Hurricane Helene could have unexpected impact on the Royals’ playoff push
What would have seemed more unlikely to Royals fans at the start of the season: a playoff berth following a 106-loss season or a hurricane affecting the final series of the season?
The Royals’ magic number for clinching a playoff berth is three heading into Thursday’s games, but Hurricane Helene may end up having an impact on KC’s final series of the season.
Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall Thursday night on the Florida panhandle, NBC News reported, and its projected course takes it over Atlanta. It’ll likely be a tropical storm at that point.
The Royals’ final three regular-season games are in Atlanta, starting Friday night. The good news is rain is expected to end before the Royals open a series against the Braves.
However, rain wiped out the Braves’ games against the Mets on Wednesday and Thursday as Atlanta is under a tropical storm warning.
Atlanta starter Chris Sale (18-3, 2.38 ERA) was scheduled to pitch Wednesday for the Braves, who are one game behind the Mets and Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card race. Max Fried (10-10, 3.42 ERA) was set to start Thursday.
The Royals would have missed the Braves’ top two starters had it not been for the storm. But both could be used this weekend. Or they could be saved for a doubleheader Monday with the Mets, as the teams make up the games. The latter would be better for the Royals, who hope to clinch a playoff spot in Atlanta.
Braves manager Brian Snitker told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he’s still determining the best plan of action for his pitching staff against the Royals.
“It’s going to be different, that’s for sure,” Snitker said. “Going forward, we’re going to have to assess the situation in totality, I think, as far as the playoff ramifications. We’re going to have to be fluid with the whole thing. We were just talking about that now, how we’re going to line our pitching up, things like that, and go from there.”
MLB.com noted that if Sale and Fried started against the Royals, they would be available to pitch in a Wild Card series. Of course, the Braves have to make the playoffs first.
Reynaldo López, who has been on the injured list because of right shoulder inflammation, is eligible to rejoin the Braves against the Royals. López has a 2.03 ERA in 24 starts, but the MLB story notes he likely would pitch just a few innings in his return.
“I don’t know how stretched out he will be, but he came in fine from his side (session) yesterday,” Snitker said on the MLB site. “That’s going to be part of the ongoing discussion about where all these guys fit and how we’re going to use them.”
It’s something Royals fans will keep an eye on, too. Consider it an unexpected impact of the hurricane.
The Wild Card race
All the teams in the race with the Royals won Wednesday: the Tigers, Orioles, Twins and Mariners. Here is how things stand with four days remaining in the regular season.
A few items of note:
- The Orioles victory ensures the Royals won’t play host to a Wild Card series, so if KC makes the playoffs, they’ll play all three games on the road. Baltimore has the tiebreaker over the Royals.
- Seattle would need to win out and have the Royals lose all their remaining games for the Mariners to jump KC in the standings. That’s because the Royals hold a tiebreaker over Seattle.
- Minnesota owns a tiebreaker on the Royals and Tigers. But any combination of Royals victories or Twins losses that equals three will ensure KC is in the playoffs.
This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 9:21 AM.
