Mets and Braves both clinched playoff spots in wild doubleheader, Diamondbacks eliminated

ATLANTA – There have been stranger victory scenarios in the stadium, but not many.

For the Braves and Mets, Monday's rain-delayed playoff qualifying doubleheader was straightforward, if not easy: Win either game and advance to the wild-card round of the National League playoffs. Win both and enjoy the added bonus of knocking your rival out of the postseason – and helping the Arizona Diamondbacks secure the final spot.

In a chaotic, exciting and heartbreaking first game of the doubleheader, the Mets rode a six-run eighth inning and a ninth comeback to beat the Braves 8-7 and clinch a spot in the 2024 National League playoffs. In the comparatively quieter Game 2, Atlanta rebounded from a crushing loss in Game 1 to claim a 3-0 win and advance to the postseason.

With the win, the Braves secured the No. 5 seed and will face San Diego, while the Mets draw Milwaukee. The Diamondbacks' year is over.

With the regular season finally over, baseball is now heading to the playoffs… which begin just hours after the Atlanta-New York doubleheader ends.

Game 1: Lindor's exploits are a first-class back-and-forth thriller

Francisco Lindor, dealing with a back injury, had the game-winning hit, a two-run home run in the ninth.

Atlanta, which took a 3-0 lead in the eighth and 7-6 in the ninth, had just a few minutes to regroup and prepare for the second half of a doubleheader in which the Braves faced one It was an all-or-nothing game.

Meanwhile, the D-Backs could only watch, wait and hope for victory.

Braves took command early in a game that had a unique feel

Game 1 was a non-elimination game – neither for either team involved nor for the D-backs, who were several thousand miles away. No matter what happened in Game 1, there would be a Game 2 that started 30 minutes after the finale of the opening game. That meant that while there was urgency, there was no urgency about winning or going home.

Both teams started slowly, as if they were working their way up to playoff intensity. Atlanta sent rookie Spencer Wechselbach to the mound, and he responded by pitching the first six Mets in order.

In the top third, New York's Tyrone Taylor hit a bizarre, sideways-spinning slow roller that went from a 20-foot foul back into fair territory:

Taylor grabbed second and moved up to third on a sacrifice, but got stuck there.

In the bottom half of the third, Atlanta's Michael Harris II hit a single up the middle, and Ozzie Albies followed with a 392-foot home run off Mets starter Tylor Megill to break the scoreless tie and give the Braves a 2-0 lead to bring leadership.

The Mets' first serious threat came in the top of the fifth on back-to-back singles by Pete Alonso and JD Martinez. But Schlafenbach ended the challenge, retiring the next three Mets in order.

Ramón Laureano opened the bottom of the sixth with a home run that narrowly cleared the left-center field wall, extending Atlanta's lead to 3-0. A two-out single from Gio Urshela spelled the end of the afternoon for Megill. Reliever Huascar Brazobán coaxed a lineout from Harris, negating the Braves' threat, leaving two men on base.

Epic 8th inning for Mets, Braves

Then the Mets finally woke up. Taylor ended Schlafenbach's day in the bottom of the eighth, doubling to start the inning. That brought Atlanta manager Brian Snitker to the mound, and thresholdsbach left to a standing ovation from the Atlanta fans. On his second throw, substitute Joe Jiménez gave up a double to Francisco Alvarez, who scored Taylor. Starling Marte followed with a single to put runners on the corners – and the winning run at first – with no one out. Lindor then singled to score Alvarez, cutting Atlanta's lead to 3-2 and chasing Jiménez without him recording an out.

Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta's new pitcher, fared no better, allowing a game-tying single to Jose Iglesias. Mark Vientos flew up the middle and scored for Lindor, giving New York its first lead of the day at 4-3. Brandon Nimmo then thundered a 405-foot home run to right to double the Braves' lead, 6-3, and effectively silence most of the Truist Park crowd.

The Braves staged a huge comeback in the bottom of the eighth, putting runners on the corners with one out. Pinch-hitter Jarred Kelenic then hit a deep grounder to first base, cutting the Mets' lead to 6-4. Mets reliever Edwin Díaz loaded the bases, and Albies – who had hit a two-run home run in the third – doubled off the top of the left field wall to clear the bases and give Atlanta the lead again.

Braves fans' delirium was short-lived. Atlanta sent Pierce Johnson to the mound to shut out the Mets in the ninth. Marte hit a two-strike single to left, and then Lindor blasted a 413-foot home run to right-center to retake the lead, 8-7. Atlanta couldn't respond in the bottom of the ninth…and the first playoff spot went to New York.

Game 2: 3 runs are enough for Atlanta

How could a game on the same day compare to the roller coaster ride that was Game 1? Fans and players alike seemed stunned by the events of Game 1. The mood in Game 2 was more reminiscent of “Dog Days of August” than “Fight for October.”

Admittedly, only one of the two teams had something to offer. The Mets' Game 1 win took all the pressure off them and placed a crushing, no-margin burden on the Braves' shoulders – as well as the Diamondbacks, who had to sweat in Arizona and pray for a Mets win in Game 2.

Braves ace Chris Sale was the scheduled starter for Game 2 but was scratched due to back spasms. Rookie Grant Holmes, who had pitched in 25 games and started six before Monday, took the mound as Atlanta's starter in an elimination game. The Mets left out Joey Lucchesi, who appeared in one game this season before Monday and pitched all 4 ⅓ innings.

Lucchesi gave up a run in the second inning but got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom of the fourth inning. A half-inning later, New Yorkers Pete Alonso and Starling Marte reached base and chased Holmes after more than four innings of work.

Atlanta extended its lead in the bottom of the seventh when Sean Murphy walked and a throwing error put Albies on base. Marcel Ozuna hit a single to left, clearing the bases and extending Atlanta's lead to 3-0. But Matt Olson hit a hardliner off the wall in right field and was caught sliding into second to end the inning.

Jiménez, whose disastrous relief appearance in Game 1 opened the door for the Mets' horses to gallop out, gained some redemption in the eighth inning of Game 2 by putting the Mets in order.

Atlanta's Raisel Iglesias had the same opportunity to obliterate his record in the ninth round. New York's Jose Iglesias reached on an infield hit. Nimmo, whose home run was a devastating blow in Game 1, then grounded in a double play. Alonso left and the Braves finished the regular season with a 3-0 win.