Two Major League Baseball games have been postponed on Thursday’s Opening Day.
The Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Mets, and the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves have had their games postponed for Thursday, March 28.
Both games, postponed due to rain in the forecast, were rescheduled for Friday, March 29.
Adam Hunger/Getty Images
The Mets have announced an updated timeline for Friday’s Opening Day schedule.
The parking lots will open at 10:40 a.m. ET, with gates opening at 11:40 a.m.
The Opening Day festivities will begin at 1:10 p.m., with first pitch of their 2024 season at 1:40 p.m.
As for the second postponed game, the Phillies have made their own announcements on social media.
The team says all gates will open at 12:35 p.m. ET, with first pitch set for 3:05 p.m. On-field festivities will begin at 2:20 p.m.
Phillies Opening Day presented by Nemours Children’s Health versus the Atlanta Braves has been postponed and rescheduled to Friday, March 29, at 3:05 p.m. All gates will open at 12:35 p.m. pic.twitter.com/I73m6Elvd4
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 27, 2024
“Due to the anticipated rain on Thursday, we have elected to move our home opener with the Braves to Friday,” Phillies Executive Vice President David Buck said in a statement released on an official team social media account. “This decision was made after consultation with Major League Baseball and various weather services. The open date on Friday gives us the ability to reschedule the game.”
Both games had scheduled off-days on Friday, so the teams are merely pushing back Opening Day one day, without having the need for any doubleheaders or future make-up games.
The Brewers have right-hander Freddy Peralta getting the start against left-handed veteran Jose Quintana of the Mets.
Peralta is the Brewers’ Opening Day starter now that Corbin Burnes is with the Baltimore Orioles. The 27-year-old had a strong 2023 season, sporting a 3.86 ERA with 210 strikeouts in 30 starts.
On the flip side, Quintana is getting the start with the Mets’ ace, Kodai Senga, opening the season on the injured list with a right shoulder injury.
Quintana had a 3.57 ERA in 13 starts last season.
In the other National League showdown, the Phillies have right-hander Zack Wheeler taking the mound against right-handed Spencer Strider of the Braves. This has a chance to be one of the best pitching matchups of Opening Day.
Wheeler, who signed a three-year, $126 million extension this offseason, had a 3.61 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 32 starts last year.
Strider had a 3.86 ERA and a league-best 281 strikeouts in 32 starts last season, and had a dominant spring, sporting a 0.79 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 22.2 innings pitched.
While 24 other teams open their season on Thursday (the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres already opened their seasons in Korea), these four teams will have to wait one extra day.
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