This week's series between the Chicago Cubs and the Baltimore Orioles is a huge one for both clubs. The Cubs have played better baseball lately after a brutal stretch in late May and early June, but they're still 7.0 games out of first place in the NL Central and are coming off a series loss; they're hoping to get back in the win column and make up ground on the Brewers. As for the Orioles, they're simply hoping to keep their season alive. They're seven games under .500 and could easily be trade deadline sellers if they continue to struggle. They need any win they can get. Unfortunately, the opener of this intriguing series is going to start later than envisioned, as Mother Nature has caused a delay.
After discussion with Major League Baseball and the National Weather Service, tonight’s game will start in a delay. We will update with more information as it becomes available.
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 7, 2026
Rain has been coming down in the northeast for several days in a row now, so this isn't necessarily shocking, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating for fans attending or wanting to watch this game. What's even worse is the delay announcement did not come with a start time, so it's anyone's best guess as to when, or even if, this game will get underway. That's where we (hopefully) have you covered.
Cubs-Orioles start time: When will the game begin in Baltimore?
UPDATE: First pitch is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m. ET, per the Orioles' official X account.
First pitch of Tuesday's Cubs-Orioles game was initially scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET, but a little more than 30 minutes before first pitch, the announcement of the delay came about. It's unclear as of now when this game will actually get going, and if you take a look at the forecast, you can see why. The forecast is calling for thunderstorms at the 7:00 p.m. ET hour, and rain is expected to linger around the area for a while.
The good news is that this rain shouldn't last all night. According to AccuWeather's hourly forecast in Baltimore, the thunderstorms should turn into showers at around 8:00 p.m. ET. It might be a while before the rain clears, but at 10:00 p.m. ET, the forecast calls for just intermittent clouds. This goes to show that while it might be a bit before the first pitch is thrown, we should expect to see baseball be played at Camden Yards tonight.
Camden Yards forecast: How much more rain is expected?
No forecast should be treated as gospel, but it's easy to see when these teams might be able to get this game underway based on the expectation of rain.
Hour | Chance of precipitation |
|---|---|
7:00 p.m. ET | 42% |
8:00 p.m. ET | 54% |
9:00 p.m. ET | 54% |
10:00 p.m. ET | 49% |
11:00 p.m. ET | 34% |
The percentage in the 7:00 p.m. ET hour is rather low, but with thunderstorms in the forecast, it's easy to see why caution is being exercised. The percentages in the following two hours are over 50 percent, but it's important to note that this is for all of Baltimore, not just Camden Yards specifically. It's possible it'll rain in areas of the city that don't include the ballpark. Regardless, the chance of precipitation drops as the evening progresses, so even if it's a late start, again, there is a window for these teams to play once the storm clears.
On the off chance that baseball cannot be played tonight, the fact that this is only the opener of these teams' series is a good thing. If they can't play tonight, a doubleheader can be scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday, and assuming Mother Nature cooperates, as inconvenient as doubleheaders can be for teams and fans, it could be worse.
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