CLEVELAND — Game 4 of the American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians was postponed because of rain Friday night time.
Major League Baseball was hoping there would be a three-hour window of dry climate to get the recreation in, but the showers never let up.
“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,” Rays supervisor Kevin Cash said. “Made the most sense, like, at this point and this hour, with no guarantee that there wasn’t another band coming.”
The groups will resume their playoff sequence Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, with Game 5 also at Progressive Field on Sunday at 5 p.m., and Game 6, if mandatory, on Monday at 8 p.m. in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Fans head for the exits after the postponement of recreation 4 of the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“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,” Guardians supervisor Stephen 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.”
It is the first time an ALCS recreation has been postponed since 2019, when the New York Yankees were internet hosting the Houston Astros.
The Guardians have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven sequence after Petey Halpin’s two-run homer propelled them to a 3-2 victory in Game 3 on Thursday afternoon.
Members of the grounds crew make the area prepared for Game 4 of an American League Championship Series baseball recreation between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays in Cleveland, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
Both groups will stick with their scheduled Game 4 starters from Friday. Cleveland will go with a bullpen recreation, with Shawn Armstrong being the opener. Nick Martinez will pitch for Tampa Bay.
It will be Armstrong’s fifth look this postseason. The right-hander has allowed only one hit in 5 1/3 innings with 5 strikeouts.
Armstrong thought his season was achieved in late July when he strained a calf muscle, but he returned during the remaining week of the common season.
The grounds crew pulls the tarp before recreation 4 of the ALCS between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians in the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Armstrong was drafted by Cleveland in the 18th spherical in 2011 and made his massive league debut 4 years later. He was traded to Seattle in 2017 and frolicked with 4 other organizations, including Tampa Bay, before signing with the Guardians this season.
“I think I said it to (Erik) Sabrowski, whenever we were standing in the outfield in Game 2 in Tampa — obviously I played here, I got drafted here, coming back here and being able to be in this situation is — words can’t describe it,” Armstrong said before Game 3 on Thursday.
Martinez began Game 3 of the Division Series against the New York Yankees. He went 3 2/3 innings, permitting two runs on 5 hits with a stroll and three strikeouts. The right-hander was 15-6 during the common season and ranked sixth in the AL with a 3.10 ERA. He was third in the AL with 26 begins in which he allowed three runs or fewer.
Baseball followers watch as heavy rain falls before the begin of Game 4 of the MLB American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. The begin of the recreation was delayed due to the climate. Aaron Josefczyk/UPI/Shutterstock
“It’s just like my starts throughout the year; it’s going to be a dogfight going in, just to see how many outs I can get for this team. It’s important,” he said Thursday.
The groups might have to play the remaining 4 video games of the sequence with out a break day, culminating in a potential Game 7 on Tuesday. That could be welcome information for the Milwaukee Brewers, who have a week off before they open the World Series at residence on Oct. 23 against the Cleveland-Tampa Bay winner.
Milwaukee is in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982 after finishing a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series on Thursday night time.
“We’ve got four games in a row. We have an opportunity to win some games and move on. And that’s all we’re focused on,” Vogt said.
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