Atlanta (CNN) The first pitch was thrown by Atlanta Braves starter Julio Teheran to Detroit Tigers leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler at 3:13 p.m ET, with the game-time temperature at 80 degrees.

And with that, it was the start of the final goodbye to Major League Baseball in downtown Atlanta.

On Sunday, the final day of the MLB regular season, the Braves and fans bid farewell to Turner Field, the team's home since 1997, with a 1-0 win against the Tigers.

"There's a sentimental significance behind it," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "This place holds a lot of really good memories for a lot of people, and it's great to go out like that."

Teheran pitched one of his finest games, going seven innings and giving up three hits, one walk and no runs. He struck out 12, tying his career high. Freddie Freeman drove in Ender Inciarte on a first-inning sacrifice fly.

"Being the last game ever at Turner Field, it's kind of an emotional thing," Freeman said. "I've spent seven seasons here, my big league debut and everything. I'm always going to remember this place. It has a lot of special moments and memories for me. I'm just happy we won the last game."

The stadium is named after CNN founder Ted Turner, who owned the Braves from 1976-1996.

The Braves never won a World Series at the stadium nicknamed "The Ted." The lone title for the franchise in Atlanta was won next door at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1995. That stadium was imploded on August 2, 1997, and is now a parking lot.

In 2013, the Braves announced they were leaving Turner Field for a new stadium to be built in Cobb County, northwest of the city. At the time, Club President John Schuerholz said that Turner Field needed "hundreds of millions of dollars of upgrades. Unfortunately, that massive investment would not do anything to improve access or the fan experience."

In 2014, Turner showed his displeasure with the Braves' move to the suburbs, making a point that the new ballpark isn't in Atlanta.

The Braves will vacate Turner Field in December, when their contract with the stadium expires. Their new home, SunTrust Park, is scheduled to open in 2017.

After the Braves leave, work will start on converting Turner Field into a football stadium for Georgia State University, which bought the site from the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority for $30 million, with the hopes of it being ready for the 2017 season.

The proposal is pending review and approval from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.

The plan also includes a baseball complex, retail, residential and student housing.

The Braves, finishing last in the National League East Division, were one of the worst teams in baseball this season, although the team did play well down the stretch, winning 12 of their final 14 games.

Many games at The Ted were sparsely attended this year, but it was tough finding an empty seat Sunday. Turner Field was packed. The announced attendance was 51,220, the third sellout at the ballpark this season.

In the pregame ceremony, the Braves introduced the All Turner Field Team, with the likes of Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones entering from center field to huge ovations. Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux, all in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, threw out ceremonial first pitches. Another hall-of-famer, Bobby Cox, represented the All Turner Field Team as manager.

A huge flag was unfurled for the playing of "America the Beautiful." Military jets flew over the stadium during the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner."

Fans cheered Teheran as he struck out the side to open the first inning, an inning in which Teheran said he was feeling a lot of emotions of the crowd and the former players in the pregame ceremony.

"It was really special to see, the crowd looking for a win," Teheran said. "That's the way we all wanted to finish and close this book. I'm proud of myself and the job that I did."

Up went a roar for Inciarte's lead-off base hit. After Freeman drove him in, the Tomahawk Chop was in full force.

In the stands, former President Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn, longtime attendees at Braves games, were captured on the kiss cam in the fifth inning, sparking cheers.

Before the sixth inning, Cox peeled off the number "1" at the left-field wall, where the number of games left at The Ted had been posted. He revealed a sign for SunTrust Park, with the words "Opening Day April 14, 2017." The fans cheered, though not quite as loudly as for the Carters on the kiss cam.

In the top of the ninth with two outs, the Tomahawk Chop broke out for a final time with Braves closer Jim Johnson on the hill and Justin Upton at the plate. It continued throughout the at-bat.

And on a 3-2 count, the final out at Turner Field was recorded: Johnson struck out Upton, cementing a win for Turner Field's final Braves game. It was 6 p.m. ET.

Finally, at the postgame ceremony, the greatest former Brave of them all, Hank Aaron, threw out the final pitch. He held home plate in his 82-year-old hands, pushing it up into the air.

Then he boarded a bus on the field. He and the dish were off for SunTrust Park.

