Major League Baseball’s 2024 regular season is going an extra day, with the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets set for a decisive doubleheader on Monday before the playoffs begin Tuesday.

Forced into the twinbill by weather in the Atlanta area last week, both teams can secure a playoff spot with one win. If the Braves sweep on Monday, that knocks the Mets out of the wild-card picture – with the Arizona Diamondbacks sneaking in.

A Mets sweep would eliminate the Braves in favor of the Diamondbacks (and earn the Mets the No. 2 wild-card spot), and a split will get both the Braves and Mets into the wild-card round.

Follow along throughout the day on Monday:

How to watch Braves vs Mets doubleheader

Both games will air on ESPN2, MLB.TV and can be streamed on Fubo.

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What time is Braves vs. Mets?

The first game of Monday’s doubleheader is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET, with the second beginning about an hour after the first game wraps up.

Braves vs. Mets pitching matchups

Game 1

Braves: Spencer Schwellenbach – 8-7, 3.47 ERA in 20 starts
Mets: Tylor Megill – 4-5, 3.98 ERA in 15 games (14 starts)

Game 2

TBD

David Peterson’s clutch start puts Mets on doorstep

MILWAUKEE — With two games on Monday and a potential playoff game on Tuesday, there was no bigger time than Sunday for David Peterson to bounce back and ease the burden of the bullpen.

After a bumpy opening inning, the 28-year-old left-hander delivered an encouraging result heading into Monday’s doubleheader.

Peterson gave up an infield single to Jackson Chourio in the opening inning before the Brewers put runners on the corners with a walk and a fielder’s choice. But Peterson got Eric Haase to wave at a slider for the final out of the inning.

From there, Peterson was nearly unhittable. He only walked two batters across the next six innings, finishing seven scoreless innings with one hit, three walks and eight strikeouts.

‘For him to go out there in a must-win for us today, I thought the way he controlled the game, his tempo, I don’t think there was any type of pressure,’ Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. ‘He was calm, he was under control and he kept making pitches. It’s a good sign because he’s one of the guys.’

— Andrew Tredinnick, NorthJersey.com

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INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were backed up on their own eight-yard line. On third-and-6, the Chiefs needed a first down to ice the game late in the fourth quarter. Xavier Worthy ran a shallow cross across the middle and Mahomes hit the speedy wide receiver in stride for 15 yards to preserve the 17-10 win versus the Los Angeles Chargers.

The big-time game-sealing first-down catch is precisely what Kansas City needs from their now depleted Chiefs wide receiving corps going forward.

Kansas City improved to 4-0 on Sunday. Yet, the back-to-back Super Bowl champions were dealt a significant blow in the process.

“Rashee Rice will have his knee checked out (Monday) with an MRI,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said postgame. “I’m sure it’s not as good as we want.”

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After the play, Rice was helped off to the sideline and eventually carted off the to the locker room. The Chiefs ruled Rice out of the game in the first half.

“I was trying to fire it to Travis (Kelce) on his body. I overthrew him a little bit. I turned the ball over,” Mahomes said of the play that injured Rice. “I thought Rashee made a really good play. I was trying to tackle the guy, and obviously rolled up on him, but if I just don’t turn the ball over that never happens.”

The Chiefs aren’t expecting positive MRI results on Rice’s knee.

“Guys all hung together. I feel terrible for Rashee,” Reid said. “He’s having a fantastic year.”

Rice came into Week 4 with an NFL-high 24 catches. He was the team leader in both catches and receiving yards (288). He emerged early on this year at the team’s top pass catcher, even ahead of veteran tight end Travis Kelce. Rice’s absence could be a crippling blow in Kansas City’s quest for an historic third straight Super Bowl victory. The team is already without running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown.

But the Chiefs have won four straight one-score games to start the regular season and 10 in a row dating back to last year. They find ways to win with Reid’s play calling, the best quarterback in the NFL and the only tight end in NFL history to have seven-straight 1,000-yard seasons (2016-22) in Kelce.

