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Like many working folks the Mets received a holiday Monday, but this Labor Day break wasn’t planned.
The tarp remained on the field at PNC Park, and before the Mets and Pirates could get too far into pregame routines, a morning decision was reached for a postponement that left the teams facing a split doubleheader on Wednesday. That it never actually rained Monday afternoon, oh well.
It was probably a welcomed day off for the Mets, given that Buck Showalter planned to rest Starling Marte and utilize Francisco Lindor as the DH. Now the manager is more likely to keep both players in their normal spots throughout the series, with a Thursday off day scheduled before three games in Miami.
That scheduled off day looms large, because even if Showalter needs to utilize most of his bullpen in two games Wednesday there is a built in buffer before the Marlins series. It gets messier if Tuesday’s game is also postponed (yes, there is rain in the forecast for much of the day) and the teams have to play Thursday.
Either way, the Mets know better than to take this series lightly. Losing two of three games at Citi Field against the hapless Nationals over the weekend was one wake-up call, but there are other sobering reminders.
Start with the fact these last-place Pirates went 5-1 against the Dodgers this season.