Home plate was heading to its new home. </s> ATLANTA -- Walter Banks posed for pictures, caught up with old friends and turned a bit wistful as he remembered all the good times as an Atlanta Braves usher.

It was time to say goodbye.

Again.

The Braves played their final game at Turner Field on Sunday, ending a run that lasted a mere 20 seasons with a 1-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. They'll be moving to a new stadium in the suburbs next season.

A sellout crowd of some 50,000 turned out for the occasion, while Banks manned his usual position in the box seats near the Atlanta dugout, not far from former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn.

Banks was wearing a Braves jersey with No. 51 on the back, marking his seasons of service with the team going back to its move from Milwaukee in 1966.

"You save the best to the last," he said. "No matter if they win, lose or draw, you'll always remember this day."

Banks spent 31 seasons working as a Braves usher at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium -- though, he was quick to point out, it was actually 32 since he started in 1965 when the Triple-A Crackers called it home while the Braves spent a lame-duck season in Wisconsin.

"I've met so many people, so many friends," he said. "A lot of people, I won't get to get see anymore."

Banks was on hand for the Braves' final game at their previous home in 1996. The following year, the team moved next door to Turner Field, which began life as the main stadium for the Atlanta Olympics before it was converted into a baseball park.

Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium was imploded, clearing the way for a parking lot that served its replacement.

That was an easy move for Banks and other longtime stadium employees. He's not sure he'll be heading to SunTrust Park, which is only about 15 miles away in the Cumberland section of the city but isn't served by Atlanta's rapid-transit system.

"If they get transportation, it would be a lot better," Banks said.

Atlanta's trio of aces from its golden years at Turner Field, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, threw out the ceremonial first pitches for the final game played at the stadium. Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports

The Braves marked the final game at the ballpark affectionately known as "the Ted" -- a nod to its namesake and former Braves owner Ted Turner -- with a rousing ceremony honoring their all-time Turner Field team.

One by one, they trotted in through an opening in the center-field wall, beginning with Chipper Jones. He took his former position at third base, followed by shortstop Rafael Furcal, second baseman Marcus Giles, first baseman Adam LaRoche, left fielder Brian Jordan, center fielder Andruw Jones, right fielder Gary Sheffield and catcher Javy Lopez.

Finally, the all-time pitchers were introduced -- three of them. Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz strolled out together in their familiar Braves jerseys, the crowd saving its biggest cheer for the remarkable trio. They anchored the team through much of its unprecedented run of 14 straight division titles, the last nine of which came after the move to Turner Field.

Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz were fittingly given the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitches in unison -- or, actually, the last pitches. They were joined on the mound by another Hall of Famer, former Braves manager Bobby Cox.

A giant American flag was unfurled across the outfield during the national anthem, which was capped off by two military jets roaring overhead on an unseasonably warm afternoon.

Tim Landrey was among those attending the final game, bringing along his 12-year-old son, Jack.

Landrey moved to Atlanta in 1996 and has been a Braves fan ever since.

"I wanted to be part of this last game," he said while watching batting practice.

Landrey, who lives in the suburbs north of Atlanta, is eager to attend games at the new stadium. He said it will be a bit closer to his home and there will be more to do at the mall-like complex adjacent to SunTrust Park, which will include restaurants, retail shops and a hotel.

The Braves had long complained that the city never followed through on plans to bring development to the struggling neighborhood that surrounds Turner Field. They cited that as a reason for moving, along with some $400 million in public funds that Cobb County kicked in for the new stadium.

"I'm looking forward to going to Braves games and hitting a restaurant or a bar before or after the game," Landrey said. "It's something to do as opposed to just coming here, so it's a good move for the Braves."

Turner Field is barely older than Braves rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson, who was born in 1994 in suburban Kennesaw and has fond memories of cheering on the Braves as a child.

"It's a little bit surreal," Swanson said. "This was pretty much my whole life, what I can remember. You can't really put it into words. I don't know if I've even allowed myself to think about what's going on today and this whole year."

Swanson is glad he made it to Atlanta this season, giving him a chance to take part in the Ted's finale before moving on to a new era, one that he's expected to be a huge part of after several years of painful rebuilding.

"That was the goal coming in," Swanson said. "I wanted to close out the old one and help open up the new one." </s> ATLANTA (AP) — Turner Field has aged well. It’s got all the expected amenities of a modern big league ballpark, from luxury boxes to a mammoth video board to the restaurant that hovers above right field to concession stands selling all manner of food and drink.

