What a gut-wrenching way to lose. The Atlanta Braves were on the verge of a crucial win, but the bullpen crumbled, and the New York Mets pulled off an 8-7 victory in the opener of Monday’s doubleheader, dashing Atlanta’s hopes of locking in a wild-card spot right then and there.
The Braves had everything in their hands. Rookie starter Spencer Schwellenbach did his job and threw a great game, holding the Mets scoreless and helping Atlanta build a 3-0 lead heading into the eighth inning. It looked like a straightforward path to victory, but that’s when everything started falling apart.
The Mets exploded for six runs in the top of the eighth, absolutely blindsiding the Braves. Brandon Nimmo’s two-run homer capped the rally, and just like that, a comfortable 3-0 lead turned into a 6-3 deficit. But to their credit, the Braves fought back—Ozzie Albies came through with the bases loaded, smacking a clutch double that plated four runs and handed the lead back to Atlanta, 7-6. The crowd was rocking again, and it felt like momentum had swung back in our favor.
With one out in the ninth, Pierce Johnson couldn’t hold it together. Starling Marte singled, and then Francisco Lindor drove a dagger through Braves fans’ hearts with a two-run homer into the bullpen, flipping the score back to 8-7 in favor of New York.
To make matters worse, we had a shot to tie it up in the bottom of the ninth. The potential tying run stood at second base, but Edwin Díaz managed to wriggle out of trouble. He struck out Ramón Laureano and forced Travis d’Arnaud into a game-ending grounder, leaving the Braves’ hopes on ice.
The Braves were set up perfectly to secure the postseason, but the bullpen choked and blew the lead. Now, Atlanta is left needing a win in the second game of the doubleheader to stay alive in the wild-card race.
If the Mets sweep, it’s over for the Braves. What should have been a straightforward night turned into a crushing reminder of how quickly things can change in baseball, and unfortunately, our bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding when it mattered most.
