John Smoltz: Bristol Motor Speedway rain debacle hurts Reds much more than Braves
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays spoke to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal shortly after Hays drove in the first (and only pre-game suspension) run of the 2025 MLB Speedway Classic at Tennessee's Bristol Motor Speedway against the Atlanta Braves.
"(The field) got wet really fast," Hays said during the broadcast. "I was kinda shocked when I got up there. The box is soaked already. So obviously they made the decision to dry it up just enough. Hopefully this rain'll stop so we can keep this game going. … The game is why we're here. So we need to get it in."
"I can feel for these guys right now," analyst and Hall of Famer John Smoltz said during the broadcast. "These guys are gonna be extra tired after this night is over. … It's frustrating (for Chase Burns). Can't control it. And you're just hoping you can stay in the game as long as possible. … Terry (Francona) is not gonna be really, really happy at all. And he's gonna just talk about how he's gonna lose his young man as a starter now. It's a tough scenario. This is a tough break. Atlanta's in a totally different situation than the Cincinnati Reds as far as they're not gonna make the playoffs. Every game's important to them, but not as important as the game is for Cincinnati. And they're chasing some pretty good teams in front of them."
Aug 2, 2025; Bristol, Tennessee, USA; Fans look on as rain delays the start of the Speedway Classic game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway.
"Normally the game probably wouldn't have started (because it was raining so hard)," Fox play-by-play announcer Joe Davis said during the first inning.