Want a gourmet steak sandwich? Step right up. Craft beer? No problem. Hash browns from local favorite Waffle House? Make ’em scattered and smothered.

Of course, at 20 years old, it’s not exactly a baseball relic.

But its time in the big leagues is over.

The Braves are heading to the suburbs next season, trading the ballpark affectionately known as “the Ted” — a nod to former owner and namesake Ted Turner — for 41,500-seat SunTrust Park , hastily being assembled some 15 miles away as part of a mall-like complex that will generate even more money for the team.

“It’s a little weird,” Atlanta catcher Tyler Flowers said. “But that’s kind of the modern day. Everybody has the expectation of the newest and biggest and baddest and greatest thing.”

Even with a plethora of new facilities that have popped up around Major League Baseball, 13 of 29 ballparks are older.

At least two teams — Oakland and Tampa Bay — would gladly take Turner Field over their current stadiums.

“I love this place,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, gazing out from the home dugout during the final week of the season. “I think it’s one of the best ballparks in the National League.”

Not surprisingly, the move has sparked puzzled reactions around the country and plenty of debate in Atlanta, especially since it goes against the trend of teams moving closer to the inner city, not farther away. Turner Field is located just south of downtown, within site of the state Capitol at essentially the geographic center of the sprawling metropolitan area and the junction of three major highways, but the Braves say they will be closer to the bulk of their fan base in the mostly white suburbs north of the city.

Cobb County’s decision to fork over some $400 million in public funding to help build the new stadium, with only minimal debate and no vote of the electorate, helped send its top official, Tim Lee, to defeat in his re-election bid. There are fears of hellish traffic, since Cobb has a limited bus system and isn’t served by Atlanta’s rapid transit system, and concerns that the Braves are cutting themselves off from large portions of the gridlocked metro area.

There’s no turning back now, though.

Only 11 stadiums in the sport’s modern ballpark era hosted fewer major league seasons than Turner Field, and seven of those — from still-in-use Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to Houston’s long-forgotten Colt Stadium — were merely temporary homes for transplanted teams or expansion franchises. As for the others, Miami’s newly renamed Hard Rock Stadium and Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium were more suited for football and quickly faced calls to be replaced, while Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium and Washington’s RFK Stadium both lost teams to other cities.

None of those was an issue at Turner Field. But the Braves complained that promised development in the low-income neighborhood around the stadium never materialized, leading team officials to explore other options. Not long after the city of Atlanta reached a deal to build a new retractable-roof football stadium for the NFL’s Falcons, the Braves stunningly announced in November 2013 they were moving to the ‘burbs, having pulled off secret negotiations that caught nearly everyone off guard.

Turner Field will apparently live on in some downsized form, thanks to an expected deal in which the city will sell the stadium and adjacent land to Georgia State University and a development company. The plan is to convert the Ted into a 30,000-seat football stadium for the Panthers’ fledgling program (perhaps with a new corporate name to help defray costs) and surround it with dormitories and athletic facilities, as well as private housing and retail space.

In a way, the next phase will take the park back to its not-so-deep roots. Transformation was the plan all along.

Turner Field began its life as Centennial Olympic Stadium, an 85,000-seat facility that hosted track and field as well as the opening and closing ceremonies at the 1996 Summer Games. Muhammad Ali — stricken with Parkinson’s disease, his hands trembling as he held the torch — memorably lit the cauldron to start the games. Michael Johnson ran to a world record in golden shoes. Carl Lewis capped his brilliant career with the last of nine gold medals.

But the stadium was designed with baseball in mind, in hopes of avoiding the sort of white elephants that have plagued Olympic cities before and since. As soon as the games ended, work began to convert Turner Field into the 50,000-seat home of the Braves. By the following spring, it carried a new name and was ready for opening day.

In contrast to today’s 90-plus-loss team, those Braves had been to four of the previous five World Series, winning it all in 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. They would never reach those heights in their new digs, even while winning nine more NL East titles through 2005 to extend their unprecedented streak of division championships to 14 in a row.

