Why is the Rays-Phillies Game Delayed Today? When Will it Start?

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Why is the Rays-Phillies game delayed today? Here’s the reason for the delay and the latest information on when the game will start.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies are dealing with a delay today, leaving fans waiting for their game to get underway.

“The start of tonight’s game will be delayed due to rain. We are monitoring conditions and will provide an update on the expected start time as soon as possible,” the Phillies posted on social media at 6:24 p.m. ET.

In a Facebook post, the team said, “The start of tonight’s game will be delayed due to rain. We are monitoring conditions and will provide an update on the expected start time as soon as possible.”

The game was supposed to start at 7:15 p.m. ET. But at 6:52 p.m., the Phillies announced that the new start time would be 7:50 ET.

Weather.com radar, however, showed a second, larger storm system sweeping over Philadelphia starting at about 8:30 p.m., which would seem to indicate that the game faced a second, in-game delay later in the evening.

The National Weather Service forecast showers likely overnight into Sunday, with a low near 59 degrees, north winds gusting as high as 40 mph and a 70 percent chance of rain continuing through the night. Sunday’s outlook is worse, with showers with a high near 65, a 100 percent chance of precipitation and more gusts to 40 mph.

The same storm system pushed a separate weekend series between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs from Fenway Park to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, a sign of how widely the weather is disrupting the final weekend of the regular season.

Rain drenched Citizens Bank Park well before Saturday’s first pitch, delaying Philadelphia’s latest shot at clinching a playoff berth against the American League East champion Tampa Bay Rays.

The holdup adds increased tension for a Phillies team that has already let three straight clinching chances slip away this week, with Arizona now trailing Philadelphia by a single game for the National League’s last wild-card spot.

Cool, wet conditions and swirling winds typically favor pitching over power, and Sunday’s finale brings a rematch of aces, Zack Wheeler against Nick Martinez at 3:05 p.m. A postponement now, with no other meetings scheduled between the two clubs, would likely force a doubleheader, leaving a Phillies staff already stretched thin with even less rest heading into October.

The tarp remained off the field when the announcement came, according to a report from beat writer Matt Gelb of The Athletic. But photos from inside the park showed that the tarp was quietly put in place over the infield.

Philadelphia Phillies’ Wild-Card Chances Tighten

Philadelphia led Arizona by two games this weekend for the National League’s final wild-card spot, according to CBS Sports‘ Kate Feldman. Friday’s shutout loss, paired with Arizona’s blowout win over San Diego, trimmed that cushion to a single game with two to play.

Arizona pulled within a game crushing San Diego 11-4 on Friday behind three home runs and a Brandon Pfaadt start that stretched into the eighth inning, according to the Associated Press.

San Diego and Chicago had already clinched their own wild-card berths Thursday, leaving the Phillies and Diamondbacks to fight over the field’s last opening. Arizona will lean on a rearranged rotation after placing ace Corbin Burnes on the injured list Friday with shoulder inflammation.

Freddy Peralta and the Rays delivered Philadelphia’s third straight blown clinching chance Friday, shutting out the Phillies 2-0 Friday on a Jonny DeLuca RBI single and a Nick Fortes home run, according to the Associated Press. Bryan Baker closed it out for his 41st save, while Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson fouled a pitch off his own foot and stayed in the game.

Rain Delay Complicates Phillies’ Pitching Plans

Saturday’s delay squeezes an already thin Phillies bullpen. Philadelphia opted for a bullpen game rather than naming a conventional starter, a plan that burns relievers who might otherwise rest for a potential wild-card series. The Rays, already locked into the American League’s No. 1 seed, are sending Griffin Jax (8-10, 3.62 ERA) to the mound largely to keep him sharp.

“We’re in the driver’s seat,” Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper said before the series. “So we got to win and take care of our business. We can’t really worry about any other teams.”

Manager Don Mattingly’s club still controls its fate. Two wins this weekend, two Arizona losses, or a split of both locks up a fifth straight postseason berth. But tat assumes the games can be played.

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