The fierce battle between three teams for the last postseason spots in the National League is not over, as the Mets and the Braves They will play a doubleheader on Monday in Atlanta to determine which teams will advance to the playoffs. First pitch for the first game is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.
With three clubs fighting for the final two wild card spots, the D-backs stayed alive with an 11-2 victory over the Padres on Sunday. The Mets They also won, beating the Brewers 5-0, while Atlanta fell 4-2 to the Royals.
Those results left Arizona with a record of 89-73, while the Braves and the Mets They have a record of 88-72. By the tiebreaker criteria, the D-backs would be eliminated in a three-team tie and also in a tie against both Atlanta and New York, so they will advance only if there is a sweep in Monday’s doubleheader. If the Mets and the Braves split the series, both would earn postseason berths.
With a division of honors, Atlanta would have the advantage over New York – as they would win the particular series by 7-6 – and thus they would stay with the second Wild Card, the fifth seed in the NL, which would put them to start the Wild Card Series against the Padres on Tuesday. The only way in which Mets can win the fifth seed in the NL is by sweeping the Braves.
In that scenario, Atlanta would be eliminated, and the Mets They would go to San Diego to face the Padres, who won the first Wild Card and the number 4 seed.
The best seed Arizona can hope for is No. 6, so they would play in Milwaukee against the Brewers – the No. 3 – in any scenario in which they manage to advance to October.
Here’s a quick and easy breakdown of the qualifying scenarios for each team:
– Braves clinch playoff berth if they win either game of the doubleheader (or both). They would be the No. 5 seed in all of these scenarios and would face the Padres in the Wild Card Series, with Game 1 on Tuesday. The only way they don’t make the playoffs is if they get swept.
– Mets clinch playoff berth if they win either game of the doubleheader (or both). If they sweep the doubleheader, they would be the No. 5 seed and face San Diego. If they split the doubleheader, they would be No. 6 and face the Brewers in the Wild Card Series. The only way they don’t make the playoffs is if they get swept.
– D-backs clinch playoff berth if there is a doubleheader sweep, and it doesn’t matter which team makes it. In either sweep scenario, they would be the No. 6 seed and face Milwaukee in the Wild Card Series. If the Mets and the Braves They split the doubleheader, they are eliminated.
