Mets clinch! Francisco Lindor HR leads wild win over Braves and sends Mets to playoffs

ATLANTA — From desperation to pure, unbridled joy.

In two innings on Monday afternoon in Atlanta, the Mets went from twice staring down the conclusion of their 2024 season to realizing their goal of reaching the playoffs.

Francisco Lindor, the Mets' leader and tone-setter in the clubhouse, made sure to heed his own message and keep fighting as the prospects turned bleak.

After the Braves exploded for four runs to take a one-run lead in the eighth, Lindor felt the game slow down against the Braves' Pierce Johnson in the top of the ninth. The Mets shortstop blasted a go-ahead two-run home run to lift the Mets to a wild, 8-7 victory over the Braves and punch their ticket to the playoffs in the opening game of the teams' doubleheader at Truist Park.

"It felt like the whole week the emotions have gone like that. It was a great ball game," Lindor said. "They gave everything they had, and we gave everything we had as well. It was just a matter of a pitch here and there. I think that's how the game was won today, one more pitch than the other team."

Rising through adversity

The Mets will now travel back to Milwaukee for a best-of-three series against the Brewers beginning on Tuesday at 5:32 p.m. at American Family Field.

The path to the playoffs for the Mets was an uphill battle, but they crossed the regular season's finish line in triumphant fashion on Monday.

The clinching game was a microcosm of the Mets' season. They were down and 11 games under .500 early, rallied together and back into playoff position midway through and and fought through the end.

"We counted on each other. We believed in each other," Lindor said. "The job that (Carlos) Mendoza has done has been outstanding. The players understanding their roles, players staying with each other, not pointing fingers. We kept on pulling the same direction, the same energy. And we believe."

And this time the Mets got to celebrate in their rivals' ballpark. It was a contrast to 2022 when the Mets clinched in Milwaukee but were still trying to fight off the Braves for the National League East title.

"This is surreal," said a champagne- and beer-drenched Pete Alonso. "The vibes are immaculate. This is super well-deserved because we have come such a long way this year. It was an

Edwin Diaz fights to the finish

Edwin Diaz was not going to let Mendoza take the ball away from him heading into the ninth inning.

The Mets closer worked the Mets into a mess and it was his job to ensure that he shut the door.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Phil Maton gave up a walk and a single before Eli White crossed on an infield single by Jarred Kelenic where Pete Alonso made a diving stop but Diaz failed to cover first base. After Diaz walked Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies tagged a three-run double off the left field wall to move the Braves back ahead 7-6.

"In the eighth, I was feeling a little bit tired, but I gotta fight," Diaz said. "I gotta fight. This team gave me so much, and they trusted me. If we’re going to lose the game, I wanted to be the guy who lost it because I want to fight for this team, for these guys. As soon as I saw Lindor the homer, I said, ‘I gotta go back out and fight for my team.’

After throwing 26 pitches on Sunday and another 21 pitches in the eighth on Monday, Jeremy Hefner told Diaz he was done. But the closer implored Mendoza to remain in the game after Lindor hit the go-ahead home run.

Diaz came back out and gave up a one-out single to White but after a mound visit, struck out Ramon Laureano and induced a postseason-clinching ground ball from Travis d'Arnaud.

"It was a lot of things, because last year I lost the whole season and it was tough for me," said Diaz of the emotions. "This year, I didn't start the way I wanted to. Being able to battle back and get the last outs for our team to make the playoffs was big.

Mets rally from three runs down

After looking overwhelmed against Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach for seven innings, the Mets forced their way into the bullpen in the eighth inning and flipped a three-run deficit into a three-run advantage.

Schwellenbach entered the eighth inning with 83 pitches and the Braves leading 3-0, but Tyrone Taylor used an 11-pitch at-bat and a double into the left-center field gap to end the Braves' righty's day.

From there, the Mets blistered the Braves' bullpen.

First, it was Joe Jimenez, who surrendered an RBI double to Francisco Alvarez, pinch-hit single to Starling Marte and RBI single to Lindor.

Then, Brian Snitker called upon his closer, Raisel Iglesias. He did not fare any better, giving up the game-tying hit to Jose Iglesias, who extended his hitting streak to 21 games in the process. Mark Vientos put the Mets ahead with a sacrifice fly to center field in the next at-bat.

Brandon Nimmo broke the game open when he turned on a 94.7 mph fastball and deposited it 405 feet into the Chop House in right field to boost the Mets ahead 6-3. Nimmo, who has a penchant for sprinting to first base, made sure to admire this one a little extra.

"It was a huge moment. We're adding on more runs," Nimmo said. "I knew it when I hit it. I knew it was gone. No disrespect to Iglesias, but just a huge moment and one that (I) just was enjoying."

The massive eighth inning, which included six runs on six hits and one walk against four separate Braves pitchers, helped the Mets build belief and fuel their persistence toward the postseason.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Mets clinch! Francisco Lindor HR leads wild win over Braves and sends Mets to playoffs