The Mets (87-70) currently occupy the second wildcard spot, holding a half-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks (87-71). Conversely, the Braves (86-71) are a half-game out of the final postseason berth.
Now, the fate of their seasons may be decided by two games on Monday, with the winner having to open the playoffs the following day.
MLB could have rearranged start times to fit in at least one contest, leaving only a game to make up on Monday. Likewise, playing games at a neutral site was a potential solution.
Braves manager Brian Snitker told Tim Healey of Newsday that he “never heard” talk about moving the games.
“That all sounds good, but I think probably putting all that together is a little more involved than what we even think,” Snitker said.
Snitker may have a point, but now that the league has done nothing, his team and the Mets are left feeling the brunt.
For Atlanta, not playing on Wednesday or Thursday likely cancels out the possibility of having either Chris Sale or Max Fried take the hill on Monday. However, New York might have it a lot worse.
The Mets are stuck in Atlanta and must travel to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers for a three-game set beginning on Friday before returning to Truist Field on Monday. Meanwhile, the Braves may have to batten down the hatches at home, but they don’t have to go anywhere with the Kansas City Royals coming to town for a weekend series.
There is a scenario that might calm the blowback aimed at MLB, which would see both the Braves and Mets clinch playoff berths ahead of Monday’s scheduled doubleheader. For that to happen, the Diamondbacks would need to split their final four games against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres, with the Braves needing a three-game sweep against the Royals and the Mets having to take two of three from the Brewers.
While the league may hope things play out that way, they shouldn’t be left off the hook, even if it does. The path of Helene wasn’t a secret, nor was the impact it would have on the Mets/Braves series, yet MLB sat on its hands.
