to give Miami a 3-2 lead. Following the late rally by the Braves, the team has now won Medlen's last 22 starts.
The two clubs will meet again on Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m. ET. It'll be Paul Maholm and Josh Johnson on the mound.
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