It was humid, and the sun was rising out of the clouds over Citi Field, when the Mets announced that their series opener against the Cardinals on Monday had been postponed, due to a severe weather forecast for later in the evening.
The matchup began at 3:10 p.m. on Tuesday as part of a single-entry doubleheader, with the gates of Citi Field opening an hour before the first pitch, starting 30-40 minutes after the game two conclusion at 2:10 p.m. The game will be of one.
“With inclement weather in the area, we are concerned about everyone’s safety, so tonight’s game has been postponed,” the Mets said in a statement.
The rain, although marked by a strong thunderstorm watch, was expected to settle out of Flushing by the first pitch at 7:10 pm on Monday. The Mets did not provide a team official to provide clarity on their decision as the home team to postpone the game.
Alas, a doubleheader on Tuesday could work to the Amazons advantage given their sub-optimal pitching plans.
The Taijuan Walkers will mound on their scheduled start day on Tuesday and Trevor Williams will get another of those starts, but as of Monday evening, the team did not announce in which order they would pitch.
With Tyler Magill (right biceps tendinitis) landing on the injured list, retroactive to May 12, the Mets needed a spot starter for Monday. Right-handed Williams, usually the team’s long-relief substitute out of the bullpen, was scheduled to pitch in Monday’s series opener against Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas. But Williams probably wasn’t the Mets’ first choice against the second-placed St. Louis squad of 19-15.
The Mets have a 5-1 record in double headers this season. They will look to bounce back after a hard loss against the Mariners at home on Sunday, which led to their first series loss of the season – after starting a franchise record 9-0-1.
There may even have been some animosity between the Cards and the Mets, when the two teams last played each other three weeks ago at Busch Stadium. The Mets, who lead the Major with 24 hit pitches, were emotional after the Cardinals drilled another mate, JD Davis, partly due to a bench-clearing incident in St.
Mets reliever Yoann López sent a fastball up and into Nolan Arenado, who then screamed and rolled into Lopez before pushing catcher Tomas Nido and the team spread out on the field. Arenado and Cardinals pitcher Genesis Cabrera, who pulled Pete Alonso’s collar during the on-field incident, both received suspensions and fines from MLB. But, to the surprise of manager Buck Showalter, Cardinals coach Stubby Clapp, who wrestled Alonso in a ground bear-hug style, did not receive either a suspension or a fine.
The Cardinals and the Mets will meet on Tuesday for the first time since a 10-5m defeat in the series finale at Busch Stadium on April 27.
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