American League playoff matchups with Astros-Tigers and Orioles-Royals

NEW YORK – Baseball season continues with extra innings.

While the situation in the American League playoffs became clear on Sunday, the National League remained confused before what was supposed to be a bad day before the postseason.

AL West champion Houston hosts Detroit and Baltimore plays at home against Kansas City in the best-of-three wild card series starting Tuesday afternoon. The Astros-Tigers winner will face AL Central champion Cleveland in a best-of-five division series starting Saturday, and the Orioles-Royals winner will play the AL East champion Yankees.

The NL is still uncertain due to two rainouts caused by Hurricane Helene last week, with the Mets, Arizona and Atlanta vying for the final two wild-card spots in the 12-team playoffs. The Mets traveled back to Atlanta on Sunday and will play a makeup doubleheader against the rival Braves on Monday.

Arizona finished at 89-73 and the Mets and Braves are both 88-72. If either team wins the doubleheader, the Diamondbacks will advance to the playoffs. But if the twinbill is split, the Mets and Braves advance and Arizona is eliminated because the Diamondbacks lost their season series to both New York and Atlanta.

“It’s strange. We don’t even know who to root for,” Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll said. “You just wait and see who wins the first game and cheer for them in the second. We will train here and be ready to go.”

Arizona can only be a No. 6 seed if it reaches the postseason and would play a division series at NL Central champion Milwaukee.

“It sucks,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “But there’s nothing we can do about it. We made this bed. We have to sleep in it, but we hope for the best. They’re two great franchises, two great managers, and I don’t think they have the lying down gene.”

If the Braves win one of the games in the doubleheader, they would play a Division Series in San Diego.

“Sure, it’s not an ideal situation, but we have it,” Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson said. “Show up and win.”

If the Mets win the doubleheader, they will be No. 5 and play in San Diego starting Tuesday. If they split and are the No. 6 seed, they’ll head straight back to Milwaukee to face the Brewers.

“I wish MLB would push the playoffs back a little bit,” New York designated hitter JD Martinez said. “It’s an unfair advantage for the teams we’re going to play, us and Atlanta, just because we know what’s coming. “To win these games, you just have to do it that way, and then you have to turn around and you’re done blow up the day before.”

New York defeated Milwaukee 5-0 on Sunday and finished 1-5 against the Brewers this season.

Mets right-hander Tylor Megill (4-5) and Atlanta rookie Spencer Hülsenbach (8-7) were expected to start in the doubleheader.

Right-hander Luis Severino (11-7) and Braves ace Chris Sale (18-3) were scheduled for Game 2, but a team that won the opener would likely secure that starter for Game 1 of a Division Series on Tuesday.