In light of the impending approach of Hurricane Helene, Major League Baseball has announced the postponement of the Wednesday and Thursday games between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. This decision was made to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all those involved as the hurricane makes its way toward the Atlanta area.
The two games, which were initially set to be held midweek, have now been rescheduled as a doubleheader on Monday, contingent upon their necessity for postseason contention. Currently, the Mets hold an 87-70 record, securing the National League's No. 5 seed. The Braves, on the other hand, are trailing by just a half-game behind Arizona for the final NL wild-card spot, adding a layer of urgency and relevance to the rescheduled matches.
As it stands, the Mets are committed to a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, while the Braves are set to play at home against the Kansas City Royals. If the doubleheader on Monday becomes necessary, the Mets will have to make an additional trip back to Atlanta following their stint in Milwaukee.
The decision to postpone wasn't taken lightly. Truist Park saw a strong turnout of 40,103 for Tuesday’s series opener, where the Braves clinched a 5-1 victory. The prospect of similar large crowds would undoubtedly complicate logistics should the schedule need further adjustments.
According to sources cited by the New York Post, "the Braves balked at moving any games this series because they were expecting large crowds at Truist Park." These sources elaborate that "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." Clearly, the Braves had a vested interest in proceeding as scheduled without disruption, but the safety concerns brought by the approaching hurricane ultimately demanded prudence.
Indeed, any inconvenience caused by the postponement places the responsibility on MLB, with sources stating, "Ultimately, the blame for any weather issues during these important games Wednesday and Thursday falls on MLB. The league has the final say." The league's primary concern has to remain the welfare of players, staff, and fans, making this preventive measure unavoidable.
Reflecting on the potential necessity for Monday's doubleheader, another source mentioned, "The games will only be played if there are postseason implications, but that seems likely as things stand." The stakes are high for both teams, and the implications of these games may very well shape the narrative of their postseason aspirations.
For the time being, both the Braves and the Mets must recalibrate their strategies and brace for a potentially busy start of the next week. The logistics of travel and quick turnarounds between series only add to the challenges these athletes face as they strive for postseason success.
Moving forward, fans on both sides will be closely monitoring both the weather and the standings, eager to see how events unfold. The resilience of the teams will undoubtedly be tested, but for now, the priorities lie in safety and readiness for what could be a pivotal point in their season.