BOSTON -- It was always a long shot that the Red Sox and Orioles would play the opening game of their four-game series Thursday with heavy rain in the forecast all day and night. Now, the matchup has officially been postponed.
The club announced the postponement more than four hours before the scheduled first pitch time of 6:45 p.m. ET, citing "significant rainfall expected to continue through the evening in the Fenway area." The teams will play a split doubleheader Friday with Game 1 scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET and Game 2 set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
Tickets for the postponed game will be good for admission to the rescheduled contest in the afternoon. Both games will be on NESN.
The forecast for the rest of the night is not at all encouraging.
"Rain, with thunderstorms also possible after 5pm," per the National Weather Service. "Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 49. East wind around 17 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible."
The Red Sox have already been rained out three times this season, -- at home against St. Louis, on April 25 in Cleveland and now Thursday. They swept their April 6 doubleheader against the Cardinals and split with the Guardians on April 26. They'll now play four games in three days against Baltimore before hitting the road Monday for a Memorial Day matinee in Milwaukee.