Braves clinch; Chris Sale unlikely to start Game 1 vs. Padres

A baseball day for the history books ended as many expected — with the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets splitting a makeup doubleheader to both qualify for the playoffs — but the drama on the field and late-breaking news off it made for what Braves manager Brian Snitker called a “roller coaster.”

The Mets won 8-7 in a dramatic Game 1 with some wild swings and meltdowns by both teams’ closers. The Braves had a 3-0 lead, the Mets struck back with a six-run top of the eighth inning, the Braves retook the lead 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth, then the Mets took the lead for good when Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth and trotted nonchalantly around the bases.

In the 40 minutes between Games 1 and 2, Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told reporters ace Chris Sale was scratched from his scheduled start in Game 2 because of back spasms. Sale walked into Snitker’s office to tell him the news about an hour before Game 1.

After winning Monday’s nightcap, Snitker said he was not optimistic Atlanta would have the National League pitching Triple Crown winner for the next round vs. the San Diego Padres. Game 1 is Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

“I don’t think so. No. No,” Snitker said when asked if Sale would be available.

Sale’s replacement, and ultimately the Game 2 hero for the Braves, was Grant Holmes (4 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 7 strikeouts), a 2014 first-round pick who made his big league debut this season after 10 seasons in the minor leagues. Holmes was limited to 53 pitches Monday after he pitched 1⅔ innings vs. the Royals on Sunday.

“If I would’ve known [Sale would be scratched] last night, I wouldn’t have pitched Grant last night,” Snitker said after the game. Holmes and a patchwork pitching staff helped the Braves secure their seventh consecutive playoff berth.

The Braves used almost every pitching option they had. Starter Reynaldo Lopez threw a scoreless inning on one day of rest, and starter Max Fried told Snitker he’d be ready in an emergency. Relievers Joe Jimenez and Raisel Iglesias pitched in both games. When asked how this all-hands-on-deck approach the past few days would affect his playoff pitching staff, Snitker wasn’t sure.

“We’ve got four hours in the air to figure it out,” he said. “I don’t know.”

Sale hadn’t pitched since Sept. 19, when his velocity fell in the second half of a start in Cincinnati; his velocity was down to 92.7 mph on average from 95.9 in his previous start.

“There were days that he would show up and everything would be good,” Snitker said. “We said we’re just going to wait for an elimination game.”

Then at noon Monday, the Braves found out Sale wouldn’t be ready.

“He deals with it,” Snitker said. “He knows how to deal with it … he said he’d had it off and on all year.”

Sale adds to the injury woes for Atlanta in a season in which Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley and A.J. Minter are out for the playoffs while Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II sat out extended time in the regular season.

Albies was the Braves’ offensive star Monday, getting on base five times, driving in five runs and scoring two more across both games. He’s hitting exclusively right-handed for the first time in his pro career after returning earlier this month from a broken left wrist.

“I was getting more comfortable as the day went on,” Albies said “… It’s definitely different [right-on-right] when there’s a guy throwing 95-plus.”