Mets vs. Braves start time: Rain delay updates from Atlanta, July 5

The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets were slated for Game 3 of a four-game set on Sunday, which was supposed to be the first game in a loaded slate to cap off Fourth of July weekend in MLB. Instead, we got a rain delay at Truist Park before the scheduled first pitch at 12:30 p.m. ET in Atlanta as the humidity and heat brought with it some heavy showers.

That, of course, left baseball fans wondering when the Mets-Braves game would start, especially with the hometown team trying to secure the series even before Monday's finale between the two NL East rivals, although the teams are heading in completely different directions this season. Looking at the weather forecast as we're in the rain delay, though, we can get an idea of when Sunday's game will get underway.

Mets-Braves start time: When will the game get out of the rain delay?

The Braves announced that the official start time for the game against the Mets will be at 2:15 p.m. ET for first pitch.

They stated, of course, that is without any further delays, but the game does appear to be on track to start at that time after what will have been a one hour, 45-minute rain delay.

As anyone who has ever spent any substantial time in Atlanta will tell you, this time of year is notoriously fickle when it comes to weather, especially when it comes to rain. There are some heavy showers in the area that will pop up, which is why the game started in a rain delay to begin with. However, there is about a 40 percent chance of rain throughout the day, which means showers could continue to pop up. But there is a window around the 2 p.m. ET hour when things should clear up enough for the two teams to get a game in.

Weather forecast for Truist Park on Sunday

There's a chance that the conditions clear out for an even shorter delay in Mets-Braves on Sunday based on the forecast. The rain that caused the delay is expected to continue falling at Truist Park through at least 1 p.m. ET and even a bit beyond that, which officials at the game clearly expected with the tarp coming onto the field about a half-hour before the scheduled first pitch.

Having said that, there is a clear window for this game starting at 2 p.m. ET. The chance of rain at Truist Park dips to 40 percent at that point and below 40 percent thereafter until 5 p.m. ET. There is a chance of showers then that could turn into thunderstorms in the early evening — around 6 or 7 p.m. ET — but if the Mets and Braves are able to begin play by 2 p.m. ET, that shouldn't be much of a concern.

There should also be an added emphasis to get the game in on Sunday, even with a fourth game between the two division rivals slated for Monday. There are thunderstorms in the forecast around Truist Park in Atlanta on Monday, and while they should clear out by the time we get to first pitch in the evening, it does make the likelihood of being able to squeeze in a doubleheader should Sunday's game get postponed quite low.

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