Thursday's Mets-Cardinals game suspended after umpires try to give it a go

NEW YORK – The umpires tried to give it a go.

But, Mother Nature won .

Thursday’s game between the Mets and Cardinals was suspended after a 50-minute delay with the teams tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth. The teams waited out a nine-minute delay before the top of the ninth, and Mets closer Edwin Diaz then blew a two-run lead.

“They did all they could. Obviously they were about to tarp it because it was coming down hard, and they lightened up,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “They are trying to get a game in, that’s their responsibility, and I think they did everything they could.”

The Mets led 4-2 entering the ninth while the rain started to intensify in Flushing.

A delay officially began at 9:45 p. with the grounds crew pouring diamond dry on the infield to help solidify the infield, and rolling the tarp onto the field.

Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, with his glove inside of his jersey, pleaded his case to the umpires to just let them finish the game.

Then, as the rain lightened, the umpires decided they would resume play. Nine minutes later, Diaz, who had retreated to the dugout, threw his first pitch.

“It started to lighten up as they pulled the tarp out, it started to lighten up,” crew chief Jeff Kellogg told a pool reporter. “So we said, 'Look it if it's this light, let's see if we can put the diamond dry on the field and get it playable.' Which we felt like we did.”

Diaz had two chances to end the game, but he allowed back-to-back RBI hits to Kolten Wong and Harrison Bader that tied the game, blowing his third save in the process.

Bader, who laced an RBI double to left, was tagged out at second after he fell down while trying to stop with the field still rather slippery and mushy.

Rain intensified during the middle of the inning, and after a brief waiting period, the umpires decided they actually needed to put the tap down this time.

“Then once we got to the bottom of the ninth, and we had them come back out and attempt to see if we can get it, and we realized that we're not going to be able to get this field playable, so let's just stop it now,” Kellogg said. “As it turns out, now it's suspended.”

Kellogg said the game situation did not factor into the decision to start the ninth.

“I think if you can get the game in and you're playing in the conditions that are suitable to play in, I think you try to do that,” Kellogg told the pool reporter. “And then, but once it became where it's not, then I think you got to say, 'OK, let's stop.' It wasn't an easy one. Sometimes they're tough. They're not easy. Some are easy, some aren't.”

While Callaway did not take any shots at the umpires, he noted that it could have affected Diaz, who walked the first batter he faced, Marcell Ozuna, on five pitches.

The Mets seem likely to use Diaz for a second inning –unless they win in the ninth –since Diaz was never removed from the game.

“That’s tough, there’s no doubt about it,” Callaway said. “Just overall conditions for both teams were tough there with the rain, how wet it was. Guys slipping . We both had to play through it. The good thing is the game isn’t over yet.”

Mets starter Jacob deGrom, who allowed two runs in seven innings, joked that he wasn’t sure if he needed to do his postgame press conference Thursday.

“That’s what I was a little confused coming in here. Thought we’d do this tomorrow,” deGrom joked. “Hopefully we win this game.”