Saturday’s scheduled first pitch between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park will not arrive on time. Rain settled over Pittsburgh well before the game was set to begin, and the grounds crew went to work before a single batter stepped in.
The Pittsburgh Pirates posted an official weather alert at approximately 3:37 p.m. ET, citing wet conditions at the ballpark.
“WEATHER UPDATE: We will start today’s game in a delay with a targeted first pitch time of 4:40 PM. We will provide another update if this changes,” the Pittsburgh Pirates announced on X.
In good news for Pirates and Reds fans, indications pointed toward the delay being no more than the 35 minutes originally announced. At 4:40 p.m. as promised, Pirates starter Jared Jones took the mound.
The game got officially underway at 4:41 p.m., a delay of 36 minutes.
Sports meteorologist Kevin Roth posted shortly thereafter, “Annnd thereâs the late start announcement in PIT. No change to the forecast, still cautiously optimistic they play ball.”
The start was pushed roughly 35 minutes past the originally scheduled 4:05 p.m. ET first pitch. A pregame radio broadcast was set to begin around 3:35 p.m. ET, according to pregame coverage from WKTN Radio. Neither the Reds nor the Pirates issued any statement suggesting an outright postponement was under consideration at that point in the afternoon.
“The rain has slowed to a trickle and here comes the grounds crew to remove the tarp at 3:57 p.m.,” posted DK Pittsburgh Sports on social media.”Amid cheers from the rain soaked crowd. Game is scheduled to start at 4:40 p.m.”
What Pittsburgh Weather Forecast Shows
The forecast over Pittsburgh made the delay no surprise. Conditions at PNC Park around the 4:05 p.m. first pitch called for 76°F temperatures, a 70% chance of rain, and 5 mph wind blowing in from the outfield, according to the RotoWire MLB Weather Report. That rain chance is not a borderline number, 70% is the threshold at which most forecasters treat precipitation as the probable outcome, not the exception. Projections for 5:05 p.m. showed the probability ticking up to 77%, with conditions remaining wet into the early evening.
There is some optimism for getting the game in. RotoWire’s hourly breakdown shows precipitation probability dropping to 44% by 7:05 p.m. ET, a meaningful improvement from the conditions that grounded the teams at the originally scheduled start time. Whether the two clubs are working through the middle innings by then or the skies clear in time for an earlier push will depend on how quickly the system moves out of the Pittsburgh area.
As of approximately 3:47 p.m. ET, no updates from the Pirates indicated a postponement or cancellation was on the table. The club stated it would issue a follow-up announcement only if conditions shifted beyond the 4:40 p.m. target.
Reds vs. Pirates: What Fans Should Know
Multiple sports accounts confirmed the revised window shortly after the Pirates posted their official update. Reports from Underdog MLB placed the new start at 4:40 p.m. ET, consistent with the team statement. Additional observer accounts tracking the delay in real time offered the same estimate, with no conflicting information surfacing in the minutes that followed.
PNC Park sits on the north shore of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River, an open-air venue with no roof covering. That makes it one of the more weather-exposed stadiums in the National League, and a weather hold with grounds crew managing the tarp while umpires monitor field conditions is standard procedure at that park during summer storm systems.
The 4:40 p.m. ET targeted start stands as the operative time for this game. No additional roster changes or lineup updates have been reported in connection with the delay. Fans heading to PNC Park or following the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates remotely should keep an eye on the Pirates’ official channels for any revised announcement as Pittsburgh-area conditions continue to develop through the afternoon.
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