The Cincinnati Reds' series opener against the Washington Nationals did not begin as scheduled on Friday because of bad weather at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Just before first pitch, the Nationals announced that the game had been delayed due to rain and said they were continuing to monitor conditions.Reds vs Nationals delayed: When will the game start? Weather updates. (AP Photo/John McDonnell) (AP Photo/John McDonnell)Fans at the stadium were asked to wait for more updates before the game could begin. At the time of writing, no new first-pitch time had been announced. The Nationals also shared that updates would be posted on their website and through their official text alert service as soon as more information became available.Why is the Cincinnati Reds vs Washington Nationals game delayed?The delay was caused by bad weather moving through the Washington, D.C., area before the game. In a post on social media, the Nationals said, “The start of today’s game has been delayed due to inclement weather. We are monitoring the situation and will provide an update as more information becomes available. Please visit http://nationals.com/rain or text “AUG7” to 91347 for more information.”As of now, the teams are waiting for conditions to improve before deciding when the game can start. There has been no announcement about a postponement, and fans are being asked to keep checking for official updates.Why Chase Petty and Cade Cavalli remain the expected starting pitchersIf the game goes ahead on Friday, Chase Petty is still expected to take the ball first for Cincinnati. It will be his third start of the season and the fifth of his major league career. Petty last started on May 23 against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving up four runs over five innings. Most of his work this season has come out of the bullpen, where he has posted a 3.72 ERA in 13 appearances. He was called up from Triple-A Louisville earlier this week, and the Reds are expected to use a bullpen game, with Petty likely handling the opening innings.Washington is expected to start Cade Cavalli. The right-hander has been in strong form, going 4-1 with a 2.52 ERA across his last seven starts. During that stretch, he has struck out 51 batters while walking only nine and has held opponents to a .215 batting average.Why Cincinnati Reds have been so successful in close gamesThe Reds have handled tight games better than any other team in Major League Baseball this season. They are 33-19 in games decided by two runs or fewer, giving them the most wins and the fewest losses in that category across the league.Cincinnati has also won six straight games decided by two runs or fewer and 10 of its last 11 such games. The club has also put together three consecutive one-run victories and owns a 17-12 record in those contests. That recent form will give the Reds confidence whenever Friday's delayed matchup finally gets underway.