Braves limp into playoffs with 11-inning loss to Mets
NEW YORK (AP) Mike Soroka recovered from a shaky start in his playoff tuneup, but the banged-up Atlanta Braves limped into October with a 7-6 loss to the New York Mets in 11 innings Sunday when Dominic Smith hit a game-ending, three-run homer on his first competitive swing in more than two months.
Nine days after clinching their second consecutive NL East title, the Braves finally learned their postseason opponent when St. Louis won the NL Central with a 9-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Atlanta will open a best-of-five Division Series at home against the Cardinals on Thursday, with veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel expected to start for the Braves.
Soroka, an All-Star this year, is lined up for Game 3 on the road - where the 22-year-old rookie is 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA that is by far the lowest in the majors.
Pitching for the first time in 10 days, Soroka was tagged for three runs and four hits in the first inning of the regular-season finale. J.D. Davis socked a two-run homer off the right-hander, who settled down after that and lasted 85 pitches. He gave up three runs and seven hits over five innings, with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Smith came off the injured list Thursday after being sidelined since July 27 with a stress reaction in his left foot. He hadn't gotten into a game until he replaced Pete Alonso at first base in the top of the 11th, mainly so the rookie home run king could walk off the field to one last ovation from Mets fans.
But lo and behold, New York put two runners aboard in the bottom half and Smith, batting in Alonso's spot with two outs, drove a 1-0 pitch from Grant Dayton (0-1) over the right-center fence to give the Mets a three-game sweep and a thrilling finish to their second-half surge that fell short of a postseason berth.
An excited Smith tossed his helmet between third base and home plate, then was swarmed and doused by jubilant teammates as his uniform top was ripped off by Alonso in a wild scene.
Moments later, the Mets took off their jerseys and gave them to fans after one last comeback win.
New York went 46-26 in the second half and finished third in the NL East at 86-76 - a nine-game improvement over last year. Likely on deck in the coming days, a decision about manager Mickey Callaway, who could be fired after two seasons without a playoff trip.
Callaway said he's been packing up his New York apartment since last week and will spend 19 hours driving home to Florida over the next two days.
''I don't have any anxiety. I'm proud of what we did this year,'' he said before the game. ''I'm proud of how hard I worked, and I left everything on the field.
''We haven't discussed anything in depth. Right now I have a contract for next year and I'm going to go home and prepare for next year.''
Alonso received a series of standing ovations from Citi Field fans who also chanted his name, one day after hitting his 53rd home run to break the rookie record set by Yankees star Aaron Judge in 2017.
Alonso doffed his helmet and later tipped his cap to the crowd of 31,523 when he was pulled. He went 1 for 5 with a single and became the only rookie since 1900 - and first Mets player overall - to win the outright major league home run crown.
Adeiny Hechavarria hit two late homers for Atlanta, the first multihomer game of his career, and had an early RBI single. He and Adam Duvall connected on consecutive pitches from Walker Lockett in the 11th to give the Braves a 6-4 lead.
Chris Mazza (1-1) got an inning-ending double play for his first major league win.
Atlanta lost five of its final six games to finish 97-65, seven games better than last season. The Braves have lost nine straight playoff rounds since sweeping Houston in the 2001 NLDS. The only longer skid belonged to the Cubs, who dropped 10 consecutive rounds from 1910 through 1998.
Hechavarria, released by the Mets in August and a late addition to the lineup Sunday, tied it 4-all with a leadoff homer in the ninth against Paul Sewald.
Rafael Ortega launched a two-run homer off Mets starter Noah Syndergaard. Joe Panik came off the bench and put New York ahead 4-3 on a solo homer off Shane Greene with two outs in the eighth.
Syndergaard struck out nine in seven innings of three-run ball and heads into an uncertain offseason. It seems plausible the big right-hander won't be back - he's had a rocky relationship with New York's front office and has already been mentioned in trade talks several times.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: 1B Freddie Freeman struck out and singled before being lifted. He returned Saturday from four days off to rest his ailing right elbow and said it feels good. But he hasn't homered since Sept. 1 and ended the season in a 5-for-39 slump (.128) with one extra-base hit since Sept. 11. ... 3B Josh Donaldson was scratched from the lineup and replaced by Hechavarria. The Braves said they wanted Hechavarria, who could be a backup infielder on the playoff roster, to get some time at third base heading into the postseason. ... All-Star OF Ronald Acuna Jr. hasn't played since Tuesday because of a tight left hip. He will work out this week to get ready for the Division Series opener. .... OF Ender Inciarte (right hamstring) and utilityman Johan Camargo (right shin) will miss the Division Series, weakening Atlanta's bench.
UP NEXT
Braves: Keuchel went 8-8 with a 3.75 ERA in 19 starts this season after signing in June. He was 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in the postseason for Houston.
Mets: Open next season at home March 26 against Washington.
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