Atlanta Braves Playoff Hopes Come Down to Rescheduled Doubleheader After Loss

The Atlanta Braves remain in full control of the playoff hopes despite the loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday

The Atlanta Braves just need to win one of the games on Monday to play in October. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves dropped the series finale to the Kansas City Royals, 4-2. They miss out on an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot. 

The first inning got out of hand for starting pitcher Charlie Morton. Before he even got the first out, he allowed a double, a single and then a three-run blast. He then gave up another solo shot in the fourth inning. 

The Braves bats couldn’t find a way to bail him out. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Gio Urshela hit a solo blast to get on the board in the third inning and Ramón Laureano capped off scoring with an RBI single in the fourth. 

Meanwhile, the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets both won on Sunday. The maximum chaos scenario happened. All three teams remain tied for the final two wild card spots and both games of Monday’s doubleheader matter. 

Like a movie, it all comes down to the (new) final day of the regular season. 

Playoff Situation For Monday

The Braves remain in full control of their playoff destiny. But they need to make it happen. 

The same deal goes for Monday as it did on Sunday. If the Braves win, they’re in. That’s all it takes. The magic number is one. They have the tiebreaker over both the Mets and Diamondbacks. 

But there’s no relying on other teams to lose anymore. That opportunity went out the window with the Diamondbacks win. 

If you’re curious about the odds, those are still in the Braves' favor too. FanGraphs no longer gives them a 100% chance. However, it’s still a solid 82.8% chance. The New York Mets have a 66.5% chance and the Diamondbacks, who have played all their games and can only wait, have a 50.8% chance. 

The Braves and Mets resume their rained-out series on Monday afternoon. First pitch of the first game is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. with Spencer Schwellenbach on the mound. The second game will start about 40 minutes after the final out of the first game.