The New York Yankees lost a frustrating series at home against the Tampa Bay Rays, dropping their record to 19-15 overall. While they remain in first place in the AL East, the competition is about to get a lot tougher with the red-hot San Diego Padres set to come to town. The Padres might be in second place in the NL West, but they're now 22-11 and currently on a five-game winning streak.
The Yankees want to play as soon as possible to bounce back, and the Padres want to play as soon as possible to stay hot. Unfortunately, Mother Nature is not going to allow either of these teams to play when initially scheduled, as the start of Monday's series opener has officially been delayed.
Please be advised we do not intend to start tonight’s game on time.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 5, 2025
Update: According to the official Yankees X account, first pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, making the delay just 25 minutes long.
Update at 8:45 p.m. ET: A down pouring of rain forced the game to be halted in the fourth inning.
Tonight's game is officially in a rain delay. We will update you with information as it becomes available.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 6, 2025
A restart time has not been indicated, but we expect it to take a while. First, the rain needs to let up, then the grounds crew needs to get the field ready to play again. This one could be a long one.
Update at 9:15 p.m. ET: Just kidding! The teams returned to action after only a 30-minute delay despite the rain still falling.
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Yankees vs. Padres rain delay: What's Monday's forecast in New York?
The weather in the Bronx has been less than ideal, really since Sunday, as Yankees fans know all too well, and according to Accuweather's hourly forecast, the conditions aren't going to get any better anytime soon. Rain has been in the area all day, and isn't set to let up until around 10:00 p.m. ET.
Given that, it's pretty surprising that the game is starting after such a small delay. Yes, the game can be played with light rain, but since it isn't supposed to stop for a while, the conditions figure to only get worse until the rain actually does let up.
What time do the Yankees and Padres play today?
While the game won't begin at the initial 7:05 p.m. first pitch time, it will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET, making the delay short and sweet. Everyone hopes that the two teams will be able to play through once the first pitch is thrown without delay, but given the forecast, that's far from a guarantee.
Once this game does get underway, it should be a doozy. These are two of the best teams in the league, and the pitching matchup is excellent. Nick Pivetta and his 1.78 ERA through six starts is set to take the mound for San Diego against Carlos Rodon, who has a 0.95 ERA over his past three starts.