Joey Lucchesi pitches six strong innings, but the Mets close the regular season with a 3-0 loss to Braves

The Mets ended the regular season with a 3-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of a doubleheader Monday afternoon at Truist Park.

Here are some takeaways…

– After clinching their spot in the playoffs in Game 1, the Mets came calling Joey Lucchesi to eat during the nightcap innings and he did his job. The southpaw threw 111 pitches in six strong innings, allowing just one run on three hits while issuing four walks and five strikeouts. Even after Lucchesi had a difficult season in Triple-A, he stepped up and gave the Mets exactly the effort they needed.

– After only taking one shot in the first game, Huascar Brazoban was the first man to leave the Mets’ bullpen in the nightcap. The right-hander helped Atlanta break through in the seventh, allowing two runs (one earned) in his only inning of work.

– Tyrone Taylor continues to provide the Mets with great play on both sides of the ball. He helped Brazoban escape the seventh attack without further damage by making a perfect throw to shoot him down Matt Olson I’m trying to turn a single into a double.

– With several of their regular players out, New York’s offense couldn’t do much about it Grant Holmes and the Braves’ bullpen, as they were limited to just a walk and two hits in their shutout loss.

– By playing game 2, Pete Alonso joined Felix Milan the only two players in franchise history to appear in every game of a 162-game season. The impending free agent is coming off a potentially disappointing final regular season with the Mets with 34 home runs, 88 RBI and an OPS of .790.

– The Mets finished the regular season 89-72 and now return to Milwaukee to face the Brewers, while the Braves will face the San Diego Padres in the first round.

Game MVP: Marcell Ozuna

The Mets did well to keep Ozuna in check in Game 1, but he did some damage in Game 2 as his two-run single in the seventh helped extend the Braves’ lead.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

The Mets begin their journey to the World Series with a wild card round matchup against the Brewers beginning Tuesday at 5:32 p.m