Sabathia leads Brewers to NL wild card

Pitcher CC Sabathia and slugger Ryan Braun combined to lead the Milwaukee Brewers into the playoffs for the first time since 1982 following a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs Sunday.

The home victory clinched the NL wild card for the Brewers (90-72), who were helped by the New York Mets' (89-73) 4-2 loss to Florida.

Making his third consecutive start on three days' rest, Sabathia pitched a four-hit gem and Braun slugged the winning home run in the eighth inning.

Milwaukee, which fired manager Ned Yost with only two weeks remaining in the season, secured the wild card spot less than a half-hour after New York fell to the Marlins.

Thousands of fans converged onto Miller Park and watched the Mets' collapse for the second straight season on the giant video board in centre field.

Confetti fell from the rafters and fireworks went off in the outfield the moment Florida registered the final out.

Interim manager Dale Sveum and the rest of his Milwaukee players began spraying one another with champagne in the middle of the clubhouse.

"I tried to visualize what this would be, and nothing could describe it," Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said during a television interview.

The Brewers will now take on Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs, while NL Central champs Chicago tangle with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sabathia (11-2) pitched his NL-leading seventh complete game, making Brewer's management look smart when they traded for the big left-hander from Cleveland in July.

Sabathia struck out seven Chicago batters, walked one and threw 122 pitches. He finished off the complete game by inducing Derrek Lee into a double play.