Braves clinch playoffs in second game of Mets doubleheader

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves will be playing in October after beating the Mets in the second game of a doubleheader on Monday.

The Braves left the Mets, who clinched their own wild-card spot during the first game, scoreless 3-0.

In the first game, the Mets came from behind to beat the Braves 8-7, allowing New York to secure a wild-card spot. 

The NL East rivals are both trying to secure a spot. If the Braves win the second game, they too will head to the playoffs; however, a second Mets victory would secure a spot for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks are watching from Phoenix, hoping for a sweep that would give them the final wild card. 

SEE ALSO:

• Braves vs. Mets: Scenarios, playoff odds, and more
• Braves just 1 win away from clinching NL playoff spot

This is the first time in seven seasons that the Braves did not top the NL East, with the Philadelphia Phillies taking the pennant. 

Braves-Mets doubleheader: Game 2 recap

Braves salvage playoff berth with 3-0 win over the Mets

The Atlanta Braves bounced back from a stunning loss in the first game of a makeup doubleheader, claiming the last postseason berth with a 3-0 win over the Mets in the nightcap Monday after New York clinched a playoffs trip with an 8-7 victory in the opener. 

With three teams in contention for the last two playoff spots in the National League, the Braves faced the Mets in a twin bill squeezed between the scheduled end to the regular season and the start of the Wild Card Series. 

The defending NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks could only watch from afar and were eliminated as NL East rivals made up a pair of games rained out last week as Hurricane Helene wreaked destruction in the southeastern U.S. 

The Diamondbacks needed one team to sweep, so they were pulling for the Mets after they locked up their postseason spot by overcoming a 3-0 deficits of 3-0 in the eighth inning and 7-6 in the ninth to win the opener, going ahead for good on Francisco Lindor's two-run homer. 

Grant Holmes, stepping in after Braves ace Chris Sale was scratched because of back spasms, pitched four scoreless innings in the second game and Marcell Ozuna gave the Braves some breathing room with a two-run single in the seventh. 

Both clubhouses at Truist Park erupted in champagne-spraying celebrations. 

With their postseason berth locked up, the Mets added left-hander Joey Lucchesi to the roster to start the second game. The 31-year-old left-hander spent most of the season at Triple-A Syracuse, giving up five runs in 4 1/3 innings in his lone big league appearance before Monday, 

He was a totally different pitcher against the Braves, who might've still been a bit shellshocked after the way they lost the opener. Lucchesi (0-2) allowed just three hits, including a run-scoring single to Gio Urshela, in a six-inning, 111-pitch outing. 

Daybel Hernandez (3-0) earned the win and Raisel Iglesias earned his 34th save in 37 chances. 

Braves-Mets doubleheader: Game 1 recap

Mets reach playoffs, beat Braves to cap comeback from 22-33 start

Four months after dropping 11 games under .500, the New York Mets earned a playoff berth a day after the regular season was supposed to end. 

With an 8-7 win at Atlanta in the opener of a makeup doubleheader on Monday behind Francisco Lindor’s ninth-inning homer, the Mets advanced to a best-of-three NL Wild Card Series starting Tuesday at Milwaukee or San Diego. If New York wins the second game, it would play at the Padres. If the Mets lose the nightcap, they would play at Milwaukee. 

New York overcame an 0-5 start to advance to the postseason for just the 11th time in 63 seasons. The Mets then rebounded from deficits of 3-0 in the eighth inning and 7-6 in the ninth to beat the Braves in Monday’s opener. And the big hit was by Lindor, who returned Friday from a back injury that had sidelined him since Sept. 15. 

"In slow motion it felt like," Lindor said when asked about the homer. "Emotion. Emotion. It felt like I got the pitch that I wanted. And you never know if the ball is going to go out or not but I feel like I got it 100%. We’re one step closer. Now we’ve got to finish it. Finish, finish, finish." 

Asked what he was thinking when he rounded the bases, Lindor said: "My back hurts. I’m tired. I know how good Atlanta is. But the one thing that I had in my mind was just thank you, Jesus and God." 

New York had lost 77 straight games when trailing by three runs in eighth inning or later since May 17, 2023. 

It was a throwback to 1973, when the Mets also clinched a playoff spot on the day after the season was supposed to finish. Back then, they beat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 to secure the NL East title. 

This year, a 10-3 loss to the Dodgers on May 29 completed a three-game Los Angeles sweep at Citi Field by a combined 18-5. New York dropped to 22-33 in its first season under manager Carlos Mendoza and was six games out of the last wild-card berth and needing to overcome seven teams. 

Lindor called a players’ only meeting. As players explained it, the Mets aired some issues in the clubhouse that day and committed themselves to positivity, effective preparation and a team-first approach dedicated to helping each other and winning games. 

"We just opened the floor and talked about ways we can turn it around," outfielder Brandon Nimmo said then. "Just felt like a boiling-over point." 

Since then, with Lindor leading the charge, they have the best record in the majors at 67-39. They have outscored opponents 541-430. 

"It’s been an uphill fight," Lindor said. "We put ourselves in a big hole and we kept climbing and kept climbing. We kept our shoulders above water. After the All-Star break, you know, we never believed that we were drowning." 

One of New York’s biggest concerns going into the Wild Card Series is the durability of closer Edwin Díaz, who got the win in the doubleheader opener. The right-hander has thrown 66 pitches over the past two days. 

Baseball’s biggest spenders since Steve Cohen bought the team ahead of the 2021 season, the Mets reached the playoffs in 2022 only to lose a three-game Wild Card Series to San Diego. The Mets sank to 75-87 last year, when they had a record $319.5 million payroll and were assessed a record $100.8 million luxury tax. 

They began this year as the top spender again at a projected $321 million, including $70 million in payments to teams covering salaries of traded players Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and James McCann. Their projected luxury tax was $83 million. 

After the win in the doubleheader opener, Cohen posted on X: "Have you ever seen a game like that? I am so proud of this team. Met fans, go out and celebrate." 

UP NEXT 

Mets: Heads back to Milwaukee, where they just played a weekend series, for the best-of-three Wild Card Series that begins Tuesday. 

Braves: Were to fly to San Diego for their Wild Card Series starting Tuesday. 

SALE'S STATUS 

Atlanta had been holding back Sale since his scheduled start last week was rained out, saying they wanted to use him in an elimination game. 

But he wasn't able to pitch because of back spasms, which Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos insisted only cropped up after a throwing session Sunday. 

"It's not an IL thing," Braves general manager Alex Tnthopoulos said. "It's a day-to-day thing. If we could have him pitch and it was safe to do that, we would. Regardless, we need him with where we want to go."