The ALCS has shifted from Houston to The Bronx, meaning the Yankees and Astros will now have to keep an eye on the weather forecast without the luxury of a retractable roof.

Rain is expected on Wednesday, when Game 4’s first pitch is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. Whether the rain will be severe enough to postpone the game remains to be seen, but it’s possible it could factor into how each team handles its pitching staff in the coming days — more so after a potential postponement than before it.

“It won’t change a thing [for Game 3],” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Monday after the Astros arrived in New York. “I’ll use the pen to win, that’s the bottom line. These aren’t Game 7’s by number on the tickets that the fans will have. But they’re Game 7’s in our mentality. You want to win every game.

“I’m not saving a thing and I’m not assuming rain. If you start doing that in this stadium, the Yankee gods will come and get you and part ways, and it won’t rain, and I’d regret it. But I’d also regret not using somebody if we have a chance to win. Everybody is going to be ready.”

Both the Astros and Yankees are planning on using a bullpen day to get through Wednesday’s scheduled Game 4. But neither manager planned on letting that dictate how they get through Game 3.

“Not a lot [for Tuesday], because I think if weather becomes an issue where the game were to get wiped out Wednesday, that kind of impacts what you do moving forward from there,” Boone said. “But we’ll kind of treat it aggressively [Tuesday] and try to win that game. I don’t really see Wednesday leaking into that too much.”

Boone was aggressive with his bullpen in Game 2 at Minute Maid Park, pulling James Paxton in the third inning and leaving the rest of the game to his bullpen. He did so knowing he had an off day Monday, allowing his relievers to rest up enough that he expects to have all of them available for Tuesday’s Game 3.

J.A. Happ “could very much be in the mix” if Game 4 is played Wednesday, Boone said, while rookie Jose Urquidy could be the Astros’ version of a bulk pitcher for that day. But if Wednesday’s game gets postponed, Masahiro Tanaka could then be on regular rest to start Game 4 for the Yankees on Thursday with James Paxton fully rested to go Game 5 on Friday.

Conversely, the Astros could opt to bring back Zack Greinke on regular rest for Game 4 if it is played on Thursday and likewise for Justin Verlander for a potential Game 5 on Friday.

It is possible MLB could decide to announce a postponement for Wednesday as early as Tuesday, though it would likely take a more definite forecast.

Fans with tickets to Game 4 will have a ticket to Game 4 regardless of when it is played.

Should the weather throw a wrench into the ALCS schedule, tickets will remain good for the specific game, not the day it was originally scheduled to be played.

That means if Wednesday’s game were to get rained out, those tickets would be good for Game 4 on Thursday. Fans who bought tickets to Game 5 would then have tickets good for Friday’s Game 5.

Source: Read Full Article