The defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals dropped the Atlanta Braves, 6-3, in the first National League Wild Card game.  Kyle Lohse [[ low-sh ]] gave up two runs in five-and-two-thirds innings to pick up the victory while Jason Motte recorded the final four outs for the save.  Matt Holliday went 2-for-3 with a solo homer while Allen Craig finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored for St. Louis.  The Cards advance to the National League Division Series where they will host the Washington Nationals starting Sunday.

David Ross hit a two-run homer for the Braves while Kris Medlen gave up five runs, two earned, in six-and-a-third innings to suffer the loss.  Chipper Jones went 1-for-5 in the final game of his career.  Jones reached on an infield single in the ninth inning.  Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez played the game under protest after umpires declared Andrelton Simmons out on an infield-fly rule call in the bottom of the eighth.  The questionable call gave Atlanta runners at second and third with two outs rather than having the bases loaded with one out.  Major League Baseball denied the Braves of the protest shortly after the game ended.  Fans angrily threw debris onto the field in protest of the call, delaying the game nearly 20 minutes.