Start of Phillies, Rays Game Delayed by Inclement Weather

Jun 12, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia Phillies hat on the field during batting practice before a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Start of Phillies, Rays Game Delayed by Inclement Weather

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 26, 2026 7:30 PM ET

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The Philadelphia Phillies have their hands full heading into Game 2 of their series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

They have enough to deal with, entering a must-win situation as their Magic Number remains at two with two games to play. The Arizona Diamondbacks have been on fire, riding a six-game winning streak, which has put a ton of pressure on the Phillies to win a game.

Their offense has been ice cold, and now they have to deal with another issue: inclement weather. The start of the game between the Phillies and Rays has been delayed because of rain.

According to the official account of Philadelphia on X, the first pitch is scheduled for 7:50 p.m. ET, as they have been monitoring the situation. Originally, the game was supposed to start at 7:15 p.m.

First pitch for Phillies, Rays delayed by rain

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The East Coast is being crushed by brutal weather, with a nor’easter moving through the region. It has impacted several other series around MLB, with doubleheaders being played on Friday between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox.

The series between the Cubs and Red Sox will actually finish up at Tampa Bay’s home field, Tropicana Field. That game has to be finished because of playoff implications, with seeding in the National League still unsettled.

When the game does start, the Phillies will be making an unprecedented move. Right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola will be taking the mound on only two days of rest to help his team in a desperate situation.

He started on Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers and threw 88 pitches. Knowing things could get wacky this weekend, Philadelphia limited the in-between throwing work that Nola would normally do, anticipating that he could be needed this weekend.

Tonight’s first pitch is now scheduled for 7:50 pm https://t.co/AEQxmhNi2t
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 26, 2026

The team has a plan in place for how much they are planning to use Nola. It won’t be a full workload, as they are going to need to patch together 27 outs in another bullpen game in a must-win situation.

Along with Nola taking the mound, the Phillies have announced a few changes to their lineup as well. Shortstop Trea Turner is back in the leadoff spot despite his struggles at the plate.

Bryce Harper, who has been playing a lot of right field recently, is back at first base. With second baseman Luis Arraez suffering an injury, interim manager Don Mattingly is turning to an alignment he used a lot before the trade deadline, with Bryson Stott back at second base and Alec Bohm at third base.

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This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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