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Braves win, join Mets in postseason

The Atlanta Braves are headed to the playoffs for a seventh straight year. The Braves secured the final wild-card spot in the National League with their 3-0 win over the Mets in the second game of their Monday makeup doubleheader. It was a win-or-stay-home affair for the Braves at Truist Park. Their taut loss to the Mets in the first game earlier on Monday meant they had to win Game 2 in order to make the postseason. Had they lost that second game, then the Arizona Diamondbacks would've snagged the last berth. Instead, the reigning NL champs are done for 2024.

In that second game, emergency Braves starter Grant Holmes came up huge with four scoreless innings. Marcell Ozuna gave Atlanta some breathing room in the seventh with a two-out, two-RBI single.

Monday's outcomes mean that the Braves will travel to San Diego to face the Padres in their best-of-three NL Wild Card Series. The Mets, meantime, will head to Milwaukee to face the Brewers. Both Games 1s and both AL Game 1s will be on Tuesday, which means no rest for the Braves and Mets.

Looking forward, the Braves have no ideal answers for their Game 1 starter. Ace Chris Sale was a late scratch Monday because of back spasms, and that's not a condition that figures to improve on a cross-country flight. As well, Reynaldo López, who just recently returned from the injured list, pitched in relief on Monday just two days after working six innings against the Royals. As such, the Braves may be forced to turn to Max Fried on short rest.

Whatever those details, however, for now the Braves can exult in once again having made the playoffs – this time despite a crippling rash of injuries that spanned almost the entire season.

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Braves get breathing room

A two-out, two-RBI single from Marcell Ozuna gives the Braves a 3-0 lead in the seventh. Matt Olson got thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double to end the inning, but Atlanta is now six outs away from the playoffs.

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I'm fascinated to see what the Braves' plans are for the rotation in the Wild Card Series after burning Reynaldo López today, but I guess that's tomorrow's problem.

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Reynaldo López on to pitch for Atlanta

Dealt with injuries this season, but he was incredibly effective when healthy.

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Braves still lead 1-0 at the end of the sixth

Atlanta needs to hold on for three more innings to secure their postseason berth.

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Update from Arizona ...

Where the Diamondbacks are watching in the hopes the Mets will win and send them to the playoffs:

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Mets get their first hit

Stop-gap Braves starter Grant Holmes was perfect through four innings, but the Mets finally notched their first base-runner when Pete Alonso laced a line-drive single to open the fourth. Holmes then issued a walk, which ended his day. He exits staked to a 1-0 lead.

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Still 1-0 Braves

Going into the bottom of the fourth.

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Holmes dealing for Braves

Replacement starter Grant Holmes is perfect through three innings, having gone nine up, nine down against the Mets here in Game 2.

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Braves 1, Mets 0

The Braves have an early second-inning lead thanks to Gio Urshela's one-out RBI single. It's a must-win for the Braves. If they win, they go to the playoffs. If they lose, the Diamondbacks get the final berth.

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Nifty play in the first:

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Game 2 is underway

Hopefully everyone had a chance to catch their breath.

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Chris Sale scratched

Chris Sale, the Braves' scheduled Game 2 starter, has been scratched with back spasms. Atlanta saved Sale all weekend for their elimination game and now, when it finally comes, he's down for the count. An absolute gut punch for the Braves. Grant Holmes, who has made six starts and 19 relief appearances in the majors this year, will start instead. He threw 1 2/3 yesterday in the Braves' loss to the Royals.

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Mets 8, Braves 7

The Mets are officially going to the playoffs. They trailed 3-0 heading to the eighth inning and scored six runs. Their All-Star closer blew a save in the bottom of the eighth as the Braves stormed back for four runs. But in the top of the ninth, likely NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor came through in the clutch, as he's done so many times this season, with a two-run home run to put the Mets back on top.

Now that the playoff spot is clinched, the Mets will be able to hold Luis Severino back and start him in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.

Conversely, the Braves need to start Chris Sale to win the second game of the doubleheader here on Monday, otherwise their season is over. If they win, they'll be in a bind for starting pitching Tuesday in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. They have to use Sale in order to make the playoffs, though, so it's an easy decision.

The Diamondbacks will be eliminated if the Braves win Game 2. If the Mets win Game 2, the Diamondbacks make the playoffs as the six seed and the Braves are out.

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Díaz is up to 35 pitches

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The tying run is in scoring position with one out

More fireworks?

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Edwin Díaz is still in the game. He threw 21 pitches in the eighth inning. Buckle your seat belts.

