Tuesday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates has already been impacted by some pretty gnarly weather sweeping through PNC Park.
The Apr. 29 meeting between the NL Central foes is now slated to begin at 7 p.m. ET after a rain delay. There are legitimate questions about whether the game can be played at all.
We’re tracking all the news from PNC Park.
Cubs-Pirates weather updates: Apr. 29 game delayed
Update 6:15 p.m. ET: The Pirates officially delayed first pitch by 20 minutes. The game is now (optimistically) slated to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
Weather in Pittsburgh has been intense with a tornado warning even being issued at the park. With more bad weather due late in the evening, there is a fairly narrow window of less bad conditions to play the game through.
As of 5:50 p.m. ET, the game had not been delayed or postponed.
How do we know Tuesday’s game could be heading for a rain delay or postponement? With about 90 minutes to go before scheduled first pitch, the tarp was on the field and rain was coming down in buckets.
The city of Pittsburgh is on a “severe thunderstorm watch,” according to Accuweather. That watch is expected to last through 10 p.m. on Tuesday night.
The storms coming through the area have the chance to bring “destructive winds, large hail and even a tornado.”
So why hasn’t the game been postponed already? The current storm hitting Pittsburgh is forecast to ease up just before 7 p.m. If it calms down enough, they could try to sneak in the game before a second wave of storms arrives. That may be wishful thinking, but it’ll be up to the officials at PNC Park to decide if it’s possible.
If the game is postponed, the Cubs and Pirates could see a doubleheader on Wednesday. A game is currently scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. Another could be played in the afternoon.
Andrew Heaney is scheduled to take the mound for the Pirates on Tuesday against Shota Imanaga for the Cubs. Carmen Mlodzinski is slated to pitch on Wednesday against Matthew Boyd.
The Pirates are coming off a 1-2 series loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The Cubs also went 1-2 against the Phillies in Chicago. One team will head into the weekend feeling better than the other.
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