It wasn’t an official rain delay, and at least one manager involved appeared to find it objectionable, but weather was certainly to blame when the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates halted their series finale for 25 minutes.
From 2:56 p.m. to 3:21 p.m. on Aug. 2 at Great American Ball Park, the contest was halted mid-game while the stadium grounds crew attempted to fight off rain water pooling on the infield dirt. The in-game pause followed the previous night’s 1:46 rain delay after playing through inclement conditions until the tarp was pulled out in the fifth inning.
Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected after arguing with umpires during the break in action on Aug. 2. He gestured toward the field while he was speaking to the umpires.
The in-game pause marked the third weather-impacted game of the Reds’ 10-game homestand including the Reds-Cleveland Guardians game July 27 that was postponed to July 28 as part of a split doubleheader.
The Reds and Pirates stopped play with Cincinnati leading, 7-1. Sal Stewart hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and Tyler Stephenson drove in a run with a base hit. Former Pirates player Ke’Bryan Hayes added a fourth run for the Reds with his second solo home run of the week in the second inning.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Reds and Pirates had a strange mid-game stoppage at GABP
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
