Mets-Braves postponed for hurricane, Monday doubleheader to keep Wild Card in holding pattern
Sep 25, 2024, 3:02 PM | Updated: 3:57 pm
Manager Carlos Mendoza #64 of the New York Mets looks on prior to the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 24, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — The final two games of the New York Mets at Atlanta Braves series Wednesday and Thursday, critical to the National League Wild Card race in the final week of the season, have been postponed with storm weather bearing down.
The two games will be rescheduled for a Monday traditional doubleheader starting at 10:10 a.m., the day after the regular season ends and before the Wild Card Series begins.
With this development, it is possible, if not likely, the Arizona Diamondbacks won’t know whether they make the postseason until Monday night, after their season finale against the San Diego Padres on Sunday.
The D-backs (87-71), Mets (87-70) and Braves (86-71) are all in a battle for the final two Wild Card spots, separated by one game.
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) September 25, 2024
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Arizona does not own the tiebreaker against either the Mets or the Braves and needs to be at least one game ahead of either NL East club to clinch. The D-backs control their own destiny for four games left, considering the Braves and Mets cannot both win out.
The Mets have three games at the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, while the Braves are scheduled to host the AL Wild Card-contending Kansas City Royals starting Friday.
The Padres have the top Wild Card spot nearly locked up at 91-66, but they are in a race for the NL West two games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Clearly we’re aware of it, and it doesn’t make a difference to me,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said.
“I can honestly say I’m so concerned about what we’re able to do in our dugout and in our clubhouse to go out and perform the best way we know how. And that’s what I continue to talk to these guys about, put it on us, take care of what we do best and control what we can control. If it gets to that point on Monday, of course we’re going to be watching, but we’ve got four games to go and we just got to continue to play hungry baseball.”
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, if the D-backs are are eliminated before Monday, it will be at commissioner Rob Manfred’s discretion to play the doubleheader for seeding.
Atlanta is already in a Tropical Storm Warning with rain and wind as Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall Thursday night in Florida.
The Braves and Mets both had this past Monday off with a hurricane in the upcoming forecast.
