ATLANTA — What was once a season full of whimsy, humor and joy was suddenly looking more like an episode of a bad TV show Mets fans had seen one too many times on syndication.
The Mets rallied to come back from down three to up three with a six-run eighth inning, only to see the Atlanta Braves score four times in the bottom of the inning to pull ahead by one. But Francisco Lindor, fighting through back pain, hit the biggest homer of the season in the top of the ninth, taking Pierce Johnson deep for a two-run go-ahead bomb.
The Mets clinched an NL Wild Card berth with an 8-7 win over the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a doubleheader, thanks to Lindor’s heroics.
After going up 6-3 in the eighth, Phil Maton put two on with one out before the Mets went to closer Edwin Diaz. Former Mets prospect Jerred Kelenic took an RBI single off Diaz and he walked Michael Harris to load the bases. Ozzie Albies then cleared them with a three-run double, putting the Braves up 7-6.
Atlanta has long haunted the Mets. A doubleheader the day before the postseason at Truist Park, of all places, felt cruel. With the Braves and Mets both needing only one win to clinch the final two NL Wild Card berths, right-hander Tylor Megill struggled, allowing three runs over 5 2/3 innings, while rookie righty Spencer Schwellenbach dealt.
For the second time in a week, Schwellenbach bested the Mets, shutting them out over seven innings. Last week, when the Mets began this strange, arduous road trip through Atlanta and Milwaukee, they managed only one run off Schwellenbach — a solo homer by Mark Vientos — in a series-opening loss. Then came Hurricane Helene and all of the debate about why the Braves refused to move games up and MLB’s lack of proactivity to spare the two from this exact scenario.
It kickstarted a three-game losing streak that nearly eliminated the Mets from postseason contention. But the Mets came into Atlanta on Monday still alive in the race and managed to stay alive in the first game.
The Mets had a runner at third base in the third inning and runners on second and third in the fifth. Schwellenbach got ground-ball outs to end both innings. After allowing a leadoff single to Pete Alonso in the fifth and a single to J.D. Martinez with no outs, he retired the next nine straight before Tyrone Taylor ripped a leadoff double to the left-center warning track in the eighth. The Braves replaced him with right-hander Joe Jimenez and the rookie came off the field to a standing ovation.
That’s when the first comeback began.
Francisco Alvarez drove in Taylor with an RBI double down the left side and Starling Marte pinch-hit a single past a diving Orlando Arcia at shortstop to put runners on the corners with none out. Lindor didn’t have to do much, all he did was put the ball in play, chopping a single up the center to score Alvarez.
The Braves then brought in closer Raisel Iglesias, much to no avail.
With no outs and the Mets down by only one, Jose Iglesias flared one into right, bringing in Marte. A fly ball by Vientos scored Lindor and then Brandon Nimmo teed off on Iglesias, putting one into the Chop House.
The Mets made a bold move to send Diaz back out for the ninth. The inning intensity grew as he gave up a one-out single to Eli White. The Mets subbed out most of their regulars after the eighth, leaving them without some of their best defenders. White stole second and Ramon Laureano struck out to bring up former Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who has arguably haunted the Mets more than all of the ghosts in Atlanta combined.
He grounded out to Lindor, of all people, who made the easy flip to first base to send the Mets to the postseason.
