Mets and Braves must sweep this weekend to prevent playing on Monday: Updated NL playoff scenarios | Sports

It was nonetheless attainable Saturday morning that the Mets gained’t have to board a aircraft Sunday evening and fly again to Atlanta for a make-up doubleheader Monday. But for that to occur, each of these groups want to sweep their video games Saturday and Sunday — and then would nonetheless need assistance.

Before we lay out the probabilities, let’s replace the wild-card standings after the Braves’ win Friday, plus losses by the Mets and Diamondbacks, left these groups basically tied, at 16 video games over .500

Braves — 87-71
Mets — 87-71
Diamondbacks — 88-72

So underneath most attainable scenarios, the Mets and Braves would wish to play a minimum of one sport Monday, and probably each, to determine the ultimate two groups within the National League playoff area. But what would have to occur to make these Monday video games pointless? They are down to solely two scenarios:

Braves and Mets each sweep — If the Braves win Saturday and Sunday in opposition to Kansas City and the Mets win Saturday and Sunday in Milwaukee, that places strain on the Diamondbacks. Then Arizona would additionally want to win every of its closing two video games, at house versus San Diego, to power the Mets and Braves to play Monday.

That’s as a result of the Diamondbacks maintain none of the attainable two-team or three-team tiebreakers. So at worst, they want to end their common season Sunday in a digital tie with a minimum of one of many different two groups.

Diamondbacks lose two extra — Or if the Diamondbacks lose out to San Diego each Saturday and Sunday, then the Mets and Braves would each want to win a minimum of as soon as to successfully get rid of Arizona.

If that’s how this performs out, the standings would look this method:

Braves — 88-72
Mets — 88-72
Diamondbacks — 88-74

If that have been the case, Arizona wouldn’t be “mathematically” eradicated. But the Diamondbacks could be “effectively” eradicated, as a result of they'd lose out, through tiebreaker, in any two-team or three-team tie with the Braves and Mets.

In that situation, it’s unlikely that MLB would require the Mets and Braves to play Monday, if the one factor at stake is seeding. And because the Braves now maintain the tiebreaker in opposition to the Mets, they'd be the No. 5 seed, and the Mets could be the No. 6 seed.

Because the opposite 4 NL playoff groups are set, the No. 6 seed will get matched in opposition to third-seeded Milwaukee within the Wild Card Series, with all three video games in Milwaukee. The No. 5 seed would have to journey to fourth-seeded San Diego for all three video games of the opposite NL Wild Card Series. (The NL’s prime seed continues to be up for grabs between the Dodgers and Phillies.)

The Mets, particularly, desperately need to keep away from the Max Chaos situation — having to play one sport Sunday in Milwaukee, two video games Monday in Atlanta and probably a playoff sport Tuesday in San Diego. That would work out to 4 video games in three days in three time zones.

But is that what lies forward of them? Stay tuned — and hold your tiebreaker charts helpful.

(Photo of Ramón Laureano and Francisco Alvarez: Jason Allen / Associated Press)