The Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks Easter Sunday day game won't start on time, per the team and reporters. The Cubs are 14-9 on the season and took the first two games of their home series against Arizona prior to Sunday's contest. Another victory over the Diamondbacks would be a statement by the Cubs and Craig Counsell, who have rebounded quite well from a Tokyo Series disappointment in mid-March against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Cubs have been led by hot-hitting catcher Carson Kelly, who is one of the best stories in MLB through the last week. Kelly is a former Cardinal, which makes his resurgence in Chicago even more intriguing. His swing adjustments have come through in a big way, with Kelly hitting .419 with six home runs and 18 RBIs on the season entering Sunday. Kelly spent his offseason studying Barry Bonds, and so far this spring he is hitting like the home run king.
“He was focusing more on being on his back hip. What happens when you do that? You’re going to get more power,” Kelly reportedly told Marquee's Elise Menaker said. “What’s working for him now is getting into his back side … That’s because he was watching a lot of Barry Bonds videos.”
Hopefully this game itself won't be delayed too long, as the forecast doesn't call for rain all afternoon. We'll have you covered for all the latest updates from Wrigley Field.
Update: The Cubs and Diamondbacks restarted their Sunday day game, with first pitch expected to come at 2pm CT. Unfortunately, there is lightning in the area, so the game has been delayed again.
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Cubs vs Diamondbacks rain delay: What's the Sunday afternoon forecast in Chicago?
The forecast in Chicago calls for rain at least through the 3pm CT local hour at Wrigley Field. There is a chance of heavy showers around 1:15pm CT and 1:30pm CT, thus the Cubs will put the tarp out as a precaution. Assuming the rain leaves the area as scheduled, one would hope the Cubs and Diamondbacks will start the final game of their three-game set about an hour after the scheduled first pitch.
There is lightning in the area and thus the Cubs-Diamondbacks has suffered a second delay. MLB games cannot be played under the imminent threat of a thunderstorm when lightning is involved. There is a gale warning in the Chicago area, which is much of the reason the Cubs game is stuck in a delay. Here is how weather.com described the Cubs and Diamondbacks reality:
"For the Gale Warning, southwest to west winds to 35 kt and significant waves to 9 ft occasionally to 12 ft expected."
That is less than ideal!
What time do the Cubs and Diamondbacks play today?
The Cubs and Diamondbacks were supposed to start the final game of their series at 2:20pm ET, or 1:20pm local time. Unfortunately, mother nature got in the way, and the game will start in a delay per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Both teams would prefer to get this game in now while they have a chance, as the two teams don't play again in Chicago this season.
The Cubs and Diamondbacks were able to finally start their game after a brief rain delay. First pitch was expected to come around 2pm CT. Unfortunately, there is lightning in the area, and thus the game has entered a second delay. It's a tough day for baseball in Wrigleyville.