Exclusive | How Braves decision for Mets series set up nightmare scenario with Hurricane Helene bearing down

ATLANTA – For reasons of business, logistics and perhaps gamesmanship, the Braves did not want to shift start times, days or locations for their series against the Mets despite forecasts that make it iffy to play Wednesday night and even less likely to play a three-game series finale Thursday night.MLB could have overridden any desire of either team and forced different logistics for the games and did not.Wednesday’s scheduled 7:20 p.m.ET game is still set to be played, as of early afternoon, though it is pouring in the area.So now with Hurricane Helene bearing down on the city, it raised the potential for the nightmare scenario of the clubs having to play a doubleheader Monday to determine playoff viability – a day after the scheduled part of the regular season ends and the day before the playoffs begin.It is possible the identity of all playoff teams and their seedings are none after the games Sunday.

But consider a few ugly possibilities now in play:– The Mets and Braves are playing 18 innings Monday in Atlanta and one might have to fly to Los Angeles, San Diego or Milwaukee to begin the playoffs the next day to begin a best-of-three that is scheduled over consecutive days.Thus, 18 innings Monday at full throttle, a flight (perhaps to the West Coast) and having exhausted players trying to recalibrate for a playoff series.

It also would force at least one higher-seeded team (maybe more depending on seeding) to wait until the night before to know its opponent.– The Mets or the Braves finish the weekend knowing they are in the playoffs, but the other does not and neither does the Diamondbacks.Now, the Mets and Braves would have to come back for one or two games Monday and the team that already clinched a playoff spot will have no incentive whatsoever to play its best players or go hard in the game – while the Diamondbacks watch helplessly from afar.Remember that in some ways this trouble all began April 10 when a game was rained out at Truist Park tha...