The Red Sox rallied to take a three-run lead into the seventh inning over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night at Fenway Park when thunderstorms and unrelenting rain gave the umpires no choice but to hit the pause button.

Nearly four hours later, with maybe 100 people still in the stands at Fenway, the Red Sox finally closed out their 9-5 victory over the Braves that ended at 12:58 a.m. on Thursday morning. The delay officially lasted two hours and 53 minutes, and the game resumed at midnight when Josh Taylor took the hill against Ronald Acuña Jr.

“It’s part of what we do,” Braves Manager Brian Snitker said of the late restart and later finish. “I wanted a crack at it, I know that, with the at-bats that we had left.”

Rain continued at a significant rate over the next hour, but held off just enough as the Red Sox completed their 18th come-from-behind win of the season.

“It was weird,” Nick Pivetta said. “I don’t think the game should have really continued, especially with that second rain. If the second rain didn’t come, OK I understand. but with the rain that we were dealing with, it’s just not good for anybody. Anybody’s health, players’ health, injuries. Luckily we went unscathed, but it’s kind of a tough call on their part. But we mentally stayed checked in as a squad and we went out and did our job.”

Pivetta wasn’t his sharpest as the Braves hit him hard for four extra-base hits over the first two innings – three doubles and a triple – but he responded to go six innings as he recorded a season-high nine strikeouts. The Red Sox’ four-run sixth allowed him to earn the victory as he improved to 6-0 this season.

“He finished strong,” Cora said. “There were a few pitches down the middle. They took advantage of it but then he found his groove. Got some swings and misses and strike calls and gave us a chance to win.”

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