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Elsewhere, the Brewers are waiting with bated breath. This game will help determine who they play tomorrow.

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Time for everyone to take a deep breath. What a game. And the madness might not be over.

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THE METS LEAD AGAIN

Good grief! Francisco Lindor just hit a two-run bomb to right center to give the Mets an 8-7 lead. This is ridiculous!

Starling Marte was the baserunner there. He singled with one out before Lindor came to the plate. Marte didn't start the game. He actually pinch hit for Harrison Bader in the eighth and he's now 2 for 2 with two runs scored. Lindor is 2 for 5 with three RBI and two runs.

Again, this game was 3-0 Braves heading to the eighth inning. Both All-Star closers were used in the eighth. The Mets scored six runs in the eight and two in the ninth. The Braves scored four in the eighth and still have an at-bat in the ninth coming.

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Wild Card Series impact

Chris Sale (Braves) and Luis Severino (Mets) are the scheduled starters for Game 2. Whichever team wins this one will make a change and save that pitcher for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. If the losing team of this game wins Game 2, they'll be heading to the Wild Card Series without an obvious starting pitcher on regular rest.

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Braves back in the lead

Holy smokes. What an eighth inning. Ozzie Albies just cleared the bases with a double.

It is 7-6 Braves. The Mets scored six runs in the top of the eighth and the Braves answered with four runs in the bottom half.

Both teams have a stellar closer. Both were touched up in a big way here in the eighth and whichever team loses won't have the luxury of their closer in the second game while facing elimination. This is total insanity. Under the circumstances, it might well have an argument for the craziest inning of the 2024 season.

The game now heads to the ninth with the Mets down a run and the Braves having already burned their closer.

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Kelenic singles home a run*

Former Mets draft pick and farmhand Jarred Kelenic -- who went to Seattle in the Robinson Cano trade that also gave the Mets Edwin Díaz -- came through with an RBI single.

*Though it should be noted that it's possible it should've been a groundout. Pete Alonso made a diving stop at first base and Díaz failed to cover first base, so the Mets had no play.

The lead is 6-4 Mets, but the Braves have the bases loaded.

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Braves have two on

The Braves are not going quietly. Eli White was hit by a pitch and now with one out Travis d'Arnaud singles. Edwin Díaz is coming in to attempt a five-out save. He can handle that. He's had a good number of multi-inning saves in his career and his most recent came on Sept. 22, when he went two innings. He did throw 26 pitches yesterday, but before that hadn't pitched in a week.

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The Mets storm back with a 6-spot

Through seven innings, the Braves were in total control of this game. They had a 3-0 lead thanks to a two-run homer from Ozzie Albies and a solo shot from Ramón Laureano. Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach was dominant, having allowed only three hits through seven scoreless innings.

Tyrone Taylor led off the eighth with a double to chase Schwellenbach. Joe Jiménez entered and allowed an RBI double to Francisco Alvarez. Starling Marte pinch hit and singled to put runners on the corners, bringing Francisco Lindor to the plate. The Mets' superstar came through with an RBI single. That led to the Braves deciding to go with closer Raisel Iglesias for the two-inning save. Jose Iglesias singled to tie the game, though:

Then a Mark Vientos sac fly put the Mets on top.

And then the dagger. Brandon Nimmo hit a two-run shot.

The Mets scored six runs in the eighth inning to turn the entire doubleheader on its head.

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That's a blown save

Jose Iglesias singles off Raisel Iglesias to tie the game, 3-3. Hoo boy.

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Raisel Iglesias on for the two-inning save

For anyone curious, he's done this a few times before. He threw two innings six different times this season, most recently on Sept. 22, when he threw 28 pitches in Miami to close things down. He does NOT, however, very often inherit runners. There are two Mets on base right now. He's only come into the game with multiple runners on base four times this season. Of course, he stranded every single one of those runners.

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Francisco Alvarez greets Joe Jiménez rudely with a double down the line to drive in Tyrone Taylor and score the first Mets run of the day. Starling Marte follows with a single to put runners at first and third with no outs and Francisco Lindor singles to drive in the second run of the day. That will send Jiménez to the showers with the Braves up 3-2 and runners on first and second with no outs. Raisel Iglesias is coming in to try to lock down a six-out save.

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Tyrone Taylor leads off the 8th with a double to the wall, the Mets' first extra-base hit of the day, and that's it for Spencer Schwellenbach.

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Schwellenbach hasn't gone past seven innings in his first 20 starts in the majors. He just finished 7 with just 83 pitches. Will Brian Snitker send him back out and save his relievers, not just for Game 2 but for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series?

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