Pirates vs. Reds Starting in Rain Delay

The Pittsburgh Pirates are under a rain delay for the start of their game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Jun 28, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; The PNC Park grounds crew attempts to blow rain off of the playing surface in order to resume the game against the New York Mets after a rain delay halted play in the second inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds will have a delayed start to the first game of their weekend series at PNC Park due to inclement weather. Friday's matchup, scheduled for a 6:45 p.m. first pitch and a national broadcast on Apple TV, has been pushed back as rain moves through the Pittsburgh area. It marks the third rain delay of the season for the Pirates at their home ballpark.

The tarp was placed on the field prior to the scheduled start time. The current forecast indicates the rain is expected to clear around 8 p.m. ET. The team has not announced a revised first pitch time but will provide updates as conditions improve.

The delay comes at a difficult stretch for the Pirates. Pittsburgh enters Friday on a five-game losing streak. That skid follows a four-game home series against the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this week, which the Pirates dropped in full. The losing streak has dropped the Pirates to a .500 record.

Jul 1, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; The Pittsburgh Pirates grounds crew pulls the tarp onto the field during a rain delay in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Once the rain clears, Pittsburgh will send right-hander Mitch Keller out to the mound. Keller is 1–2 on the season with a 4.18 ERA over his first four starts. In his most recent outing against the Cardinals, he allowed four earned runs over 5.2 innings and ended up taking the loss. He has faced Cincinnati three times in his career, posting a 3.86 ERA across those appearances.

Cincinnati will counter with right-hander Brady Singer. Singer, who was traded to the Reds ahead of the 2025 season from the Kansas City Royals for Jonathan India, is 2–1 with a 3.18 ERA through six starts in 2026. He has been effective at limiting hard contact, allowing only one home run across 34 innings pitched. In his last start, Singer threw five and two-thirds innings against the Detroit Tigers, allowing two earned runs.

The Reds enter the series at 20–11, sitting atop the National League Central. Pittsburgh is 16-16 following the five-game losing streak.

This is the third home rain delay of 2026 for Pittsburgh. The previous occurred on April 14 against the Washington Nationals and April 18 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Pirates have not had a game postponed by rain this season.

Pirates OnSI will provide updates if there is any change to the restart time or a cancellation.

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