The Mahomes-Kelce connection was rekindled on Sunday. Kelce, who’s had a quiet start to the year by his standards, was targeted nine times and the tight end produced a season-high seven catches for 89 yards when the Rice-less Chiefs offense needed a go-to target.

“With Rashee going out early, you got to put Kelce back in that situation where he’s getting high-volume catches,” Mahomes said. “The whole Kelce thing in general hasn’t been a worry to me. I know whenever we need him, he’s going to make plays.”

Kelce will presumably continue to get “high-volume” targets in Rice’s absence. However, Worthy might emerge as the go-to wide receiver. Worthy amassed three catches, 73 yards and a touchdown in the win, including a 54-yard touchdown reception. The speedster told USA TODAY Sports that the Chiefs are an ideal fit for him. Now is an opportune time to demonstrate that.

“In our receiving room it’s next man up,” Worthy said. “Praying for our brother. But I feel like we have a lot of guys that’s able to make plays in key moment.”

Without Rice, the next man up in the receiving room figures to be Worthy.

Kansas City’s passing attack will need its veteran tight end, and their rookie first-round pick wide receiver to continue to make plays if they hope to have a chance to be the first NFL team ever to three-peat as Super Bowl champions.

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After the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first loss of the season on Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts, Minkah Fitzpatrick aired out his frustrations – not just with one play, but what he sees as a larger trend.

The three-time All-Pro safety was called for unnecessary roughness late in the third quarter of the 27-24 defeat. On second-and-10 from the Colts’ 42, quarterback Joe Flacco – who stepped in for Anthony Richardson after the starter suffered a hip injury – overthrew rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. But right after the pass fell incomplete, Fitzpatrick collided with Mitchell near the sideline, barreling into his shoulder.

The flag helped extend a drive that led to a touchdown, extending Indianapolis’ lead to 24-10.

‘I thought we were playing football. I don’t know what we’re playing at this point,’ Fitzpatrick told reporters after the game. ‘Very different game than what I grew up playing and what I grew up loving. Can’t hit nobody hard. Can’t be violent. So I don’t know. I don’t know what to say anymore.’

Fitzpatrick wasn’t alone in calling out the penalty after the game.

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‘That was (expletive),’ Steelers safety DeShon Elliott said, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. ‘I don’t care … That was not OK. That wasn’t illegal. He did nothing malicious.

‘He didn’t even hit him in the head. He hit him, led with the shoulder. If anything he let up. So I don’t know what that was about.’

The Steelers will look to bounce back next Sunday in a home matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

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(This story was updated to add new information.)

Matchups for Major League Baseball’s playoffs are almost set.

Almost.

Twenty-eight of 30 teams finished their regular season Sunday, and the results ensured that the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves will play one more day of games — yes, Nos. 161 and 162, at Atlanta’s Truist Field — to determine the final two National League wild-card teams.

But plenty more certainty was gained as a slate of nearly synchronized games played out. Nobody was eliminated. But a handful of traveling secretaries could hit “book” on hotel rooms and tell their pilots exactly where they should punch it in the team plane.

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As for those final two NL slots that will be filled by two of the Arizona Diamondbacks (89-73), Mets (88-72) and Braves (88-72)?

Well, it’s relatively simple (yeah, right) after Arizona and New York won on Sunday and the Braves lost.

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How will the final NL wild cards be determined?

The Mets will fly from Milwaukee to Atlanta on Sunday night and play a doubleheader at Truist Park, as a result of two postponements last week due to heavy rainfall from Helene. Rookie star Spencer Schwellenbach will start Game 1 for Atlanta, opposed by Mets right-hander Tylor Megill.

It’s simple: One win by the Mets and one win by the Braves, and they are in the playoffs.

So yes, Arizona is in the odd situation of seeing how Game 1 plays out and going all-in on the winner to also claim Game 2. Just one problem: The Game 1 winner will have its playoff berth in hand and be less inclined to use higher-leverage pitchers in the second game.

