The weather has certainly played havoc with the Cleveland portion of the ALCS so far. Game 3 between the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field was moved up to an afternoon start to avoid bad conditions coming in on Thursday night, and then that rain lingered all day Friday, forcing a late postponement of Game 4.
Fans of both teams have been able to weather the storm for the most part. But with Game 5 now scheduled for Sunday, which was supposed to be an off-day for travel, some plans need to change.
A frustrated fan sounded off after the Game 4 postponement, lamenting the money he spent to not see a ballgame and worrying about missing out on a potential series-clincher.
“$80 parking. $30 nachos and a Coke. And here I am back in my car headed to the hotel. I can’t make it to Sunday’s game, so now I’m gonna miss a game. I promised my wife I’d be home by Sunday morning. I’ve got two flights booked for Sunday morning,” the fan said.
"$80 parking. $30 nachos and a Coke. And here I am back in my car headed to the hotel. I can't make it to Sunday's game, so now I'm gonna miss a game. I promised my wife I'd be home by Sunday morning. I've got two flights booked for Sunday morning."
➡️ A frustrated fan sounds… pic.twitter.com/UDN9w0Y0Yx
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 17, 2026
Though it looked like there was no real chance to play on Friday, MLB pushed forward, with fans arriving at the stadium. It took until around 9 p.m. before the game was postponed and everyone was sent home.
With a win in Game 4, now on Saturday, the Guardians would be one victory away from eliminating the Rays in Game 5 on Sunday. If the series gets extended by at least one Tampa Bay victory, Games 6 and 7 will be on Monday and Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
Cleveland took advantage of the 1 p.m. start time for Game 3, which was the earliest first pitch for any LCS game since 1988. The Guardians used an epic two-run home run by Petey Halpin to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, and with shadows moving across the field, their bullpen was able to hold the Rays scoreless from there for the one-run victory.
Now, with temperatures near 50 degrees for the 8 p.m. start on Saturday, the Guardians will stick to their plan to use Shawn Armstrong as an opener. That strategy paid off for Cleveland in the must-win Game 3 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox, although it was Daniel Espino who started it.
Game 5 of the series is set for 5 p.m. on Sunday, and the Guardians are hoping that will be the last game of this series, and they can turn their attention to facing the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series.
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