A baseball day for the history books ended as many expected – with the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets split a makeup doubleheader to both qualify for the playoffs – but the drama on the field and the late news from it made for what Braves manager Brian Snitker called a “roller coaster.”

The Mets won a dramatic Game 1 8-7, with some wild swings and meltdowns by both teams’ closers. The Braves had a 3-0 lead, the Mets struck back with a 6-run top of the eighth inning, the Braves retook the lead 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning, then the Mets took the lead for good when Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth with a casual trot around the bases.

In the 40 minutes between games one and two, Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that Braves ace Chris Sale was scratched from his scheduled start in Game 2 due to back spasms. Sale walked into Snitker’s office about an hour before Game 1 started to tell him the bad news.

After winning Monday’s nightcap, Braves manager Brian Snitker said he’s not optimistic they’ll have the NL pitching Triple Crown winner for next round against the San Diego Padres. Game 1 starts Monday at 8:30 PM ET,

“I don’t think so. No. No,” Snitker said when asked if Sale would be available against the Padres.

Sale’s replacement, and ultimately the Game 2 hero for the Braves, was Grant Holmes (4 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 7 strikeouts), a 2014 first-round pick who made his big league debut this season after 10 seasons in the minor leagues. . Holmes was limited to 53 pitches on Monday after throwing 1⅔ innings vs. the Royals.

“If I had known last night (Sale was going to be cut), I wouldn’t have thrown Grant last night,” Snitker said after the game. Holmes and a patchwork pitching staff helped the Braves secure their seventh straight playoff berth.

The Braves used almost every pitching option they had. Starter Reynaldo Lopez threw a scoreless inning on one day of rest and starter Max Fried told Snitker he would be ready in an emergency. Relievers Joe Jimenez and Raisel Iglesias pitched in both games. When asked how this all-hands-on-deck approach of the past few days would impact his pitching staff in the playoffs, Snitker wasn’t there yet.

“We have four hours in the air to find out,” he said. “Don’t know.”

Sale had not pitched since September 19, when his velocity dropped in the second half of a start in Cincinnati; his speed had dropped to 92.7 mph on average, compared to 95.9 in his previous start.

“There were days where he would show up and everything would be fine,” Snitker said. “We said we’re just going to wait for an elimination match.”

Then the Braves found out Monday afternoon that Sale wouldn’t be ready.

“He’ll take care of it,” Snitker said. “He knows how to deal with it…he said it bothers him all year round.”

Sale adds to the injury news for Atlanta in a season that has seen Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley and AJ Minter out for the playoffs, while Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris missed extended periods of time in the regular season.

Albies was the Braves’ offensive star on Monday, reaching base five times, driving in five runs and scoring twice in both games. He is hitting exclusively right-handed for the first time in his professional career after returning earlier this month after a broken left wrist.

“I felt more and more comfortable as the day went on… it’s definitely different (right-to-right) when there’s someone throwing 95-plus.”