Cubs voice anger with MLB, Nationals amid rainout rescheduling issues

Major League Baseball may not be able to control Mother Nature, but the Chicago Cubs are nonetheless unhappy with how both MLB and the Washington Nationals handled Friday's prolonged rain delay.

The Cubs and Nationals began Friday's series opener nearly 90 minutes late due to a storm in the D.C. area, but play lasted just 20 minutes before even more rain forced the teams off the field. It was close to midnight by the time the game was cancelled and rescheduled until Saturday afternoon as part of a traditional doubleheader.

Because this is the Cubs' lone visit to Nationals Park this season, it was MLB and not Washington that was in charge of deciding whether Friday's game would be played. By the time the league chose to postpone the game, it had already stopped raining. The Cubs had apparently been willing to take the field at such a late hour and play late into the evening, their request was denied, and it left the entire team fuming.

"Played when we shouldn't have, then did not play when we should have. I, um, I voiced my opinion (to MLB) at the appropriate moment," manager Joe Maddon told reporters, according to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. "We wanted to play last night. We wanted two one-gamers. We waited as long as we did, then the skies were absolutely clear from that moment on. And they said they could not be sure there would not be another pop up (storm), which, I'm beyond an amateur meteorologist, I can see that it wasn't going to rain anymore. So, kind of confusing to us also."

Chicago also took issue with the Nationals' initial plans to make up the game as part of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday rather than a traditional twin bill with just 45 minutes between contests. Eventually, the Nats relented and scheduled the two games in traditional fashion.

"We've already played three of those (split doubleheaders)," Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, who is also the team's union representative, told ESPN's Jesse Rogers. "It's our right (per the CBA) to want a straight doubleheader. We ended up getting it, but we had to wait here for a while."

The Cubs and Nationals had to wait out another rain delay on Saturday afternoon before finally beginning their doubleheader at 5:15 p.m. ET.

This is not the first flap involving the Cubs and weather this year. Back in April, both the Cubs and Atlanta Braves were furious after being forced to continue playing through virtually unplayable conditions at Wrigley Field.