Rain delays MLB Speedway Classic between Braves, Reds for 2 1/2 hours at Bristol Motor Speedway

(Daniel Shirey via Getty Images)

The Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds were ready to start their engines Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.

Then Mother Nature waved the red flag.

The MLB Speedway Classic began with a rain delay, deflating the adrenaline that had pumped up everyone inside one of NASCAR’s most famous tracks.

The delay lasted about two and a half hours, with first pitch finally arriving at 9:40 p.m. ET.

Because of the lengthy delay, Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider was scratched from the lineup. Strider, who grew up in Tennessee, went through warmups prior to the delay.

Left-handed reliever Austin Cox, who has started only three games in his brief MLB career, will start on the bump for the Braves. They will lean on their bullpen Saturday night.

The Reds, on the other hand, didn’t scratch their starter. They’re still rolling with Chase Burns, a 22-year-old who grew up in Tennessee as well and played college baseball for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Leading up to the original 7:15 p.m. ET start time, pregame festivities included performances from Pitbull and Tim McGraw, U.S. Navy Musician First Class Kathryn Dobyns singing the national anthem, NASCAR pit crews helping introduce the starting lineups by servicing Braves- and Reds-themed stock cars and a flyover by four U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach.

But the rain started coming down. It was pouring when Braves icon Chipper Jones and Reds legend Johnny Bench participated in the ceremonial first pitches.

Jones, an eight-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion with the Braves, threw to NASCAR driver Chase Elliott.

Fellow NASCAR driver Kyle Busch — a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion — walked out to Bench, a 14-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion with the Reds, and traded spots, allowing the 77-year-old Bench to man his old position as catcher.

As the rain continued to hit the converted diamond in the heart of the race track, the tarp came out.

Nevertheless, fans expected to break MLB’s all-time regular-season, single-game attendance record Saturday remained excited for a breathtaking experience.

Ken Rosenthal and Tom Verducci collected interviews for Fox Sports during the delay, showcasing how players and coaches for both teams still shared that enthusiasm.

The grounds crew started removing the tarp around 8:50 p.m. ET.

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Rain delays MLB Speedway Classic between Braves, Reds for 2 1/2 hours at Bristol Motor Speedway

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