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Those who were hoping to see a winner-take-all MLB playoff matchup under the lights in the Cleveland Guardians-Detroit Tigers American League Division Series have been foiled by Mother Nature.
Game 5 of the series, originally slated for 8:08 p.m. ET, has been moved up to 1:08 p.m. ET due to impending weather in the Cleveland area Saturday night.
The Guardians announced the decision, in accordance with Major League Baseball, on their social media pages slightly less than 24 hours before the new scheduled start time. Gates at Progressive Field will open at 11 a.m.
That means no late-night parties for the Guardians or Tigers, not that they should engage in that Friday night regardless of Saturday's start time. At least both fanbases don't have to live with the anxiousness and nerves until Saturday night.
Kudos to MLB for figuring this out rather than letting it ride and hoping the weather holds off. A disaster scenario could have unfolded if Game 5 had been postponed to be made up Sunday, giving the winning team barely 24 hours to get to New York. Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium is set for a 7:37 p.m. first pitch Monday night.
The Guardians forced a Game 5 with a 5-4 win in Game 4 Thursday. Cleveland broke a streak of 11 consecutive losses in playoff elimination games. It was the first game in the series where both teams scored.
It's fitting that this series went the distance after there wasn’t much separating the AL Central rivals in the regular season. The Tigers took the series seven games to six, but whoever wins Game 5 will have the last laugh.
It should be a fantastic MLB playoff game regardless of the time. The Guardians have yet to announce a starter, while the Tigers will send likely American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to the bump in a must-win contest.
