Game 3 of the AL Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians is kicking off at 1 p.m. on Thursday, a full five hours earlier than originally planned. Major League Baseball made the call to move the start time way up due to the threat of rain hitting Cleveland hard on Thursday night, all to keep this crucial series on schedule.
The Series is Locked, Now The Weather is Playing Ball
This best-of-seven series is absolutely deadlocked at 1-1, which just amplifies the stakes for this unexpected afternoon showdown. The Rays snagged Game 2 with a tight 3-1 victory, showing they can grind out wins. Cleveland took the opener 7-3, proving they’ve got the offense to put up numbers. Every game from here on out is massive, and now Mother Nature decided to throw a curveball right into the schedule. You gotta wonder how that changes the rhythm for these guys.
Pitchers Gearing Up For An Early Duel
On the bump for Tampa Bay, we’ll see right-hander Griffin Jax. He’s rocking an 8-10 record with a 3.52 ERA this season. Jax already showed up big in the Division Series, striking out four and giving up just one run in two innings of relief against the New York Yankees. For the Guardians, it’s expected to be Gavin Williams. This guy is no joke, leading the American League in strikeouts with a 14-8 record and a 3.76 ERA. Williams was huge against the White Sox, starting Games 2 and 5, plus tossing an inning of relief in Game 4. He piled up 24 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings in that series, only allowing two runs and six hits. These two righties are set to battle it out under potentially sunny skies instead of the lights, which is a whole different beast.
The good news is Game 4 still has its 6 p.m. start time, and Saturday’s first pitch is slated for 8 p.m. But first, it’s an afternoon ALCS game in Cleveland, and you know both teams will be fired up to take the series lead. This is what October baseball is all about, rain or shine, day or night!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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