Mets avenge Edwin Diaz with astounding rally, playoff berth clinch vs Braves

It's been said that being a Mets fan means that one is stuck in a perpetual state of "it's so over" and "we're so back." On Monday, that was exactly the cycle the Mets, who seem to take some sick satisfaction in giving their fans emotional whiplash, kept us stuck in.

The first game of their makeup doubleheader against the Braves immediately promised to be postseason baseball disguised as a regular season game. The first winner would automatically go on to a postseason spot, while the loser would have to do their best to claw their way back in the second game.

Tylor Megill's start for New York was looking a little shaky, but mostly respectable until the top of the third, when he allowed a two-run homer to Ozzie Albies to start the scoring. Ramón Laureano tacked on a solo homer to make the score 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth.

Through seven innings, only three Mets batters managed to get on base. That was "it's so over" territority. But then the Mets moved all the way into "we're so back" land in the top of the eighth, starting off with a leadoff double for Taylor, followed by an RBI double for Francisco Alvarez.

Starling Marte got himself on base with a single, and then Francisco Lindor, not only the hero of the season but the hero of this game and eventual savior of the Mets' postseason hopes, tacked on another run with an RBI single of his own. Jose Iglesias followed to even the score, Mark Vientos took the lead with a sac fly, and then Brandon Nimmo added two insurance runs with a massive homer. Braves reliever Joe Jiménez never recorded an out. Raisel Iglesias made it 6-3 before notching more than one. Stunning.

But, like we've said, the Mets can never make things easy for themselves.

Mets beat Braves with two stunning rallies to clinch Wild Card spot

A three-run lead that late in a game should be reassuring, right? Not so with Edwin Díaz on the mound.

Phil Maton came in to start the bottom of eighth and promptly hit Eli White to put a man on first. Former Met Travis d'Arnaud singled to send White to third, and then Díaz jogged out of the bullpen, "fresh" off 26 pitches in a 5-0 game the day before.

He induced his first out easily enough, but the problems started up immediately afterwards, when Jarred Kelenic drove in White on a single ... on a grounder down the line, stopped by Alonso, after which the closer forgot to cover first base.

Díaz then walked Michael Harris, then Albies — a thorn in the Mets' side if there ever was one — doubled to clear the bases and give the lead back to Atlanta. (It's so over).

Top ninth, Alvarez popped out to get the Braves just two outs away from victory. But the Mets' (and maybe the league's) MVP wasn't going to have that. Marte got himself on with a single, and then King of Queens Francisco Lindor did the impossible: he hit a homer to put the Mets back on top. (We're so supremely back).

That was where the scoring ended for New York, but it didn't matter. Carlos Mendoza made the questionable decision to keep Díaz in for the bottom of the ninth, and he did give up a single to White that immediately made fans wonder if things were going to tilt back over into the wrong territory. Somehow, nearing 40 pitches, he struck out Laureano and got d'Arnaud to ground out (fittingly, to Lindor). Mets win, Wild Card clinched.

Díaz threw his glove down as the Mets swarmed to celebrate on the field of their most hated rivals. Maybe they should all just have a lie-down for the second game. They've earned it.