It looks like Mother Nature has thrown a wrench into the National League postseason race, with the Braves and Mets facing the possibility of a Monday doubleheader at Truist Park to determine their playoff fates.
With inclement weather on the horizon, MLB postponed the Braves-Mets games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, setting the stage for a high-stakes traditional doubleheader starting at 1:10 p.m. ET on Monday. The second game will begin 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first.
The remaining games vs the New York Mets scheduled for 9/25 and 9/26 have been postponed due to current and forecasted weather impacting the Atlanta area. Both games have been rescheduled as part of a traditional doubleheader on Monday, September 30th. The first game will begin…
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 25, 2024
This last-minute scheduling scramble isn’t ideal for either team, especially with both clubs still fighting for a Wild Card spot. The Mets will first have to travel to Milwaukee for a three-game series against the Brewers starting Friday, only to return to Atlanta on Monday for the crucial doubleheader. Meanwhile, the Braves will stay in Atlanta to face the Royals for their final regular-season series before Monday’s games, though the threat of Hurricane Helene potentially complicates things further.
As the postseason picture remains uncertain, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged the challenge ahead. “We’ve got to move on to the next series,” 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 can control.”
The Braves, currently a game behind the Mets and just a half-game behind the Diamondbacks in the battle for the National League’s final two Wild Card spots, will be keeping a close eye on every game. Both the Braves and Mets own the tiebreaker over the D-backs, but for the Mets to overtake Atlanta, they’d need to sweep Monday’s doubleheader.
One wrinkle to all this chaos is whether MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will need to step in if circumstances make playing Monday’s doubleheader unfeasible. But as things stand, it looks like at least one of the two teams will have to take the field on Monday and then quickly travel for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series the very next day on Tuesday.
Braves manager Brian Snitker seems to be taking the situation in stride. “We’re just going to have to assess the situation in totality, as far as the playoff ramifications,” Snitker said. “We’re going to have to be really fluid with the whole thing.”
Braves & Mets Pitching Plans
Mets: The Mets haven’t yet solidified their pitching rotation for the Milwaukee series, but it’s likely that left-hander Sean Manaea will start Friday’s opener. Manaea has been the Mets’ best arm in the second half of the season, but if he pitches Friday, he wouldn’t be on regular rest for a potential Wild Card start unless things shift. The rest of the Mets’ rotation, excluding Manaea and Luis Severino (who started Tuesday’s loss to the Braves), will be available by Saturday.
Braves: On the Braves’ side, pitching plans are also up in the air. Chris Sale was initially scheduled to start Wednesday but could now take the mound for Friday’s series opener against the Royals, making him a possibility for Game 2 of a Wild Card Series. Max Fried, who was scheduled for Thursday, may now start Saturday, which would line him up for a potential Game 3. Rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, who has been stellar against the Mets this year (allowing just one run over 14 innings), is also in the mix. He could either start Sunday or take the ball in one of Monday’s doubleheader games.
This late-season shakeup is hardly what either team envisioned, but with so much on the line, every game—and every inning—will be critical. Both the Braves and Mets are fighting for their playoff lives, and the twists and turns of this final stretch are sure to make for a dramatic conclusion to the regular season. Whether the postseason begins for them on Tuesday or not at all depends on how they navigate these final few games.
