PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks arrived at Chase Field on Monday for a light workout and a lot of anxiety.
After they spent the entire afternoon watching the scoreboard, their fears were confirmed. There will be no postseason for the National League champion.
The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets split Monday’s doubleheader, meaning that both teams will be headed to the postseason and the D-backs were left out. All three finished the regular season with a record of 89-73, but the Mets and Braves had the advantage in the tiebreaker because they won their season series against Arizona.
In the end, the only thing they had left was to watch their season disappear on television. Ace Zac Gallen was playing catch on the field with the final out before heading off the field and toward the clubhouse.
“I was planning to play tomorrow,” he said.
The Mets-Braves doubleheader was scheduled for Monday, a day after the final day of the season because Hurricane Helene forced the postponement of last season’s two games in Atlanta.
It was not an ideal situation for anyone.
“It’s unfortunate, but you can’t control the weather,” Gallen said. “Who knew there would be a hurricane? The situation is that there are people who have died and have lost their homes. Getting angry about a natural disaster would be unwise.”
The D-backs needed either team to sweep both games to advance, but the Mets had little incentive to win the second game of the doubleheader because they had already confirmed their spot after winning the first.
The Braves were more motivated because the victory would ensure they continued playing in October.
Arizona first baseman Christian Walker admitted the only ones to blame were themselves.
“There is frustration, not towards the (Mets), he commented. “This is how any team would have done it. If we feel unhappy, it is time to look inside and say that we could have done more and played better.”
It was a bitter end for the Diamondbacks who were hoping to repeat after reaching the World Series last season. But there were plenty of reasons for disappointment during the season.