And using Monday to play makeup games means there’s no off day before the wild-card series begins — and so the early-game winner will barely have 24 hours to jet off to Milwaukee or San Diego and begin the actual playoffs. Should the Braves lose Game 1, it will be interesting to see if they deploy Cy Young Award favorite Chris Sale in Game 2; Atlanta has been holding him back both to get extra rest and also to hopefully start a playoff opener.

How much will “the sanctity of the game” matter to the winner of Monday’s first game? Arizona manager Torey Lovullo, left only to watch and pray, hopes the answer is: A lot.

How will the NL survivors be seeded?

The San Diego Padres are locked in as the No. 1 wild card and No. 4 NL seed.

Arizona can only qualify as the No. 6 seed, by virtue of losing tiebreakers to both the Mets and Braves.

If the Braves and Mets both advance, the Braves will be the No. 5 seed, by virtue of winning the season series against the Mets, 7-6.

A look at the playoff picture and projected starters, starting with the well-defined American League before we get to the NL mess:

AL wild-card series

(All games on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC)

No. 6 Detroit Tigers at No. 3 Houston Astros

Game 1, Tuesday: LH Tarik Skubal vs. LH Framber Valdez, 2:32 p.m. ET, ABC

Game 2, Wednesday: TBA  vs. TBA, 2:32 p.m. ET, ABC

Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: TBA vs. TBA, 2:32 p.m. ET, ABC

No. 5 Kansas City Royals at No. 4 Baltimore Orioles

Game 1, Tuesday: LH Cole Ragans vs. RH Corbin Burnes, 4:08 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Game 2, Wednesday: RH Seth Lugo vs. RH Zach Eflin, 4:38 p.m. ET, ESPN

Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: RH Michael Wacha vs. RH Dean Kremer, 4:08 p.m. ET, ESPN

AL Division Series – Saturday, TBS

Royals-Orioles winner vs. No. 1 New York Yankees

Tigers-Astros winner vs. No. 2 Cleveland Guardians

NL wild-card series

No. 6 Mets/Diamondbacks at No. 3 Milwaukee Brewers

Game 1, Tuesday: TBA vs. RH Freddy Peralta, 5:32 p.m. ET, ESPN

Game 2, Wednesday: TBA vs. TBA, 7:38 p.m. ET, ESPN

Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: TBA vs. TBA, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

No. 5 Mets/Braves at No. 4 San Diego Padres

Game 1, Tuesday: TBA vs. RH Dylan Cease, 8:38 p.m. ET, ESPN,

Game 2, Wednesday: TBA vs. TBA, 8:38 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Game 3, Thursday, if necessary: TBA vs. TBA, 7:08 p.m. ET, ESPN

NL Division Series – Saturday, Fox/FS1

Mets/Braves-Padres winner vs. No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers

Mets/Diamondbacks-Brewers winner vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies

The Buffalo Bills entered Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season as the hottest team in the league. The Baltimore Ravens stopped them right in their tracks.

The Ravens earned a blowout victory over their AFC counterparts at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore bested Buffalo 35-10 in a game where the Ravens never trailed. Derrick Henry nearly ran for 200 yards while Lamar Jackson enjoyed another strong, efficient outing and earned a 135.4 passer rating.

The Bills dropped to 3-1 after the defeat while the Ravens improved to 2-2 after starting the season with back-to-back losses. The contest could eventually prove pivotal in the AFC playoff race, especially as Baltimore inches closer to the top of the AFC North.

Here’s a look at the winners and losers from the Bills vs. Ravens game, from players to coaches, to teams that didn’t take the field on Sunday night.

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Bills vs. Ravens winners

Derrick Henry

Any suggestion that Henry might start to slow down during his age-30 season seems laughable after his effort on ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Henry took the Ravens’ first offensive play 87 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest run in Baltimore’s franchise history breaking the previous 82-yard record that was shared by Jamal Lewis and Le’Ron McClain.

Henry showcased that he still has great top-gear speed, as he reached a peak of 21.29 mph during the run. That’s good for the fourth-fastest run by a ball carrier so far in 2024, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

From that play on, Henry continued to shoulder a hefty workload for the Ravens. He recorded 24 carries for 199 yards and two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. He was just one yard shy of his seventh career 200-yard rushing game, which would’ve been good for the most in NFL history.

