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In The Postseason Groove: Mets Clinch Playoff Berth

The Mets are heading to the postseason for the 11th time in franchise history, and second time in the Steve Cohen era - Image Credit: MLB

The New York Mets are officially back in the Postseason Groove. 

For the 11th time in their franchise’s history dating back to 1962, and just the second in the Steve Cohen era, the Mets will be playing October baseball — clinching a postseason berth on Monday afternoon with their nail-biting 8-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. 

In game one of Monday’s doubleheader, which featured nearly every twist and turn imaginable to make for one of the most exciting games of the MLB regular season, the Mets and Braves went blow-for-blow in a matchup that had it all: postseason implications, momentum shifts, blown leads, clutch hitting in big spots, and bulldog like performances on the mound.

Best Game of the Year? 

To start the mayhem, Atlanta stood tall, up 3-0, with 24-year-old rookie Spencer Schwellenbach dicing up New York at the plate, inning by inning. After allowing a Tyrone Taylor lead-off double in the top of the eighth, only his fourth hit given up on the day, it was then where the right-hander was pulled with 94 pitches and the Mets sparked their comeback… 

A six-run eighth inning to capture the lead at 6-3, delivered by Francisco Lindor, José Iglesias, Mark Vientos, and Francisco Álvarez, driving in one run each, and Brandon Nimmo blasting a two-run homer to the right-field seats for his 23rd HR of the season. 

As the momentum then shifted once again, while attempting to hold onto the lead in the home half of the eighth, with two on base, and one out, manager Carlos Mendoza opted to remove RHP Phil Maton from the game and go to his All-Star closer Edwin Díaz, who threw 26 pitches a day before in New York’s Sunday win over the Milwaukee Brewers. 

The Puerto Rican right-hander Díaz forced Gio Urshela to groundout for the second out of the inning, and it all went down from there — surrendering a Jarred Kelenic RBI infield single, Michael Harris II walk, and a double to Ozzie Albies to clear the bases and give up the lead, 7-6. 

Essentially, this could have made for the “nail in the Mets’ coffin,” on an emotional and moral standpoint, blowing a three-run lead with just three-outs remaining at the plate. May I add, on the road in an environment such as Truist Park, against a NL East rival in the Braves with a ton of postseason implications on the line for both sides. 

As the pressure continued to rise with one out in the top of the ninth, down 7-6 — Starling Marte gave New York a chance on a single off of Braves RHP Pierce Johnson. Then came Lindor next in the most important at-bat of his Mets career so far…  

His two-run go-ahead shot, 33rd HR of the season, lifted the Mets back up 8-7, making for the visiting dugout to erupt while the Caguas, Puerto Rico native nonchalantly completed his home run trot with no theatrics or celebrations. A veteran move by a winning player. 

Regarding the trot on his clutch homer, Lindor stated: “The one thing I had on my mind was just ‘thank you Jesus, thank God.’ I knew that I got it right away, but there’s no reason to celebrate or go that crazy. I gotta save my energy.” 

“After I saw the homer from Lindor, I told Mendy (Mendoza) ‘I’m going back out no matter what. I don’t care what you say, I’m going back out. I will get this win for the team,’” said Díaz, who lobbied to go back out for the ninth and did so, pitching to 66 pitches in the last two days combined. 

“As soon as Lindor hit that ball, I just turned around and gave him (Díaz) a look,” noted Mendoza. “We made eye contact, Álvarez was right there. I called those two down to the tunnel and I made that decision. Proud of him.” 

Díaz, who could have let the eighth inning blunders impact him mentally, dug deep and was able to compartmentalize himself back out on the mound to complete the ninth. He faced four batters, and struck out one, to end Monday’s instant classic in Atlanta, 8-7, Mets, as New York punched their postseason ticket. 

“This team gives me so much and they trust me,” stated Díaz later in the postgame. “If we lose the game, I want to be the guy who lost it because I want to fight for this team and these guys. As soon as I saw Lindor hit the homer, I said ‘I gotta go back out and fight for our team.’” 

Steve Cohen on Monday’s Instant Classic in Atlanta: “Today’s game — I mean, I have never seen anything like it. It was a total rollercoaster. I was in tears in the eighth inning when we went ahead, I was in shock when we lost the lead. And then Francisco stepping up, an incredible moment. Probably dreamt of his whole life, and when you do it and watch it, it’s incredible.”

Welcome To October

National League Wild Card – No. 6 Mets vs. No. 3 Brewers

The No. 6 NL seeded Mets will face the No. 3 NL seeded Brewers in a best-of-three Wild Card series at American Family Field in Milwaukee, beginning Tuesday, October 1st, with first pitch slated for 5:32 PM ET and television coverage available on ESPN. Game Two will follow on Wednesday, October 2nd, and  if necessary, on Thursday, October 3rd, for Game Three. 

“You grind for 162 (games) plus the month and a half in spring training to get to a position like this and here we are,” said Lindor as the Mets gear up for Milwaukee.

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