Rangers-Braves rained out; doubleheader set for today
ATLANTA — The weather has been a stormy issue in the Atlanta Braves’ first season at their new suburban stadium.
Rain claimed another game Tuesday night — the second postponement in the brief history of SunTrust Park.
After waiting nearly 2½ hours in hopes of starting an interleague contest against the playoff-contending Texas Rangers, the Braves finally called it off around 10 p.m.
By then, most fans had already headed for home, leaving only a few hundred people in the 41,000seat stadium.
A day-night doubleheader will be held today, with the first game beginning at 1:35 p.m. ahead of the regularly scheduled contest at 7:35 p.m.
The pitching matchups will remain the same: Braves rookie Luiz Gohara making his big league debut against Texas newcomer Miguel Gonzalez (7-10) in the opener, followed by Cole Hamels (9-2) of the Rangers vs. Atlanta’s Julio Teheran (9-11) in the nightcap.
This was the 12th game affected by inclement weather in Atlanta’s 67 home games. The first postponement came during a May 4 game against the New York Mets, leading to a doubleheader the following month.
Another game against the Pittsburgh Pirates ended at nearly 2 a.m. following a stoppage of more than three hours.
By comparison, the first rainout at Turner Field — the Braves’ former home about 12 miles away near downtown Atlanta — did not occur until the sixth of 20 seasons in that ballpark.
The Braves called up Gohara, a 21-year-old Brazilian who began the season in Class A, to pitch the second game of the series.
Now, the heralded left-hander will have to wait a few hours longer — part of a six-man rotation that gives the Braves, long out of playoff contention, a chance to get a look at several of their top prospects heading into 2019.