ALCS Game 4 Between Rays and Guardians Postponed Due to Rain

Game 4 of the American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians was postponed Friday night due to persistent rain.

Major League Baseball officials had hoped for a three-hour window of dry weather, but showers continued throughout the evening. "It never cleared out the way they were hoping. It started to get later in the hour, and MLB and I think both clubs did everything they could to try to get it in," said Rays manager Kevin Cash. "Made the most sense, like, at this point and this hour, with no guarantee that there wasn’t another band coming."

The teams are scheduled to resume their playoff series Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at Progressive Field. According to FOX Weather, Saturday's forecast indicates morning clouds followed by afternoon sun, with highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 30s.

Game 5 is also slated for Progressive Field on Sunday at 5 p.m. If necessary, Game 6 will take place Monday at 8 p.m. in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a potential Game 7 on Tuesday at 8 p.m. in St. Petersburg.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt noted the difficulty of scheduling. "We knew how many days ago that today was going to be a challenge. Numerous weather calls, numerous back and forths, and ultimately MLB decided we needed to wait it out," Vogt said. "Obviously it’s an important game, and we need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to play the games when they’re scheduled. But MLB ultimately decided to wait this one out."

This marks the first time an ALCS game has been postponed since 2019, when the New York Yankees hosted the Houston Astros.

The Guardians currently lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 after winning Game 3 on Thursday afternoon. Petey Halpin’s two-run homer propelled Cleveland to a 3-2 victory.

Both teams will stick with their originally scheduled Game 4 starters. Cleveland will utilize a bullpen game with Shawn Armstrong as the opener, while Nick Martinez is set to pitch for Tampa Bay.

Armstrong has appeared in five postseason games this year, allowing only one hit over 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. Martinez started Game 3 of the Division Series against the New York Yankees, going 3 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on five hits. He posted a regular-season record of 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA.