A Phillies fan guide to rooting for the most miserable outcome for Braves, Mets

The Phillies don’t have much to play for this weekend.

After losing to the Nats 9-1 and the Dodgers beating the Rockies 11-4, the Phillies have pretty much all but solidified their fate as the No. 2 seed in the National League.

The only way the Phillies can still get the No. 1 seed is if the Phillies win out and the Dodgers lose out over the next two.

But there’s chaos on the wild card side of the NL playoff race. The Padres clinched the No. 4 seed with a 5-3 win over the D-Backs on Friday. The D-Backs, Braves and Mets are all in a virtual tie for the last two wild card spots:

• Padres 92-68 (w)
• Braves 87-71
• Mets 87-71
• D-Backs 88-72

But here’s the kicker: The Braves and Mets are scheduled to play a traditional doubleheader on Monday a day before the wild card round begins. Two of the three games the teams were scheduled to play last week were postponed due to Hurricane Helene.

Whether both games are actually played are still to be decided. The D-Backs could potentially be eliminated from the postseason by the end of day Sunday due to not having the tiebreaker against either the Braves or Mets. The commissioner’s office has the power to cancel either one or both games of the doubleheader if they only needed to be played for seeding purposes. The assumption here is that Rob Manfred won’t make the Braves and Mets play the doubleheader if they’re both in the playoffs on Sunday.

But in all likelihood, the Mets will probably have to travel from Milwaukee back to Atlanta to make up at least one of the two doubleheader games.

Here’s your guide to rooting for the most diabolical outcome for the Mets and Braves.

Things to Remember

• All three teams are playing two games this weekend against opponents that have little to play for. The Padres, who are playing the D-Backs in Arizona, are locked in to the No. 4 seed. Same for the Brewers, who are locked in to the No. 3 seed and are playing the Mets in Milwaukee. The Royals, who are playing the Braves in Atlanta, have already clinched a postseason berth and would only be playing for a higher seed if they want it.
• The Braves and Mets both have the tiebreaker against the D-Backs.
• The Braves lead the Mets in the season series 6-5 with two games left if necessary. If the Braves and Mets play only one game of the doubleheader on Monday and the Mets win, the Mets would win the tiebreaker by virtue of having the better record against NL East opponents, which is the second tiebreaker.
• With all three teams having two games left to play, there are 27 different ways this can play out. We don’t have time to go through them all.
• Assuming the Phillies are locked into the No. 2 seed in the National League, they will play the winner of the Brewers versus whoever gets the No. 6 seed in the NLDS.

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Which Scenarios Would Likely Cancel the Doubleheader?

This is the best outcome for MLB, but not great for the higher-seed teams playing in the wild card round and those rooting for Braves and Mets misery.

The doubleheader will likely be cancelled if the D-Backs go 0-2 and the Mets and Braves both win at least one of their next two games. If the Braves and Mets both go 2-0 and the D-Backs go 1-1, all three teams will finish with the same win total, eliminating the D-Backs by virtue of the tiebreaker.

So if you’re rooting for chaos, hope that the D-Backs win both of their remaining games against the Padres this weekend.

Scenarios Where One Team Makes the Playoffs, But Still Needs to Play At Least One Game on Monday

Here’s probably the most annoying scenario for both teams. It’s very possible that one of either the Braves and Mets are in the postseason by the end of Sunday, but still need to play the doubleheader to give the other team a chance to make it into the postseason.

• If Mets go 2-0, Braves go 1-1 and D-Backs go 1-1: The Mets are in the postseason, but Braves can make it with one win in the doubleheader. The Braves would make it as the No. 5 seed and the Mets as the No. 6 seed with one win in the doubleheader. If Mets sweep the doubleheader, which they have no incentive to do, the Mets would be the No. 5 seed and the D-Backs would get in as the No. 6 seed.
• If Mets go 2-0, Braves go 0-2 and D-Backs go 0-2: The Mets are in the postseason, but Braves can make it with one win in the doubleheader. The Braves would make it as the No. 6 seed and the Mets as the No. 5 seed with a game one win. If Mets sweep the doubleheader, which they have no incentive to do, the Mets would be the No. 5 seed and the D-Backs would get in as the No. 6 seed.
• If Mets go 1-1, Braves go 2-0 and D-Backs go 1-1: The Braves are in the postseason, but Mets can make postseason as the No. 5 seed by virtue of the second tiebreaker with win in first game of doubleheader, eliminating the D-Backs and giving the Braves the No. 6 seed. If Braves sweep the doubleheader, which they have no incentive to do, the Braves would be the No. 5 seed and the D-Backs would get in as the No. 6 seed. If the Braves win game one of the doubleheader, but lose game two, they are the No. 5 seed and the Mets are the No. 6 seed.
• If Mets go 1-1, Braves go 0-2 and D-Backs go 0-2: The Mets are in the postseason, but Braves can make postseason as the No. 5 seed and Mets as No. 6 with one win in the doubleheader. If Mets sweep the doubleheader, which they have no incentive to do, the Mets would be the No. 5 seed and the D-Backs would get in as the No. 6 seed.
• If Mets go 0-2, Braves go 2-0 and D-Backs go 0-2: The Braves are in the postseason, but Mets can make the postseason as No. 6 seed with one win in doubleheader. If Braves sweep the doubleheader, which they have no incentive to do, the Braves would be the No. 5 seed and the D-Backs would get in as the No. 6 seed.
• If Mets go 0-2, Braves go 1-1 and D-backs go 0-2: The Braves are in the postseason, but Mets make the postseason as No. 5 seed by virtue of the second tiebreaker with one win in the doubleheader. If the Braves win the first game and lose the second, the Braves are the No. 5 seed and the Mets are the No. 6 seed. If Braves sweep the doubleheader, which they have no incentive to do, the Braves would be the No. 5 seed and the D-Backs would get in as the No. 6 seed.

