Braves vs. Mets doubleheader result and live updates: New York wins Game 1 and clinch MLB wild card spot

ATLANTA — Chris Sale suffered back spasms and was ruled out of the second game of Monday's decisive doubleheader against the New York Mets, adding yet another wrinkle to one of the strangest season-ending days imaginable.

Grant Holmes, a 28-year-old rookie who has held both the starting and bullpen roles this season, got the start after being told of the change in plans between games. The Braves were in an all-hands-on-deck situation and were prepared to use every weapon available behind Holmes.

The Braves faced a win-or-go-home situation in Game 2 after blowing a 3-0 lead in a rollicking, emotional 8-7 loss in the opening game of the doubleheader at Truist Park. Atlanta has said all week that it would save Sale, the presumptive Cy Young Award winner after his breakout comeback season, for an elimination game, and if it didn't have to use him, he would start the Wild's opener on Tuesday Start Card Series.

Game 2 was an elimination game, but because his back was ailing, Braves general manager and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said they didn't want to rush Sale and risk reinjury, even though Sale said he could throw and had have played with worse problems in the past. The announcement was made between games.

Anthopoulos said because there are cramps, they are not ruling out Sale being able to start in San Diego on Tuesday or Wednesday if they secure a wild card spot. It was not a type IL injury, he said.

Sales' velocity was down a few mph in his last start on Sept. 19 in Cincinnati, and Anthopoulos said Monday that Sales's back bothered him a bit in the second inning of that Cincinnati game.

This was the first time that anyone from the team in that last start or since had mentioned anything about the past issue or said anything was physically wrong with Sale. Anthopoulos and Braves manager Brian Snitker said all week that Sale was ready to pitch and that he would have pitched against the Mets on Wednesday if that game had not been played along with Thursday's game because of torrential rain and the arrival of Hurricane Helene would have been moved to the Atlanta area.

Sale continued to throw to the side and was ready to throw at any time the Braves faced elimination, Snitker said. But as he intensified his preparations Sunday before Monday or Tuesday's start, Anthopoulos said Sales' back situation had worsened and he notified Braves officials Sunday night.

They waited until he arrived at Truist Park at noon Monday to make the decision, Anthopoulos said. Holmes wasn't informed he would start Game 2 until 10 minutes after Game 1.

Those rain postponements necessitated Monday's doubleheader after the Braves, Mets and Diamondbacks were in a three-way tie following Sunday's games. The Braves and Mets each had to win a game on Sunday to secure a wild card spot, while the Diamondbacks, watching from home, only got into the game via a doubleheader sweep of both teams as both the Mets and The Braves also held the head-to-head tiebreaker over Arizona.