2024 MLB Playoffs: Did the Atlanta Braves earn a spot in the postseason?
With most of the 2024 MLB regular season finishing tonight, there was still a few spots in the National League playoffs up for grabs. The Atlanta Braves, stalwarts in the playoffs over the last five years were attempting to claw back from the brink of elimination to earn a seventh consecutive postseason berth.
The Braves needed either a win over the Kansas City Royals or an Arizona Diamondbacks loss to the San Diego Padres in order to clinch a spot in the Wild Card round. Atlanta holds the tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks, so either situations would've assured each team finished with at least the same record. Unfortunately, neither of those circumstances came to pass.
Now, it will come down to Monday's doubleheader against the New York Mets. Two games to play, both teams with the same record, and pandemonium is all but assured.
MLB News: MLB playoff field almost set as Mets and Braves will determine two NL wild-card spots
Did the Braves earn a playoff spot on Sunday?
No. Though they had a chance to secure and they failed to defeat the Kansas City Royals. Couple that loss with an Arizona Diamondbacks win over the San Diego Padres, and the Braves will now need to win at least one of two games against the Mets on Monday to secure a spot in the playoffs.
What are the playoff scenarios for Monday's doubleheader?
USA Today's Gabe Lacques explained the situation here.
Lacques writes, "It’s simple: One win by the Mets and one win by the Braves, and they are in the playoffs. The Diamondbacks need one team to sweep the twinbill — and they along with the sweeping team are in the playoffs."
While that sounds very possible for the Diamondbacks, it's a little tougher than it sounds. See, whichever team wins the first game will no longer have anything to play for. They will have secured a spot in the postseason. Essentially, the only thing stopping the winner of the first game from putting in their reserves for Game 2 is pure disdain between divisional rivals.
Given that both the Braves and Mets hold tiebreakers over the Diamondbacks, the D-Backs can only get into the postseason as a No. 6 seed. Should the Braves and Mets split their doubleheader, the Braves would be the NL's fifth-seed, while the Mets would be the sixth-seed. The Braves hold the tiebreaker, having won the season series 7-6.
How to watch the Mets-Braves doubleheader?
Date: Monday, September 30, 2024
Where: Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia
Time: Game 1 - 1:10 p.m. ET; Game 2 - 40 minutes after the end of Game 1
TV: ESPN
Stream the game: Watch Mets-Braves doubleheader with an ESPN+ subscription
When do the MLB playoffs start?
The MLB playoffs will begin on Tuesday, October 1. All four wild card series will be played on Tuesday, which includes potential matchups for the Mets, Braves, and Diamondbacks.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did the Atlanta Braves make the playoffs? Final scenario
