Rain is delaying the start of the Pennsylvania rivalry series between the Phillies and Pirates Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park. The scheduled 7 p.m. ET first pitch has come and gone with no clear start time in sight.
The grounds crew initially kept the tarp off the field but eventually rolled it out as conditions worsened. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, “They are going to wait for an incoming storm to pass, rather than start the game and risk the starting pitchers sitting too long. So… might be a bit.”
While fans wait, the Phillies are showing the Yankees-Mets game on the scoreboard. In a telling moment that might preview this winter’s free agency battle, some Phillies fans booed when Juan Soto stepped to the plate.
The three-game series continues Friday with a battle of lefties. Pittsburgh’s Andrew Heaney (3.15 ERA) faces Philadelphia’s Ranger Suarez, who’s working his way back from injury and sits at 1-0 with a 5.91 ERA through his first few starts.
Saturday’s matchup features Carmen Mlodzinski against Zack Wheeler at 6:05 p.m. ET, while Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. finale showcases rookie sensation Paul Skenes against Phillies prospect Mick Abel.
There’s flexibility in the schedule for a potential doubleheader over the next couple of days if tonight’s game can’t be played.
The Pirates enter the weekend at 15-29, while the Phillies hold a much stronger 25-18 record as they continue their push toward October.
