The Mets are set to advance to the postseason following Francisco Lindor's two-run homer in the ninth inning, which sealed a thrilling back-and-forth battle over the final two innings, securing an 8-7 victory for New York against the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a makeup doubleheader held just before the start of the playoffs.
Atlanta had the opportunity to claim a wildcard spot by winning the second game, which would have eliminated Arizona. Conversely, if the Mets managed a sweep, the Braves would be knocked out of contention. The game was an instant classic. The Braves, who have repeatedly thwarted the Mets in previous years, led 3-0 heading into the eighth inning, thanks to rookie starter Spencer Schwellenbach. At that point, ESPN Stats & Info calculated the Braves' chances of winning at 94.1%. However, by the end of this nail-biting contest, those odds were a distant memory.
New York surged ahead 6-3 with a six-run eighth inning, capped by Brandon Nimmo's two-run homer, prompting ESPN to give the Mets a 91.3% chance of victory. But the Braves staged a dramatic comeback, scoring four runs in the bottom half of the inning, with Ozzie Albies delivering a bases-loaded double with two outs to give Atlanta a 7-6 lead after Mets closer Edwin Diaz faltered. The Mets, however, were not done. Starling Marte singled with one out off Pierce Johnson, and Lindor, the cornerstone of the Mets' team, delivered his 33rd homer, a shot into the Braves' bullpen in right-center.
Diaz returned to close out the game, earning the win despite surrendering Albies' go-ahead hit, which came after Diaz failed to cover first on a play that allowed Jarred Kelenic to reach on a two-out infield hit. The Braves had the potential tying run at second in the ninth, but Diaz struck out Ramón Laureano and retired former Met Travis d'Arnaud on a grounder to shortstop. Diaz slammed his glove to the ground, and the Mets celebrated briefly behind the mound after securing their spot as baseball's latest playoff team. They had to postpone a full-fledged celebration of their 11th postseason berth in 63 seasons, their first since 2022, as there was still one more regular-season game to play.
The win marked the end of a regular season for the Mets, who appeared to be out of contention after the opening weeks but eventually emerged as one of baseball's strongest teams.
