Dramatic doubleheader to decide final 2 NL Wild Card spots -- here's how
The truly Wild three-team battle for the final postseason berths in the National League is not over, and the Mets and Braves will play a doubleheader on Monday in Atlanta to determine which teams advance to the playoffs. First pitch for Game 1 is set for 1:10 p.m. ET.
The Braves announced they will start Spencer Schwellenbach in Game 1. Chris Sale would start Game 2, if the Braves lose the first game. The Mets will start Tylor Megill in Game 1 and Luis Severino in Game 2 if they do not win Game 1.
With three clubs battling for the two remaining Wild Card spots, the D-backs stayed alive with an 11-2 victory over the Padres on Sunday. The Mets also won, topping the Brewers, 5-0, while Atlanta fell, 4-2, to the Royals.
Those results left Arizona with a 89-73 record, while the Braves and Mets both sit at 88-72. The D-backs lose a threeway tiebreaker as well as a two-team tiebreaker to both Atlanta and New York, so they will advance only if there's a sweep in Monday's doubleheader. If the Mets and Braves split the twin bill, they would both get postseason berths.
With a split, Atlanta would claim the tiebreaker over New York -- with a 7-6 mark in the season series -- and the second Wild Card and No. 5 seed in the NL, setting up a Game 1 Wild Card matchup vs. the Padres on Tuesday. The only way the Mets can claim the No. 5 seed in the NL is by sweeping the Braves.
In that scenario, Atlanta would be eliminated, and the Mets would head to San Diego to face the Padres, who claimed the top Wild Card and No. 4 seed.
The best seed Arizona can get is the No. 6, so they'd play in Milwaukee vs. the Brewers, the No. 3 seed, in any scenario in which they claim a berth.
Here’s a quick and easy breakdown of the clinch scenarios for each team:
The Braves clinch a playoff berth if … they win either game of the doubleheader (or both). They are the No. 5 seed in all of these scenarios and would go to San Diego to face the Padres in the Wild Card round, with Game 1 on Tuesday. The only way they don’t make the playoffs is if they get swept.
The Mets clinch a playoff berth if … they win either game of the doubleheader (or both). If they sweep the doubleheader, they are the No. 5 seed and face San Diego. If they split the doubleheader they are the No. 6 seed and face the Brewers in the Wild Card round. The only way they don’t make the playoffs is if they get swept.
The D-backs clinch a playoff berth if … there is a sweep in the doubleheader, and it doesn’t matter which team does it. In either sweep scenario they are the No. 6 seed and face Milwaukee in the Wild Card round. If the Mets and Braves split the doubleheader, they’re out.