Things are about to get crazy.
Due to Hurricane Helene’s approach to the Gulf Coast, Major League Baseball has postponed two games between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. The games were originally planned for Wednesday and Thursday, but will now be made up with a doubleheader on Monday, one day before the MLB playoffs begin on Tuesday.
The Braves and Mets are now competing with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League’s final two wild-card positions. Entering Wednesday night’s schedule, New York (87-70) is in the second wild-card place, a half-game ahead of Arizona and a half-game ahead of Atlanta.
There’s another twist in the story: if the Diamondbacks are eliminated this weekend and the Mets and Braves clinch the final two berths, the commissioner will decide whether or not to play the games scheduled for Monday. They would only be useful for seeding reasons.
Essentially, it all comes down to how the three teams do against their next opponents.
The Braves will host the Kansas City Royals for three games, beginning on Friday. The Royals are also competing for an American League wild card spot.
The Mets will travel to Milwaukee to play three games against the NL Central champion Brewers.
The Diamondbacks play one more game in their series with the Giants on Wednesday night before hosting three games against the San Diego Padres, who won a playoff position Tuesday night. The Padres still have a shot at the NL West crown, trailing the Dodgers by two games heading into games against them on Wednesday and Thursday.
None of the three teams vying for the final two NL postseason places have an easy task this weekend, as all three will face clubs with something to play for.
Things will almost surely turn wild over the following four days, and the postponed games are expected to exacerbate the chaos.
