Heavy rains delayed the start of Tuesday night's Phillies-Reds game for one hour and 20 minutes and they returned to force the game to be suspended in the middle of the ninth inning of a scoreless game. The Phillies and Reds will resume their suspended game on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The game will pick up right at the bottom of the ninth inning and the series finale will go on as planned at 7:10 p.m. unless the first game runs long.
This is the first suspended game for the Phillies since Game Five of the 2008 World Series. Things turned out pretty well in that one of course, but this 2013 team is in desperate need of a spark on offense. On Tuesday night the Phillies recorded just two singles off of Reds starter Homer Bailey, who struck out 10 Phillies batters. Fortunately for the Phillies the starting pitching of Kyle Kendrick and an inning from Antonio Bastardo was effective in holding the Reds to just two hits.
Reliever Phillipe Aumont was to pitch in the ninth inning on Tuesday night for the Phillies and he is already in the official box score. That should mean he will be given the first assignment when the game resumes on Wednesday. He will be tasked with what will feel like a start and shutting down the Reds to force extra innings. From there the Phillies will need the offense to come up with something because the last thing either team will need is extended use from the bullpen with a game still to be played afterward.
John Lannan will start the regularly scheduled game for the Phillies, looking for his first win of the season. Lannan has pitched well in his first two games with the Phillies but has not been able to line up a win. The Reds counter with Mike Leake, who has struggled to start the 2013 season.
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