Why is the Mets-Pirates Game Delayed Today? When Will it Start Again?

The New York Mets and Pittsburgh Piratesstarted a 6:40 p.m. ET game Friday at PNC Park under a high risk of thunderstorms, with the National Weather Service calling for a 50% chance of storms this afternoon climbing to 80% overnight. Now a rain delay has interrupted the game.

“We have entered a weather delay here at PNC Park. Will advise on a return to play time when we have one,” the Pirates posted at 7:18 p.m.

The Mets led the game 1-0 with the top of the third about to start in Pittsburgh when the rains became too intense to continue play.

“Rain has wrapped up at PNC Park, should get a resumption time from the Pirates soon,” the Mets Weather social media account posted at 7:43 p.m. “Had a lightning strike less than a half mile away from the ballpark during the delay.”

“Rain is coming down here at PNC Park,” posted BBWA writer Dominic Campbell at 7:22 p.m., above a video of the wet conditions in the ballpark.

“Tarp has come out in Pittsburgh as a burst of heavy rain moves over the ballpark. Should move out pretty quickly,” reported the Mets Weather social media account at about 7:24 p.m..

“Pittsburgh most recently dealt with a rain delay in their 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Aug. 1, as it started at 8:20 p.m., in the bottom of the sixth inning and the game resumed at 10:05 p.m.,” reported Campbell on SI.com. “The Pirates also had three cancellations in July, twice for rain on July 10 vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 21, plus wildfires the cancelled their game vs. the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 17.”

The National Weather Service’s latest forecast for Pittsburgh calls for a chance of showers and thunderstorms through the afternoon, with a high near 85 degrees and winds out of the southwest around 8 mph. The overnight outlook is worse: an 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 a.m., with rainfall between a tenth and a quarter of an inch possible before the system clears.

Mets, Pirates Rain Delay Timeline

No full postponement is expected. Storms are projected to move through the region before midnight, which would allow the Mets and Pirates to complete the game even if a delay pushes back the start or interrupts play mid-game.

A rain delay differs from a postponement in one key way — the game is still expected to finish the same day. The tarp comes out, both dugouts wait, and play resumes from the exact spot it stopped, according to SeatGeek’s rainout ticket policy explainer. Tickets purchased for Friday remain valid regardless of how long the delay runs.

Zach Thornton, Carmen Mlodzinski Face Bullpen Pressure

Zach Thornton (2-2, 2.88 ERA) was lined up to start for New York, opposite Carmen Mlodzinski (6-3, 3.15 ERA) for Pittsburgh. Both arms become collateral damage if the delay stretches too long. Managers routinely pull a starter rather than risk a cold re-warm-up, which forces the bullpen into earlier and heavier work than planned.

That matters more than usual for two teams playing out the string. New York sits at 50-66 and Pittsburgh at 57-60, both buried in fifth place in their respective divisions with the season shifted toward evaluation over contention. The Mets arrive on a three-game winning streak; the Pirates have trended the opposite direction in recent weeks.

Roster attrition raises the stakes further. New York is already managing multiple pitchers on the injured list, and Pittsburgh remains without ace Mitch Keller among others, meaning neither staff has much margin for an emergency bullpen game. A postponement, rather than a same-day delay, would be worse still — it would likely mean a doubleheader that further taxes both pitching staffs and compresses rest heading into the weekend.

Weather has final say. Under the sport’s governing rules, the Pirates hold authority to call the game before lineups are exchanged; after that, it shifts to the umpiring crew, with safety taking precedence over the schedule, according to the Official Baseball Rules interpretation cited by the Umpire Bible.

What Happens Next at PNC Park

Saturday’s outlook offers little relief, with a 60% chance of more showers and thunderstorms and another high near 85 in the forecast. The soggy pattern is expected to hang over western Pennsylvania into early next week.

Fans planning to attend Friday’s game — or Saturday’s follow-up — should monitor team channels and radar through the afternoon, since conditions in this kind of setup can shift on short notice.

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