It’s clear that Henry’s ability to shoulder the workload is taking pressure off Jackson while also opening up the field for him. The duo complements each other well, so as long as both stay healthy, Baltimore will have one of the best running games in the NFL. That could do a lot to help them in their Super Bowl quest in the era of the two-high safety.

Lamar Jackson

Henry might have been the driving force behind Baltimore’s offense on Sunday, but Jackson was terrific as well. He was efficient through the air, completing 13 of 18 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, and also added 54 yards and a score on the ground.

Jackson’s efficiency is what made him the NFL MVP last season despite not boasting prolific stats. He seems well on his way toward establishing himself as one of the league’s most important players again, especially as he establishes a harmonious relationship with Henry.

Zach Orr’s Ravens defense

Like Henry, the Ravens defense faced many questions entering the 2024 NFL season, but the No. 1 concern of fans was how Baltimore would replace Mike Macdonald after he took the Seattle Seahawks’ head coaching job.

The Ravens decided to promote from within, giving the job to Orr, who played three years for the Ravens before joining their coaching staff. While Baltimore’s defense started slowly, they have gradually improved and are now playing at a high level, as evidenced by their containment of what had been an explosive Buffalo offense.

The Bills logged just 236 yards of total offense against Orr’s defense. They also held Josh Allen without a touchdown for the first time since Urban Meyer’s Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Bills 9-6 in 2021 and saw veteran edge rusher Kyle Van Noy record two sacks for the third consecutive game.

If Baltimore can continue to make strides each week, the Ravens’ stop unit should eventually be among the best in the NFL. If that comes to pass, John Harbaugh can certainly thank the 32-year-old Orr for continuing the work started by Macdonald.

Kansas City Chiefs

Look, it might seem weird to call the Chiefs a winner on a day during which they potentially lost their No. 1 receiver to a torn ACL, but they are the last undefeated team standing in the AFC. It’s very early in the season, but that still gives them an advantage in the quest for the conference’s No. 1 seed.

This was the best outcome for the Chiefs, as they already beat the Ravens head-to-head, so they are maintaining a two-game lead and a tiebreaker over Baltimore while now adding a one-game lead over Buffalo. Again, it’s early, but given the injuries Kansas City has suffered, every little advantage will matter for them as they look to win a third consecutive Super Bowl.

Bills vs. Ravens losers

Perception of the Buffalo Bills

Three weeks into the 2024 NFL season, many were saying that the Bills were the NFL’s best team. They were one of the league’s five unbeaten teams after Week 3, and Josh Allen was playing at arguably the highest level of his career to date.

Coming out of Week 4, the narrative about the Bills could shift significantly. Why? Because the three teams Buffalo faced to start the season — the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Jaguars — have all endured defensive struggles that aren’t limited to their games against the Bills. That will lead some to question whether the Bills offense benefitted from a weaker than expected schedule to start the year.

Of course, that isn’t entirely fair. The Bills still blew out the Dolphins and Jaguars, and Allen hasn’t thrown an interception through four weeks, a big step forward in the decision-making issues that have plagued him during his career. Plus, the Ravens have one of the league’s most talented defenses.

But odds are that Buffalo’s blowout loss to Baltimore will have at least second-guessing the Bills, and NFL fans should expect to hear plenty of that ahead of Buffalo’s Week 5 game against the Houston Texans.

The Bills’ pass-catching weapons

To be clear, Buffalo’s receivers weren’t bad on Sunday night. Khalil Shakir made a big-time 52-yard play to help spark the Bills offense in the second half; Dalton Kincaid was a reliable target for Allen and helped keep the chains moving; and Keon Coleman flashed some of the upside that made him a second-round pick.

But even so, this marked the first game during which the Bills missed Stefon Diggs. Once it went down 21-3, Buffalo didn’t have a player who could win and get open consistently. And while Shakir, Kincaid and Coleman were all solid, the Bills were lacking a true No. 1 receiver to open things up for them.

