It spanned two days and featured nearly as many hours of pregame rain delay (2 hours, 17 minutes) as game play (2:41), but the MLB Speedway Classic did not flounder in the stands.

Some 91,032 tickets were sold as the Atlanta Braves put away the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 on Sunday after the game was postponed from Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee — setting the MLB regular-season record set 71 years ago.

The previous top mark occurred on Sept. 12, 1954, when the New York Yankees fell to the then-Cleveland Indians at Cleveland Stadium.

The all-time, single-game attendance record sits at 115,300 for a preseason matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on March 29, 2008.

Outside of exhibition games, the weekend’s Speedway Classic attendance ranks as the fourth-highest in MLB history. The 1959 World Series, featuring the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, drew the highest crowds at 92,706 (Game 5), 92,650 (Game 4) and 92,394 (Game 3) — all played at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

That said, aside from the weather delay, the game was still mired in logistical problems. Concession stands, for example, ran out of food during the first rain delay on Saturday. To atone, however, Bristol officials announced that fans going to the game on Sunday were permitted to bring in outside food and non-alcoholic beverages.

–Field Level Media

The Washington Nationals look to stop a five-game losing streak when they open a three-game series against the visiting Athletics on Tuesday.

Washington was outscored 38-14 while it was swept by the first-place Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend and has lost 17 of its past 24 games.

“We’ve just got to dig deep,” catcher Drew Millas said of a young Nationals team that saw a group of veterans traded at the deadline. “We’ve got to come together as a unit and want each other to do well, want each other to win, want the best for each other.”

The Nationals will open the week behind someone whose name was rumored to be in trade talks: All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore (4-11, 3.80 ERA). He will be opposed by veteran right-hander Luis Severino (5-11, 4.83 ERA).

Gore is 0-3 with a 10.66 ERA since the All-Star break. In his most recent outing, he was roughed up for six runs on eight hits – two of them home runs – in 5 1/3 innings against the Houston Astros, the day before the trade deadline.

“I threw the ball much better, but homers, you don’t get those back,” Gore said. “Those two homers are kind of the pitches that I’m sure I’ll think about for a bit. But I thought we threw the ball better than we did last time.”

Gore won his only previous start against the Athletics, tossing five scoreless innings last season.

Severino has won three straight starts while posting a 2.65 ERA with 17 strikeouts over 17 innings in that stretch. Against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, he allowed one run on five hits over five innings. It was Severino’s first win in 13 starts at the team’s temporary home at West Sacramento, Calif.

“Any time you experience new or change, it takes time to make the adjustment to get comfortable,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “I think (Severino’s) found a rhythm here and a comfortability with his surroundings to be able to just focus on going out and performing.”

Severino is 4-2 with a 3.03 ERA over 10 road starts this season. He is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three career starts against Washington.

The A’s have dropped two straight following a 6-4 home loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. JJ Bleday hit a solo home run and Nick Kurtz had a two-run single.

Kurtz was named the American League player and rookie of the month for July after hitting .395 with 11 homers and a 1.433 OPS. On July 25, he went 6-for-6 with eight RBIs and became the 20th player in MLB history to launch four home runs in a game.

Kurtz is not the only A’s player with a hot bat. Over his past 16 games, Shea Langeliers is hitting .397 with seven home runs, 14 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

“He’s staying on everything,” Kotsay said. “He seems to be recognizing the breaking ball really well. He’s on the fastball. He’s seeing it really good.”

Washington fell 14-3 in Sunday’s series finale against the Brewers. Millas had two doubles.

In addition to trades that depleted the bullpen at the deadline, power hitter James Wood is in a slump. Since the All-Star break – and his appearance in the Home Run Derby – Wood is hitting .127 with no home runs, two RBIs and 27 strikeouts in 55 at-bats.

–Field Level Media

The Baltimore Orioles activated infielder/outfielder Vidal Brujan after he was claimed off waivers Sunday and brought back left-hander Cade Povich from the injured list.

In corresponding moves, the Orioles optioned right-hander Houston Roth and outfielder Jordyn Adams to Triple-A Norfolk.

Brujan, 27, was designated for assignment Wednesday by the Chicago Cubs after he batted .222 with three RBIs in 36 games. Brujan is a career .192 hitter with five home runs, 43 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 237 games with the Tampa Bay Rays (2021-23), Marlins (2024) and Cubs.

Povich, 25, was 2-5 with a 5.15 ERA in 13 appearances (12 starts) for Baltimore earlier this season. He has been out since June 16 with left hip inflammation.

Roth, 27, had his contract selected by the Orioles on Tuesday but did not appear in a major league game. Adams, 25, had his contract selected Friday. He has three at-bats over eight games with the Orioles this season.

–Field Level Media

The Minnesota Twins placed right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson on the injured list Monday because of an illness and recalled right-hander Darren McCaughan from Triple-A St. Paul.

Woods Richardson, 24, is 5-4 with a 4.24 ERA in 17 appearances (16 starts) with the Twins this season. In four seasons with Minnesota, he is 10-10 with a 4.30 ERA in 47 career appearances (45 starts).

McCaughan, 29, had a 1.69 ERA in three appearances with the Twins earlier this season. In 20 major league appearances over four seasons with four different teams, McCaughan has a 6.02 ERA.

–Field Level Media

Austin Barnes’ time in the San Francisco Giants’ organization lasted barely a month, with the club releasing the veteran catcher off of their Triple-A Sacramento roster.

Barnes was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 20 after 11 seasons with the club and two World Series championships. He batted .223 with 35 home runs and 162 RBIs in 612 games with the club.

The 35-year-old Los Angeles-area native signed a minor league deal with the rival Giants on June 27. In 13 minor league games in the San Francisco system, Barnes batted .205 with a .326 on-base percentage.

–Field Level Media

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley headed back to the 10-day injured list on Monday with a strained lower abdominal muscle.

Riley, 28, returned to the lineup on July 25 after missing two weeks with a right abdominal strain.

He exited Sunday’s 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the MLB Speedway Classic in Bristol, Tenn., after making a diving play in the infield.

Riley is batting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs in 102 games this season. The two-time All-Star is a career .270 hitter with 169 home runs and 483 RBIs in 821 games since making his debut with the Braves in 2019.

Atlanta recalled infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move. The team also recalled infielder Jonathan Ornelas after optioning outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.

–Field Level Media