Series Previews: We Are Royals and Padres Fans, Too

While the Mets look to take care of business in Milwaukee, let’s take a look at what their Wild Card competition will be up to over the weekend. As it stands, New York (87-70) is in a virtual tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks (88-71), though technically percentage points ahead with the tiebreaker in hand. The Atlanta Braves (86-71) are one game back of both teams with a doubleheader looming against the Mets on Monday.

Royals at Braves

The forecast for the first pitch at 7:20 p.m. ET on Friday shows a 15 percent chance of rain, so it appears that the Braves will be able to play at Truist Park for the first time since Tuesday. It will be Max Fried (10-10, 3.42 ERA) for Atlanta going up against Brady Singer (9-12, 3.73 ERA) for Kansas City. This means Fried, who was slated to battle the Mets earlier this week before the weather interrupted, will not start against New York in the doubleheader.

The Royals (85-74), coming off a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals, are looking to clinch a Wild Card spot of their own and make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2015. They are deadlocked with the Detroit Tigers (whom they have the tiebreaker over) for the second spot in the American League and are three games ahead of the Minnesota Twins. A Royals win Friday (or a Twins loss) would clinch a spot. Since they are tied with the Tigers, they will have seeding to play for at least through Saturday.

Singer has been out of tune all September, going 0-3 with a 6.43 ERA this month. The Royals have announced that former Met Seth Lugo (16-9, 3.03 ERA) will pitch Saturday and lefty Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.14 ERA) will go on Sunday. Whether that changes if the Royals clinch remains to be seen. The Braves’ starters for Saturday and Sunday are TBD.

Bobby Witt Jr. (who else?) leads KC with an .829 OPS in September. For the Braves, Michael Harris II has eight September home runs, Matt Olson owns a 1.045 OPS and Ozzie Albies recently came off the injured list.

Padres at Diamondbacks

Must-win is an overused term in sports, but it certainly applies in Arizona’s case. The Diamondbacks lost the tiebreaker to both NL East Wild Card contenders, so they have a lot riding on the outcome of the Mets and Braves’ doubleheader and need to provide themselves with some cushion this weekend. Merrill Kelly (5-0, 3.71 ERA) starts Friday for Arizona against Yu Darvish (6-3, 3.18 ERA) of the Padres. Both teams’ pitchers for Saturday and Sunday are TBD.

The Padres are coming off an eventful series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. San Diego clinched a playoff spot with a victory over L.A. on Tuesday, but a 7-2 loss on Thursday ended their long shot chances of winning the NL West. The Dodgers are now champs of the division for the 11th time in 12 years. The Padres (91-68) are in the first Wild Card spot and will most likely be the No. 4 seed, though they have yet to clinch in that regard. For example, if the Padres were to get swept and the Mets won five in a row, the Mets would be the No. 4 seed instead. (Stranger things have happened!)

Eugenio Suárez (eight homers, .341 batting average, 1.033 OPS) has been Arizona’s hottest hitter in September. Fernando Tatis Jr. (seven homers, .963 OPS) and Manny Machado (six homers, .911 OPS) have both stepped it up this month for San Diego.

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