BALTIMORE (AP) – The Baltimore Orioles were enjoying rare success against the fluttering knuckleball of Tim Wakefield before a thundershower washed away their chance to win Tuesday night.

Baltimore led the Boston Red Sox 4-2 when rain interrupted play in the top of the third. After a delay of 1 hour, 16 minutes, umpires called the game.

It was the Orioles’ ninth rainout this season, the third against Boston.

Asked if he’s ever experienced so many postponements, Baltimore manager Lee Mazzilli said, “No, and it’s not even close. Plus, we have two months left in the season. It puts a strain on the pitching staff, no question.”

No makeup date was announced, but Mazzilli expected the game to be played during Boston’s final visit to Camden Yards on Oct. 1-3.

“At least we’ll have expanded rosters by then, so it won’t hurt us as bad,” Mazzilli said.

The teams are scheduled to conclude the abbreviated series Wednesday night with a single game. Curt Schilling will pitch for Boston, and the Orioles will start Dave Borkowski.

The Red Sox didn’t express disappointment over the postponement, which came on the second day of a season-long 14-day road trip.

“We’re going to stay right on rotation. This gives our bullpen a rest, so it’s OK,” Boston manager Terry Francona said.

“Those days help out because it’s a long road trip,” said Wakefield, who allowed four runs and five hits in two innings. Wakefield is 10-8 with a 3.56 ERA lifetime against Baltimore, and last week he blanked the Orioles over seven innings in a 4-0 victory.

The postponement washed out home runs by Baltimore’s Melvin Mora and B.J. Surhoff, and saved Wakefield from absorbing a hit to his 4.17 ERA.

“I didn’t feel great, but I felt all right,” Wakefield said.

Mora homered in the first inning, a solo shot, and Surhoff connected with one on in the second. It was his first at-bat since June 18; he was activated from the disabled list late Monday night after being sidelined with a calf injury.

But the homer, and the Orioles’ lead, were ultimately erased from the record books.

And so, Baltimore’s 8,000th game will be delayed by at least another day. The Orioles are 4,172-3,815 with 12 ties since moving from St. Louis in 1954.

Yankees-Red Sox is ESPN’s highest-rated Sunday game

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) – The game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox shown on ESPN July 25 was the network’s highest-rated Sunday night baseball game.

The game was viewed by an average of 3,862,000 viewers and earned a 4.4 average rating, the best numbers of any regular-season major league game on ESPN since 1999, when a one-game playoff between the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds drew a 5.3 average rating.

The game’s ratings rank fifth all-time for an ESPN regular-season game.