That’s part of the reason Allen had to scramble around in the backfield so much. He waited for players to get open. It’s also why he took some downfield, contested-catch shots to Coleman throughout the contest.

Perhaps Coleman can develop into more of a No. 1 option for Buffalo as the season goes along, but at present, the Bills aren’t necessarily built to overcome larger deficits or score a lot on great defenses. Even a great quarterback like Allen will only be able to take Buffalo so far without a true, top-tier receiver.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers suffered their first loss of the season to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. A silver lining could have been attached to the loss had Baltimore also lost, but the Ravens’ resounding victory puts them just one game back of the Steelers in the AFC North standings.

Again, it’s early in the season, but every game will matter in the AFC playoff race. The Steelers entered Week 4 in command of the AFC North, but will now exit it with things getting much tighter in a division that’s always competitive.

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ATLANTA – All of this last-minute drama flowing for the Atlanta Falcons may be doing more than just working Arthur Blank’s nerves. 

This time, it came down to Younghoe Koo’s career-long 58-yard field goal with two seconds on the clock – set up by a 30-yard pass interference penalty. 

“Going from black hair to gray hair,” Blank, the Falcons’ 82-year-old owner, said after Sunday’s 26-24 victory against the New Orleans Saints. “Soon, it will be no hair.” 

Yeah, these nail-biting finishes for the Dirty Birds have created quite the pattern to make you wonder. 

Last week, the Falcons threatened to upset the Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs but instead left Mercedes-Benz Stadium feeling robbed because an apparent pass interference wasn’t called when tight end Kyle Pitts was mauled in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. 

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In Week 2 at Philadelphia, they won 22-21 on a 7-yard Drake London touchdown catch (and extra-long conversion) that capped a last-minute drive that might not have mattered if Eagles running back Saquon Barkley hadn’t dropped a pass on the preceding possession. 

There’s been some weird stuff, working both ways. 

To survive on Sunday, the Falcons (2-2) didn’t score an offensive touchdown – except the one early in the fourth quarter when Bijan Robinson took a dump-off pass from Kirk Cousins and darted 19 yards to the end zone, only to have it wiped out by one of Atlanta’s nine penalties. The touchdowns came when KhaDarel Hodge recovered Rashid Shaheed’s muffed punt in the end zone and when Troy Andersen raced 47 yards with the return of a pop-up interception caused by Matthew Judon’s deflection of a Derek Carr pass. 

It’s no wonder that Cousins grumbled that there’s “a lot to fix.” 

They mustered just 14 first downs and converted a mediocre 36.4% of their third downs (4 of 11). 

Still, the Falcons won when they couldn’t afford to lose. A loss would have marked three straight home defeats to start a campaign that began with the highest expectations in at least a half-dozen years. Instead, they began a three-game stretch against NFC South rivals – they’ll host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night – with another example of resilience. 

Raheem Morris, the first-year Falcons coach, expects the make-or-break endings.   

“It’s about having that mental stamina enough to go out there and push and pursue,” he said. ”They fight every single week, and I’m proud of them.” 

Morris had reason enough to envision the latest ending. During the typical situational drill at practice on Friday, he said the Falcons had 56 seconds and zero timeouts. On Sunday, the Falcons began the final drive at their 30-yard line with exactly one minute on the clock and with no timeouts. 

Deeper than any premonition, in the two-minute drill on Friday, which advanced the ball to set up a kick from Koo, the Falcons got a huge chunk of yards from a pass interference penalty. In the real-life situation, the Falcons’ biggest play in setting up the field goal was the 30-yard pass interference penalty on Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo, who crashed into intended receiver Darnell Mooney. 

“That’s crazy, how ironic that is,” Mooney said. “We did that and it worked out the same way. It’s the manifestation.” 

Mooney, a fifth-year pro, acknowledged that he needed to draw the penalty. Cousins underthrew the pass and maintained that he wished he had thrown it further and allowed the receiver to run and get it. 

Of course, he’ll take the penalty – especially being on the opposite side of such a scenario when Chiefs safety Bryan Cook crashed into Pitts a week earlier. 

“I just don’t want to leave it in the refs’ hands,” Cousins said. 

