Suffice to say the stakes are high as the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles kick off a series at Camden Yards: The winner keeps their (admittedly slim) shot at the final AL Wild Card spot alive, while the loser is almost certainly going home for the winter. But unfortunately, Mother Nature is already mucking up the works, as Monday's opener will begin in a rain delay due to inclement weather at Camden Yards.
No one wants rain to play a part in determining a team's playoff fate, but there's precious little time to reschedule things between now and the end of the regular season, and a doubleheader could wreak havoc on both teams' pitching staffs at the worst possible time. So, what are the odds we get nine innings in on Monday night? Here's all the latest from Baltimore.
When will the Blue Jays-Orioles game start on Monday?
UPDATE: The Orioles have announced that Monday's game is set to begin at 7:20 p.m. ET. Whether we'll see another delay at some point tonight is another question.
Baltimore announced that Monday's game wouldn't start on time just after 5:30 p.m. ET, about an hour before scheduled first pitch, and there's yet to be any indication as to when the game might begin. The forecast doesn't look great for the rest of the evening, but given the stakes involved and the compressed timeline here, it's fair to expect the Jays and O's to get this game in by any means necessary — even if that forces another delay into the evening.
Camden Yards forecast: How much more rain is expected?
The good news is that, per Accuweather's radar data, the current storm system should pass through Baltimore relatively soon. But the bad news is there's still at least some chance of rain later on in the evening, as the East Coast experiences some very wet weather this week.
Hour (ET) | Chance of precipitation |
|---|---|
6 p.m. | 80% |
7 p.m. | 71% |
8 p.m. | 52% |
9 p.m. | 48% |
10 p.m. | 46% |
Again, neither team wants any part of a postponement that could involve a doubleheader on Tuesday or Wednesday (or, worse, rescheduling for the day after the regular season). Barring constant rain for the next six or seven hours, we'll be waiting as long as it takes to get this game in.
That said, starting at around 8 p.m. ET just to have to stop for another delay later on could have an affect on each's team's pitching plan. It'll be worth keeping an eye on the forecast to see whether we'll get lucky and dodge any more precipitation on Monday. Trey Yesavage is expected to make his return from the IL for Toronto, while Baltimore sends righty Shane Baz to the mound.
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