Resilient Braves bounce back to clinch playoff berth in Game 162

ATLANTA -- The Braves could have easily been a bust during a season that began with thoughts of “World Series or bust.” But at no point did they give in, so maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising to see this injury-depleted and resilient bunch bounce back one more time and advance to the postseason with a Game 162 win.

“This [regular season] took us to the edge more than any other,” Braves chairman Terry McGuirk said. “If you had any nerves left after today, you were a superman.”

Braves manager Brian Snitker understandably looked exhausted as he stood in his office after his club punched its postseason ticket with a 3-0 win over the Mets in the second game of Monday’s doubleheader at Truist Park. The team will now head to San Diego to begin a best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Padres starting on Tuesday at 8:38 p.m. ET. ESPN will air the game nationally.

“I'm very proud of all these guys, especially a guy like Grant Holmes,” Snitker said. “He spent 10 years in the Minor Leagues, and now he gets to spray champagne.”

After blowing a lead in both of the final two innings of a crushing 8-7 loss in the first game, the Braves scratched top Cy Young Award candidate Chris Sale because of back spasms. Holmes stepped in and delivered four-plus scoreless innings. Not bad for a guy who learned he was starting this win-or-go-home game about 30 minutes before it began.

“I had enough time to sit down, use the bathroom and then come back and get ready to pitch,” Holmes said in the middle of the Braves’ champagne-soaked clubhouse.

Monday’s clinch added yet another thrill to a season filled with significant injuries. Cy Young Award candidate Spencer Strider made just one healthy start and Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury near the end of May. Six of the 10 members of Atlanta’s Opening Day lineup (starting pitcher included) missed at least two months due to injury this year.

But there was no quit in this team, which entered the regular season’s final week two games behind both the Mets and D-backs in the battle for the National League’s final Wild Card spots. Atlanta maintained its momentum around the two rainouts on Wednesday and Thursday that forced Monday’s doubleheader, winning six of its final eight games.

“Nobody outside this clubhouse cares [about the injuries],” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said. “You’ve got to find a way to move on and win ballgames. It wasn’t the prettiest year by any means. We had some down times and found a way to grind out of it and come down the stretch and get our foot in the door and get to the postseason.”

Holmes took the Braves as far as he could after throwing 21 pitches over 1 2/3 innings Sunday against Kansas City. His effort was backed by Jorge Soler, who doubled in the second and scored on Gio Urshela’s single. Marcell Ozuna provided some much-needed insurance with a two-run single in the seventh.

Ozuna’s single gave the Braves the same 3-0 lead they held in the first game, before Spencer Schwellenbach exited in the eighth having allowed just four hits. Joe Jiménez allowed hits to each of the three batters he faced and Raisel Iglesias surrendered Brandon Nimmo’s two-run homer, which capped off New York's six-run frame. Atlanta regained the lead with four runs in the bottom half of the inning, but Francisco Lindor sent the Mets to the postseason with his go-ahead homer off Pierce Johnson in the ninth.

But resiliency once again appeared in the nightcap, when Jiménez tossed a perfect eighth and Iglesias sealed the deal with a scoreless ninth.

“I told [pitching coach Rick Kranitz] when we were running Joe back out there, I said, 'If I’m a betting man, he’s going to be really good this time.' And he was,” Snitker said. “I’m proud of all of those guys and I’m proud of the staff. I’ve said it takes a whole building to make this happen.”