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The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves are both heading into the postseason after a dramatic doubleheader


The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves are both heading into the postseason after a dramatic doubleheader



CNN

The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves played one of the classic MLB doubleheaders of all time on Monday.

The Mets somehow won the first game despite trailing until the ninth, while the Braves regrouped and won the second, with both teams dramatically clinching their spots in the postseason.

When Francisco Lindor walked to the top of the ninth inning in Game 1, the Mets trailed the Braves 7-6 and had an NL Wild Card spot taken away from them.

Lindor faced off against pitcher Pierce Johnson and hit a two-run home run to put his team back in the lead, prompting wild cheers from the stands. The Mets held on in the bottom of the ninth to secure an 8-7 win and their spot in the postseason.

They trailed most of the game as the Braves got a standout performance from rookie pitcher Spencer Wechselbach, who allowed just one run over seven-plus innings.

Atlanta Braves' rookie pitcher Spencer thresholds had a convincing performance in Game 1.

Meanwhile, a two-run home run by Ozzie Albies gave Atlanta a 3-0 lead and advanced to the round of 16. But the Braves bullpen combination of Joe Jiménez and Raisel Iglesias allowed five earned runs in just a third of an inning, capped by a two-run homer from Brandon Nimmo, to give the Mets a 6-3 lead.

In a roller-coaster game, the Braves rallied by four runs to take the lead 7-6 after a bases-loaded three-run double by Albies, seemingly ending the Mets' postseason challenge until Lindor hit a home run .

Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets hit a two-run home run to secure his team's victory.

“I've said it from day one, I think we have the team that can do special things,” Lindor said afterwards, according to MLB.com. “It was up to us. Before the game, fate was upon us. We controlled our own destiny. We had an opportunity to come out and do something special today and we did that.”

After that win, the Braves needed to win the second game of the night to secure their own spot in the postseason. Things looked bleak for Atlanta after a tough loss and the subsequent loss of star player Chris Sale, who was a late starter due to back spasms.

However, veteran pitcher Grant Holmes threw four shutout innings and allowed just one hit as the Braves' bullpen held firm and earned a 3-0 shutout win that secured a playoff spot.

The Atlanta Braves also secured their spot in the postseason after the second game of the doubleheader.

Gio Urshela drove in a run with a single in the sixth inning, while Marcell Ozuna added two insurance runs with a single in the bottom of the seventh inning in the Braves' victory.

“This (regular season) has pushed us to the brink more than any other,” Braves chairman Terry McGuirk said afterward, according to MLB.com. “If you still had any nerve after today, you were superman.”

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