ATLANTA — The Braves are running out of chances to send Bobby Cox into retirement with one more playoff appearance.
Vance Worley combined with four relievers on a three-hitter and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the punchless Braves 7-0 Saturday to drop Atlanta into a tie for the NL wild-card spot.
Atlanta's loss and San Diego's 4-2 win over San Francisco left the Braves and Padres tied for the wild card with one game left in the regular season.
"We've got to suck it up and win a game," Cox said. "We have to, (today). We need to win and we've got the right guy going and we need to bust open with the bats a little bit.
"We're still breathing, San Diego is still breathing, the Giants are breathing hard. They've done what we've done, they've lost two in a row to the wrong teams. We need to win."
The Braves' hopes of advancing to the postseason in Cox's final season as manager will be on the line against the Phillies today. Atlanta ace Tim Hudson is scheduled to face Cole Hamels.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, preparing his rotation for the playoffs, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Hamels will "probably" pitch only two innings. Manuel said Roy Oswalt "will pitch somewhere in the game" behind Hamels.
Manuel has selected Roy Halladay and Oswalt as his first two starters in the best-of-five division series.
The Braves can earn their first postseason berth since 2005 with a victory today and a Padres loss in San Francisco.
"We're down to the last game; it's good to say it means something," Braves right fielder Jason Heyward said. "We've been through a lot this season."
The game followed a tribute to Cox attended by about 70 former players and coaches — and an Atlanta-record crowd of 54,296. During the ceremony, Cox congratulated Manuel and the Phillies for winning the NL East.
"That was very classy," Manuel said. "That was typical of Bobby Cox."
The Braves won 14 straight division titles under Cox from 1991-2005. The Phillies have won four straight with Manuel. The only other NL team to make at least four consecutive postseason appearances was the New York Giants from 1921-24.
The Phillies have outscored the Braves 18-5 in the first two games of the series as Atlanta has squandered its two-game lead over San Diego in the wild-card race. Philadelphia has already clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
"We're not going to let anyone win," said Phillies catcher Brian Schneider, who said the Braves "have to take care of their own business."
Worley, making his second major league start, gave up only a fourth-inning double to Derrek Lee in five innings. He combined with Antonio Bastardo (2-0), Danys Baez, Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras on the shutout.
"Maybe I'll have an opportunity to get a shot at a starting job in spring training," Worley said.
Third baseman Brooks Conrad's throwing error helped the Phillies snap a scoreless tie with four runs in the seventh. It was the second straight day a throwing error by Conrad helped the Phillies take the lead.
After Jonny Venters (4-4) walked Jimmy Rollins to open the seventh, Placido Polanco hit a slow grounder.
Conrad charged the ball before throwing wildly to second base. The toss sailed into center field, allowing pinch-runner Brian Bocock to advance to third.
Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino had run-scoring singles off Venters. Craig Kimbrell's wild pitch allowed Ibanez to score from third for a 4-0 lead.
Conrad's throwing error led to five unearned runs in the Phillies' 11-5 win over Atlanta on Friday night.
"We made two plays back-to-back nights that caused the floodgates to open up," Cox said.
Conrad was a pinch-hitter and utility infielder most of the season. He became a starter after season-ending injuries to Chipper Jones and Martin Prado.
"I feel terrible again," Conrad said. "Just another terrible throw. I can't explain it."
Utley walked, stole second, moved to third on catcher Brian McCann's throwing error and scored on a single by Ibanez in the eighth for a 5-0 lead.
Wilson Valdez drove in Schneider with a ninth-inning double off Takashi Saito.
Saito, who had been out since Sept. 17 with a sore right shoulder, also forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to John Mayberry.
Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson gave up six hits in five scoreless innings to finish the regular season 10-11 with a 3.33 ERA. He won only two of 16 starts after the All-Star break despite his 2.51 ERA during that span.
Venters gave up four hits and four runs, two earned, in 1 1-3 innings. He had been limited to one inning in his last 17 appearances since Aug. 25.
Padres win, Braves lose and will be eliminated without a Sunday win
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