The Philadelphia Phillies are hosting the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday. For the Rays, the game does not matter much as they have secured the No. 1 seed in the American League. However, for the Phillies the MLB playoffs are on the line.
They have lost three straight games, allowing the Arizona Diamondbacks to get right back into the National League wild card race, and entering Saturday Arizona sits just one game behind Philadelphia while owning the tiebreaker.
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That means the Phillies must win or they will be in serious danger of falling out of postseason contention.
With such an important game on the schedule, unfortunately it will not be starting on time due to inclement weather. The game was originally scheduled to take place at 7:15 p.m. EST, but less than an hour before first pitch the Phillies announced a delay.
“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 team wrote on X. Moments later, they added an updated start time of 7:50 pm.
Phillies Provide Latest Weather Update
Rain has continued to persist in the area and given how cold and windy it is, the game is not ready to be played. The tarp is currently on the field and the ballpark remains under wet conditions.
Given how important this game is, the two sides will have to wait it out and play eventually. A doubleheader is possible if conditions do not improve but that scenario appears unlikely.
When the game does begin, the Phillies will send right-hander Aaron Nola to the mound on just two days of rest. He will not carry a normal workload and this is effectively a bullpen game for Philadelphia.
Rather than throwing his bullpen session on the side, Nola will do it in game against Tampa Bay. The Rays will counter with right-hander Griffin Jax. The only thing standing between the Phillies and a must-win game right now is the rain
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