NEW YORK - Rainouts have become routine for the New York Mets. The Atlanta Braves have had more days off than games in the past week.
The series finale between the Braves and the host Mets, scheduled for Sunday night at Citi Field, was postponed because of more wet weather in New York. The teams will make it up as part of a single-admission doubleheader at 5:10 p.m. on July 26. Both games will be set for seven innings.
It was the second washout of the series and third in five days for the Mets (25-20), who lead the National League East Division but have played four fewer games than any other Major League Baseball team in a season filled with interruptions from the very beginning.
The Braves had scheduled days off this past Monday and Thursday around a two-game road series against the Boston Red Sox. New York won 13-2 on Saturday night, the only game of the scheduled three-game series that was played.
"It's not ideal," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "We go on a weeklong road trip and played three games."
Atlanta (24-26), which has won the past three NL East titles, is second in the division and just 3 1/2 games behind the Mets despite not having a winning record at any point this season.
On Sunday, two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom (3-2, 0.80 ERA) had been slated to pitch for New York against Max Fried (2-2, 4.63) in a nationally televised game on ESPN. However, with rain falling throughout an unseasonably chilly afternoon in Queens and a forecast of showers deep into the night, the game was called a little more than 90 minutes before the scheduled first pitch.
Friday's rained-out game will be made up in a single-admission doubleheader of seven-inning games at 5:10 p.m. on June 21.
Fried's start was pushed back to Tuesday at home against the Washington Nationals, with Charlie Morton getting the ball Monday evening in the series opener as scheduled.
"It gets messed up. Guys are pitching on way too much time off," Snitker said. "But what are you going to do? You just have to deal with it."
The Mets have had seven games postponed by bad weather, plus an April home game against the Miami Marlins that was suspended in the first inning due to rain. Even the first scheduled series of the season was wiped out due to coronavirus protocol on the part of the Nationals.
On the injury front, Atlanta rookie center fielder Cristian Pache (hamstring) was supposed to begin a rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Gwinnett, but he was held out when he felt discomfort warming up.
"They didn't want to take any chances, so they just shut him down and will try him again on Tuesday," Snitker said. "Actually, I think his groin was a little tight this time, and they didn't want to push that, either."