Mets reach playoffs, beat Braves to cap comeback from 22-33 start

The New York Mets have demonstrated their proficiency in executing comebacks. They reserved their most impressive comeback for the concluding day of the regular season.

By overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the eighth inning and a 7-6 shortfall in the ninth, they secured a playoff spot when Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer, leading to a dramatic 8-7 victory against the Atlanta Braves in the first game of a makeup doubleheader on Monday.

This outcome was particularly appropriate for a team that began the season with an 0-5 record and appeared far from postseason contention when they fell 11 games below .500 in late May.

“Everyone had written us off, even before the season commenced, and here we are,” remarked rookie manager Carlos Mendoza.

Although New York lost the second game 3-0, it was of little consequence. Pete Alonso and the Mets had already secured the 11th postseason appearance in the franchise's history, advancing to a best-of-three NL Wild Card Series set to begin Tuesday in Milwaukee.

“We are a franchise that has not experienced enough of these moments,” stated first-year president of baseball operations David Stearns during the celebratory champagne event in the clubhouse following the doubleheader. “We have more work ahead. I don’t believe anyone here is content with just one celebration.”t

Lindor, who made his return on Friday after being sidelined by a back injury since September 15, delivered a crucial hit by sending a ball into the Braves' bullpen off Pierce Johnson.

“It felt like it was in slow motion,” Lindor remarked. “Emotion. Emotion. I felt like I received the pitch I was looking for. You can never be certain if the ball will clear the fence, but I felt I connected perfectly. We are one step closer. Now we must finish the job. Finish, finish, finish.”

When asked about his thoughts while rounding the bases, Lindor replied, “My back hurts. I’m exhausted. I am aware of how formidable Atlanta is.”

The New York team had endured 77 consecutive losses when trailing by three runs in the eighth inning or later since May 17, 2023.

“I have never witnessed a game like that. It was an absolute rollercoaster,” stated owner Steve Cohen. “I was moved to tears when we took the lead, and then I was left in disbelief when we fell behind. Then Francisco, in a significant moment, rose to the occasion. I can only imagine he dreamed of such moments as a child.”

This event echoed back to 1973, when the Mets also secured a playoff berth the day after the regular season was expected to conclude. At that time, they triumphed over the Chicago Cubs 6-4 to clinch the NL East title.

“These are extraordinary moments. It is essential to savor them,” remarked Stearns, who was a Mets fan growing up in New York City. “This is the benchmark for where we should aspire to be.”

Earlier this year, a 10-3 defeat to the Dodgers on May 29 marked the conclusion of a three-game sweep at Citi Field, with a cumulative score of 18-5. New York's record fell to 22-33 in its inaugural season under Mendoza, placing them six games behind the final wild-card position, requiring them to surpass seven teams.

Lindor initiated a players-only meeting. According to the players, they addressed various issues within the clubhouse that day and committed to fostering a positive environment, effective preparation, and a team-oriented mindset focused on mutual support and winning.

“We simply opened the floor to discuss how we could turn things around,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo recounted. “It felt like a boiling point.”

Since then, with Lindor leading the charge, they have the best record in the majors at 67-40 while outscoring opponents 541-433.

“It’s been an uphill fight,” Lindor said. “We put ourselves in a big hole and we kept climbing and kept climbing. We kept our shoulders above water. After the All-Star break, you know, we never believed that we were drowning.”

One of New York’s biggest concerns going into the Wild Card Series is the availability of star closer Edwin Díaz, who recovered from a blown save to get the win in the doubleheader opener. The right-hander has thrown 66 pitches over the past two days.

But the Mets haven’t been deterred all season.

“Nobody thought back in April outside of this clubhouse that we were going to make the playoffs, that we had any shot,” Nimmo said. “We were able to go out and go through really, really tough times and find ourselves on the other side and pull ourselves up and really rally together and have each other’s backs and be able to culminate in this.”

Baseball’s biggest spenders since Cohen bought the team ahead of the 2021 season, the Mets won 101 games in 2022 and reached the playoffs only to lose a three-game Wild Card Series at home to San Diego. The Mets sank to 75-87 last year, when they had a record $319.5 million payroll and were assessed a record $100.8 million luxury tax.

They began this year as the top spender again at a projected $321 million, including $70 million in payments to teams covering salaries of traded players Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and James McCann. Their projected luxury tax was $83 million.

After the win in the doubleheader opener, Cohen posted on X: “Have you ever seen a game like that? I am so proud of this team. Met fans, go out and celebrate.”

“This was such a massive group effort,” Alonso said. “We earned it.”