Braves could host "play-in" game vs. Colorado

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Washington — If the Braves and Colorado finish the season tied for the wild-card lead, the Braves would host a one-game playoff against the Rockies on Oct. 5 — the day after the regular season ends — to determine which team advances to the postseason.

The Braves would host the game by virtue of having a better record than Colorado against opponents within their division, which is the second tiebreaker to determine home field for one-game playoffs in these instances.

The first tiebreaker is head-to-head results. The Braves and Rockies split eight games this season.

If a one-game playoff between the Braves and Rockies is necessary, the Oct. 5 (Monday) game at Turner Field would be at night. The Rockies would have to fly from Los Angeles after playing their regular-season finale against the Dodgers on Oct. 4.

The wild-card team would begin its division series Oct. 7 on the road.

Moylan ties record

Peter Moylan punctuated his franchise record-tying 84th relief appearance of the season by striking out four of the last five batters he faced in a crucial two-inning stint Sunday.

The Aussie sidearmer tied the Braves' single-season appearances record set by Chris Reitsma in 2004.

After surrendering five runs in his final seven appearances before the All-Star break, Moylan has allowed just two earned runs in 33 innings for an 0.55 ERA over 35 relief appearances since the break.

He gave up a leadoff triple to former Brave Willie Harris to start the seventh with the score tied 3-3, and intentionally walked Ryan Zimmerman to put runners on the corners with one out.

Moylan then struck out Josh Willingham and Elijah Dukes to get out of the inning.

"Harris didn't look too good standing on third," manager Bobby Cox said. "But Moylan is capable of doing [what he did]."

"He's unbelievable," catcher Brian McCann said of Moylan, who retired the side in order in the eighth, the last two via strikeouts.

Moylan is tied for the major-league appearances lead and has surpassed most expectations coming back from ligament-transplant elbow surgery in May 2008.

After Cox announced last week that 2010 would be his final season as manager, Moylan said he felt a debt of gratitude.

"I wouldn't have a career if it wasn't for him, to be honest," Moylan said. "He gave me the opportunity in ‘06 to come up and prove that I could pitch at this level, after a mediocre year in Triple-A. And the faith that he showed in me in ‘07 and then again this year, coming back from surgery — that's something that you want to be able to pay back to him. But I don't know how to do it except to go out there and try and pitch as best as I possibly can."

Morse cracks code vs. Braves

Nationals outfielder Mike Morse had three homers in 324 major league at-bats until this weekend, when he hit two homers in a span of five at-bats. He hit a three-run homer off Tommy Hanson on Saturday, and broke a 2-all tie with a fourth-inning leadoff homer against Derek Lowe on Sunday.

The Nationals got Morse from Seattle in a June 28 trade for ex-Braves outfielder Ryan Langerhans.