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ATLANTA — Getting hot at just the right time, Michael Harris II came through with another standout performance for the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night, leading them to a pivotal 5-1 win against the New York Mets to keep his team’s playoff hopes alive.

Harris went 3-for-4 with a home run, falling a triple shy of the cycle for the Braves, who now trail the Mets by one game in the National League wild-card race with five games remaining.

Harris has multiple hits in five straight games, going 13-for-24 (.542) in that stretch. He also made yet another highlight-reel diving catch in center field Tuesday, robbing Mets rookie Luisangel Acuna of a hit.

Manager Brian Snitker said the play reminded him of former Braves great Andruw Jones.

“I just feel like I’m in the zone right now,” Harris said when asked why he shook his head after the catch. “I didn’t think I could get to it originally.”

Harris added: “It’s kind of like an out-of-body experience.”

Harris wasn’t the only young star who shined for the depleted Braves. Right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach went seven innings and held the Mets to one run on three hits and a walk and striking out four.

It was Schwellenbach’s second straight stellar outing against the Mets, following his 11-strikeout performance in seven shutout innings in a 4-0 victory on July 27.

“He reminds me of [Spencer] Strider in his rookie year,” Harris said, referring to the Braves ace who is out for the year following elbow surgery. “How poised going out there in those big games against good teams.”

Tuesday’s game was the opener of a pivotal three-game series with the Mets, who are tied with the Diamondbacks as the final two playoff seeds. Arizona hosts the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

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Brewers first in MLB to clinch playoff spot

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Brewers first in MLB to clinch playoff spot

MILWAUKEE — The Brewers have become the first major league team to clinch a playoff spot this season.

According to MLB, the New York Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday sealed at least a National League wild card for the Brewers as they got ready to play Saturday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The NL Central-leading Brewers own the best record in the majors.

This marks the seventh time in the last eight seasons that the Brewers have qualified for the playoffs, though they haven’t won a postseason series since reaching Game 7 of the National League Championship Series in 2018.

They had made a total of two postseason appearances from 1983-2017.

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Georgia Tech stuns Clemson with walk-off FG

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Georgia Tech stuns Clemson with walk-off FG

ATLANTA — Aidan Birr made a 55-yard field goal as time expired and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets upset the No. 12 Clemson Tigers on Saturday.

With no timeouts left and the clock running with under 20 seconds to play, the Georgia Tech special teams squad sprinted onto the field and lined up.

And on fourth-and-3, Birr connected and the home crowd rushed the field.

Quarterback Haynes King returned from a lower-body injury that kept him out of Georgia Tech’s Sept. 6 win over Gardener-Webb.

King was 19-for-27 for 216 yards and added 25 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter for the Yellow Jackets (3-0, 1-0 ACC).

King’s score and the 2-point conversion gave the Yellow Jackets a 21-14 lead.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik had an uneven performance in which he turned the ball over twice — one fumble and one interception.

Klubnik was 15-for-26 for 207 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Wesco early in the second half to give the Tigers a 14-13 lead. Klubnik added 62 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

For the second straight week, Clemson (1-2, 0-1) had to overcome a slow start and halftime deficit.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Simpson, Williams shine as Tide roll Wisconsin

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Simpson, Williams shine as Tide roll Wisconsin

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ty Simpson threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns, including two to returning star Ryan Williams, and No. 19 Alabama overpowered Wisconsin for the second consecutive year, winning 38-14 on Saturday.

Simpson completed 24 of 29 passes, with two of his misses being drops by Williams and freshman Lotzier Brooks. Williams finished with five receptions for 165 yards after missing last week’s game because of a concussion.

Simpson, who was equally solid last week against Louisiana-Monroe, joined Mac Jones (2020) as the only quarterbacks in school history to complete at least 80% of their passes and throw three TDs in consecutive games.

The Byrant-Denny Stadium crowd erupted as Williams took a screen pass and went 75 yards on the first play of the second half. It gave Williams his first 100-yard game since facing Georgia last September.

Bray Hubbard‘s two interceptions led an Alabama (2-1) defense that held Wisconsin to 209 yards. The Crimson Tide notched four sacks.

Danny O’Neil, subbing for injured Wisconsin starter Billy Edwards Jr., completed 11 of 17 passes for 117 yards. His 41-yard TD pass to Jayden Ballard was one of the few highlights for the Badgers (2-1). Vinny Anthony II also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score.

The injury-riddled Badgers couldn’t find a rhythm on either side of the ball and have dropped consecutive games to Alabama by a combined score of 80-24, while the Tide have outscored their last two opponents by a combined score of 111-14 following their season-opening loss to Florida State.

Alabama defensive end LT Overton left the game in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury and did not return. He walked to the locker room without assistance.

Wisconsin returns home to face Maryland next Saturday in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

Alabama gets the week off before opening conference play against No. 6 Georgia.

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