MLB Moves ALCS Game 3 to 1 P.M. to Avoid Forecasted Rain

Overview

• MLB announced Wednesday that Game 3 of the American League Championship Series will begin at 1 p.m. ET Thursday at Progressive Field with the series tied 1-1.
• The league said it moved the game up to avoid forecasted evening rain in Cleveland and because Progressive Field does not have a retractable roof, giving a better chance to complete the game on schedule.
• Cleveland will start right-hander Gavin Williams and Tampa Bay will send righty Griffin Jax, with Williams coming off a dominant ALDS performance that included a 12-strikeout outing and a 1.54 postseason ERA.
• The earlier start reshuffles travel, bullpen and lineup planning for both clubs, prompts fan retooling for attendance (including a public push from Donovan Mitchell), and forces broadcasters to adjust their schedules.
• The change is part of a wider postseason adjustment that also moved NLCS Game 4 earlier, and it matters because winning Game 3 in a 1-1 series often shapes the rest of a best-of-seven matchup.