CHICAGO (WXIX) — The Cincinnati Reds returned to a more familiar rhythm Monday at Wrigley Field, taking on the Chicago Cubs with no weather chaos, normal clubhouse temperatures, and plenty of food on hand—a welcome change after a turbulent weekend at the Speedway Classic.
Despite Saturday’s rain delay fiasco in Indianapolis, which threw off the rotation and spoiled a potential start from top prospect Chase Burns, the Reds came into the Cubs series in relatively solid shape. The bullpen, though tested, remained mostly intact.
“We’ve got everyone available today except for [Brent] Suter,” said Reds manager Terry Francona. “We tried to manage things carefully yesterday. That’s something you have to juggle all season. The key is not letting your bullpen get backed up—it’s tough to dig out from that.”
Saturday’s weather mess could have left the Reds even more shorthanded on Sunday, but a late-night rule change by MLB saved the day. During a postgame discussion that evening with Braves manager Brian Snitker, a key question arose about roster rules for special events. Normally, teams are allowed a 27th man—but only a position player.
Snitker posed the question:
“Who decided the 27th man couldn’t be a pitcher?”
No one had an answer. Francona, facing the real possibility of being unable to finish Sunday’s game without another arm, raised the issue directly with Commissioner Rob Manfred.
“I cornered him and asked if he was serious,” Francona said. “He told me, ‘It’s the least I could do.’ He was actually pretty cool about it.”
Manfred approved a last-minute rule tweak, allowing teams to carry a pitcher as their extra man. As a result, the Reds were able to add Lyon Richardson to the roster. Manfred even arranged for Richardson to fly in on his private plane, getting him to the park in time to throw two scoreless innings in Cincinnati’s 4–2 loss.
The Braves, whose rotation was better aligned heading into the rain-altered game, also benefited. They added starter Hurston Waldrep, who pitched 5 2/3 strong innings and allowed just one run.
“It helped both sides,” Francona said. “Probably helped them more, but at least we got through the game.”
Looking ahead, Francona has ideas for how MLB could better structure events like the Speedway Classic.
“Maybe stretch it into a mini-series—two games in three days,” he suggested. “That way if it rains, there’s some flexibility. But I know there’s a lot more to consider with scheduling and home series.”
While the Reds didn’t get the result they wanted, they emerged from the chaos with a manageable bullpen, a bit of help from the league office, and a clearer idea of how future showcase events could improve.
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