The Mets’ final homestand of the season will begin a day late and with controversy.
Marlins officials were furious that Tuesday’s game was postponed due to unplayable field conditions, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Citi Field had been battered by rain from Tropical Storm Ophelia for four days, but the precipitation had relented by late afternoon Tuesday when the tarp was taken off the field.
The infield dirt, though, was a sloppy mess, even after the grounds crew worked on it for several hours to try to dry the surfaces.
The playability problem stemmed from the grounds crew leaving the field uncovered Saturday, when the Mets played in Philadelphia.
The practice of letting the field take water is not unique, according to a team source, provided there is enough time for the field to dry.
Original forecasts had shown that the storms would cease earlier.
As it turned out, Ophelia lingered, and there was not enough time to get the field into shape.
Officials from the Mets and Marlins, including both clubs’ managers and Miami GM Kim Ng, huddled on the field several times before the game was called at 8:20 p.m., creating a doubleheader Wednesday.
“Due to the significance of the game for the Marlins, every effort was made to make the field playable for tonight,” the Mets said in a statement Tuesday night.
The Marlins are a half-game back in the NL wild-card chase, short on pitching and now with more complicated rotation plans.
They were set to pitch starter Braxton Garrett on Tuesday, which would have allowed the lefty to come back on normal rest for the season finale on Sunday.
Shifting Garrett to the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader would mean if he pitches Sunday, it would come on three days’ rest.
The Marlins have lost Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez to injuries this month and are running on fumes.