Rain swept through Cleveland and changed the shape of the American League Championship Series on Friday.
Game 4 between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians was postponed because of weather, with the matchup now set for Saturday night at 8 p.m. The schedule shift also moves Game 5 to Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. after officials had already tried to wait out the rain in hopes of still getting the game in Friday night.
It’s a notable delay for this stage of the postseason. This is the first time an ALCS game has been postponed since 2019, when the New York Yankees hosted the Houston Astros. With the series now compressed, Cleveland and Tampa Bay could end up playing the final four games without a day off, and a potential Game 7 is scheduled for Tuesday.
The postponement lands with Cleveland in control of the series. The Guardians grabbed a 3-2 win in Game 3 on Thursday in their first home game, taking a 2-1 lead. Tampa Bay’s offense never really found its footing in that one, as the lineup struggled against Cleveland pitching.
The series opened with a Guardians win in Game 1 before the Rays answered in Game 2 to even things up, but Cleveland’s Game 3 victory swung the momentum back the other way.
Now the Rays get another shot to square the series and keep themselves in position for an American League pennant push. The winner of the ALCS advances to the World Series, which begins October 23.
The series is set to resume Saturday night at Progressive Field in Cleveland, with Game 5 following on Sunday. If necessary, Game 6 will be played in St. Petersburg at Tropicana Field.
In Other News...
Rays Fans Are Stuck Waiting On A Crucial ALCS Game 4
Rain has pushed back Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field, turning what was supposed to be an 8:08 p.m. ET start into a waiting game for the Rays and Guardians. MLB Communications and Cleveland both announced the delay and said updates would follow, leaving Tampa Bay fans to sit tight on a night that already carried plenty of weight with the series leaning Clevelands way, 2-1.
The pitching setup adds another layer to the pause, with Nick Martinez lined up for the Rays and Shawn Armstrong slated to open for Cleveland in what has the feel of a bullpen game. For Tampa Bay, the delay only heightens the tension around a matchup that could swing the series, and the hold-up keeps everyone guessing about when the next crucial inning will finally begin. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Need Junior Caminero To Snap Out Of This Fast
Junior Camineros bat has gone quiet at the worst possible time for Tampa Bay, and his Game 3 line in the ALCS only added to the concern. The young infielder went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts as the Rays dropped another chance to gain control of the series, leaving a lineup that has not produced nearly enough against Cleveland.
The frustration is not limited to one spot in the order, either. Yandy Daz and Jonathan Aranda have also been searching for answers at the plate, which has pushed Tampa Bay toward the bottom of the lineup for any reliable offense while it trails 2-1 in the series. The Rays still have time to turn things around, but they need a faster offensive response from the names they count on most. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Let A Winnable ALCS Game Slip Away At Worst Time
Tampa Bay had its chances early and even seemed to have a foothold in a game it needed to bank, getting on the board and briefly grabbing the lead on Chandler Simpsons triple. For a stretch, it looked like the Rays might turn a tense ALCS night into one they could control, especially with their offense creating traffic against Cleveland and putting pressure on the Guardians from the start.
Instead, Cleveland kept making the right pitches and plays when it mattered, and the game flipped in the middle innings before the Rays could respond. The loss left Tampa Bay with a 2-1 series deficit, a particularly painful outcome after letting a winnable game slip away at the worst possible time in the series. [Read more 🡒]