ATLANTA — Charlie Morton gave up a three-run homer to Michael Massey in the first inning and the Atlanta Braves squandered a chance to clinch a postseason berth, losing to the playoff-bound Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Sunday in what was supposed to be the final day of the regular season.
Atlanta hosts a doubleheader Monday against the New York Mets, a makeup of two games that were rained out last week between the NL East rivals as Hurricane Helene slashed through the southeastern U.S.
Atlanta and the Mets are both 88-72, and Arizona finished 89-73. If either team sweeps Monday, the Diamondbacks reach the playoffs. But if the doubleheader is split, the Mets and Braves advance and Arizona is out because the Braves and Mets hold the tiebreaker edge over the Diamondbacks.
“This whole thing here has been something that I don't think anybody has ever experienced,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Atlanta would advance to a Division Series matchup at San Diego if the Braves win either game Monday. Of 28 completed doubleheaders in the major leagues this season, 13 were sweeps and 15 were split, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Rookie Spencer Schwellenbach will start the opener of the doubleheader and Chris Sale, the leading NL Cy Young Award contender, is slated for the second game.
“That's about as good as I can feel," Snitker said. “The ball's in our court. If we can't pull one of those off, it's just one of (those) things.”
If the Braves win the opener, they likely would hold back Sale for Tuesday's Division Series Game 1.
Before recording an out, Morton gave up a leadoff double to Tommy Pham, a single to Bobby Witt Jr. and Massey's 14th homer of the season.
“You get to a two-strike count, you feel like the top of the zone is a little bit more open and he just turned and burned on it,” Morton said.
Morton (8-10) allowed all four runs, five hits and two walks while striking out three over 4 1/3 innings. He also surrendered a solo homer to Hunter Renfroe.
The 40-year-old Morton was drafted by the Braves in 2002 and made his big league debut for Atlanta in 2008. In what could be his final major league start, he was given a ovation after Snitker pulled him in the fifth.
“I just remember walking off the field having allowed four runs getting pulled in the fifth inning in a game that means a lot to everybody here,” Morton said. “The fans here have supported me ever since I came back. People have been really kind to me, really supportive when they see me in public, at the stadium.”
Four Braves pitchers combined for 4 1/3 innings of hitless relief.
“They all just kind of handed the ball off and did exactly what we needed to do which is give us an opportunity to score and get in the game,” Snitker said.
But Atlanta went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners. Matt Olson singled and Jorge Soler walked with one out in the eighth, but Ramón Laureano and Sean Murphy struck out against John Schreiber.
“We had a chance," Olson said. “Schreiber had a funky arm and made some good pitches. It was a different angle and not stuff you see every day. He made some good pitches. I was on second base looking at a lot of them. Sometimes you have to tip the cap.”
Gio Urshela homered for the Braves.
Alec Marsh (9-9) allowed one earned run over five innings for the win. Kris Bubic pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save.
BATTING TITLE
Witt went 1 for 4 to earn the AL batting title with a .332 average.
“It's special and it's an honor,” Witt said. “It's something that wasn't even a goal. You never think as a kid it would ever happen and now it happened.”
UP NEXT
Royals: Claimed the No. 5 seed in the American League will face fourth-seeded Baltimore in the Wild Card Series that begins on Tuesday.
Braves: The doubleheader against the Mets is to make up the games that were postponed on Wednesday and Thursday by heavy rains. While Sale is set to pitch the second game, Snitker indicated that he would likely make a switch if the Braves locked up a playoff berth in the opener. That would set up Sale to pitch in the opener of the Wild Card Series.
