Skip to content
Phillies
Link copied to clipboard

NL wild-card madness: Mets and Braves will settle things in a doubleheader on Monday

The Diamondbacks are in the running, too. Arizona will be rooting for one of the teams to sweep the doubleheader to make the playoffs.

Orlando Arcia and the Atlanta Braves need a victory Monday to reach the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Orlando Arcia and the Atlanta Braves need a victory Monday to reach the wild-card round of the playoffs.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

WASHINGTON — If you were rooting for chaos in the National League playoff race, well, everything broke your way Sunday.

Chaos reigned supreme.

As the Phillies tied a bow on a 95-win regular season with a relatively no-muss, no-fuss 6-3 victory in the nation’s capital, the Braves, Mets, and Diamondbacks wound up in a virtual three-way tie for two wild cards.

» READ MORE: How Kyle Schwarber went from failed leadoff experiment to a unique, record-setting No. 1 hitter

Here, then, is what happens next: The Mets and Braves will meet up in Atlanta for a doubleheader beginning at 1:10 p.m. Monday. If they each win one game, both will make the playoffs, leaving the Diamondbacks on the outside. But if one team sweeps, it will make the playoffs, knock out the other, and open the door to Arizona.

No matter what, the playoffs will open Tuesday. And regardless of which two teams get in, they will have to play Game 1 of a best-of-three wild-card series with a taxed pitching staff and little rest after 18 innings and late-night travel.

See what we meant by chaos?

So, what does this all mean for the Phillies?

At 95-67, the Phillies finished with the second-best record in baseball. They’re the No. 2 seed in the NL and will receive a bye in the wild-card round. They will open the best-of-five National League Division Series at home Saturday against the winner of the wild-card series between the third-seeded Brewers and the No. 6 seed (either the Mets or Diamondbacks).

Because the Braves won the season series with the Mets, and the Mets won their season series against the Diamondbacks, Atlanta can get in only as the No. 5 seed. The Mets can be the No. 5 seed only with a sweep of the Braves. Otherwise, either the Mets or Diamondbacks will get in as the No. 6 seed.

» READ MORE: Will the Phillies leverage their starting pitching advantage in the postseason? Plus, other thoughts before the playoffs begin.

Got all that?

No fewer than eight scenarios were in play Sunday, almost all tidier than what actually occurred.

Needing to win at home to remain alive, the Diamondbacks routed the Padres, 11-2, behind three homers. The Mets won, too, 5-0 in Milwaukee. And the Braves, who could’ve clinched a spot with a win, left the tying run on base in a 4-2 loss to the Royals.

The Braves announced that righty Spencer Schwellenbach will start the first game of the doubleheader. They intend to use ace Chris Sale only if they need to win the second game. The Mets are going with Tylor Megill in Game 1, and holding back Luis Severino for Game 2, if needed.