It just wasn't in the cards I suppose. A great game to end the series...one for the ages you might say. In the end, it came down to the bullpen...once again. And Atlanta just didn't have the juice to pull through.
Tim Hudson was brilliant and pitched one heck of a game, but Atlanta was beaten by the better team this day.
Give the Braves some credit. Sure, they need to make some changes, but nobody thought they would get here to begin with. The core players will return, but some hard decisions will have to be made. Over the next several weeks we'll review 2005 and look forward to 2006.
Rest assured, this is not the same Atlanta Braves team that bowed out of the playoffs the last four years. This is a team truly on the rise, a team with youngsters loaded with promise. These Braves have nothing to be ashamed of. They should be proud of what they accomplished. Their time will come Atlanta.
For now, let's be thankful for the excitement this season gave us. Hold your head high because there will be a next year for your Braves.