The Braves played only one World Series at the Ted, getting swept by the New York Yankees in 1999. Bitter disappointment became par for the course in October, along with a reputation for not selling out playoff games. They lost 12 of 17 postseason series, including the last eight. Their playoff record was 15-23, including 2-9 in decisive games played at home. Turner Field was the place where other teams came to celebrate, including the Chicago Cubs in 2003 after clinching their first postseason triumph in 95 years.

There were a few highlights for the home team. Most notably, Game 6 of the 1999 NL Championship Series.

After going up 3-0 on the New York Mets, the Braves lost two straight games at Shea Stadium and returned home suddenly on the ropes. The pressure only intensified when they blew an early 5-0 lead, falling behind in the eighth and 10th innings. But Atlanta rallied both times, and won in the 11th when Kenny Rogers walked Andruw Jones with the bases loaded for a series-clinching 10-9 victory.

Chipper Jones will always remember getting the first hit at Turner Field.

“That ball is still on my mantel,” said Jones, who retired in 2012 after a career spent entirely with the Braves.

Now, it’s time for the final hit.

After Sunday’s last game against Detroit, the Ted will be nothing but a memory.

Far sooner than anyone would’ve expected.

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . </s> A look at what’s happening around the majors today:

San Francisco holds a one-game lead over St. Louis for the last NL playoff spot going into the final day of the regular season. Matt Moore starts at home for the Giants vs. the Dodgers, and a win gives them the second NL wild-card slot. In St. Louis, Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals need to beat Pittsburgh and hope for a Giants loss to force a one-game tiebreaker.

Baltimore, Toronto and Detroit all have a chance to win an AL wild-card berth going into the last day.

Adding to the final-day drama: Every game in the majors is scheduled to start within 10 minutes of each other.

Famed announcer Vin Scully calls his last game when the Los Angeles Dodgers wrap up the regular season in San Francisco. The 88-year-old Scully began doing Dodgers game in 1950 when he joined Red Barber and Connie Desmond in the Brooklyn radio and television booth. The Giants plan to simulcast his call of the third inning on their TV and radio affiliates.

The Atlanta Braves play their final game at Turner Field, called “the Ted” by fans in a nod to past owner Ted Turner. Chipper Jones got the first hit when the former Centennial Olympic Stadium opened for big league baseball in 1997. We’ll see who gets the last hit when Detroit visits Atlanta in the finale. Next year, the Braves will play in the suburbs at SunTrust Park.

Mark Teixeira will be honored with a pregame ceremony before winding up his big league career when the Yankees host Baltimore. A three-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove first baseman, the 36-year-old has hit over 400 home runs with Texas, Atlanta, the Angels and Yankees. Popular with teammates and fans, Teixeira was among the most durable players in the majors until injuries took their toll in recent seasons.

David Ortiz, Ryan Howard and Matt Holliday will likely play for the last time in the regular season in the uniforms they’ve worn for so long. Ortiz is retiring after this year with the AL East champion Red Sox, the Phillies aren’t expected to bring back Howard and the Cardinals plan to buy out Holliday. All three stars are expected to get big ovations from home fans.

Several front-line starters around the majors will be prepping for their postseason assignments. David Price (17-9) pitches for AL East champion Boston against Toronto, while Kenta Maeda (16-10) goes for the Dodgers in San Francisco. Meanwhile, right-handers Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 1.99 ERA) of the Cubs and Max Scherzer of the Nationals (19-7, 2.82, MLB-best 277 strikeouts) make their closing arguments for the NL Cy Young Award.

In what will be Washington’s first — and last — entirely meaningless game of 2016, Max Scherzer is eyeing his second 20-win season and an NL Cy Young Award to add to the 2013 AL honor he won for Detroit while going 21-3. “That’s been the pinnacle for pitchers ever since I was in the game — and long before me. It would be forever: ‘He’s a 20-game winner,'” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. Expounding on how he views pitchers’ stats, Baker said: “People put a lot of emphasis on ERA, which is good, but I put emphasis on wins for a guy that knows how to win, whether it’s 7-6 or whether it’s 2-1. Certain guys know how to win.”

In Tampa Bay’s finale at Texas, 27-year-old righty Chase Whitley is set to extend the Rays’ majors-leading streak of 398 straight starts by a pitcher under 30. Whitley hasn’t started a big league game since having Tommy John surgery in early 2015.

