"Derrek Lee stood drenched in the playoff-bound Braves' clubhouse Sunday, smiling, exchanging hugs with teammates, wearing sunglasses to shield his eyes from celebratory champagne spray.

This -- a postseason berth -- was what the veteran first baseman had in mind when he waived his no-trade clause and approved an Aug. 18 deal that sent him to Atlanta from the Chicago Cubs.

"I didn't come over here to not make it," he said after the Braves made it in as the wild card with a win Sunday against Philadelphia on the last day of the season, coupled with a San Diego loss to San Francisco later that day.

"We made it close, but we're in. Why make it easy? It's not fun that way, right?"

Lee, 34, won a World Series with the 2003 Florida Marlins, where he was part of an infield that also had shortstop Alex Gonzalez, another Braves midseason acquisition.

That Florida team qualified as a wild card like these Braves, who open their National League Division Series at San Francisco on Thursday night against the West Division champion Giants.

"Going in as the wild card is the way to go," Lee said Wednesday after the Braves' off-day workout at AT