Fans at Nationals Park sure saw a lot of tarp last night; this one came prepared. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Cardinals 4, Nationals 1 (F/6): For whatever reason, the powers that be really didn’t want this game — a replay of a postponed game from early May — to go the full nine. After heavy rains fell on D.C. for most of yesterday afternoon, getting this one in was going to be a challenge — in the end, the game fell into three rain-delineated volumes. In the first act, Collin Balester got his first start of the year in place of the injured Jordan Zimmermann. Balester allowed a Rick Ankiel home run in the second which put the Cards ahead, but also showed some promising signs, including a wicked 12-6 curve which certainly fooled more than one St. Louis batter.

Then the clouds came, and everyone at the stadium got a wet 76 minute break.

When things resumed, Tyler Clippard took the mound for Washington — he fared similarly to Balester, allowing a couple more to cross the plate. Hits by Adam Dunn — who went three-for-three but also had a trademark error in left when he dropped the ball on an exchange from glove to hand — and Alberto Gonzalez pulled one back for the home side. But lightning and another sudden deluge of moisture pelted the stadium again in the top of the seventh. Home plate umpire Brian Knight had little choice but to pull the teams off again as fans scattered to the nearest concourse.

The final chapter was one of tedium, waiting for the rain to stop and the groundskeepers to work their magic. It’s a feeling the Nationals know too well: broadcaster Bob Carpenter noted during the game that the Nats had experienced over 29 hours of rain delays this year — and that number easily passed 30 during the second delay of the evening. Eventually, the umps made the call and the game was, mercifully, over. Adam Wainwright got the win for the Cardinals, his 11th.

Ah, who knows, maybe the weather gods just couldn’t take any more sub-par baseball.