By Charles Odum

AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves have new incentive to take care of business in the National League East as quickly as possible.

The Braves don’t want their playoff status to be determined by a makeup game against a Colorado Rockies team which has been tough to beat at Truist Park. The Rockies-Braves game was postponed on Thursday due to a soggy field caused by rain. A makeup date was not immediately announced, but it’s possible the game could be played on Oct. 4, the day after the final scheduled game of the regular season.

The Rockies won the first two games of the series and are 10-2 at Truist Park since the stadium opened in 2017.

The teams are not scheduled to play again this season and don’t have matching days off.

The NL East-leading Braves entered Thursday 31/2 games ahead of second-place Philadelphia.

The start of the game was pushed back almost 2 hours in hopes the wet field would become playable. There was more rain Thursday morning following steady rain Wednesday night.

There was only occasional light rain during the delay before the game finally was postponed, but the damage to the field had been done.

Braves manager Brian Snitker, who joined Rockies manager Bud Black and other officials in an on-field meeting to inspect playing conditions, said the field was not safe. “The fact we played through a tropical storm last night kind of took away the field for today,” Snitker said. “In my opinion, the field wasn’t playable.”

Snitker says the Braves are about to begin their most difficult road trip of the season.

Atlanta is now off for a three-game series in San Francisco in a matchup of division leaders.  Ian Anderson (7-5, 3.61) is scheduled to start today since he was Thursday’s scheduled starter