The New York Mets Will Play October Baseball Thanks To A Wild Victory Over Atlanta

What in the ever-living heck did I just watch?

The New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves are playing a double-header a day after the rest of the MLB wrapped up their seasons, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. If either team wants to get to October, they will have to win at least one of these games. If one team wins both, the Arizona Diamondbacks would take the spot of the team that got swept.

For the lion’s share of this game, it appeared that the Braves would be the team to clinch a postseason first. Spencer Schwellenbach pitched seven fantastic innings, allowing just four hits and leaving the game with the score 3-0 in favor of Atlanta.

But as soon as he left the game, the Mets lineup tore apart the Braves bullpen. Francisco Alvarez, Francisco Lindor, Jose Iglesias, Mark Vientos, and Brandon Nimmo all recorded RBI hits to put up a six-run explosion in the top of the eighth.

Just like that, the Mets were six outs away from their first playoff berth since 2022. However, it seemed that the ghosts of past franchise failures were not exorcsized just yet.

Phil Maton came on in the eighth and got one out, but left closer Edwin Diaz with runners on the corners. He got his first batter out, and then surrendered an RBI infield single to Jarred Kelenic. No matter, because even after walking Michael Harris II to load the bases, he just had to get Ozzie Albies out.

That proved to be more difficult than expected.

On a 3-1 count, Albies roped a double to left field to clear the bases and give Atlanta a 7-6 lead. Truist Park was sent into a frenzy.

So here was New York, again finding itself in an unfavorable situation. After blowing a three-run lead and wasting a six-run inning, they needed to put that behind them and somehow scrape out a win.

And Lindor said, "I’ll be the man for that job!" On the first pitch he saw from Pierce Johnson,  he sent a ball 413 feet into the right-center field stands.

In the blink of an eye, the Mets went from dead to rights to in control of this game. With an 8-7 lead, Diaz stepped back on the mound to try to earn what would now be a five-out win.

Putting the mistakes of the eighth inning behind him, he retired three of the next four batters he saw to seal the win and the postseason spot for the Mets.

For those of you who say that baseball is never electric, let this game serve as a humble reminder that you are not being fair to this phenomenal sport. When the stakes are high, this sport is nothing short of heart-stopping.

Now, the teams must play game two shortly after the first one has concluded. The Braves need to win to extend their season.

But the Mets don’t face that problem. They’re in the postseason, baby!