Cubs-Reds washed out after four-hour rain delay

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CINCINNATI - Weather forced the Cubs and Reds to postpone Saturday's contest after a rain delay totaling four hours, 13 minutes at Great American Ballpark.

No makeup date has been announced yet.

Rain hit the Cincinnati area hard Saturday morning and did not let up into the afternoon. Neither team even took the field to start the game.

"That's the way it works sometimes," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "The only thing I'd like to say is I thought the umpires did a great job in the end of trying to put this whole thing together conversationally. I really appreciated how they handled it.

Since the game hadn't started yet, the umpires weren't allowed to call it themselves. The call had to come from the Reds, who had a sellout crowd expected as they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 1990 World Series champion team.

"I know they wanted to get it done for the full house," Maddon said. "I understand that. Totally get it. I'm not gonna denigrate the Reds for doing what they think was the right thing to do. Never. Everybody's got their own house to keep. I'm not going there. But I understand that had to play somewhat into the delay."

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The lengthy rain delay was frustrating for some, including Cubs projected starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, who likes to spend 40 minutes warming up before the start of the game, Maddon said.

The start time of the game was pushed back three different times before the contest was finally postponed, creating a tough situation for both teams, who played a nearly four-hour long game Friday night in the series opener.

"Obviously, if it's our last trip to Cincinnati, different story," Maddon said. "If it's our last trip to any city, different story. But the ability to come back here several other times, even with some common open dates, made it more difficult.

"You play a game at night [Friday], you get here early in the morning [Saturday], you sit around here all day with another day game the next day."

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Maddon said Arrieta never even warmed up, so he will be pushed back to Sunday for the series finale, slated to start at 1:10 p.m. Central Time.

Maddon also said the lineup should remain the same as the Reds also pushed back starter Anthony DeSclafani.

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