ATLANTA — — A final day that was not planned and will not soon be forgotten.

An improbable comeback by the New York Mets in the opening game of a makeup doubleheader to secure their spot in the playoffs. A gruesome recovery from the Atlanta Braves in the nightcap, which also stamped their postseason ticket.

And all the Arizona Diamondbacks could do was watch hopelessly from the desert, their hopes dashed by two games on the other side of the country.

“You’re just focused on getting into the postseason,” said Braves first baseman Matt Olson, drenched in champagne as he celebrated a 3-0 win in the final game of the regular season. “Whatever it took. If we had to play four games today, we would have done it.”

The regular season went to extra time after the Mets and Braves had a pair of games rained out by Hurricane Helene last week. They controlled their own destiny, each holding a decisive lead over the defending NL champion Diamondbacks.

Arizona needed one team to sweep, so they pulled ahead of the Mets after overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the eighth inning and 7-6 in the ninth to win the opener 8-7, and for good to take the lead on Francisco Lindor’s two-run home.

“An instant classic game,” said Brandon Nimmo, whose two-run homer capped an eighth of six runs.

To their credit, the Braves came back to get the win they needed. Even after top prospect Chris Sale was scratched due to back spasms, journeyman Grant Holmes stepped in and opened a three-hitter spread among six pitchers.

At the end, as the perfect ending to a crazy day, there were champagne-squirting celebrations in both Truist Park clubhouses.

Atlanta, New York and Arizona all finished 89-73.

Holmes found that he started about half an hour before the first pitch.

“I was about to go get some food,” said the 28-year-old Holmes, who finally reached the big leagues this year after a decade in the minors. “They came to me and said, ‘Hey, you’re going to start this today.’ And I thought, ‘Oh, okay, here we go.’”

With their postseason berth locked up, the Mets added left-hander Joey Lucchesi to the roster to start the second game. The 31-year-old left-hander spent most of the season with Triple-A Syracuse, giving up five runs in 4 1/3 innings in his only big league appearance before Monday,

He looked like a standout against the Braves, who may still be a little shell-shocked after the way they lost the opener. Lucchesi (0-2) allowed just three hits, including a runscoring single to Gio Urshela, in a six-inning, 111-pitch outing.

But Marcell Ozuna gave the Braves some breathing room with a two-run single in the seventh. Daysbel Hernandez (3-0) earned the win and Raisel Iglesias finished the game with his 34th save in 37 chances.

The Braves also got a scoreless inning from starter Reynaldo López, who had thrown six innings just two days earlier.

“I’m so proud of all those guys,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “For something like this to happen, you need the entire building.”

The Mets were already in celebration mode after Lindor’s 33rd homer.

Trailing 3-0 with just three hits in seven innings against rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, New York’s offense came alive in the eighth.

The Mets took the lead with their six-run outburst. The Braves stormed back with four runs in the second half as Ozzie Albies delivered a bases-loaded double for a 7-6 lead, giving him five RBI in the game after a two-run home run in the third.

But New York delivered the final blow with Lindor’s drive into the Braves bullpen of Pierce Johnson (7-5).

“That was one of the craziest games I’ve ever been in,” said new Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. “Just the meaning of it. Coming back into the game and then losing the lead and then coming back in the ninth. It was incredible, like writing a book.”

Edwin Díaz (6-4) earned the win with a season-high 40 pitches despite giving up Albies’ go-ahead hit, which came after the Mets closer failed to cover first on a play that allowed Jarred Kelenic to reach base reach with a two-infield hit.

Díaz demanded to return to the mound for the ninth.

“I don’t care what you say, I’m going back,” he told Mendoza.

New York had lost 77 straight games when trailing three runs in the eighth inning or later since May 17, 2023. When that streak broke, Díaz slammed his glove to the ground and the Mets celebrated their 11th postseason berth in 63 seasons , the last one to come. in 2022.

“I’ve never seen a game like that,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said.

Or such a last day.

SALES STATUS

Atlanta had held off Sale since his scheduled start last week was rained out because they wanted to use him in an elimination game.

But the southpaw was unable to pitch because of back spasms, which Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said didn’t show up until after a throwing session Sunday, but Snitker admitted that had been an issue for some time.

“He’s had it on and off all year,” Snitker said. “Everyone in that room is hurting this time of year.”

A trade for the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres is out of the question, but the Braves are hopeful he can return if they advance to the Division Series.

NEXT

Mets: Head back to Milwaukee, where they just played a weekend series, for a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting Tuesday. The Brewers won five of six meetings during the regular season.

Braves: We were on our way to the airport for the four-hour flight to San Diego, where their Wild Card Series also starts on Tuesday. The Padres topped the season series at 4-3.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb