BRISTOL, TENN. — In a Braves’ season filled with numerous obstacles and disparaging blows, a special night at Bristol Motor Speedway threw another curveball Saturday night — rain during the most exciting game left of their lost season.
The landmark game, featuring the Braves and Reds, is the first MLB matchup in the state of Tennessee. The start was delayed more than two hours because of rain, but had its first pitch around 9:40 p.m. Saturday.
The inaugural MLB Speedway Classic had a delay of 2 hours, 17 minutes. It marked the first MLB game in the state of Tennessee and at a racetrack.
And to add insult to injury, Tennessee native — and the Braves’ strongest pitcher not on the injured list — Spencer Strider didn’t start the game, because of potential injury concerns.
Atlanta instead started Austin Cox in a bullpen game, but they couldn’t t get through the first inning before strong rains forced the grounds crew to interrupt the game to try to care for the field. They later put the tarp back over the field, for another delay.
The Reds will stick with their initial starting pitcher, 22-year-old rookie Chase Burns.
Fans filed into the speedway — nicknamed “The Last Great Colosseum” — early on Saturday morning to receive a glimpse of history. Some stayed in campers on a site overlooking the track, while others traveled in from early morning flights. But all were eager to be members of the recording-breaking 85,000-plus fans in attendance.
Now, we’ll see if the rain and late-night start are enough to dampen the excitement.
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