Mets & Braves In Extended Rain Delay, Monday Doubleheader Could Decide Seasons

The final two games of a three-game series this week between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves have been postponed because of the anticipated effects of Hurricane Helene. The two teams will compete in a doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday – it will likely determine which team will go to the playoffs.

After winning the series’ first game and preparing Cy Young candidate Chris Sale to start Wednesday, the Braves definitely have some momentum that may have been enough to even the odds against the Mets. That being said, New York has been white-hot, and Francisco Lindor has been listed in the Wednesday lineup for the first time in two weeks, which could have also had an impact.

New York still has a one-game lead on Atlanta for the final Wild Card spot and will now play three games against the Milwaukee Brewers, who already clinched the N.L. Central, before returning to Atlanta. 

“We’ve got to move on to the next series now,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of the rain delay. “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 Braves will stay home for a three-game set against the Royals, who are still fighting for a Wild Card spot in the American League. Braves manager Brian Snitker expressed concern that the hurricane could also affect that series. For now, further changes to the schedule have been made.

In a long-term sense, the postponement is unfavorable for both teams. The first round of the MLB Playoffs begins next Tuesday, and instead of a day of rest, New York and Atlanta will now have to play an extremely meaningful doubleheader the day before. This will wear on both team’s pitching staffs and could also take a psychological toll. Both teams have been wired in a battle against one another for months, making the doubleheader between bitter rivals more of a culmination than the actual postseason in many ways.