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If you haven’t been following the drama from the field in Citizens Bank Park, you’ve been missing out. With more rain than expected over the weekend in the Philadelphia area, the decision was made to leave the tarp off on Friday and keep it off until Saturday — when there was an event at the park — which ended up being a bad decision.
With the start of play approaching today, the infield was clearly unplayable. Rakes, heaters, blow torches and more were employed in an attempt to get the field ready for the first game of the series tonight.
“Basically, we’re drying out the top layer of moisture to sort of turn the field over and roll the field,” Howard Smith, the Phillies’ VP of Business Affairs said, as quoted by Philly.com’s Matt Breen. “It’s actually working.”
But as the scheduled start time approached, it was clear it wasn’t working well enough.
Shortly after the game was supposed to start, the announcement was made that the game has, in fact, been postponed with a traditional doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow, starting at 3:05 PM EDT in CBP.
If you want to catch up on the goings-on from before today’s game was scrapped, here are the Twitter highlights from the City of Brotherly Love:
Groundskeepers using blowtorches trying to get the infield dirt dry. pic.twitter.com/7Z0hdG6IYd
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) September 10, 2018
The weather is good enough to play. The field might not be. #2018 pic.twitter.com/XTldbbwg0e
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 10, 2018
Current state of the infield. Doesn’t look great. pic.twitter.com/ANujqUIYzW
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) September 10, 2018
#Phillies grounds crew has five blow torches now. Can see the progress they’ve made. A long way to go. pic.twitter.com/aOndEoxbRQ
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) September 10, 2018
Bryce Harper rakes. pic.twitter.com/NyKqlxJEpy
— Cut4 (@Cut4) September 10, 2018
Yes, as you can see above, Bryce Harper lent a hand. And even that wasn’t enough. And he’s Bryce Harper! Is this the park you want to play in next season, Harper? Did Jayson Werth tell you about this when you asked about playing in Philly? Did he? Did he? Sorry. We digress. It will not happen tonight, but don’t worry, the forecast for tomorrow looks... Ah damn it!! 50% chance of rain at 3:00? C’mon already. Were the cheesesteaks kept dry? Were they? Were they????
Scherzer said the field was “spongey.” If you put your foot down, it gave out. Obvious to him and to Rhys Hoskins — the players who went out to consult — that it wasn’t playable and would only get worse once people started running on it.
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 10, 2018
Scherzer tested out dirt with Hoskins: “We both stepped on it and said this is unplayable.” Said it was “spongy” and would’ve been a significant injury risk for players running full speed.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) September 10, 2018
So yeah, this is all going great. We’re sure it will all be better tomorrow, when Erick Fedde will pitch the first of two with Tanner Roark starting the nightcap. So yeah, to recap all of the news: This is a thing that happened. Doubleheader tomorrow. Cheesesteaks were kept dry.
Martinez: "I didn't want to put our players out there, and Kapler agreed."
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) September 10, 2018
Tonight’s game between the Phillies and Nationals has been postponed.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 10, 2018
It will be played tomorrow, September 11, as a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 3:05 p.m.
All gates open at 2:05 p.m.