(2024) Mets Clinch Playoff Berth In a Thriller at Atlanta

Monday, September 30th,2024: On this cloudy afternoon in Atlanta, the Mets (88-72) & Braves (88-72) played a double header with each team needing to win a game to get to the post season. If any team swept the twin bill, the other team would be eliminated & the idle Arizona Diamondbacks would get in. 

These games were make-up games after Hurricane Helene postponed two games last week. The MLB regular season officially ended for everyone else yesterday.

Carlos Mendoza went with Tylor Megill (4-5 / 3.98 ERA). Since August 29th, Megill was 2-0 with a 1.78 ERA & 28 strike outs in 25.1 innings over five starts.)  

Braves skipper, Brian Snitker went with Spencer Schwellenbach (8-7 / 3.35 ERA). Schwellenbach was 3-0 in his last three starts, allowing four runs in 19 inns, beating the Mets just five days ago, allowing one run in seven innings of work.

Mets Trivia: It was 51 years ago today; the 1973 Mets clinched a playoff spot in a scheduled double header at rainy Wrigley Field. Tom Seaver earned the win that day, as Tug McGraw saved it in the 9th. Cleon Jones homered, Jerry Grote had a two-run single, Rusty Staub an RBI single & John Miler a sac fly. 

Also later today, the death of baseball legend, Pete Rose would be announced.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Ozzie Albies hit a two run HR & in the 6th Ramon Laureano hit a solo shot putting the Braves up 3-0. Tylor Megill went 5.2 innings allowing three runs on eight hits.

Thru the first seven innings, Spencer Schwellenbach shut out the Mets & held them to just three hits. Once again, the Mets couldn't figure the rookie out. It looked like another sad day for the Mets in Atlanta.

In the top of the 8th, Tyrone Taylor put in a tremendous 11 pitch at bat & led off with his 22nd double of the season, a liner down the third base line. 

That hit finally got Schwellenbach out of the game. It was just what the Mets needed. Francisco Alvarez then doubled bringing in the first run. Starling Marte then singled to right; Alvarez had to hold up at third base. Francisco Lindor then singled bringing in Alvarez putting New York within a run, making it 3-2.

Braves manager Brian Snitker went to his closer Raisel Iglesias, who had a few six out saves during the season. But Jose Iglesias then singled to tie up the game at three, as Starling Marte scored from second base.

21 Game Hit Streak: For Iglesias, he had now hit safely in 21 straight games, longest Mets hitting streak since Wilson Ramos 26 game hit streak in 2019. He would extend it to 22 games in the last game f the season, the sixth longest hitting streak in team history as well.

Mark Vientos then added a sac fly to score Lidor putting the Mets ahead for the first time 4-3. Jose Iglesias then stole second base.

Brandon Nimmo then hit his 23rd HR of the season, none bigger than this one. The two run HR capped off the Mets sixth run inning, as they were ahead 6-3. Nimmo reached the 90 RBI mark for the first time in his career, second on the club to Francisco Lindor.

In the bottom of the 8th, an inning that I couldn't even bare to watch started out by Phil Maton hitting Eli White with a pitch. With one out, former Met Travis d'Arnaud singled to right. Manager Carlos Mendoza then brought in the second coming of Armando Benitez, the questionable, Edwin Diaz. 

Diaz started out by failing to cover first base, as he watched Pete Alonzo make a diving play to stop a double, on a shot by Jarred Kelenic. White scored on the play & d'Arnaud advanced. 

Pinch runner Whit Merrifield then replaced Kelenic & stole second base. Diaz then walked Michael Harris to load the bases. Ozzie Albies the cleared the bases with an inexcusable double putting the Braves ahead again 8-7.

Marcell Ozuna then stuck out to end the inning & what looked like the ending to the game, possible the Mets season.

But in the top of the 9th, with Pierce Johnson on the mound, Starling Marte collected a one out single. Then Francisco Lindor, hit the biggest HR of his career to date, as he blasted a two run HR to put the Mets ahead 8-7. 

Triva: For Lindor it was his 33rd HR of the season, second on the club to Pete Alonso (34) & his team leading 91st RBI passing Nimmo for the team lead. 

For Lindor who had missed time recently with back problem, it was his third HR in his last seven games. In his last 15 games he was batting .316 with 18 hits, 4 HRs & 11 RBIs.

In the bottom of the 9th Mets manager Carlos Mendoza let Diaz come back to try to finish the game. I don't know where he got the confidence to put the ball in that man's hand again, but he did & somehow (Benitez, I mean ...) Diaz managed to get Matt Olson to pop up. 

Then Eli White singled bringing up the tying run. Somehow, he got Ramon Laureano to strike out & end the game with Travis d'Arnaud grounding out to Lindor.

The Mets had clinched their first playoff spot in two years, making their 11th post season. 

2024 Mets Triva: The win was the team's 41st comeback win of the season (3rd most in MLB). Since June 1st the Mets were the winningest team in baseball with 65 wins 89-73. From August on the Mets were 31-23, in September they went 16-9 & battled for a wild card spot every day. 

Today's game marked the first time they came back from being two runs down in the 8th inning as well.

Manager Carlos Mendoza: "It's hard to pick one specific time because we have so many, you know whether it was on the field off the field. I could go back & start pinpointing so many different moments that we knew we had something special. What a privilege, what an honor."

Quotes- Francisco Lindor: "it's been an uphill fight. We put ourselves in a big hole & we kept climbing & kept climbing. We kept our shoulders above water. After the All-Star break, you know we never believed that we were drowning".

Quotes- Pete Alonso: " This was such a massive group effort. We earned it".

Quotes- Brandon Nimmo: "Nobody thought back in April outside of this clubhouse that we were going to make the playoffs, that we had any shot. We were able to go out & go through really, really tough times & find ourselves on the other side & pull ourselves up & really rally together & have each other's backs & be able to culminate this" 

Quotes- Jose Iglesias: "You guys deserve it, you know the fans they're along the way with us every single night, appreciate that. The job is not done, enjoy it, God Bless you all.

The Mets lost the second game of the doubleheader, the Braves win eliminated The Arizona Diamondbacks & put Atlanta in the post season as well. The Mets will face the Brewers in Milwaukee tomorrow in the NLWC Series.