The Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets faced off in a high-stakes doubleheader on Monday to determine the final two National League wild-card spots, following the scheduled conclusion of the regular season. The doubleheader became necessary after two games between the NL East rivals were postponed due to Hurricane Helene wreaking havoc in the southeastern United States.
On Sunday, the Braves had a chance to secure their seventh consecutive postseason appearance but fell short with a 4-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals, leaving them with an 88-72 record. The Mets, meanwhile, managed to match the Braves’ record after a 5-0 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Arizona Diamondbacks finished the regular season with an 89-73 record after an 11-2 win over the San Diego Padres.
Both the Braves and the Mets held a tiebreaker advantage over the Diamondbacks, meaning that splitting the doubleheader would guarantee their progression to the Wild Card Series. The Diamondbacks, observing from Phoenix, were hoping for a sweep by either team to secure the final wild card spot.
In the first game of the doubleheader, rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (8-7, 3.47 ERA) took the mound for the Braves against Tylor Megill (4-5, 3.98 ERA) of the Mets. For the second game, it was initially lined up for Chris Sale (18-3, 2.38 ERA) of the Braves to face off against Luis Severino (11-7, 3.91 ERA) of the Mets. However, the winner of the first game was expected to alter the pitching rotation for the Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday.
With the NL Central champions, Milwaukee, and the top wild card team, San Diego, already securing home advantage for the opening round, the focus was on determining who they would face in the best-of-three series.
The outcome of the doubleheader between the Braves and the Mets not only decided the final playoff teams but also set the stage for an exciting postseason ahead in the National League.