ATLANTA — No matter how many injuries they face, no matter how hopeless the situation seems, the Atlanta Braves are determined to put off Bobby Cox’s retirement as long as possible.
Another player went down in Game 2 of the NL division series — and a mighty important one at that. But the Braves shrugged off the loss of closer Billy Wagner and got down to figuring how they can win an NLDS with the San Francisco Giants that is improbably tied at one game apiece.
Game 3 is today before what should be a raucous sellout crowd at Turner Field, where the Braves put up the best home record in the majors during the regular season.
“We’ve been a team all year that just rolls with the punches,” said 17-game winner Tim Hudson, who will start today for the Braves. “We still have to go out there and play. Injuries are part of the game and adversity is part of the game. We’re not the most talented club, but I feel like we have the most heart and a lot of guts.”
With his team getting home about 9 a.m. Atlanta time, Cox decided to skip the traditional off-day workout and let his players get some extra rest. That’s probably for the best. The way things have gone for the Braves, someone might have gotten hurt.
Two key hitters, Chipper Jones and Martin Prado, are out because of season-ending injuries. So is starting pitcher Kris Medlen. Three other pitchers — Jair Jurrjens, Takashi Saito and Eric O’Flaherty — were left off the Braves’ division series roster because of various ailments.
Now, the guy who saved 37 games during the regular season is likely to miss at least the rest of the NLDS. Wagner injured his left oblique on a fielding play in the 10th inning of Friday night’s dramatic 5-4 victory in San Francisco that evened the series.
The Braves must decide if Wagner has a chance to come back in a week to pitch in the NL Championship Series — should Atlanta even get that far. If so, they likely will keep him on the roster and use only 10 pitchers the rest of this series. If not, he will be replaced by another pitcher, which would make the left-hander ineligible for the next round anyway.
Wagner will be examined again before Game 3.
“We’ve got a tough decision to make,” Cox said. “We’ve got a lot of talking to do.”
San Francisco’s veteran manager, Bruce Bochy, said he doesn’t expect a drop-off from the Braves’ bullpen even if Wagner is no longer available.
“They’re throwing some pretty good arms at us,” he said at Turner Field, where the Giants conducted a Saturday night workout. “They have some good options over there. We know it.”
The Giants will send Jonathan Sanchez (13-9) to the mound against Hudson.
