Hurricane Helene threatening rest of Mets-Atlanta series
Luis Severino #40 of the New York Mets pitches in the second inning against Atlanta at Truist Park on September 24, 2024 in Atlanta. Credit: Getty Images
ATLANTA — An ugly forecast featuring Hurricane Helene is threatening the rest of the Mets’ series with Atlanta, with huge playoff implications creating a potential headache for the teams and MLB.
The first half of the two-part mess is Wednesday. As of early afternoon, the clubs planned to try to play as scheduled at 7:20 p.m., people familiar with the matter said. There was a significant chance of rain in the area basically all night, but the parties involved were hoping for a break in the precipitation.
The second half looks worse. Helene was expected to impact in Georgia during the second half of Thursday, making a game played that day a longshot.
At this stage of the season, MLB makes rain delay/postponement calls in conjunction with the teams. (Earlier in the season, those decisions often rest with the home team.) MLB had not decided on any changes as of Wednesday afternoon.
If one or both games get postponed but wind up being important to determine the standings, the Mets and Atlanta could be looking at a makeup date Monday — the only day between the end of the regular season and the scheduled start of the postseason. That is far from ideal for both clubs, particularly the Mets because of the extra travel it would require, but it might be necessary.
These are perhaps the biggest games of the Mets’ season. They enter Wednesday holding the second National League wild-card spot, a half-game ahead of Arizona and one game ahead of Atlanta.
The season series — which is the first tiebreaker to determine playoff spots — between the Mets and Atlanta also is up for grabs in these contests. Atlanta has the edge there, 6-5, so the Mets need to win both of the remaining games to snag the tiebreaker.
The Mets are slated to play the Brewers in Milwaukee on Friday-Sunday. Atlanta is supposed to host the Royals, who are trying to win an AL wild-card berth, beginning Friday, when Helene may still be hitting the state, adding another layer of mess to an uncertain week.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
