The New York Mets are in the MLB playoffs. They earned a berth with an 8-7 win over the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a doubleheader on Monday and will play in the wild-card round starting Tuesday.
Two games were postponed last week due to Hurricane Helen, adding to the confusion in the MLB playoff picture ahead of Tuesday’s Wild Card Series start.
The Mets won Game 1 to advance to the postseason, so the Braves must also win Game 2 to qualify. If the doubleheader is split, both teams will play and the Diamondbacks will be eliminated. Let’s break it down a little more…
Atlanta won. The Braves can only be a No. 5 seed.
New York enters with a win. If the Mets win one game on Monday, they will be the No. 6 seed. If they win both, they will be the 5th seed.
If either Atlanta or New York wins the doubleheader, Arizona qualifies. The D-backs can only be a No. 6 seed.
How to watch Mets vs. Braves
Date and time: September 30th (Monday)
Time: 1:10 PM ET (Game 2 starts approximately 40 minutes after Game 1 ends)
Channel: ESPN2
Location: SunTrust Park | Atlanta
In Atlanta, you can get live updates throughout the day on Yahoo Sports.
Live55 update
Monday, September 30, 2024, 6:39 p.m. (ET)
Mets still scoreless
Reynaldo López pitched seven innings for the Braves, striking out all three batters twice.
The Mets allowed only two hits and no runs until the seventh inning.
Monday, September 30, 2024 6:34 p.m. EDT
Joey Lucchese allowed 1 run and 2 hits in 6 innings.
After throwing 111 pitches, Joey Lucchesi appears to be done, according to his hug in the Mets’ dugout.
Remember, he only became the starter after the Mets won Game 1 of this doubleheader. After clinching a spot in the National League wild-card playoffs, New York pushed Luis Severino into the postseason opener.
Monday, September 30, 2024 6:32 p.m. EDT
The Braves threatened, but no points were scored in the 6th inning.
Jorge Soler hit his second double of the game off Joey Lucchesi. Eli White came on as a pinch runner for Soler and advanced to third base on Ramon Laureano’s sacrifice fly. However, Lucchesi escaped by flying Gio Urshela to the shallow left.
Lucge pitched six innings, allowing two hits and one run, with four walks and four strikeouts.
After 6 innings, Braves 1, Mets 0.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 6:21pm (ET)
Braves’ Dylan Lee exits in the top of the 6th inning
Dylan Lee allowed a single to Brandon Nimmo, but grounded out Pete Alonso to third base on his first pitch.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 6:20pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
Braves pitching change
Daysbel Hernandez ejects Eddie Alvarez for a hit by a pitch, then Luis Sangel Acuña and Jose Iglesias. However, in Atlanta, Dylan Lee will be pitching in place of Brandon Nimmo, who hit a two-run homer in Game 1.
Monday, September 30, 2024 6:13 p.m. EDT
Top of the 5th inning: Braves 1, Mets 0
Joey Lucchese pitched five 1-2-3 innings for the Mets, grounding out all three batters he faced.
That may be the limit for a left-handed pitcher who threw 93 pitches. He allowed two hits and one run, with four walks and four strikeouts.
Lucchesi was called up from Triple-A Syracuse to start this game. After winning Game 1 of this doubleheader and clinching a spot in the postseason, the Mets pitched in the National League wild-card opener with Luis Severino behind him.
Monday, September 30, 2024 6:09 p.m. EDT
Braves’ Daysbel Hernandez gets away with no runs.
Daysbell Hernandez came on in relief of Grant Holmes, who put the first two batters on base of the fifth inning. Hernandez then struck out Tyron Taylor and Harrison Bader and grounded out Luis Torrence. The Mets were scoreless with no outs on second base.
Bottom of the 5th inning, Braves 1, Mets 0.
Monday, September 30, 2024 6:04 p.m. EDT
Pete Alonso’s first hit for the Mets
Grant Holmes finally allowed his first hit of the game, allowing a single to Pete Alonso.
After a walk to Starling Marte, Holmes went out. Daysbell Hernandez will be on the field in Atlanta.
Holmes pitched four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out seven.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:44 p.m. (ET)
Repeat: Grant Holmes humming.
Another 1-2-3 innings for Atlanta’s Grant Holmes, who went four hitless innings.
He has 7 strikeouts in 46 points.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:38 p.m. (ET)
Braves lose 1-2-3 in the third inning.
Joey Lucchese struck out all three Atlanta batters he faced in the third inning, striking out two.
Braves 1, Mets 0
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:30 PM EDT
Grant Holmes keeps humming
Grant Holmes pitched three innings with no hits and no runs. He had six strikeouts on 34 pitches.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:25 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time)
The Mets made it through the second inning with only one run allowed.
It looked like the Braves could put together a big inning. After taking a 1-0 lead on Gio Urshela, Joey Lucchesi gave up a walk to Sean Murphy.
However, with two runners on and one out, Lucchesi limited the damage by flying out Orlando Arcia and grounding out Michael Harris II.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:17 p.m. (ET)
Braves lead 1-0
Jorge Soler led off the second inning with a double. Two batters later, Gio Urshela drove in a single into the left field seats.
Braves 1, Mets 0
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:14 p.m. (ET)
Definition of “emergency activation”
Grant Holmes had little time to think about starting Game 2, a must-win for the Braves. He was informed of his starting role 30 minutes before the start of the game.
Grant Holmes was told about 30 minutes ago that he would begin this deadly game.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 30, 2024
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:12pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
More about Chris Sale
From Mark Bowman of MLB.com:
Sale first felt discomfort in his back in the bottom of the second inning of his starting pitching in Cincinnati. At that time, his speed was below 90 mph. He kept thinking he was going to be thrown until the discomfort worsened last night.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 30, 2024
The game against the Reds began on September 19, and Sale pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two runs.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:09 p.m. (ET)
Grant Holmes’ second scoreless innings
Grant Holmes got through the second inning with 10 pitches and was again hitless and scoreless. He may not be Chris Sale, but his first two innings were very good.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:04 p.m. (ET)
Top of the 1st inning: Mets 0, Braves 0
Matt Olson struck out with Marcell Ozuna at first base.
Joey Lucchese pitched the first inning for the Mets with no hits and no runs allowed.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 5:01pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
Marcell Ozuna walked on seven pitches.
The Braves might cook something up in the first inning by walking Marcell Ozuna and bringing Matt Olson to the plate with two outs.
Monday, September 30, 2024, 4:57 p.m. (ET)
The top of the first inning was 1-2-3 for Atlanta.
Grant Holmes got off to a good start by retiring the Mets’ first three batters. He struck out Luisangel Acuña and Brandon Nimmo.
Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies and Marcell Ozuna will face Joey Lucchesi for the Braves.
Albies had two hits in three at bats, one home run, and five RBIs in Game 1.
Monday, September 30, 2024 4:52 p.m. EDT
How we got here
If you’re attending Game 2 of the Mets-Braves doubleheader, New York won 8-7 in a thrilling Game 1.
Atlanta led 7-6 until the ninth inning, but Francisco Lindor’s two-run home run put the Mets back in first place and they remained in the lead.
