It’s almost certainly too late for the Atlanta Braves to save their playoff hopes.
For the New York Mets, the clock on their postseason aspirations is ticking louder than they could have imagined a few months ago.
The visiting Braves will look to earn a series win over the reeling Mets on Thursday night in the finale of a three-game set.
Bryce Elder (4-9, 6.12 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Braves against fellow right-hander Kodai Senga (7-4, 2.30).
The Braves mounted their biggest comeback of the season Wednesday night, when Michael Harris II hit the go-ahead grand slam to close out a nine-run fourth inning and help Atlanta power to an 11-6 victory.
The Mets raced out to a 6-0 lead and chased Carlos Carrasco after two innings before the Braves sent 12 batters to the plate in the fourth, when they worked five walks and collected four hits against David Peterson and Reed Garrett.
Nick Allen walked with the bases loaded, Jurickson Profar hit a three-RBI double and Marcell Ozuna added a run-scoring single before Harris hit his second career grand slam.
The comeback — the biggest for the Braves since April 6, 2024, when they beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-8 after trailing 6-0 in the first inning — isn’t likely to change the long-term outlook for Atlanta. The Braves are 12 games behind the Mets, who occupy the last National League wild-card spot.
Still, the Braves, who haven’t missed the playoffs or finished under .500 since 2017, have taken pride in winning five of their past seven games — a span in which they have scored 47 runs.
“Just kind of nice to kind of be dead in the water for a little bit there real quick, get behind the 8-ball and then come roaring back,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “These guys, they’re not looking at the standings or anything. They’re out there trying to win a game, and it’s really good to see.”
The standings are becoming worse on a nearly daily basis for the Mets, whose lead over the Cincinnati Reds in the race for the final NL playoff berth is down to one game. New York had the best record in baseball at 45-24 through June 12 but is just 19-32 since — the fourth-worst mark in the majors.
The loss on Wednesday was the 12th in 14 games for the Mets, who have found increasingly frustrating ways to lose during the skid. New York was nearly no-hit in a 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 6 and had Starling Marte thrown out at the plate as the potential tying run in a 3-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.
New York has blown a lead of at least four runs in each of the past three games — the longest streak in franchise history. The Mets won 13-5 on Tuesday even though Atlanta tied the score after falling behind 5-1.
“They’re rough losses,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, “but you’ve got to keep going.”
Elder took the loss in his most recent start after giving up five runs over six innings in the Braves’ 5-1 loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday. That result left Elder 0-3 with an 8.80 ERA in his past three starts.
The 26-year-old Texas native is 2-0 with a 4.74 ERA in four career games (three starts) against the Mets.
Senga also took a defeat on Friday, when he allowed three runs (one earned) over 4 1/3 innings as the Mets fell 3-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 0-1 with a 5.31 ERA in his past five starts.
Senga is 2-0 with a 3.97 ERA in two lifetime starts against the Braves.