CHICAGO -- You knew something was up at the start of the third inning when the rain started falling harder here at Wirgley Field.

Then, in between the top and bottom half of the third, it started to look worse when home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom first talked with the Cubs head groundskeeper and then called out Brewers manager Ned Yost to talk.

After Ben Sheets struck out Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano for the first out of the inning, out came the groundskeeper again followed by his crew as Cederstrom motioned the Brewers off the field.

The delay came at 2:41, or about 1 hour, 19 minutes before the proverbial good weather window was supposed to close.

I'm no meteorologist -- I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night -- but that doppler radar stuff isn't too promising, either.