Friday was supposed to be a big night at Progressive Field, but Mother Nature had other plans. Heavy rain swept across Northeast Ohio and forced the postponement of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays. The game has been moved to Saturday at 8 p.m., with Game 5 now set for Sunday at 5 p.m. and Games 6 and 7, if necessary, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. That leaves both teams facing four games in four days, which could shake up pitching plans for the rest of the series. MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins broke down how the delay could affect Cleveland’s staff, and one of the biggest storylines involves rookie Parker Messick.
Stebbins laid out a scenario in which Messick gets an extra day of rest and noted, “That could potentially be beneficial to Messick.”
“Similar to Griffin’s next turn, the postponement could impact Messick, who started Game 2 on Tuesday at Tropicana Field. Now, the Guardians could move their ace rookie up to the rescheduled Game 5 on Sunday, when they could be in position to clinch the pennant. If Griffin doesn’t pitch in Game 4, he could start Game 5 on five days’ rest, and Messick could follow suit in Game 6. That could potentially be beneficial to Messick,” Stebbins wrote.
Before the rainout, Messick was lined up to start Game 6 on Monday at Tropicana Field on five days of rest, which would have given the Plant City native a second start close to home. Now, Cleveland has some options. The Guardians could move Messick up to start Sunday’s Game 5, when they might have a chance to clinch the pennant at Progressive Field. Or they could start Foster Griffin in Game 5 on five days of rest and let Messick pitch Game 6 with an extra day between outings.
That extra day might matter. Stebbins pointed out that Messick has already thrown 198 innings this year between the regular season and postseason, well above the career high of 138 1/3 innings he logged in 2025 between Cleveland and Triple A Columbus. As always, the Guardians will base their decision on how he feels and what the team needs.
Messick has been tough on the Rays all season. He allowed three runs in Game 2 on Tuesday, but none of them were earned after a fourth inning error. In three starts against Tampa Bay this year, he has allowed just two earned runs over 18 1/3 innings, even though the Guardians lost all three games.
How Saturday unfolds will shape the plan for Sunday. If Griffin is not needed in Game 4, he becomes the likely Game 5 starter, with Messick following in Game 6. Either way, Gavin Williams appears set to stay on track to pitch a potential Game 7 on Tuesday on four days of rest. If the Guardians close out the series before then, Williams would line up for Game 1 of the World Series against the Brewers on Friday.
The bullpen will be a big part of the equation, too. Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis have each pitched in seven games this postseason, while Erik Sabrowski has appeared in six. Gaddis said before the rainout that he still feels good and wants the ball as often as possible.
Cleveland leads the series 2-1and is two wins away from its first pennant since 2016. Game 4 is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. at Progressive Field.
NEXT: Game 4 Between Guardians And Rays Postponed Due To Rain
