Yes, we have one more day of regular-season baseball to be played. Sunday’s results failed to settle the National League wild-card race, so the New York Mets jumped on a plane to Atlanta for a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves on Monday (1 p.m. ET on ESPN2). The Arizona Diamondbacks will be watching — they need one of these teams to pull off a sweep in order to get into the playoffs themselves.
Let’s break down some of the doubleheader’s biggest questions:
OK, why are we here in the first place?
These are makeup games from the two Hurricane Helene-related rainouts in last week’s Mets-Braves series. Without them, the current standings have the Braves, Mets and Diamondbacks in a virtual tie for the final two wild-card spots, necessitating the two games be played:
Diamondbacks: 89-73 Mets: 88-72 Braves: 88-72
The important thing to know here: Both the Mets and Braves hold the tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks by virtue of winning their season series. That’s why the Diamondbacks need a sweep to get in; if the Mets and Braves split the doubleheader and all three teams finish 89-73, the Diamondbacks stay home.
Another thing to know: The Braves lead the season series over the Mets 6-5, so a split would see them remain the higher seed.
What are the scenarios for each team to clinch a playoff spot?
Let’s run through these:
1. The Mets win the first game, the Braves win the second game. The Braves are the No. 5 seed and head to the No. 4 San Diego Padres for a best-of-three wild-card series starting Tuesday. The Mets are the No. 6 seed and play the No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers. Yes, that means the Mets would have gone from Milwaukee on Sunday to Atlanta on Monday, and then back to Milwaukee on Tuesday. (The Braves would have to fly cross-country, but at least they were already in Atlanta.)
2. If the Braves win the first game and the Mets win the second, it’s the same result. The Braves are the No. 5 seed and the Mets are the No. 6 seed.
3. The Mets win both games. New York is the No. 5 seed and plays the Padres. The Diamondbacks are the No. 6 seed and play the Brewers in a rematch of last year’s wild-card series. The Mets travel from Milwaukee to Atlanta to San Diego. (They won’t complain.)
4. The Braves win both games. Atlanta is the No. 5 seed and plays the Padres; the Diamondbacks are the No. 6 seed and play the Brewers.
Keep in mind that whichever team wins the first game of the doubleheader clinches a playoff spot. That will provide less incentive — or, really, no incentive — for that team to churn through its best relievers in the second game. Not with the first wild-card game on hand for Tuesday.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Well, first of all, remember: The scheduled starter is likely to change for the team that wins the first game.
The Mets are going with right-hander Tylor Megill in the first game. Megill last pitched on Sept. 22 against the Phillies, allowing one run in four innings (but throwing 93 pitches). He has allowed just two runs over his past three starts. Right-hander Luis Severino is on the schedule for the second game. His last start was the first game of the Atlanta series last Tuesday and he took the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs in four innings. He has a 3.17 ERA over his past eight starts.
While the Mets used arguably their top three starters — Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana and David Peterson — over the weekend against the Brewers, they are all lefties. These two righties might actually be a better matchup against the righty-heavy Braves lineup that had a .778 OPS against left-handed pitchers but .706 against right-handers.
It’s worth noting here that if both scheduled starters are used and the Mets advance — if they lose the first game and win the second — they would have to use Manaea on three days’ rest to start the wild-card series.
The Braves announced that rookie Spencer Schwellenbach will start Game 1. He faced off against Severino last week and pitched a gem, allowing just three hits and one run over seven innings. He faced the Mets one other time, back in July, and had the best game of his career, striking out 11 in seven scoreless innings.
Atlanta’s starter for the second game — for now — is Chris Sale.
Wait, yeah, what’s going on with Sale?
Good question. Sale, who leads the NL in wins, ERA and strikeouts, hasn’t pitched since Sept. 19, when he went five innings against the Cincinnati Reds. He was scheduled to start one of the rained-out games, but heading into the weekend the Braves said they would now save Sale for an “emergency” situation — meaning, a must-win game. That will come into play now only if they lose the first game.
It’s certainly an interesting strategic decision — if they had won Sunday with Sale pitching, they would have clinched a playoff spot. Instead, they can use him in the second game if needed, and if they win the first game, they’ll have Sale ready to start the first game of the wild-card series.
Of course, there’s also this question: Is he 100 percent right now?
His four-seam fastball averaged 92.7 mph against the Reds — his lowest average of the season, down from 95.9 mph the start before, and down from his overall season average of 94.8 mph. Maybe it was just a little late-season fatigue: He was starting on four days of rest and his previous start had come against the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he had his second-highest average velocity. But a 2 mph drop is considered significant, so it’s certainly something to note.
Maybe there’s nothing here. Maybe the Braves were just holding Sale back with the hope that he wouldn’t be needed and thus would be rested for the start of the postseason. We’ll find out if the Braves lose that first game.
What about the bullpens?
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza used Edwin Diaz to close out the 5-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. This is understandable — you don’t want to mess around in that situation. But it was a safe five-run lead and Diaz ended up throwing 26 pitches. Now, there’s a scenario where the Mets need him in six games over five days, counting Sunday’s finale, Monday’s doubleheader and the wild-card series.
