ATLANTA — The final two games of a crucial series between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves were postponed Wednesday by heavy rains ahead of Hurricane Helene.
Now, a wild-card race that seemed headed to the final day of the regular season may require an extra day.
And a doubleheader, at that.
The regular season was set to end Sunday, but the Mets are now scheduled to return to Atlanta on Monday for a pair of games 40 minutes apart that could determine who heads to the playoffs.
New York plays three games in Milwaukee against the NL Central champion Brewers beginning Friday, while the Braves have a weekend series against the Kansas City Royals, a playoff contender in the AL.
“We've got to move on to the next series now,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We're facing another really good team in Milwaukee and we've got to go out there and not only win a series but we've got to go out there and take care of business. That’s the only thing we can do: control the things we control.”
The Mets (87-70) went into the day with a half-game lead over Arizona in the wild-card race, with the Braves (86-71) a full game back. Two of those teams will make the playoffs, which are set to begin Tuesday with the best-of-three wild-card round.
“I hope the Royals can get here,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker, looking ahead to an ominous forecast for the next two days as the hurricane's remnants move through Georgia. “I would hope we don’t get things screwed up for their series.”
The Diamondbacks had a game Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants. Arizona is off Thursday before a three-game series at home against the San Diego Padres to close out the regular season.
The Braves beat the Mets 5-1 on Tuesday night in the opening game of the series against their NL East rivals.
Both teams were off Monday, but there was no indication that the teams or MLB considered moving up the start of the series. Also, there was a missed opportunity to get in Wednesday's game before heavy rain swept through the area during the afternoon.
Mendoza said he didn't have discussions with MLB until just before the decision was made to postpone both games at 5:11 p.m. EDT — about two hours before the first pitch Wednesday.
“Look, my job is to manage a team,” he said. “We knew there was weather, but you can't predict it. We came here (Tuesday), lost a game, and we were ready to play today and we just got a call.”
With the final two games in Atlanta pushed back, the Mets could be facing an especially grueling travel schedule over the next week.
It's not out of the question that they will fly to back to Atlanta for the doubleheader Monday, then hustle to grab another flight — either back to Milwaukee or to the West Coast — for the start of the wild-card series on Tuesday should they make the playoffs.
Then again, they did get a couple of unplanned off days before that final stretch.
“I mean, it could be beneficial,” Mendoza said. “A couple of guys needing an extra day or two and your bullpen is going to be a little bit fresher.”
There is a chance the doubleheader would not be needed if the playoff race is settled by Sunday, but Mendoza wasn't sure if there was a contingency plan.
“I'm not going to get too far ahead,” he said. “Right now, we've just got to concentrate on the next series.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: SS Francisco Lindor was set for a return to the Mets’ lineup in the leadoff spot. He had missed the last eight games with lower back discomfort. Now, he'll have a couple of extra days to rest up.
Braves: RHP Reynaldo López (shoulder inflammation) said he could return to the mound for the series against the Royals. He is eligible to come off the injured list Thursday and said his shoulder feels good after a couple of weeks off.
UP NEXT
Mets: New York plans to leave for Milwaukee on Thursday morning, with Mendoza still trying to sort out his pitching plans. LH Jose Quintana (10-9, 3.74 ERA) had been set to start the series opener against the Brewers, but those plans are likely to be shuffled now. LH David Peterson (9-3, 3.08) and LH Sean Manaea (12-5, 3.29) had been set to start the final two games in Atlanta.
Braves: Chris Sale (18-3, 2:38) and Max Fried (10-10, 3.42) are likely to be pushed back to starts on Friday and Saturday against the Royals, though Snitker has yet to decide who will pitch on what days in the series. RH Charlie Morton is also in the mix.
