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Phillies move up start time of Sunday's game vs. Rays due to rain

The Phillies said the earlier start time should provide the best opportunity to play Sunday’s regular-season finale without interruption.

The Phillies logo at section 108 seat 32 is shown at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies logo at section 108 seat 32 is shown at Citizens Bank Park.Read moreCorey Perrine / MCT

The Phillies are moving up their start time for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays from 3:05 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. due to inclement weather, the team announced.

The nor’easter howling through the East Coast has left the Philadelphia region with heavy rainfall, which is expected to continue throughout Sunday afternoon and evening.

The Phillies said the earlier start time should provide the best opportunity to play Sunday’s regular-season finale without interruption.

» READ MORE: The free-falling Phillies aren’t done yet: ‘We have hope.’ And it starts with Zack Wheeler on Sunday.

And the stakes couldn’t be higher.

After the Phillies fell 12-1 to the Rays on Saturday, it marked their fourth consecutive loss and one more opportunity to decide their playoff fate.

If the Phillies win Sunday, they will clinch the third and final NL wild-card spot. If they lose and the Diamondbacks win, Arizona will get in.

The Diamondbacks play the Padres at 3:10 p.m. ET in San Diego

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