Speedway Classic between Braves, Reds suspended, will resume Sunday

BRISTOL − The MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds was suspended Aug. 2 and will resume at 1 p.m. ET Aug. 3.

The game at Bristol Motor Speedway went into a second rain delay at 9:57 p.m. ET, 16 minutes after Cincinnati pitcher Chase Burns threw the first pitch following the initial 2-hour, 17-minute delay. It was suspended at 10:28 p.m.

It first went into a rain delay at 7:19 p.m. ET as the tarp was brought onto the field shortly after ceremonial first pitches.

It rained throughout the day at BMS, including during the Braves’ batting practice. Braves great Chipper Jones and Reds great Johnny Bench threw out ceremonial first pitches as the rain picked up before the game was slated to start and went into a delay.

The grounds crew pulled the tarp at 8:48 p.m. to prepare the field for play and the Reds took the field for a 9:41 p.m. first pitch.

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The Reds stuck with Burns, a former Tennessee pitcher, as their starting pitcher despite the delay and he struck out a pair in the top of the first. The Braves switched from Spencer Strider, who pitched at CAK in Knoxville, to Austin Cox. Cox allowed a run on three hits in the first inning before the game entered a delay.

GAME: How MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway happened from first visit to first pitch

MLB announced July 28 that more than 85,000 tickets have been sold, which would mark the highest attendance for a single regular-season game in Major League Baseball history. That would eclipse the previous record of 84,587, set on Sept. 12, 1954, when the New York Yankees played Cleveland at Cleveland Stadium.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

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