The Braves are in better shape; none of their top relievers — closer Raisel Iglesias, Joe Jimenez or Pierce Johnson — pitched in Sunday’s 4-2 loss to Kansas City. They also have one of the deepest and best bullpens in the league, so they’re in good shape to withstand the rigors of a doubleheader.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Jimbo Fisher was brought to tears while returning to Florida State‘s campus for the first time since resigning to take the Texas A&M coaching job in 2017.
Fisher, now an ACC Network analyst, was wildly cheered at the start of the network’s pregame show outside Doak Campbell Stadium. He turned in his chair, did the tomahawk chop to the crowd of garnet-clad fans and started to cry.
“Brings tears to my eyes,” Fisher said. “Remember your family growing up here and hearing that chant. When you heard it, something to it.
“The players, the memories. It’s Miami week.”
Fisher moved back to Tallahassee after Texas A&M fired him in 2023. But he hadn’t stepped foot on campus until his job brought him back.
Fisher coached at Florida State for 10 years (2007-17), first as an offensive coordinator and then as head-coach-in-waiting before taking over for legend Bobby Bowden in January 2010. He won a national title in 2013 in the middle of a three-year run of capturing ACC championships.
He was hired in July as an analyst with ACC Network.
“I always loved Florida State,” Fisher said Friday while meeting with reporters. “Florida State was home. It’s very surreal. I got butterflies. The antsy in your stomach of coming back because it meant so much to you.”
Fisher predicted Florida State would beat Miami on a “wide middle” field goal attempt.
CINCINNATI — Brendan Sorsby passed for 214 yards and two touchdowns, Evan Pryor ran for 111 yards and two TDs and Cincinnati used a 17-point first quarter to beat No. 14 Iowa State 38-30 on Saturday.
The Bearcats (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) beat a ranked opponent at home for the first time since beating No. 16 Houston 35-20 on Dec. 4, 2021.
The Cyclones (5-1, 2-1) trailed 31-7 with 1:08 left in the second quarter before rallying to get within eight with 1:56 left in the game. Cincinnati recovered an onside kick to end the threat.
“It’s a different team,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said, simply, when asked the difference between last year’s 5-7 team and this year’s roster. “It’s different players.”
Rocco Becht passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns and ran another two in for the Cyclones.
Sorsby’s 82-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Goodie in the fourth quarter was the Bearcats’ longest pass play since 2015.
Iowa State, one of the least penalized teams in the country, had five penalties for 35 yards in the first half. The Cyclones jumped offside on third down to extend the Bearcats’ opening drive, which led to a 30-yard TD run from Pryor for the game’s first score.
The Cyclones went on to take a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Becht got the Cyclones on the board early in the second on a 14-yard run.
Becht scored on a 4-yard run on the final play of the half and then threw an 11-yard TD pass to Brett Eskildsen on the opening drive in the third quarter.
“Rocco Becht is a dang warrior. You keep looking up and he continues to make plays,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said. “That is a huge win for us as we went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the Big 12 over the last few seasons.”
The Cyclones were without 16 injured players, including all-Big 12 defensive backs Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams. They also were without their top two kickers.
PITTSBURGH — Surprise starter Mason Heintschel threw for four touchdowns and led Pittsburgh to five first-half scores during a 48-7 win against Boston College on Saturday.
Heintschel, 18, a true freshman, made his first career start for Pitt (1-1, 3-2 ACC) in place of redshirt sophomore Eli Holstein. Holstein was pulled after throwing two interceptions during last week’s home loss against Louisville. Holstein saw fourth-quarter action Saturday with the result already decided.
Heintschel completed 30 of 41 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns against Boston College (0-3, 1-4), as Pitt raced to a 31-0 halftime lead and piled on 503 yards of total offense.
Kenny Johnson caught a career-high nine passes for a personal-best 115 yards and a touchdown, while Juelz Goff and Ja’Kyrian Turner rushed for scores with All-America running back Desmond Reid sidelined for a second straight game. Justin Holmes, Deuce Spann and Zion Fowler-El also caught Heintschel touchdowns, as Pitt snapped a seven-game losing streak against Power Four teams.
Boston College entered with one of the top passing attacks in the country, but the Eagles suffered their fourth straight loss. Boston College had 136 yards of total offense until a late 80-yard scoring drive.
Boston College had 69 yards of total offense in the first half, including minus-9 yards rushing, as the Eagles punted four times, fumbled and turned the ball over on downs on six first-half drives.
Heintschel guided Pitt to five scores in six first-half drives, including four touchdowns and a field goal.
Heintschel led the Panthers to a touchdown on his first drive, an 11-play, 76-yard series that spanned 5:30. Heintschel was 4-of-4 for 29 yards including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Holmes. He also rushed for 16 yards and helped Pitt convert a pair of third downs.
Pitt scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, including two scores in the last two minutes of the half.
Johnson caught a 12-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-1 to complete a nine-play, 66-yard drive in 3:51. Goff rushed for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:56 to play in the half and Turner added a 6-yard rushing score to give Pittsburgh a 31-0 lead 10 seconds before halftime.