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 in what was supposed to be the final day of the regular season.

The Braves and Mets are both 88-72, and the other team in the mix, the NL West's Arizona Diamondbacks, beat the playoff-bound San Diego Padres 11-2 on Sunday to finish the regular season 89-73. The Diamondbacks winning also kept the Mets — who won 5-0 against the Milwaukee Brewers, the NL Central champions — from clinching.

Major League Baseball's 2024 regular season is going an extra day, with the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets set for a decisive doubleheader on Monday before the playoffs begin Tuesday. Forced into the twinbill by weather in the Atlanta area last week,