Tough Labor Day turnaround nothing new to Mets

ATLANTA -- In a season defined by extra-inning marathons and countless weather delays, the Mets awoke Monday morning with yet another gripe. After playing a night game in Washington, flying to Atlanta and arriving at their hotel just before 4 a.m. ET, the Mets were forced to turn around for a 1:10 p.m. Labor Day game at Turner Field.

Asked if he received any sleep, manager Terry Collins replied: "Not a lot, but enough to wash my face and brush my teeth and write the lineup up."

The Mets had originally been scheduled to play a day game in Washington, but ESPN shifted their game to primetime in part because other teams had exceeded their allotment of Sunday Night Baseball appearances for the season. The quick turnaround was legal in the Collective Bargaining Agreement because the Mets' flight from Washington to Atlanta was less than 90 minutes.

As a small consolation, players were allowed to report late to the clubhouse, with most of them filtering in about an hour and a half before first pitch.