Versatile veteran Martin Prado is getting a new role with Miami for the final day of the regular season — player-manager . Prado will play third base and take managerial duties from Don Mattingly in the finale against Washington, something the Marlins can do because the game has no meaning to either team. Other players will fill the role of pitching and hitting coaches, though those appointments were yet to be made as of Saturday night. “He’s got have his crew,” though, Mattingly said. </s> Atlanta United has home-field advantage and enjoyed the better regular season, but the Portland Timbers have been road warriors all postseason and will look for another win in an enticing MLS Cup final.

The two conference champions meet at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where more than 70,000 are expected to watch the league crown its 23rd champion. The two sides played to a 1-1 draw in their only regular-season meeting, which was also in Atlanta earlier this year. Both boast a host of South American talent, with Atlanta featuring single-season-record goal-scorer Josef Martinez and playmaker Miguel Almiron, among others; Portland, meanwhile, counters with a Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco and Diego Chara midfield.

The match will be the final one in Atlanta for manager Tata Martino, who has already announced he'll be leaving the club. For his counterpart, Giovanni Savarese, the match marks his fifth final in six seasons as a manager, with the previous four coming in NASL with the New York Cosmos.

Stay tuned here for live updates and highlights of goals and key plays throughout the match :

Here are the lineups for both sides:

Portland is seeking its second title in four seasons, while Atlanta is looking to win in just its second year of existence. </s> Atlanta United, a.k.a. "The 5 Stripes," a.k.a. ATL UTD, has done the unthinkable and won the Major League Soccer Cup in just two years.

The expansion MLS team defeated the Portland Timbers by a score of 2-0 tonight, here in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The two goals were scored by Franco Escobar and Josef Martinez.

There will be a parade Monday, December 10, at 10 a.m. on Peachtree Street, running through Downtown and Midtown Atlanta. It will start at the corners of Peachtree Street and Baker Street, and will end in The Home Depot Backyard at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with a pep rally that will start at noon. Arthur Blank, as well as Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Governor Nathan Deal will be in attendance, along with many other ATL VIPs and fans. Make sure you're there! </s> The title drought is over in Atlanta: The city's soccer club, Atlanta United, won the championship of Major League Soccer on Saturday night with a 2-0 victory over the Portland Timbers.

It marked the city's first major sports title since the Braves won baseball's World Series in 1995.

Josef Martinez and Franco Escobar scored for United, while goalkeeper Brad Guzan made some clutch saves.

"It's not every day you get to win a title," Guzan said. "To be a part of this is truly special."

When the match was over, a record crowd of more than 73,000 fans celebrated at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- while the rock band Queen's song, "We Are The Champions," played.

"Most of us aren't from here, so we don't know the pain that they've been through," said United captain Michael Parkhurst, who broke his own title drought after playing on four runner-up teams. "I'm just happy that we could come through for them tonight. I know there were a lot of anxious and stressed-out fans."

Portland was seeking its second MLS championship after winning the cup in 2015. They had eliminated Dallas, Seattle and Kansas City before losing in the final.

Atlanta, in just its second season in the league, had beaten New York City FC and then the New York Red Bulls to earn the right to host the championship.

The championship was Atlanta's second in soccer: The Atlanta Chiefs claimed the title in the old North American Soccer League in 1968.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. </s> ATLANTA — ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves are off to a rough start, but it’s a long baseball season.

In fact, it’s such a long season that if you buy peanuts and crackerjacks at every Braves game this season, home and away, your food bill would be around $1,600.

Major League Baseball teams play 162 regular season games. That’s twice as long as an NBA season and ten times longer than an NFL season.

Baseball historians tells us the number of games fluctuated until 1920, when Major League Baseball decided to lock down a consistent schedule. There were eighteen teams at the time divided into two divisions.

Baseball decided it would work for each team to play its seven division rivals twenty-two times each for a 154 game schedule. Since baseball is a more slow paced, non-contact sport, players could endure a season of that length.

In 1961, Major League Baseball started adding teams. To continue playing each division rival twenty-two times would mean playing nearly two-hundred games.

“Owners ultimately put a stop to the 22 game format and settled on 162 games,” says baseball historian John Thorn.

The league agreed on eighteen games per rival and set the season at 162 games.

There have been more teams added since then and more adjustments to keep the number at 162. Any longer and the World Series will compete with Thanksgiving.

