The Philadelphia Phillies came into their matchup with the Cubs on Friday needing some momentum. After being swept by the division rival Mets who keep winning despite themselves, the Phillies find themselves just one game above .500. However, a matchup with Colin Rea on the mound for the Cubs feels like a prime opportunity to get something going again, but the weather in Chicago is not cooperating.
With a significant line of storms currently in the Chicago metro area this afternoon, the Cubs and Phillies are officially in a rain delay much to the chagrin of everyone involved.
Update: We've got good news! The system has cleared out of Chicago and the game is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. ET, as the Cubs announced on social media.
Phillies vs. Cubs Rain Delay: Latest updates on the weather and when the game should start
While some rain delays, especially at the outset of a game, come with an estimated start time based on the forecast, this game is not one of them. A very not professional look at the radar shows a really big storm system taking it sweet time and covering most of northern Illinois for the next couple of hours. It also looks like there could be some pretty heavy rain in this storm, so keeping an eye on the condition of the field itself is going to be important. Thankfully, the tarp went down early on.
If there is a silver lining here (yes, intentional weather joke), it is that it does feel like this game will happen today. Thanks to the early afternoon start time, the Cubs and Phillies have a lot of time to play with and will almost certainly wait as long as it takes to avoid playing a doubleheader unless the field is completely trashed. As for the fans at Wrigley, stay safe and dry because you might be waiting for a while.
As more updates and information becomes available from reliable sources, we will keep this post updated. Hopefully this isn't too long of a delay, although the radar isn't inspiring the most confidence.