National League East

National League Wild Card

Record vs. opponents

Game 1

Thursday, October 7, 2010 – 9:37 p.m. (ET) at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California
Starting pitchers: Derek Lowe (Braves) & Tim Lincecum (Giants).

The first game of the NLDS was a pitching duel that matched the Giants' two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, in his first postseason start, against the Braves' Derek Lowe, a seasoned veteran of postseason play.

The game's only run came in the fourth inning. Giants rookie catcher Buster Posey singled to left, stole second on a controversial play where he was called safe while appearing to be out, and then scored on a two-out single by Cody Ross. The run was the only one Lincecum needed, as the Giants' ace was dominant, pitching a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits and striking out a franchise record 14 while walking only one. Lowe pitched only 5+1⁄3 innings before being lifted for the bullpen. Jonny Venters, Peter Moylan, Michael Dunn, and Craig Kimbrel combined to pitch the final 2+2⁄3 innings of the Braves loss.

Game 2

Friday, October 8, 2010 – 9:37 p.m. (ET) at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California
Starting pitchers: Tommy Hanson (Braves) & Matt Cain (Giants).

The Giants jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning, taking a quick 3–0 lead as Pat Burrell hit a three-run home run, following a Freddy Sanchez single and a Buster Posey walk.

Braves manager Bobby Cox was ejected from the game in the top of the second inning, arguing that Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff's foot did not stay on base on an Álex González ground-out. In the bottom of the second, Giants starter Matt Cain also hit an RBI single, scoring Cody Ross, who had doubled earlier. The Giants led the Braves after two innings by a 4–0 score.

Braves first baseman Derrek Lee hit a lead-off single in the top of the sixth inning and advanced to second base on Pat Burrell's fielding error. Brian McCann singled him home in the next at-bat to end the 14 scoreless innings streak for the Braves in the series.

The Braves struck back in the top of the eighth inning. After consecutive singles by Lee and McCann, the Giants brought in closer Brian Wilson for a six-out save; however, the next hitter, Melky Cabrera, hit an RBI ground ball that scored Lee from third base and Cabrera beat the throw to first base due to Giants' third baseman Pablo Sandoval's throwing error. Following Brooks Conrad's sacrifice bunt, Álex González's RBI double scored both runners and tied the game at 4–4.

The game remained tied and went to extra innings. In the bottom of the tenth inning, two consecutive bunts (one resulting in a single, one sacrifice) knocked Braves closer Billy Wagner out of the game because of injury. Because Wagner retired following the 2010 season, it was the last time Wagner ever appeared in a Major League game. Relieving the injured Wagner, Kyle Farnsworth hit the next batter, Freddy Sanchez, then walked Huff to load the bases. With the winning run at third base and one out, Posey followed by grounding into a double play to end the inning.

In the top of the eleventh inning, Rick Ankiel hit a go-ahead solo home run into McCovey Cove on the fly to give the Braves a 5–4 lead, their first lead in the series. Farnsworth threw a scoreless bottom of the eleventh inning for the save and handed the Braves their first (and ultimately only) win in the series. The NLDS was tied one game apiece as it headed to Atlanta.

Game 3

Sunday, October 10, 2010 – 4:37 p.m. (ET) at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia
Starting pitchers: Jonathan Sánchez (Giants) & Tim Hudson (Braves).

Game 3 was yet another dramatic matchup of strong pitching. The Braves sent right-handed veteran Tim Hudson to the mound to face Giants lefty Jonathan Sánchez. The Giants took an early lead in the top of the second inning after leaving the bases loaded in the first. Third baseman Mike Fontenot started the inning by driving a triple off the right field wall. Cody Ross, the next batter, lofted a pop fly that was dropped by Atlanta second baseman Brooks Conrad, giving San Francisco a 1–0 lead. Hudson rebounded by pitching seven strong innings, allowing only the one unearned run. Sánchez pitched a no-hitter through five innings against the Braves. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Braves starter Hudson collected the team's first hit, a single to right field. Sánchez kept the Braves off the scoreboard until he was lifted with one out in the eighth.

