CLEVELAND — Following a one-day delay caused by inclement weather, the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays took the field Saturday night at Progressive Field for Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.
Rain washed out the original Friday schedule, forcing Major League Baseball to push the contest back 24 hours. The postponement eliminated what was planned as a rest and travel day, meaning the two teams face the prospect of competing on four consecutive days if the best-of-seven series goes the distance.
Compressed schedule and World Series stakes
Cleveland entered the night holding a 2-1 series advantage after taking Game 3 on its home diamond. The club that emerges victorious from the series will move on to face the Milwaukee Brewers, who swept the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in four straight games in the National League Championship Series.
The rainout has intensified the physical demands on both rosters. According to schedule details reported by USA TODAY Sports, Game 5 is slated for Sunday at Progressive Field at 5 p.m. Eastern time. If necessary, the series would shift back to the home venue of the Rays for Game 6 on Monday and a decisive Game 7 on Tuesday.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt downplayed the scheduling crunch before the game. “We have an opportunity to win some games and move on. And that’s all we’re focused on,” Vogt said, as reported by USA TODAY Sports.
Pitching plans and early action
Neither team altered its starting pitcher despite the 24-hour weather delay. Tampa Bay handed the baseball to right-hander Nick Martinez, while Cleveland opted for right-hander Shawn Armstrong to open the contest. Armstrong entered the night having logged five and a third scoreless innings in relief during this postseason run, the New York Post reported.
When play finally got underway under dry conditions with temperatures around 46 degrees, the Guardians wasted little time breaking through. Chase DeLauter drove in an early run after winning a nine-pitch plate appearance in the opening inning to put Cleveland ahead, according to live updates from ESPN.
The matchup carries immense franchise history for both organizations. Tampa Bay remains one of five active franchises in Major League Baseball that has never captured a World Series crown. Cleveland, meanwhile, has endured baseball’s longest active title drought, having last hoisted the championship trophy in 1948.
How to follow the series
Game 4 is airing nationally on TBS and truTV, with multiple live-streaming providers carrying the broadcast feeds, according to reports from The Big Lead. Viewers and team staffs are closely monitoring how pitching workloads will be managed through the remainder of the weekend given the elimination of the travel day.
If the Guardians can secure a victory on Saturday, they will move to within one win of reaching their first Fall Classic since 2016. A Tampa Bay victory would pull the series even at two games apiece heading into Sunday’s late-afternoon matchup in Cleveland.
