Getty The MLB All-Star Game is set to begin on time, despite flooding in the area in the early afternoon.
The 2018 MLB All-Star Game is currently still scheduled to begin on time tonight at 8 PM, despite flash flood warnings in the area for the afternoon. A flash flood warning has been issued for Washington, DC, via weather.com as of 3:29 PM:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A * FLOOD WARNING FOR… THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… SOUTHEASTERN FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… * UNTIL 630 PM EDT. *
Fox News reporter Ray Bogan tweeted a photo of the rain at Nationals Park currently, noting that the dugouts are currently flooding.
As for the National Weather Service, a flood warning is also in effect, forecasting showers “and possibly a thunderstorm” this evening in the area.
As of now, the game is still set to start on time, tonight at 8:00 PM, with expectations of the weather to clear by evening. According to CBS Sports, only four prior All-Star games have been impacted by rain: in 1952, the game was called four innings in due to rain; in 1961, the game was called after ninth innings with a tie score of 1-1 due to rain; in 1969, the game was postponed due to rain and played the next day; in 1990, the game was delayed by an hour due to rain.
Thunderstorms passing through DC this afternoon, *should* clear up by first pitch. #MLBAllStarGame
If the rain does continue later than expected, there isn’t any one particular plan of attack for the game, Pat Courtney, baseball’s chief communications officer, said Sunday.
“It would be dependent on a lot of factors — the forecast being the main one,” he said, adding that a contingency plan would be made “in close contact with both Fox Sports, its broadcast partner, and the MLB Players Association over any weather-related decisions.”
The full lineups for the American League and the National League are as follows, via USA Today:
American League
- Mookie Betts (Red Sox) – RF
- Jose Altuve (Astros) – 2B
- Mike Trout (Angels) – CF
- J.D. Martinez (Red Sox) – DH
- Jose Ramirez (Indians) – 3B
- Aaron Judge (Yankees) – LF
- Manny Machado (Orioles) – SS
- Jose Abreu (White Sox) – 1B
- Salvador Perez (Royals) – C
National League
- Javier Baez (Cubs) – 2B
- Nolan Arenado (Rockies) – 3B
- Paul Goldschmidt (Diamondbacks) – DH
- Freddie Freeman (Braves) – 1B
- Matt Kemp (Dodgers) – LF
- Bryce Harper (Nationals) – CF
- Nick Markakis (Braves) – RF
- Brandon Crawford (Giants) – SS
- Willson Contreras (Cubs) – C