Braves Announce Pitching Plan for Pivotal Mets Doubleheader

The Atlanta Braves must split the doubleheader with the New York Mets on Monday to clinch a playoff spot.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The magical weekend for the Atlanta Braves came to a crashing end Sunday. The Braves entered the afternoon with two different ways to clinch a postseason berth -- a win or Arizona Diamondbacks loss.

Neither happened.

Because of the Diamondbacks victory, the Braves were going to need to play Monday regardless. But with their own loss, the Braves now have to secure at least one victory Monday to keep playing baseball in October.

With their season on the line, the Braves will start right-handed rookie Spencer Schwellenbach in the first matchup of the doubleheader.

National League Cy Young front runner Chris Sale is scheduled to pitch in Game 2 if needed.

Schwellenbach will start the first game tomorrow. Sale will start the second game if necessary

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 29, 2024

No matter who wins the first matchup Monday, Game 2 will be necessary. But if the Braves win with Schwellenbach on the mound, then it's not necessary for the Braves to try and win Game 2.

Should the Braves lose the first game, then Sale will start the second matchup, which will be a must-win for Atlanta to advance to the postseason.

Both the Braves and Mets need to split the doubleheader to clinch a NL wild card spot. If one of the teams wins both games Monday, then the Diamondbacks will secure the final postseason berth.

Braves manager Brian Snitker is doing what he can to save Sale for the postseason. That's not a strategy I usually support.

Teams can only win the game that's in front of them. Had the Braves won Sunday, then they would already be in the postseason.

But the way Snitker set up the team's rotation since the hurricane rolled through Atlanta has mostly worked. Max Fried and Reynaldo López delivered terrific performances in wins on Friday and Saturday.

Charlie Morton has pitched well in pressure situation in the past, so one can't fault Snitker too much for the missed clinched opportunity Sunday.

Snitker could pitch Sale in the first game to decrease the likelihood of facing a do-or-die scenario in the second half of the doubleheader. But that would mean Sale not pitching at all in the wild card series this upcoming week.

If Schwellenbach can lead the Braves to victory in the first game of the doubleheader, then Sale will start Game 1 of the wild card series.

Schwellenbach just beat the Mets last Tuesday, giving up just 1 earned run on 3 hits and a walk in 7 innings. He hasn't allowed more than 2 runs in any of his last three starts.

It will be interesting to see if any confidence Schwellenbach gained from that start will give him an advantage Monday or if the Mets hitters learned anything from that loss.

The Braves winning the first game is Schwellenbach's top priority. That will save Sale. But winning the first game will prevent Snitker from using more bullpen arms in the second contest. Schwellenbach pitching deep into the first matchup will have the same impact.

It's a lot to ask from a rookie, but Schwellenbach has been up to the challenge most of this season. His start Monday could not just determine whether the Braves will make the playoffs, but how prepared the team's pitching staff will be to win its opening postseason series.