BOSTON -- The Red Sox and Reds got through three innings on Tuesday night before thunder, lightning and hard rain forced a delay, and ultimately a suspension
The contest will continue on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET with Boston leading Cincinnati, 2-1, through three innings.
After a delay of approximately 80 minutes, and no end to the rain in sight, the decision was made to table the rest of the festivities.
Tickets for Tuesday’s game will be good for admission to the resumed contest at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday’s regularly scheduled contest will remain at 7:10 p.m.
The Red Sox broke out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning in Monday’s series opener against Reds phenom Chase Burns en route to a 13-6 win.
Boston again took a quick lead on Tuesday, putting up two runs in the bottom of the first. Jarren Duran and Roman Anthony belted back-to-back doubles to open the frame, leading to the first run. Carlos Narváez smacked an RBI single to cap the scoring against Reds starter Brady Singer.
The Reds struck back for a run against Red Sox starter Richard Fitts on a fielder’s choice grounder by Matt McLain in the top of the third.
Boston will plan to have Brayan Bello -- originally scheduled to start the series finale -- take the mound when play resumes on Wednesday. Cincinnati will presumably use relievers to cover the final six innings.
The Red Sox have yet to announce who will start the nightcap, while Nick Martinez, who took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in his most recent start, will pitch for the Reds.
Per MLB rules, both teams can call up a 27th man for the nightcap.
On a night NESN paid homage to the epic 1975 World Series with a retro broadcast featuring old-school graphics and the announcers dressing in their best mid-1970s-style suits, perhaps it was fitting that the rain entered the equation.
There were three straight days of rain in Boston in that ‘75 Fall Classic that pushed the ultimately legendary Game 6 back to Oct. 21. Bernie Carbo’s pinch-hit, three-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning tied it and Carlton Fisk did his iconic waving motion to will the game-ending solo shot in the 12th inning off the foul pole.
The Reds got the last laugh, winning Game 7, 4-3.
A half-century later, that World Series -- which featured six Hall of Famers (Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice and Fisk for Boston, and Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez for Cincinnati) -- still resonates.
“Obviously the players involved were studs,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “It was a different type of baseball, but at the end of the day, a bunch of Hall of Famers going at it. I used to have a poster of Davey Concepcion in my bedroom. And Tony Perez, being back home [in Puerto Rico] and he was always around, the [legacy of that World Series] always caught my attention. Just a bunch of good players.”