It’s been announced that, to avoid forecasted rain for the evening/night of Thursday’s scheduled game, the Guardians and Rays will be playing game 3 at 1PM ET.
It will be interesting to see how this affects the Guardians’ pitching plans. They should no longer have to be worried about rain cutting a starter’s outing short, but will Gavin Williams (whom play-by-play man Tom Hamilton on the radio seemed to indicate may not be bouncing back from his ALDS workload as the team might have hoped) be ready
for a start time five hours earlier? Every hour of recovery can be significant this time of year. Would the Guardians turn to a bullpen game with folks like Joey Cantillo, Slade Cecconi and Tanner Bibee set to receive multiple-inning opportunities? Is it feasible for Williams to then be available for a game seven if necessary on short rest, or would he be limited to one ALCS start?
I am not sure if it’s good or bad for the Guardians or neutral, but overcast skies should make an afternoon game not an issue for the shadows. Strong winds will also not be an issue until Thursday (and, potentially, Friday) night.
Regardless, good luck to Cleveland fans who had planned to be at the game who will now have to call off work early/earlier. Cleveland area bosses, be generous to your employees as we try to cheer on our boys to a crucial victory.