Some Major League players have complained that the season is already too long and leads to fatigue and injury. But so far, the tradition of a 162 game season has held for over fifty years. </s> Atlanta United’s extraordinary opening chapter came to the ideal conclusion for hometown fans on Saturday night, as an MLS record 73,019 crowd saw them defeat Portland 2-0 to win MLS Cup, in only their second year of existence.

Josef Martinez eased any local memories of infamous Atlanta sporting collapses with a typical poacher’s goal just before half-time, and then with a keen but limited Portland team pushing for a comeback, Franco Escobar finished off a 54th minute set piece at the back post, to tilt the mood in the stadium into decidedly celebratory mode.

Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) MVP! MVP! MVP!



Cool. Calm. Collected. @JosefMartinez17 opens the scoring in #MLSCup https://t.co/ZWD8CQVRC8

With coach Tata Martino leaving to take the Mexico job, and inspirational playmaker Miguel Almiron parlaying his own extraordinary tenure in MLS into a likely move to the Premier League, the coming off-season was always likely to represent an inflection point for an Atlanta project that has steamrollered into the league as both a competitive and cultural force.

At times, even as they have dominated opponents with their high-speed attack, and racked up more points than any other team playing during their short history, that competitive aspect has almost been taken for granted amid the focus on the sheer spectacle of the Atlanta United phenomenon. But make no mistake, in a town without a major sporting championship since 1995, it mattered that the end of the beginning came with a win.

Yet this was also an extraordinary spectacle for the league. Grateful MLS executives may wonder what they have done to deserve this. The last time Portland Timbers appeared in an MLS Cup final, in 2015, they won the title in front of 21,747 fans in Columbus. Now the Timbers found themselves competing in front of a crowd larger than any of the last four Super Bowls, in a state of the art stadium, against a team who didn’t exist three short years ago.

Atlanta fans are not shy about reminding the rest of the league about the benchmarks they have set. Before the game kicked off, a giant tifo banner of a steam train was hoisted in the main supporters’ section. Barreling at full speed, it was emblazoned with the legend “MLS 3.0”.

Presumably we were to imagine this train rumbling over flattened timbers, and in truth, the Timbers could do little to derail Atlanta, on a night when their usual plan of well-drilled containment and countering looked inadequate.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Brad Guzan celebrates as Atlanta’s victory is confirmed. Photograph: Jason Getz/USA Today Sports

Both teams started cautiously, befitting the stakes of a final, and Portland perhaps saw a little more of the ball than they may have anticipated early in the game. But Atlanta were the clear aggressors, pushing their overlapping wide players forward trying to pull Portland out of shape, and not shy about sending long balls over the top to test the honesty of Larrys Mabiala and Liam Ridgewell at the heart of the Portland defense.

Still, clear chances were at a premium for both sides, until Atlanta forced a breakthrough from nothing in the 39th minute. Michael Parkhust, the Atlanta captain had lost all four MLS Cups he had played in – the last one in Portland’s 2015 win over his Columbus Crew SC team. Now he had the decisive touch in bringing the Cup to Atlanta. With Portland trying to play the ball out of the back in risky fashion, Parkhurst pounced on a loose touch from Jeremy Ebobisse. His lunging tackle touched the ball towards Josef Martinez on the edge of the box. The Venezuelan’s quick touch and thought left a flailing Ridgewell stranded, before Martinez neatly stepped around Jeff Attinella to place the ball into an empty net.

Portland have made something of a habit of second-half comebacks in this playoff run, not least when Sebastian Blanco’s gut punch of a golazo turned around the Western Conference final. For a brief flash in the early moments of the second half they looked like they might be about to play themselves into this game as well, but then Almiron’s free kick was flicked on by Martinez to meet Escobar’s sprint to the back post, and when the defender placed the ball across Attinella for 2-0, the result rarely looked in doubt.

Portland kept working, but their attacks increasingly looked like backdrops for the curtain calls Atlanta’s stars were taking as the minutes ran down. Man of the match Martinez was subbed out for Hector Villalba in the 86th minute, to an ovation that was perhaps only exceeded by the one for Almiron, in the 90th minute.

It looks likely to be the last minute Almiron plays as an Atlanta player – bigger stages await. Though on the evidence of tonight, not much bigger.
The Atlanta Braves play their final game at Turner Field. They now move to the new SunTrust Park for the 2017 season.