ATLANTA — The final two games of a crucial series between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves were postponed Wednesday by heavy rains ahead of Hurricane Helene.
Now, a wild-card race that seemed headed to the final day of the regular season may require an extra day.
And a doubleheader, at that.
The regular season was set to end Sunday, but the Mets are now scheduled to return to Atlanta on Monday for a pair of games 40 minutes apart that could determine who heads to the playoffs.
New York plays three games in Milwaukee against the NL Central champion Brewers beginning Friday, while the Braves have a weekend series against the Kansas City Royals, a playoff contender in the AL.
“We’ve got to move on to the next series now,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re facing another really good team in Milwaukee and we’ve got to go out there and not only win a series, but we’ve got to go out there and take care of business. That’s the only thing we can do: control the things we control.”
The Mets (87-70) went into the day with a half-game lead over Arizona in the wild-card race, with the Braves (86-71) a full game back. Two of those teams will make the playoffs, which are set to begin Tuesday with the best-of-three wild-card round.
“I hope the Royals can get here,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, looking ahead to an ominous forecast for the next two days as the hurricane’s remnants move through Georgia. “I would hope we don’t get things screwed up for their series.”
The Diamondbacks had a game Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants. Arizona is off Thursday before a three-game series at home against the San Diego Padres to close out the regular season.
The Braves beat the Mets 5-1 on Tuesday night in the opening game of the series against their NL East rivals.
Both teams were off Monday, but there was no indication that the teams or MLB considered moving up the start of the series. Also, there was a missed opportunity to get in Wednesday’s game before heavy rain swept through the area during the afternoon.
Mendoza said he didn’t have discussions with MLB until just before the decision was made to postpone both games at 5:11 p.m. EDT — about two hours before the first pitch Wednesday.
“Look, my job is to manage a team,” he said. “We knew there was weather, but you can’t predict it. We came here [Tuesday], lost a game, and we were ready to play today and we just got a call.”
With the final two games in Atlanta pushed back, the Mets could be facing an especially grueling travel schedule over the next week.
It’s not out of the question that they will fly back to Atlanta for the doubleheader Monday, then hustle to grab another flight — either back to Milwaukee or to the West Coast — for the start of the wild-card series on Tuesday should they make the playoffs.
Then again, they did get a couple of unplanned off days before that final stretch.
“I mean, it could be beneficial,” Mendoza said. “A couple of guys needing an extra day or two and your bullpen is going to be a little bit fresher.”
There is a chance the doubleheader would not be needed if the playoff race is settled by Sunday, but Mendoza wasn’t sure if there was a contingency plan.
“I’m not going to get too far ahead,” he said. “Right now, we’ve just got to concentrate on the next series.”
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Jimbo Fisher was brought to tears while returning to Florida State‘s campus for the first time since resigning to take the Texas A&M coaching job in 2017.
Fisher, now an ACC Network analyst, was wildly cheered at the start of the network’s pregame show outside Doak Campbell Stadium. He turned in his chair, did the tomahawk chop to the crowd of garnet-clad fans and started to cry.
“Brings tears to my eyes,” Fisher said. “Remember your family growing up here and hearing that chant. When you heard it, something to it.
“The players, the memories. It’s Miami week.”
Fisher moved back to Tallahassee after Texas A&M fired him in 2023. But he hadn’t stepped foot on campus until his job brought him back.
Fisher coached at Florida State for 10 years (2007-17), first as an offensive coordinator and then as head-coach-in-waiting before taking over for legend Bobby Bowden in January 2010. He won a national title in 2013 in the middle of a three-year run of capturing ACC championships.
He was hired in July as an analyst with ACC Network.
“I always loved Florida State,” Fisher said Friday while meeting with reporters. “Florida State was home. It’s very surreal. I got butterflies. The antsy in your stomach of coming back because it meant so much to you.”
Fisher predicted Florida State would beat Miami on a “wide middle” field goal attempt.
CINCINNATI — Brendan Sorsby passed for 214 yards and two touchdowns, Evan Pryor ran for 111 yards and two TDs and Cincinnati used a 17-point first quarter to beat No. 14 Iowa State 38-30 on Saturday.
The Bearcats (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) beat a ranked opponent at home for the first time since beating No. 16 Houston 35-20 on Dec. 4, 2021.
The Cyclones (5-1, 2-1) trailed 31-7 with 1:08 left in the second quarter before rallying to get within eight with 1:56 left in the game. Cincinnati recovered an onside kick to end the threat.
“It’s a different team,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said, simply, when asked the difference between last year’s 5-7 team and this year’s roster. “It’s different players.”
Rocco Becht passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns and ran another two in for the Cyclones.
Sorsby’s 82-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Goodie in the fourth quarter was the Bearcats’ longest pass play since 2015.
Iowa State, one of the least penalized teams in the country, had five penalties for 35 yards in the first half. The Cyclones jumped offside on third down to extend the Bearcats’ opening drive, which led to a 30-yard TD run from Pryor for the game’s first score.
The Cyclones went on to take a 17-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Becht got the Cyclones on the board early in the second on a 14-yard run.
Becht scored on a 4-yard run on the final play of the half and then threw an 11-yard TD pass to Brett Eskildsen on the opening drive in the third quarter.
“Rocco Becht is a dang warrior. You keep looking up and he continues to make plays,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said. “That is a huge win for us as we went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the Big 12 over the last few seasons.”
The Cyclones were without 16 injured players, including all-Big 12 defensive backs Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams. They also were without their top two kickers.
PITTSBURGH — Surprise starter Mason Heintschel threw for four touchdowns and led Pittsburgh to five first-half scores during a 48-7 win against Boston College on Saturday.
Heintschel, 18, a true freshman, made his first career start for Pitt (1-1, 3-2 ACC) in place of redshirt sophomore Eli Holstein. Holstein was pulled after throwing two interceptions during last week’s home loss against Louisville. Holstein saw fourth-quarter action Saturday with the result already decided.
Heintschel completed 30 of 41 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns against Boston College (0-3, 1-4), as Pitt raced to a 31-0 halftime lead and piled on 503 yards of total offense.
Kenny Johnson caught a career-high nine passes for a personal-best 115 yards and a touchdown, while Juelz Goff and Ja’Kyrian Turner rushed for scores with All-America running back Desmond Reid sidelined for a second straight game. Justin Holmes, Deuce Spann and Zion Fowler-El also caught Heintschel touchdowns, as Pitt snapped a seven-game losing streak against Power Four teams.
Boston College entered with one of the top passing attacks in the country, but the Eagles suffered their fourth straight loss. Boston College had 136 yards of total offense until a late 80-yard scoring drive.
Boston College had 69 yards of total offense in the first half, including minus-9 yards rushing, as the Eagles punted four times, fumbled and turned the ball over on downs on six first-half drives.
Heintschel guided Pitt to five scores in six first-half drives, including four touchdowns and a field goal.
Heintschel led the Panthers to a touchdown on his first drive, an 11-play, 76-yard series that spanned 5:30. Heintschel was 4-of-4 for 29 yards including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Holmes. He also rushed for 16 yards and helped Pitt convert a pair of third downs.
Pitt scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, including two scores in the last two minutes of the half.
Johnson caught a 12-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-1 to complete a nine-play, 66-yard drive in 3:51. Goff rushed for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:56 to play in the half and Turner added a 6-yard rushing score to give Pittsburgh a 31-0 lead 10 seconds before halftime.
