MLB postponed Game 4 of the American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night. Rain had been in the forecast for days. Thousands of fans were already inside Progressive Field when MLB announced a delay at about 7:20 p.m. Eastern. The league called the game off shortly after 9 p.m., and the crowd booed. The AP reported it's the first ALCS game postponed since 2019. MLB moved Game 4 to 8 p.m. Eastern tonight. Game 5 moves to Sunday, which had been an off day. If the series goes seven games, the teams will play four days in a row. Cleveland leads the series 2-1. As of Saturday afternoon, MLB hadn't publicly explained its timing.

MLB Should Have Called It Friday Morning

Critics say the league knew the forecast and left fans sitting in the rain for nothing.

MLB knew for days that rain was coming. Akron Beacon Journal sports columnist Nate Ulrich argued that MLB could have postponed the game Friday morning. He said fans instead waited for hours without any word. Even Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said, "We knew how many days ago that today was going to be a challenge."

Fans paid for the wait. Fans leaving the park told the Beacon Journal, "We paid $60 to park down here." One added, "I wish they could've told us sooner." Friday's tickets won't work tonight. Instead, Friday ticket holders can use them for Sunday's Game 5.

MLB has botched its weather calls since Thursday. FanSided's John Perrotto wrote that "MLB has botched things since the series shifted to Cleveland on Thursday." MLB moved Thursday's Game 3 from 6 p.m. to 1 p.m. to beat the rain. Perrotto says no rain fell at the ballpark until Friday morning. A source told FanSided that MLB had wanted to call off the game Friday morning. Skydance owns TBS, which is airing the series. FanSided also reported that Skydance wanted the game played Friday so it wouldn't go up against the NFL on Sunday.

But Trying to Play the Game Was the Right Call

Rays manager Kevin Cash says MLB and both teams did everything they could to get the game in.

Teams should do everything they can to play on schedule. 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." Rays manager Kevin Cash said he thinks MLB and both clubs "did everything they could to try to get it in." He said calling it when they did "made the most sense at this point and this hour, with no guarantee that there wasn't another band coming."

The Rays' manager isn't frustrated. FanSided reported that the Rays were upset because they felt the extra day off helps Cleveland's thin pitching staff. Cash denied it. "No, I'm not frustrated at all. I have no reason to be frustrated," he said. Both teams kept the same starting pitchers for tonight.

The players can handle four games in four days. "These are professional baseball players. They know how to get ready," Vogt said. Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said, "I don't think there's anything particularly daunting about playing consecutive games."

Where This Lands

Ulrich and Perrotto say MLB knew the forecast and should have called the game Friday morning instead of leaving fans in the rain. FanSided also reported that the network airing the series wanted the game played Friday. Vogt says teams have to do everything they can to play games on schedule. Cash says MLB and both clubs did everything they could to get it in. Game 4 starts at 8 p.m. Eastern tonight in Cleveland.

Sources