PHILADELPHIA -- One of baseball¡¯s best Opening Day matchups will have to wait another day.

The Phillies on Wednesday afternoon announced that they have rescheduled Opening Day against the Braves to 3:05 p.m. ET on Friday. Heavy rain is in the forecast for Thursday, so the Phils decided to use their built-in off-day to reschedule.

¡°This decision was made after consultation with Major League Baseball and various weather services,¡± Phillies executive vice president Dave Buck said in a statement.

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler and Braves ace Spencer Strider are still scheduled to pitch on Friday.

But there is much more to this game than just a stellar pitching matchup. The Braves have won six consecutive NL East titles, while the Phillies have bounced the Braves from each of the past two postseasons in the NLDS.

Tickets and parking (if applicable) for Thursday¡¯s sold-out game will be valid for admission on Friday, March 29. ?

Gates will open at 12:35 p.m.

On-field pregame festivities?will begin at approximately 2:20 p.m.