ATLANTA — — A remaining day that wasn't on the schedule and will not quickly be forgotten.
An inconceivable comeback by the New York Mets within the opening sport of a make-up doubleheader to safe their playoff berth. A gritty restoration by the Atlanta Braves within the nightcap, stamping their postseason ticket as nicely.
And all of the Arizona Diamondbacks may do was watch hopelessly from the desert, their hopes snuffed out by two video games on the opposite aspect of the nation.
“You’re just focused on getting into the postseason,” mentioned Braves first baseman Matt Olson, soaked in champagne as he celebrated a 3-0 win within the final sport of the common season. “Whatever it took. If we had to play four games today, we would have done it.”
The common season went to further innings after the Mets and Braves had a pair of video games rained out final week by Hurricane Helene. They managed their very own fates, with every holding a tiebreaker edge over the defending NL champion Diamondbacks.
Arizona wanted one workforce to brush, so that they have been pulling for the Mets after they overcame deficits of 3-0 within the eighth inning and 7-6 within the ninth to win the opener 8-7, going forward for good on Francisco Lindor’s two-run homer.
“An instant classic game,” said Brandon Nimmo, whose two-run homer capped a six-run eighth.
The Braves, to their credit, bounced back to get the win they had to have. Even after ace Chris Sale was scratched because of back spasms, journeyman Grant Holmes stepped in to lead off a three-hitter spread among six pitchers.
At the end, in the perfect capper to a wacky day, there were champagne-spraying celebrations in both clubhouses at Truist Park.
Atlanta, New York and Arizona all finished 89-73.
Holmes found out he was starting about a half-hour before the first pitch.
“I was about to go get some food,” said the 28-year-old Holmes, who finally made it to the big leagues this year after a decade in the minors. “They got here as much as me and mentioned, ‘Hey, you’re going to begin this one off in the present day.’ And I used to be like, ‘Oh, OK, here we go.’”
With their postseason berth locked up, the Mets added left-hander Joey Lucchesi to the roster to begin the second sport. The 31-year-old left-hander spent most of the season at Triple-A Syracuse, giving up 5 runs in 4 1/3 innings in his lone large league look earlier than Monday,
He seemed like an ace towards the Braves, who may’ve nonetheless been a bit shellshocked after the way in which they misplaced the opener. Lucchesi (0-2) allowed simply three hits, together with a run-scoring single to Gio Urshela, in a six-inning, 111-pitch outing.
But Marcell Ozuna gave the Braves some respiration room with a two-run single within the seventh. Daysbel Hernandez (3-0) earned the win and Raisel Iglesias completed it off for his thirty fourth save in 37 possibilities.
The Braves additionally acquired a scoreless inning from starter Reynaldo López, who had pitched six innings simply two days earlier.
“I'm so proud of all those guys,” Atlanta supervisor Brian Snitker mentioned. “It takes the whole building to make something like this happen.”
The Mets have been already in get together mode after Lindor’s thirty third homer.
Trailing 3-0, with simply three singles via seven innings towards rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, New York's offense got here to life within the eighth.
The Mets surged forward with their six-run outburst. The Braves stormed again with 4 runs within the backside half, as Ozzie Albies delivered a bases-loaded double with two outs for a 7-6 lead — giving him 5 RBI within the sport after a two-run homer within the third.
But New York delivered the ultimate blow with Lindor's drive into the Braves bullpen off Pierce Johnson (7-5).
“That was one of the craziest games I’ve ever been a part of,” mentioned Carlos Mendoza, the Mets rookie supervisor. “Just the meaning of it. Coming back in the game and then losing the lead and then coming back again in the ninth. It was unbelievable, like you should write a book.”
Edwin Díaz (6-4) earned the win with a season-high 40 pitches regardless of giving up Albies’ go-ahead hit, which got here after the Mets nearer didn't cowl first on a play that allowed Jarred Kelenic to achieve on a two-out infield hit.
Díaz demanded to return to the mound for the ninth.
“I don’t care what you say, I’m going back out,” he informed Mendoza.
New York had misplaced 77 straight video games when trailing by three runs in eighth inning or later since May 17, 2023. With that streak snapped, Díaz slammed his glove to the bottom and the Mets celebrated their eleventh postseason berth in 63 seasons, the final coming in 2022.
“I’ve never seen a game like that,” Mets proprietor Steve Cohen mentioned.
Or a remaining day like that.
SALE’S STATUS
Atlanta had been holding again Sale since his scheduled begin final week was rained out, saying they wished to make use of him in an elimination sport.
But the left-hander wasn’t in a position to pitch as a result of of again spasms, which Braves common supervisor Alex Anthopoulos mentioned solely cropped up after a throwing session Sunday however Snitker conceded had been a difficulty for a while.
“He’s had it off and on all year,” Snitker mentioned. “Everybody in that room’s acquired aches and pains presently of yr.”
Sale has been ruled out for the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres, but the Braves are hopeful he'll be able to return if they advance to the Division Series.
UP NEXT
Mets: Head back to Milwaukee, where they just played a weekend series, for a best-of-three Wild Card Series that begins Tuesday. The Brewers won five of six meetings during the regular season.
Braves: Were heading to the airport for the four-hour flight to San Diego, where their Wild Card Series also starts Tuesday. The Padres topped the season series 4-3.
——
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
