Braves salvage playoff berth with 3-0 win over the Mets, who win thrilling opener 8-7 to clinch

AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — A final day that wasn’t on the schedule and won’t soon be forgotten.

An improbable comeback by the New York Mets in the opening game of a makeup doubleheader to secure their playoff berth. A gritty recovery by the Atlanta Braves in the nightcap, stamping their postseason ticket as well.

And all the Arizona Diamondbacks could do was watch hopelessly from the desert, their hopes snuffed out by two games on the other side of the country.

“You’re just focused on getting into the postseason,” said Braves first baseman Matt Olson, soaked in champagne as he celebrated a 3-0 win in the last game of the regular season. “Whatever it took. If we had to play four games today, we would have done it.”

The regular season went to extra innings after the Mets and Braves had a pair of games rained out last week by Hurricane Helene. They controlled their own fates, with each holding a tiebreaker edge over the defending NL champion Diamondbacks.

Arizona needed one team to sweep, so they were pulling for the Mets after they overcame deficits of 3-0 in the eighth inning and 7-6 in the ninth to win the opener 8-7, going ahead 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 came up to me and said, ‘Hey, you’re going to start this one off today.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, OK, here we go.’”

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 looked like an ace 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.

But Marcell Ozuna gave the Braves some breathing room with a two-run single in the seventh. Daysbel Hernandez (3-0) earned the win and Raisel Iglesias finished it off for his 34th save in 37 chances.

The Braves also got a scoreless inning from starter Reynaldo López, who had pitched six innings just two days earlier.

“I’m so proud of all those guys,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “It takes the whole building to make something like this happen.”

The Mets were already in party mode after Lindor’s 33rd homer.

Trailing 3-0, with just three singles through seven innings against rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, New York’s offense came to life in the eighth.

The Mets surged ahead with their six-run outburst. The Braves stormed back with four runs in the bottom half, as Ozzie Albies delivered a bases-loaded double with two outs for a 7-6 lead — giving him five RBIs in the game after a two-run homer in the third.

But New York delivered the final 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,” said Carlos Mendoza, the Mets rookie manager. “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 despite giving up Albies’ go-ahead hit, which came after the Mets closer failed to cover first on a play that allowed Jarred Kelenic to reach 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 told Mendoza.

New York had lost 77 straight 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 ground and the Mets celebrated their 11th postseason berth in 63 seasons, the last coming in 2022.

“I’ve never seen a game like that,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said.

Or a final day like that.

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 the left-hander wasn’t able to pitch because of back spasms, which Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said only cropped up after a throwing session Sunday but Snitker conceded had been an issue for some time.

“He’s had it off and on all year,” Snitker said. “Everybody in that room’s got aches and pains at this time of year.”

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.

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