ATLANTA — Only a Mets’ fan would be able to take solace in the end of Chipper Jones’ illustrious 19-year career coming as it did on a night where he made a critical throwing error, grounded out in the seventh inning as the potential tying run, and went 1-for-5 in a play-in, play-out, playoff defeat.
“This is not one of [the ways I envisioned my career ending], I can assure you that,” Jones said here last night following the Braves’ 6-3 loss to the Cardinals. “It’s just one of those things that happen from time to time.”
Jones made a fourth-inning throwing error on Matt Holliday’s potential double-play grounder.
The third baseman’s throw attempting to nail Carlos Beltran for the force at second sailed over Dan Uggla’s head and into right field, thus creating a situation on which the Cards capitalized by scoring three runs for a 3-0 lead against Kris Medlen, only one of them earned.
That play could have been lost in the blizzard of controversy that blanketed the game in the wake of umpire Sam Holbrook’s bizarre infield fly rule call against the Braves in the eighth, but Jones cited it as critical in the defeat in which the Cardinals scored four unearned runs overall.
“Ultimately I think when we look back on this loss, we need to look at ourselves in the mirror,” said Jones.
“That call is kind of a gray area, but I’m not willing to say that cost us the ballgame. Ultimately, three errors cost us the ballgame, mine probably being the biggest.
“After the game in the clubhouse there was a lot of shock and a lot of guys in there trying to lay blame but I just kept my mouth shut because ultimately I feel I’m the one to blame.”
Jones retires at the age of 40 with a .303 career average, 2,726 hits, 468 homers, 1,623 RBIs and a history of beating up on the Mets.
“I don’t think it will [sink in] for a few days, maybe a week,” Jones said.
“My heart is broken not for me, my heart is broken for my teammates, my coaching staff and all those fans who have been great to us.
“But I’m OK. I walk out of here knowing that I brought it every day. [That] makes walking away on the final day a little easier.”