Rain forces Mets-Phillies into Saturday doubleheader
The tarp is on the field during a rain delay between the Mets and the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Like so much of the rest of this season, the final week has not been easy for the Mets.
Their series opener with the Phillies on Friday night was postponed because of rain, setting up a single-admission doubleheader Saturday beginning at 4 p.m.
So decisive was the forecast — with Gov. Kathy Hochul declaring a state of emergency in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley — that the rainout announcement came before noon, long before players, other stadium employees and especially fans would have started to arrive at Citi Field.
Those with tickets for Friday’s game will receive a voucher good for tickets to another game through May 2024 (with exceptions), the Mets said. Those with tickets for Saturday’s game can attend both contests.
This was the fourth time in four days that rain messed with the Mets’ schedule. After a rainout Tuesday created a doubleheader Wednesday, their series finale with the Marlins on Thursday was suspended in the top of the ninth inning — with the Marlins having just taken a 2-1 lead — after a rain delay of 3 hours, 17 minutes.
The Mets and Marlins are scheduled to resume that game, perhaps only if it still has playoff implications, Monday afternoon. The regular season is supposed to end Sunday, with the postseason beginning Tuesday.
The ripple effect: The Mets had an introductory news conference for president of baseball operations David Stearns scheduled for noon Monday. They will have to tweak that plan if they have to play the final four outs against the Marlins.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
