BOSTON — Rain put a damper on a hot start for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, but the postponement may have come at a good time for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Nonstop rain in the forecast forced the teams to scrap the scheduled series finale at Fenway Park, which will now be played on April 13 at 2:05 p.m. ET.
“I just think with the number of common off-days without exceeding the consecutive number of days played, Thursday was the most logical,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said on a conference call.
For Pittsburgh (0-2), its opening week has not gone as planned — particularly at the plate, where the Pirates are hitting just .173 through two games.
On Wednesday, the Pirates mustered just five hits and failed to advance a runner past first base for the first time in at least 105 years when playing 12-plus innings.
Sandy Leon hit a walk-off three-run homer in the 12th inning to end Pittsburgh’s misery and secure a 3-0 win. Boston (2-0) also won 5-3 Monday on Opening Day.
At the center of the Pirates’ offensive struggle is Andrew McCutchen, who is hitless in nine at-bats with three strikeouts this season.
But the newly transitioned right fielder insists it’s too early to be worried.
“I feel good,” McCutchen said. “I know (it was only) game No. 2, but I’m not going to stress over it.”
Meanwhile, the Red Sox are off to their second 2-0 start since 2000. They will seek to win a season’s first three games for the first time since 1999, when the team opened 5-0.
As expected, pitching has been their calling card with strong performances by reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and offseason acquisition Chris Sale, who made his Red Sox debut Wednesday.
“He was nasty,” Leon said of Sale. “He was mixing his pitches, getting ahead in the count. He was fun to catch.”
Boston begins a four-game series in Detroit on Friday. Steven Wright will make his season debut in the opener while Thursday’s scheduled starter Eduardo Rodriguez will now pitch on Saturday.
Pittsburgh retreats home to PNC Park for its home opener against the Atlanta Braves on Friday. Ivan Nova is still scheduled to start for the Pirates, meaning Thursday starter Chad Kuhl’s season debut has been pushed back.
NOTES: Pittsburgh has won each of its last three home openers. The last time the Pirates hosted the Braves in their first home game was in 1998. … Boston placed RHP Matt Barnes on the bereavement list and recalled RHP Noe Ramirez from Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday morning. WEEI.com reports that Barnes is attending his grandmother’s wake and funeral. … Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts will also go on the bereavement list Friday. INF Marco Hernandez will be recalled from Pawtucket. … Boston OF/INF Brock Holt is cleared to return after missing Wednesday’s game with flu-like symptoms. RF Mookie Betts and LHP Robbie Ross are still tentative with similar symptoms.