The New York Yankees announced that tonight’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals scheduled for 7:05 would not start on time.
“Please be advised we do not intend to start tonightâs game on time. Information will be provided as it is received,” the Yankees posted on social media at 6:48 p.m. Eastern Time.
“NYY may need a late start, but the game should play fine either way,” wrote sports meteorologist Kevin Roth at about 6:20 p.m.
But just before 7:20, the Yankees delivered good news for their fans, as well as players on both teams.
“Tonightâs first pitch is scheduled for approximately 8:05 PM,” the team announced.
“Thereâs an energy in the Bronx again today with [rookie George] Lombard preparing for Act II (as it were) while the Yanks go for the series victory over St. Louis to keep pace with the surging division rival Rays and Red Sox. But weâre going to have to wait at least a little while to get this one underway,” wrote Andrew Mearns of Pinstripe Alley right at the time of the postponed first pitch.
| ST. LOUIS CARDINALS STARTING LINEUP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Andre Pallante (RHP, #53) • 11-6, 3.72 ERA, 86 K | ||||||||
| August 5, 2026 • Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY • 7:05 PM EDT (Delay) | ||||||||
| # | Player | Pos | B | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
| 1 | JJ Wetherholt | SS | L | 16 | 41 | 12 | .248 | .734 |
| 2 | Iván Herrera | C | R | 12 | 46 | 7 | .240 | .730 |
| 3 | Alec Burleson | 1B | L | 18 | 77 | 3 | .288 | .831 |
| 4 | José Fermín | RF | R | 5 | 24 | 3 | .242 | .665 |
| 5 | Nathan Church | CF | L | 9 | 35 | 6 | .233 | .645 |
| 6 | Blaze Jordan | 3B | R | 1 | 22 | 0 | .244 | .630 |
| 7 | Bryan Torres | LF | L | 4 | 13 | 1 | .239 | .717 |
| 8 | Jimmy Crooks | DH | L | 4 | 11 | 0 | .174 | .592 |
| 9 | César Prieto | 2B | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 |
| Lineups subject to change. Game subject to weather delay. | ||||||||
Rain Delay Forecast for Yankees-Cardinals
Newsday Yankees beat writer Erik Boland reported rain moving into the Bronx and the tarp going onto the field ahead of the scheduled 7:05 p.m. start.
DraftKings Network’s rain tracker had listed a low delay risk entering Wednesday for the Cardinals-Yankees matchup, projecting a 30% chance of precipitation, temperatures near 83 degrees and south winds of 5 to 7 mph. Light showers were expected to fade as they crossed into the New York area. The Cardinals-Yankees game carried a lower risk than the night’s most vulnerable matchups; both the Twins-Royals game in Kansas City and the Nationals-Phillies game in Philadelphia carried a higher probability of a significant delay entering the evening, according to DraftKings Network.
AccuWeather’s outlook for Yankee Stadium calls for a stray afternoon thunderstorm Wednesday, with a high of 86 degrees and an overnight low near 74. The system tracks with a stretch of scattered storms forecast to linger over the metro area into the weekend.
| NEW YORK YANKEES STARTING LINEUP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Will Warren (RHP, #29) • 8-5, 4.14 ERA, 109 K | ||||||||
| August 5, 2026 • Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY • 7:05 PM EDT (Delay) | ||||||||
| # | Player | Pos | B | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
| 1 | Trent Grisham | CF | L | 12 | 43 | 7 | .214 | .699 |
| 2 | Ben Rice | DH | L | 31 | 73 | 2 | .262 | .906 |
| 3 | Luis García Jr. | 1B | L | 24 | 78 | 4 | .285 | .878 |
| 4 | Heliot Ramos | LF | R | 9 | 34 | 3 | .260 | .718 |
| 5 | Spencer Jones | RF | L | 5 | 13 | 3 | .221 | .706 |
| 6 | Jazz Chisholm Jr. | 2B | L | 17 | 46 | 30 | .218 | .695 |
| 7 | Ryan McMahon | 3B | L | 10 | 27 | 3 | .214 | .647 |
| 8 | George Lombard Jr. | SS | R | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 2.667 |
| 9 | Austin Wells | C | L | 8 | 16 | 1 | .166 | .554 |
| Lineups subject to change. Game subject to weather delay. | ||||||||
What it Means for Andre Pallante, Will Warren
Under baseball’s rules, the home team is the sole judge of whether a game should start given weather or field conditions. Once the Yankees and Cardinals take the field, that authority shifts to the umpire crew, which must wait at least 30 minutes before calling anything off.
A game becomes official â a regulation game â once the visiting team has completed five innings while trailing on the scoreboard, or the home team has finished five innings regardless of score. Anything short of that standard and a stoppage gets treated as a suspended game, resumed later from the point of interruption rather than replayed from scratch. A washout before first pitch becomes a straight postponement, with no numbers on the board.
Wednesday’s delay lands during the finale of a three-game series tied at one win apiece, St. Louis taking the opener 13-7 before New York answered with a 2-0 shutout Tuesday. Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante (11-6, 3.72 ERA) was set to face Yankees right-hander Will Warren (8-5, 4.14 ERA). Pallante carries a 1.22 WHIP with 86 strikeouts this season, while Warren has struck out 109 batters with a 1.36 WHIP, according to ESPN. Any lengthy wait threatens to shorten either pitcher’s night or push relievers into work neither manager wanted this early.
New York entered the day 64-50 and second in the American League East, chasing a division lead and a healthy wild-card cushion. St. Louis sits fourth in the National League Central at 56-58, playing out the string with an eye on next season.
The Yankees are already navigating outfielder Aaron Judge’s rib injury, with general manager Brian Cashman saying the club remains “still very optimistic” Judge returns before the year ends, as quoted by MLB.com‘s Bryan Hoch. A long delay only adds one more variable to a night the Bronx didn’t need complicated. Fans tracking the Cardinals-Yankees status Wednesday can expect first pitch pushed back for as long as the rain lingers over the Bronx.
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