PHILADELPHIA – The Braves’ game against the Phillies on Tuesday night was postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader during a June 27-29 series between the teams in Philadelphia.
The teams will play as scheduled Wednesday and Thursday, turning the planned four-game series into a three-game series.
Braves rookie pitcher David Hale, who had been scheduled to start Tuesday, will have his turn skipped and be available to pitch in a relief role for the next two days, manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
The Phillies will simply move back their planned starting pitchers by a day. Cliff Lee, who had been set to start Tuesday for the Phillies, will instead face Julio Teheran on Wednesday, and A.J. Burnett will face Braves left-hander Alex Wood in Thursday’s series finale.
For the Braves, one positive from the rainout was the chance to “recharge the bullpen a little bit,” Gonzalez said.
Also, closer Craig Kimbrel gets another day to rest his sore shoulder without missing a game. Kimbrel, who last pitched Saturday, downplayed the soreness and said he would be ready to pitch after a few days of rest.
“He played a little catch today, nothing major,” Gonzalez said. “Hopefully tomorrow he wakes up a little better.”
The Braves extended their winning streak to four games Monday when Dan Uggla hit a ninth-inning grand slam in a 9-6 win at Citizens Bank Park. It was the first game of a road trip that conclude with a three-game series against the Mets in New York starting Friday.
