Major League Baseball

Rays-Phillies opener rained out

Published Jun. 23, 2012 4:24 a.m. ET

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Once again, the Tampa Bay Rays are having weather problems in Philadelphia.

In their first trip back to the city since the historic Game 5 of the 2008 World Series that was played over two separate days, the Rays were forced to sit through a 2-hour, 48-minute rain delay before Friday's scheduled game against the Philadelphia Phillies was postponed.

''It seems like there's always a strange occurrence when we come here,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said. ''It's uncanny.''

The Phillies and Rays began Game 5 of the 2008 World Series on Monday, Oct. 27, but the game was suspended with the score 2-2 after the top of the sixth due to heavy wind and rain. It continued two days later with the Phillies batting in the bottom of the sixth, and Philadelphia ultimately went on to win 4-3 to clinch the series.

There was nowhere near that drama on Friday as the teams never took the field.

Friday's scheduled game never got started due to heavy rain and wind, along with lightning and thunder, and was called at 9:53 p.m.

''(Umpire) Jim Joyce did the right thing,'' Maddon added. ''We would've preferred to get the game in, but it wasn't going to happen.''

The game has been rescheduled for Sunday as part of a day-night doubleheader, with the opener scheduled to start at 1:05 and the nightcap slated to begin at 6:35 p.m.

Sunday's game originally was scheduled for 1:35 p.m.

The teams now will open the three-game series at 4:05 Saturday with Rays right-hander James Shields (7-4, 3.72) scheduled to face Phillies right-hander Kyle Kendrick (2-7, 5.29). Shields was supposed to start Friday's game and said he would be ready to pitch on Saturday despite warming up on Friday.

''Absolutely, I'm good to go,'' he said. ''I warmed up like I was going into the game. Then I shut it down a little when it started to rain harder.''

Tampa Bay will use right-hander Alex Cobb (3-3, 3.82) and left-hander David Price (9-4, 3.08) on Sunday, though Maddon didn't say which order they would pitch.

The Phillies haven't announced their starters for Sunday's games. Left-hander Cliff Lee (0-3, 3.48) was scheduled to start on Friday. Phillies LHP Cole Hamels (10-3, 3.25) had been listed as a scheduled starter for Sunday.

NOTES: The Rays placed OF Matt Joyce on the 15-day DL with an oblique strain. . Rays right-handed reliever Joel Peralta will drop his appeal and begin serving his eight-game suspension immediately for using a foreign substance on his glove in Tuesday's game against Washington. ... Tampa Bay also made several other moves on Friday, reinstating INF Jeff Keppinger from the 15-day DL, recalling right-hander Brandon Gomes from Triple-A Durham, claiming INF Brooks Conrad off waivers, optioning OF Rich Thompson to Durham and designating INF Drew Sutton for assignment.

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