ATLANTA--Francisco Lindor slammed a two-run home run in the ninth inning to help the visiting New York Mets come from behind twice to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-7 on Monday in the first game of a doubleheader and clinch a spot in the National League wild-card round. If New York (89-72) wins the nightcap, it will open the playoffs at No. 4 seed San Diego. If Atlanta (88-73) wins, the Braves will make the playoffs and open at San Diego and the Mets will open at No. 3 seed Milwaukee.
If the Braves lose, the Diamondbacks will be the final wild card and the Braves will be eliminated. The dramatic game saw the Mets erase a 3-0 lead by scoring six times in the eighth inning, only to have the Braves score four times in the bottom half of the eighth to take a 7-6 lead. New York's Starling Marte reached on a one-out single in the ninth against reliever Pierce Johnson (6-6) and Lindor, who has been dealing with a bad back for the last two weeks, hit a first-pitch curve ball 413 feet to center field for his 33rd home run.
The winning pitcher was Edwin Diaz (6-4), who blew the save for the Mets in the eighth before pitching around a single and stolen base in the ninth. Atlanta had gone ahead on a two-run homer by Ozzie Albies in the third inning and a solo shot by Ramon Laureano in the sixth. New York's rally began after Tyrone Taylor doubled on the 11th pitch of his at-bat, which chased starter Spencer Schwellenbach. Francisco Alvarez greeted setup man Joe Jimenez with an RBI double and went to third on Starling Marte's single.
Alvarez scored on Lindor's single to cut the lead to 3-2 and caused Atlanta to call on closer Raisel Iglesias for a six-out save. Jose Iglesias extended his hitting streak to 21 games with an RBI single and Mark Vientos gave New York a 4-3 lead with a sacrifice fly. Brandon Nimmo followed with a 405-foot, two-run homer to chase Iglesias. Undaunted, Atlanta regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth on a four-run rally that included an RBI single by Jarred Kelenic and a bases-loaded double by Albies against Diaz.
