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Rain Moves ALCS Game 3 Up: Guardians Face Rays Tied 1-1
16 Oct
Summary
- ALCS Game 3 moved up due to rain forecast in Cleveland.
- Guardians and Rays are tied 1-1 in the best-of-7 series.
- The Game 3 winner historically wins the series 69.3% of the time.
ALCS Game 3 between the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays will now begin at 1 p.m. ET, a change from the originally scheduled 6 p.m. start, due to a forecast of rain in Cleveland. The series is currently tied 1-1 as the teams travel to Progressive Field. This game represents the final day game of the 2026 MLB season, barring unforeseen alterations.
Historically, teams that have split the first two games at home have gone on to win their best-of-7 series 56% of the time. More significantly, the winner of Game 3 in a series tied 1-1 proceeds to win the series 69.3% of the time, a statistic that holds true for 13 of 18 ALCS matchups.
The Guardians are slight money-line favorites at -133, with 87% of the handle at DraftKings but only 38% of tickets. The total is set at 6.5, with a lean towards the Over. Both teams have reasons to feel they could be leading the series, with the Rays having lost a Game 1 lead and the Guardians committing a costly error in Game 2.
The Rays boast an impressive bullpen, which will be well-rested after a travel day. They will likely rely on Griffin Jax, who had a 3.53 ERA during the regular season. For the Guardians, Gavin Williams is set to pitch, having performed exceptionally well against Tampa Bay earlier in the season and in the ALDS.
