The National League playoff picture just got a whole lot more murky.
Due to Hurricane Helene's approach to the Gulf Coast, Major League Baseball has postponed two games between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. Originally scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, the games are now set to be made up with a doubleheader on Monday—one day before the MLB playoffs begin on Tuesday.
The Braves and Mets are currently battling with the Arizona Diamondbacks over the NL's final two wild-card spots. Entering Wednesday night's slate, New York (87–70) is in the second wild-card spot and sits a half-game ahead of Arizona, which is a half-game ahead of Atlanta.
There is another twist to the story: If the Diamondbacks wind up eliminated this weekend and the Mets and Braves clinch the final two spots, it will be up to the commissioner whether or not the games scheduled for Monday are played. They would only matter for seeding purposes.
Essentially, this all comes down to what 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 in the thick of the American League wild-card hunt themselves.
The Mets will travel to Milwaukee to face the NL Central champion Brewers for three games.
The Diamondbacks have one more game in their series with the Giants on Wednesday night, then will host three games against the San Diego Padres, who clinched a playoff spot Tuesday night. The Padres still have a shot at the NL West title, trailing the Dodgers by two games ahead of contests against them Wednesday and Thursday.
None of the three teams chasing the final two NL playoff spots has an easy task this weekend, as all three will face teams with something to play for.
Things will almost certainly get wild over the next few days, and the postponed games are likely to make them crazier.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Postponed Mets-Braves Games Throw NL Playoff Picture Into Chaos.
