Gary Cohen and Howie Rose delivered calls worthy of the Mets’ thrilling win to clinch a playoff berth.
The Mets rode a two-run Francisco Lindor home run in the top of the ninth to a wild 8-7 victory over the Braves in the first game of a doubleheader to earn an NL wild-card spot and their second postseason appearance in three years at Truist Park in Atlanta on Monday afternoon.
Fittingly the game’s final out was a soft ground ball off closer Edwin Diaz to Lindor by former Mets catcher Travis D’Arnaud.
The NL MVP candidate tossed the ball over to Pete Alonso at first base and Cohen unleashed an epic call from the SNY booth.
“Ground ball, Lindor waits on it. He’s got it and the ballgame is over! From 0-5 to OMG! What a ride!” said Cohen, who has been calling Mets games on radio or TV since 1989. “The Mets are going to the postseason in 2024! And what an incredible game to clinch it with! Down 3-0, up 6-3, down 7-6, Lindor with the home run to put ’em over the top! Diaz stretched to the max to close it out! And the Mets, 8-7!”
Even with one more game left to play, the win completes an incredible season for the Mets that saw them start 0-5, drop 11 games below .500 at 22-33 in May before going 66-39 to ensure the playoffs thanks to a tie-breaker with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Not to be outdone, Rose – who has called Mets games since 1995 – put his singular stamp on Mets’ 11th postseason berth in franchise history from the WCBS radio both.
“Diaz sets and the 2-2 pitch. Slowly hit to short, waiting on it Lindor. He’s got it, throws to first. Put it in the books!” Rose said, using his signature call. “Diaz slams the glove down. He gets jumped on by (Francisco) Alvarez and the New York Mets are headed to postseason play in what has been a memorable season.
“They were 11 games under .500 in late May. They have stormed all the way back and metaphorically they did so today. Trailing three to nothing going to the eighth inning, they scored six runs to take the lead, Diaz gave the lead back. The Mets gave it back to him and this time Diaz held on to it. The Mets hugging each other behind he pitchers mound celebrating as they will go to the postseason as wild card, still don’t know where or against whom.”
Rose will get to call however many postseason games the Mets play, with Cohen done in the booth after Monday, with games shifting to national TV