Mooney adjusted on the ball while it was in flight after realizing the pass was underthrown. He explained the skill involved in positioning himself in that situation and in showing his hands to catch the football while impeded by the cornerback. 

In other words, it was a professional move in the clutch. 

“It’s something I’ve been working on a long time,” Mooney said. “And it worked today.” 

During the Friday practice, the Falcons never got the actual kick from Koo. But setting up for the kick was enough. As was the case during the game. Koo, one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers, had already nailed field goals from 53, 44 and 42 yards on Sunday. 

Still, it seemed a bit odd that after the penalty moved the football to the Saints’ 40-yard line, the Falcons attempted three consecutive deep shots rather than throwing a shorter pass to pick up a few extra yards. Morris maintained that the defensive coverage dictated where Cousins threw on those plays. Maybe so. Yet if Koo’s kick had wound up a bit short, it would have been open season on the second-guessing. 

Koo didn’t sweat it. 

“Once we got to the 40, I knew I had a chance,” he calmly recalled. “I was just locked in, ready.” 

Although his career long entering Sunday was 54 yards, Koo said that in practices he has connected from as far as 65 yards. On the game-winner, the kick sailed through the uprights with at least 5 yards to spare. 

“It was ending with a Koo make or miss,” Morris said. “It didn’t matter where it was from. Koo was going out there.” 

Perhaps leave some people to pull their hair. 

PHOENIX — Don’t get San Diego Padres infielder Luis Arraez wrong, he loves baseball history as much as anyone, but sorry, there’s just something about Triple Crown seasons he loves to ruin.

For the second time in three years, Arraez spoiled a rare Triple Crown season, this time making sure that Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani didn’t become the first National League player since 1937 to win the Triple Crown.

Arraez instead made his own history Sunday, becoming the first player in baseball to win three consecutive batting titles with three different teams, batting .314, finishing four points ahead of Ohtani (.310).

“Wow, what an amazing hitter,’’ Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “What an amazing guy. He’s been a huge part of this group.’’

Arraez entered the regular-season finale hitting .314 while Ohtani was at .309, and although his batting lead appeared to be the safe, you’re still talking about Ohtani.

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This is a guy who led the National League with 54 homers and 130 RBI, and finished the season going 29-for-53 (.547) in the last 12 games with seven homers, 22 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

Ohtani would have likely needed at least four hits to win the batting title, but wound up going 1-for-4 in the finale against the Colorado Rockies while Arraez went 1-for-3.

“You’ve seen a superstar,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “I think the thing that I marvel at is the expectations that are put on him, that he puts on himself, and to still go out there every day and put on a show. I can’t imagine the pressure with all those expectations.’’

Arraez, who spoiled Aaron Judge’s Triple Crown season in 2022 when he hit .315 — four points higher than Judge, who hit an American League record 62 homers with 131 RBI — revealed he was feeling similar stress in his bid for the batting title.

“This one was hard, I didn’t sleep [Saturday night],’’ Arraez said. “I couldn’t sleep last night. I’m human. I don’t want to think about that, but I think a lot.’’

Arraez not only was trying to win the batting title, but also needed one more hit for his 200th of the season, becoming the first player since Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve to produce 200 hits in consecutive years.

The pressure intensified when he struck out in his first at-bat, stunning even himself.

“That never happens,’’ said Arraez, who struck out only 17 times in his previous 521 plate appearances, going 141 plate appearances without a strikeout earlier this season, the longest streak in 20 years.

He came up in the third inning, lined out to center field, and this time slammed his bat into the grass out of frustration.

Now, with no idea whether Ohtani was closing in, Arraez hit a double into the right-center gap for his 200th hit of the season in the sixth inning, raising his batting average to .314 and out of reach for Ohtani. He immediately came out of the game for a pinch-runner and was warmly congratulated by his teammates.

He was a batting champ once again, and did it the right way.

He never contemplated sitting out and protecting his batting average, knowing that with Ohtani, anything is possible.

“Bro, he can do a lot of different things,’’ Arraez said. “He’s different. I say he’s not perfect. He’s human too.

