Rainout in Boston forces Rays to alter rotation

BOSTON -- Friday night's Rays-Red Sox game has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions and was rescheduled for June 18 at 1:05 p.m. ET as part of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park.

According to the Red Sox's professional weather service, Telvent DTN, the forecast calls for a sustained period of rain throughout the day and evening, and game-time temperatures were expected to fall into the 30s, accompanied by 20-mph winds.

Tickets for Friday night's game will be good for admission to that rescheduled June 18 contest.

Alex Cobb, who had been scheduled to start for Tampa Bay, will now start Sunday. David Price will still start Saturday's game as scheduled, and Jeremy Hellickson will make the 11:10 a.m. ET start on Monday.

"[We are] trying not to disrupt Price, certainly, and minimize Cobb's interruption, as well," said pitching coach Jim Hickey. "I mean, there's no easy way with two consecutive days off. We had a little bit of discussion about pitching the day game -- the 11 o'clock game, if Hellickson would, in fact, even be away at that point. It may work to our advantage."

Hickey allowed himself a chuckle before pointing out that Jeff Niemann also made the 11 a.m. Patriots' Day start in the past.

"And he was a notoriously poor day-game pitcher and he pitched very well in it, actually," Hickey said.

Price is already on six days' rest after Thursday's off-day, so the Rays did not want the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner to be further delayed.

"Everybody gets moved back, and Cobb basically two more [days]," Hickey said.

Roberto Hernandez will start the first game of Tampa Bay's series in Baltimore on Tuesday, and he will be followed by Matt Moore and Price.

"[Staying in turn is] not too much different for me, but it will be a little bit different for everybody else," Price said. "As starting pitchers, we are kind of creatures of habit. Your body knows when it's that fifth day. You're kind of used to throwing on that day, and whenever it's six or seven, it gets a little bit weird.

"When I was throwing today, my arm almost felt a little too good. And that's what happens when you have those extra days. But I feel good right now and I'm looking to get back after it tomorrow."