A flurry of tiebreakers, that might've been fun for fans. For the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves, a guaranteed spot in the playoffs was just fine.

What could've turned into a real tangle of a postseason picture suddenly became clear Sunday: Manager Bobby Cox and his wild-card Braves will face the Giants, while an Diego is finished.

"We try hard," Cox said after beating the Philadelphia Phillies. "This team is the hardest-working, hardest-trying team we've ever had here."

Major League Baseball was looking at the possibility of a three-team, two-day, coast-to-coast set of tiebreakers to sort out all the postseason slots. Instead, for the first time in four years, the regular season ended with Game No. 162.

The first round was set when Jonathan Sanchez and the Giants eliminated the Padres 3-0 to win the NL West. Philadelphia and Cincinnati will meet in the other NL division series.

"We nailed it," Giants outfielder Pat Burrell said. "It was looking like it was heading the wrong way. Our guys toughed it out."

Tampa Bay clinched the AL East when the World Series champion New York Yankees lost at Boston 8-4. That sent the Rays back home to open the playoffs against Texas, while the wild-card Yankees will start their best-of-five series at Minnesota.

The action begins Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field, followed by games at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and Target Field in the Twin Cities. The banged-up Braves visit Tim Lincecum and the Giants at AT&T Park on Thursday night.

"We're probably not expected to do well," said Braves ace Tim Hudson, wearing a T-shirt with "Wild Card" across the front.

Cox guided Atlanta to 14 consecutive division titles from 1991-2005, but only one World Series championship during that run in 1995. He and the Braves are back in the postseason after a four-year absence.

The Giants' win simplified the playoff scenario. Had they lost, the Giants, Padres and Braves would've all finished 91-71, forcing one tiebreaker in San Diego on Monday for the NL West title and another Tuesday in Atlanta for the wild card.