“But thank God I win the batting title.’’

Arraez becomes the first player to win three consecutive batting titles since Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers in 2011-2013. He is the first Padres player to win the batting crown since Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.

“This is important to me, because it’s different,’’ Arraez said. “Everybody wants to hit homers right now, but its not my game. I just want to put the ball in play. I just want to get on base to score a couple of runs and win games.

“So, I’m not looking for homers, I’m looking to hit .300 every year, and God gave me the opportunity to hit.’’

Yes, even if it means spoiling the coveted Triple Crown, last accomplished in the National League by Joe “Ducky’’ Medwick in 1937.

“I don’t think about that,’’ Arraez said, “but the batting title. Sometimes I think about losing [the title], but when I got the chance today, I said, “This is mine.’ I hit the double, and I said, “It’s still mine.’’

Arraez won his first batting title hitting .316 in 2022 with the Minnesota Twins, again in 2023 hitting .354 with the Miami Marlins. He was traded to the Padres on May 4 for reliever Woo-Suk Go and three prospects, with the Marlins paying all but $592,000 of his $10.6 million contract.

“He’s been a huge part of this group, I think the record bears it out,’’ said Shildt. “We celebrated as a group. Everybody’s happy for him. We did say that the next couple [of batting titles] to come from San Diego though.’’

Hey, it sounds good to Arraez, who would like to make sure the streak of winning batting titles for different teams comes to a halt, too.

“I want to stay here,’’ Arraez said. “I love San Diego. They opened the door for me. And they believed in me.

“This is home.’’

The NFL will showcase two Monday Night Football games for the second straight week tonight.

The Detroit Lions, led by charismatic coach Dan Campbell, will host the Seattle Seahawks, off to a 3-0 start under first-year coach Mike Macdonald, in a nationally televised game between NFC playoff hopefuls that could light up the scoreboard.

The action will begin with the Miami Dolphins hosting the Tennessee Titans in a matchup between struggling teams trying to find their groove in the AFC.

Enjoy this week if you’re a fan of the MNF doubleheaders: You’ll have to wait until Week 7 and Week 15 for the next pair of Monday night games.

Here’s everything you need to know about the two Monday Night Football games in Week 4 and how to watch them:

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Tennessee Titans (0-3) at Miami Dolphins (1-2)

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: ESPN/Fubo
Betting odds: MIA (-1.5); O/U 37

The Dolphins have tabbed quarterback Tyler Huntley to be their starter for Monday’s game, two weeks after joining the team following Tua Tagovailoa’s Week 2 concussion.

Miami hopes Huntley, a Pro Bowl replacement in 2023, can help the offense improve from its poor performance last week at Seattle, where the Dolphins were 1-12 on third down and gained just 205 yards.

The Titans rallied with two touchdown drives in the final 2:40 to beat the Dolphins 28-27 on Monday Night Football on Dec. 11 in Week 14 last year.

It was a Dolphins’ loss that soured playoff position and a Titans win that set the stage for Will Levis’ second season at quarterback.

But Levis has struggled with five interceptions and two fumbles during Tennessee’s 0-3 start under Brian Callahan.

Seattle Seahawks (3-0) at Detroit Lions (2-1)

Time: 8:15 p.m.
How to watch: ABC/Fubo/ESPN+
Betting odds: DET (-3.5); O/U 46.5

The Lions rebounded from a disappointing Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers to beat the Cardinals in Week 3, but this Week 4 matchup won’t be easy.

They’ll face a Seahawks team they’ve lost to in each of the last three years, in games where both teams combined for at least 60 points.

Detroit’s Jared Goff and Seattle’s Geno Smith could become the third pair of opposing quarterbacks to each pass for at least 300 yards in three consecutive meetings in NFL history, joining Tom Brady and Ryan Fitzpatrick (2011-12), and Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers (2011-14).

Seattle won 51-29 in 2021, 48-45 in 2022 and 37-31 in overtime last season under former coach Pete Carroll. The Seahawks’ new coach Mike Macdonald is pursing a 4-0 start to his career.

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