Well, that was a bit of a bummer. One of the more hyped baseball games of the season, the MLB Speedway Classic, started with a nearly three-hour delay, then the teams took the field and played less than one inning before the game had to be called again because the players were essentially playing in a lake.
After many more attempts to dirt the field, the league decided it just wasn't possible to play the game on Saturday, so it will be pushed to Sunday at 1 PM EST on FOX. The game will resume with Cincinnati holding a 1-0 lead over Atlanta thanks to a first inning RBI single from Austin Hays.
Spencer Strider was set to start this game for the Braves but didn't end up coming out after the multi-hour delay. Maybe the game being moved to tomorrow will make it possible for him to take the mound tomorrow? It would be a bit of a surprise considering it wouldn't count as a "start," but they're playing baseball at a race car track so anything is possible, right?
Start time for Braves vs. Reds at MLB Speedway Classic
The game was paused in the bottom of the first inning as rain continued to fall as the game was going on. The game will resume on Sunday, August 3rd at 1PM EST.
Weather forecast for Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway
Sunday looks... a little more promising than Saturday? I suppose? There's still rain in the forecast, but only about a 20 percent chance of it at 1 PM, when the game is supposed to resume. I know the league wants to get this game in (we all want it to!) but if the field looks anything like it did tonight... it's surely safer to say "good effort everyone" and move on.
MLB Speedway Classic drew record crowd... for a bit
What started as a crowd potentially over 100,000 people thinned out as the original rain delay dragged on. Personally, I'd stay until they told me to leave — it's a once-in-a-lifetime event — but to each their own.
The jerseys for this game are also elite. Cincinnati's caps have pinstripes on them while Atlanta's have some (tacky or cool depending on who you ask) flames on the brim. The numbers on the back of the uniforms are styled like car racing numbers. I'm a sucker for details, and MLB crushed it with the details here.