Mother Nature is threatening to crash the party at Fenway Park this afternoon as the Boston Red Sox prepare to host the Tampa Bay Rays for game three of their four-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 PM, but as of 12:30 PM, the game is still officially on—at least for now.
According to Chris Cotillo, the lineup is set: Duran in left, Contreras at first, Abreu in right, Yoshida as DH, Story at short, Gasper behind the plate, Mayer at second, Rafaela in center, and Durbin at third. But don't get too comfortable with that batting order just yet.
The weather outlook is far from promising. The HRRR model's simulated radar shows persistent, reoccurring batches of rain sweeping over Boston from now through 9:00 PM this evening. It won't be a steady drizzle—instead, expect heavy downpours to come and go in waves for several hours. To make matters worse, temperatures will be chilly and the air will feel raw. Even if the teams try to play through it—a trend that's becoming increasingly common across MLB—conditions will be downright miserable for players and fans alike.
The smartest move might be to postpone the game, but that comes with complications. A doubleheader tomorrow on Mother's Day isn't ideal. Another option would be a twin bill in July when the Rays return to Fenway right after the All-Star break, but that would mean sacrificing a much-needed off day. And while the Red Sox have Monday off, that's not a viable makeup date since the Rays are headed to Toronto to face the Blue Jays.
Looking ahead, the rain troubles might not end today. Weather models are also hinting at additional precipitation during the back half of this homestand when the Phillies come to town. A slow-moving system is expected to roll over New England late Wednesday into Thursday, potentially putting at least one—if not both—of those games at risk.
On the bright side, with Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet currently on the IL, this weather delay might actually help minimize the impact of their absence. Every cloud has a silver lining, right?