With a runner at first and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Giants still nursing their 1–0 lead, Giants setup man Sergio Romo, a right-hander, relieved Sánchez to face the right-handed Troy Glaus as a pinch-hitter. Braves manager Bobby Cox countered by sending left-handed utility man Eric Hinske to the plate instead. With two strikes on him, Hinske turned on a hanging slider from Romo and drove it just inside the right field foul pole for a home run, giving the Braves a 2–1 lead and electrifying the crowd at Turner Field.

Rookie right-hander Craig Kimbrel came out of the bullpen to start the top of the ninth for the Braves, relieving Jonny Venters, who had struck out the side the previous inning. Kimbrel retired Ross on a popout to Conrad for the first out. Travis Ishikawa then pinch-hit for Romo and drew a walk. After striking out leadoff man Andrés Torres, Kimbrel gave up a single to second baseman Freddy Sanchez and was removed from the game, leaving runners on first and second base with two outs. Another rookie Brave, lefty Michael Dunn came on and gave up a game-tying single to Aubrey Huff. Dunn was then pulled for a right-hander, Peter Moylan, who induced a grounder from Buster Posey, which proceeded to bounce through the legs of Conrad, the second baseman's third error of the game. Sanchez scored on the play, giving the Giants a 3–2 lead. Conrad's three errors set a NLDS record for most errors in a single game. Kyle Farnsworth came on and got the third out, but the damage was done.

The Giants brought in their closer Brian Wilson for the bottom of the ninth. He held the lead, giving up a single to Brian McCann, but retiring Nate McLouth on a grounder to end the game. After being one strike away from a commanding 2–1 series lead, the Braves found themselves facing elimination with another loss.

Game 4

Monday, October 11, 2010 – 7:37 p.m. (ET) at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia
Starting pitchers: Madison Bumgarner (Giants) & Derek Lowe (Braves)

With their backs against the wall, the Braves sent Derek Lowe to the mound on three days' rest. The Braves scored first in the bottom of the third inning when Brian McCann hit a sacrifice fly that drove in Omar Infante.

Lowe took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but the Giants tied the game with one out on Cody Ross' first-pitch homer off of a Lowe cutter. McCann answered with a home run of his own in the bottom of the inning off the Giants' rookie starter, Madison Bumgarner, to take back the lead.

Lowe was relieved after 6+1⁄3 innings. After walking Aubrey Huff and allowing an infield single to Buster Posey, Bobby Cox made his way out to the mound, apparently to remove Lowe from the game; however, after talking to him, Cox elected to leave Lowe in, prompting huge cheers from the Atlanta fans. The next batter, Pat Burrell, walked on a 3–1 pitch near the inside corner and Lowe's night was done. He struck out eight while allowing only two hits and walking two. Braves' relievers Peter Moylan and Jonny Venters could not hold the lead as the Giants scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning on Juan Uribe's RBI fielder's choice and Cody Ross' RBI single. The Braves had an opportunity to escape the one-out, bases-loaded jam; however, Álex González's throwing error, his second in the game, cost them. Both of the errors were debatable. The first was a ball hit into the hole that he didn't field cleanly with the speedy Andrés Torres running. The second was another crucial controversial call that went against the Braves in the series. With two on and one out Juan Uribe hit a weak groundball to González. González elected to go to second but threw it high, causing Omar Infante to edge up; however, the umpire ruled he came off the base.

Left-handed Giants reliever Javier López entered the game with two outs in the eighth, and pinch-runner Nate McLouth as the tying run at second base. López struck out Jason Heyward to end the inning. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Braves had one last chance to rally. With one out, Giants closer Brian Wilson walked Rick Ankiel and Eric Hinske to put the winning run on base. Omar Infante followed by striking out swinging and Melky Cabrera grounded out to end the game and the series. The Giants won the series three games to one.

After twenty-five overall seasons as the manager for the Braves, Game 4 proved to be the last game for the retiring Bobby Cox. After the game ended, he came out of the dugout briefly to acknowledge the fans. He was greeted with loud cheers from the entire stadium, as well as an ovation from the Giants' players and coaches.

Starting pitchers

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts; WHIP = Walks+hits per inning pitched