CLEVELAND — Persistent rain forced Major League Baseball officials to postpone Game 4 of the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. The contest, originally scheduled to begin at Progressive Field, was called off approximately one hour after the first pitch time due to continuous downpour, with no play occurring. The series stands at 2-1 in favor of Cleveland.
The postponed game has been rescheduled for Saturday night in Cleveland, requiring the teams to play up to four consecutive days if the series extends that far. Game 5 will follow on Sunday, also in Cleveland, before the series shifts back to Tampa Bay’s domed stadium at Tropicana Field for Games 6 and 7, if necessary. With the controlled environment of the dome and clear weather forecasted for the region, MLB expects the AL pennant to be decided by Tuesday at the latest. Temperatures for the weekend games are projected to hover in the low 40s.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt acknowledged the frustration caused by the delay but emphasized its inevitability. “It’s completely out of our control, but this is what happens. This is baseball. This is Cleveland. We’re more than used to these kinds of days,” Vogt said following the rainout.
Saturday’s pitching matchup will feature Cleveland right-hander Shawn Armstrong, who has yet to record a decision or allow an earned run in the postseason, facing Tampa Bay right-hander Nick Martinez, also without a postseason decision and carrying a 4.91 ERA. Both pitchers were set to start Friday before the rainout. Armstrong, a former Rays reliever, served as an opener in Game 2, tossing 1⅔ scoreless innings with one hit allowed. He is expected to begin Saturday’s game again, with left-hander Joey Cantillo and right-hander Slade Cecconi among the likely bullpen options to follow.
Armstrong’s track record against Tampa Bay at the major league level is mixed. He allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning during a regular-season appearance on July 24 and has a 6.14 ERA over 16 total outings against the Rays, primarily out of the bullpen. Nevertheless, Armstrong expressed appreciation for the competitive nature of the series. “If you compare both organizations on paper and what they’ve done, it’s a really good battle to have in the ALCS,” he said.
Martinez, 36, has performed well against Cleveland this year, winning both regular-season starts while allowing seven hits and one walk in 13 scoreless innings. He recorded nine strikeouts and limited the Guardians to a .159/.178/.182 batting line across those appearances. During the AL Division Series, Martinez pitched 3⅔ innings in relief of the Tampa Bay bullpen and gave up two runs against the New York Yankees in Game 3. The right-hander, who went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA in 31 regular-season starts, has transitioned into a relief role for the ALCS.
Reflecting on his new role, Martinez said, “The first game, I sat in the bullpen and didn’t really like it. I was in the dugout with cleats on the second game. Whatever the team needs, I’m up for it. That’s got to be my mentality for the rest of the year.”
Martinez’s career numbers against the Guardians include a 3-2 record with a 4.39 ERA in eight appearances, half of which were starts. He has pitched nine scoreless innings over two appearances in Cleveland, recording five strikeouts and holding a 1-0 record there.
The Guardians and Rays will resume their best-of-seven series on Saturday night, with Cleveland aiming to extend its lead and Tampa Bay seeking to even the series heading into critical late-stage games.