The Most Awkward Outcome

If the Braves, Mets and D-Backs all finish either 2-0, 1-1 or 0-2, bring on the awkwardness. The Braves and Mets would both make the playoffs with the Braves as the No. 5 seed and the Mets as the No. 6 seed if the teams split the doubleheader. If one team sweeps, that team would be the No. 5 seed and the D-Backs would get the No. 6 seed, though there is no incentive for the game one winner to try in game two.

Scenarios Where Both Games of the Doubleheader Need to Be Played for Braves or Mets to make the postseason

• If Mets go 2-0, Braves go 1-1 and D-Backs go 2-0: Arizona makes the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and goes to Milwaukee on Sunday. The Mets can eliminate the Braves with one win in game one of the doubleheader and finish as the No. 5 seed. The Braves can make the playoffs as the No. 5 seed and eliminate the Mets with a doubleheader sweep.
• If Mets go 2-0, Braves go 0-2 and D-Backs go 2-0: Arizona makes the playoffs, but doesn’t know where they’re going. Mets make the playoffs as No. 5 seed, eliminate Braves and give D-Backs the No. 6 seed with one doubleheader win. Braves get No. 6 seed, eliminate Mets and give D-Backs No. 5 seed with doubleheader sweep.
• If Mets go 1-1, Braves go 2-0 and D-Backs to 2-0: Arizona makes the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and goes to Milwaukee on Sunday. The Braves can eliminate the Mets with one win in game one of the doubleheader and finish as the No. 5 seed with the D-Backs as the No. 6 seed. The Mets can make the playoffs as the No. 5 seed with a doubleheader sweep and eliminate the Braves.
• If Mets go 1-1, Braves go 1-1 and D-Backs go 2-0: Arizona makes the playoffs, but don’t know where they’re going. Braves get the No. 6 seed and eliminate Mets with one doubleheader win. Mets get the No. 5 seed, the D-Backs get the No. 6 seed and the Braves are eliminated with a Mets doubleheader sweep.
• If Mets go 1-1, Braves go 0-2 and D-Backs go 2-0: Arizona makes the playoffs as the No. 5 seed. Mets make the playoffs as No. 6 seed with one win in the doubleheader. Braves make the playoffs as the No. 6 seed with doubleheader sweep and eliminate the Mets.
• If Mets go 0-2, Braves go 2-0 and D-Backs go 2-0: Arizona makes the playoffs, but don’t know where they’re going. Braves get the No. 5 seed and eliminate Mets with one doubleheader win. Mets make the playoffs as the No. 6 seed by virtue of first tiebreaker, D-Backs make it as the No. 5 seed and eliminate Braves with doubleheader sweep.
• If Mets go 0-2, Braves go 1-1 and D-Backs go 1-1: Arizona makes the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. Braves eliminate the Mets and finish with No. 5 seed with one win in the doubleheader. The Mets make the playoffs as the No. 5 seed and eliminate Braves with a doubleheader sweep.
• If Mets go 0-2, Braves go 0-2 and D-Backs go 2-0: Arizona makes the playoffs as the the No. 5 seed. Braves make the playoffs as No. 6 seed with one win in the doubleheader. Mets make the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and eliminate Braves with doubleheader sweep.
• If Mets go 0-2, Braves go 0-2 and the D-Backs go 1-1: Arizona makes the playoffs, but don’t know where they’re going. Braves eliminate Mets and are the No. 6 seed with the D-Backs as the No. 5 seed with one win in the doubleheader. The Mets make the playoffs as the No. 5 seed, eliminate the Braves and give the D-Backs the No. 6 seed with a doubleheader sweep.

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