Game 3 of World Series between New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies delayed by rain

Game 3 of World Series delayed by rain

PHILADELPHIA — The start of Game 3 of the World Series between the Yankees and Phillies was delayed by rain, the second consecutive year wet weather affected the schedule in Philadelphia.

Andy Pettitte was set to pitch Saturday night for New York against fellow left-hander Cole Hamels in a game that originally was slated to begin at 7:57 p.m. Neither pitcher had started warming up.

In an interview on Fox, Major League Baseball executive Jimmie Lee Solomon said the teams were waiting for a break in the weather, expected by about 9 p.m.

Baseball wanted to avoid starting the game and then having to stop it.

Last season, Game 5 of the World Series between the Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays was suspended for two days because of rain. Once it resumed — in the sixth inning — the Phillies went on to a 4-3 victory that clinched the championship.

The messy ruckus led MLB to institute a rule in January stating that all postseason games and regular-season tiebreakers must be played to their conclusion.

Games that start would be suspended if they are called, regardless of how many innings have been played or the score at the time. A suspended game is resumed and played to completion at the same site.

Last year’s Game 3 started at 10:06 p.m. because of rain and didn’t end until 1:47 a.m. It was the latest start in Series history.

The forecast Saturday night called for a thick band of showers to pass over Philadelphia between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., with scattered showers and mostly clear skies later in the night.

Light rain began falling about 6:55 p.m. as the Yankees were taking batting practice on a warm evening. Once they were done, the rain got heavier and the grounds crew rolled out the tarp to cover the infield.