ATLANTA -- The cigars were bigger than ever, the champagne and beer just as cold.
The scene in the joyous Atlanta Braves clubhouse showed that winning never gets old.
The Braves clinched their 13th consecutive division title Friday night, winning the NL East with an 8-7 comeback victory over the Florida Marlins.
Afterward, a smiling and soaked Chipper Jones sat slumped on a table and tried to put the record run into perspective.
"Besides my first one, this one is definitely the most special to me," said Jones, a rookie on the Braves' 1995 World Series championship team.
Picked to finish behind Philadelphia and Florida by many before the season, the Braves were six games under .500 and 6½ games out of first place on June 23. They are 58-26 since, leaving the Marlins and Phillies to fight for second place.
"They shouldn't have picked against us," Jones said.
Marcus Giles' go-ahead single capped Atlanta's three-run rally in the eighth inning, and John Smoltz fittingly closed it out for his 41st save in 46 chances. Smoltz is the only Braves player to be a member of all 13 division championship teams.
Even so, he was almost overcome by the comeback that suddenly thrust him into the save situation.
"Everything happened in a hurry, it was unbelievable," Smoltz said.
"I was just trying to get three outs any way I could. I felt like a rookie who didn't know where he was but should have been the most calm."
Atlanta's incredible streak began with the 1991 NL West title and excludes the 1994 strike-shortened season. But the Braves have only one World Series ring to show for it, that 1995 victory over Cleveland.
The Braves became the third major league team to clinch their division, joining St. Louis in the NL Central and Minnesota in the AL Central. The New York Yankees have secured at least a wild-card spot.
Andruw Jones homered for the Braves, who rallied against the Marlins just as they rallied during the season. Trailing 7-5, they came back against Guillermo Mota and Armando Benitez.
"We scored three runs in the eighth inning against two of the best relievers in the National League," Chipper Jones said.
Giles delivered a two-run single against Benitez, who took over for Guillermo Mota (9-7) in the eighth.
The Braves have relied on strong pitching through their run, but they used seven relievers Friday night after starter Russ Ortiz was chased in the third inning.
Giles' single drove in Julio Franco and Andruw Jones.
Giles said it was appropriate the Braves had to fight for the clinching victory.
"An easy win wouldn't have been fitting for this ballclub," Giles said. "This ballclub has had to scratch and claw for everything."
Afterward, no one was spared a spray of champagne or beer, even general manager John Schuerholz and manager Bobby Cox, the co-architects of the division dynasty.
"It never gets old," said Schuerholz, beaming.
"They have done a great job," said Marlins manager Jack McKeon, also an authority on building championship teams.
"Bobby and Schuerholz, the whole organization, they go out and get the right guys for their club, guys that fit in. They have a knack for bringing people from the minor leagues that make an impact. They don't get the recognition they deserve."
Travis Smith (2-3) earned the win with one inning of relief.
Alex Gonzalez was 3-for-4 with two homers, including a go-ahead shot in the sixth inning, and Paul Lo Duca hit a three-run double for the Marlins.
Marlins starter Ismael Valdez also was pulled in the third inning, but relievers Ben Howard, David Weathers combined for five shutout innings.
Ortiz wasted leads of 2-0 and 5-2.
The clinching win left Cox four victories shy of 2,000 for his career. Only eight managers have reached the milestone.
"We're still going to win for Bobby," said Mike Hampton, Saturday's scheduled starter. "He's still got some stuff on the line, even though he doesn't talk about it."
In his third season, Giles already is a veteran of the celebrations, as he proved by wearing goggles to protect his eyes from the stinging alcohol.
"(Tom) Martin has my first pair of goggles I wore my first year," Giles said. "I figure I'm making more money now, I could get a more expensive pair."
Marlins outfielder Jeff Conine called the Braves' streak of division titles "pretty unbelievable."
"Give them credit," Conine said. "They always win."
Notes
- Juan Pierre's leadoff single in the first gave him 204 hits, matching the Florida record he set last season.
- Ortiz posted his 1,000th career strikeout by fanning Castillo in the first inning.
- Andruw Jones' homer was the 250th of his career.
- Florida LHP Dontrelle Willis singled in the sixth inning, lifting him to 3-for-8 as a pinch-hitter.
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