Major League Baseball has announced the postponement of two pivotal games between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Helene in the Atlanta area. The games, initially set for Wednesday and Thursday, will be rescheduled as a doubleheader on Monday, but only if postseason implications necessitate it.
The Mets, holding an 87-70 record and securing the National League's No. 5 seed, are poised to play a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend. The Braves, trailing just a half-game behind Arizona for the final NL wild-card spot, are scheduled to face the Kansas City Royals at home during the same period. The change forces the Mets to make a return trip to Atlanta for the doubleheader, an added complication in an already tense final stretch of the season.
The delays have stirred various reactions and have brought underlying logistical concerns to the forefront. An unnamed source told the New York Post that the Braves were initially resistant to rescheduling any games in the series. "The Braves balked at moving any games this series because they were expecting large crowds at Truist Park," the source said.
Supporting this claim, another insider shed light on the complex logistics the Braves would have to manage with a reschedule. "Background conversations with involved personnel indicated that basically the Braves were expecting large attendance for the three games and did not want to forego the gates nor work through the logistics of moving personnel such as security, concessionaires, etc., to other dates or start times," the insider explained.
The potential impact on fan attendance and the logistical intricacies of altering schedules highlight the broader challenges faced by MLB in making such decisions. Ultimately, the league had to step in, exercising its authority to prioritize player safety and logistical feasibility amid the adverse weather forecasts.
"Ultimately, the blame for any weather issues during these important games Wednesday and Thursday falls on MLB. The league has the final say," sources emphasized. This decision underscores the overarching responsibility MLB has in ensuring the integrity and safety of its games, even as it navigates the competing interests of teams, fans, and staff.
For the Braves and the Mets, the scheduling shuffle adds another dimension to their already critical end-of-season performances. Truist Park saw a significant turnout of 40,103 fans for Tuesday's series opener, where Atlanta triumphed 5-1, setting a robust backdrop for the games that now face postponement.
Beyond the immediate logistics and fan experiences, these rescheduled games bear crucial postseason implications. "The games will only be played if there are postseason implications, but that seems likely as things stand," an unnamed source commented, reflecting the high stakes involved as the regular season draws to a close.
In the days ahead, both the Braves and the Mets will need to navigate their weekend series with an awareness of what lies pending. The Mets' performance against the Brewers and the Braves' encounters with the Royals could very well set the stage for an intensely competitive Monday doubleheader, should it be necessary.