Mother Nature continued to wreak havoc on the Marlins and Mets on Thursday, and Miami's wild-card chase. Tuesday's series opener was postponed because the infield at Citi Field was unplayable following a weekend rainstorm, and Thursday's series finale was suspended in the top of the ninth inning because of rain.
Tonight’s game has been suspended.
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 29, 2023
The Marlins and Mets waited out a rain delay of roughly three hours Thursday, but a playable window never arrived. MLB, which makes all weather-related decisions this late in the season, has not yet officially announced when Thursday's game will be resumed, though Marlins GM Kim Ng said they are being told the game will be completed Monday.
"Without getting into the details, obviously this is an unfortunate incident," Ng told the Miami Herald. "Right now, we're being told that we'll have to play (the rest of the suspended game) on Monday."
Given where we are in the schedule, there is no viable alternative to completing the game Monday, which is the day after the regular season is scheduled to end. The Marlins have to be in Pittsburgh to open a series with the Pirates on Friday. The Mets will host the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend. The Marlins are a half-game up on the Chicago Cubs for the third wild-card spot, so Thursday's game is very important in the postseason race.
As for Thursday's game, the Mets took a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning, but Miami struck for two runs on Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s double and Yuli Gurriel's pinch-hit single. That gave Miami a 2-1 lead, then the rain came, and the umpires called for the tarp. Here is the game-tying rally:
When the game resumes, the Marlins will have Jon Berti at first base and Gurriel at second with two outs in the top of the ninth. Jorge Soler is at the plate, Reed Garrett is on the mound for the Mets, and Andrew Nardi is on the mound for Miami.
MLB Rule 7.02(a)(5) covers suspended games. Here's the rule on suspending games due to weather (emphasis added):
Weather, if the game is called before it is a regulation game, or if a regulation game is called while an inning is in progress and before the inning is completed, and the visiting team has scored one or more runs to take the lead, and the home team has not retaken the lead
The visiting team (Marlins) scored one or more runs (two, to be precise) to take the lead in the top of the ninth, but the inning could not be completed, so the game is suspended rather than declared official and final. Basically, as the home team the Mets must be given a chance to bat in the bottom of the inning after blowing the lead in the top half. That's the rule in a nutshell.
It should be noted there is a chance Thursday's suspended game will not have to be completed Monday. The Marlins could clinch a postseason berth this weekend -- their magic number is three -- in which case the makeup game won't be necessary. There's also a scenario in which the suspended game is for all the marbles. A win and the Marlins are in the postseason, a loss and they're out.
