ALCS Game 3 moved to 1 p.m. Thursday as rain threatens Cleveland

Major League Baseball advanced the start time to keep the series on schedule amid Thursday night rain concerns.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:12:25 GMT

Major League Baseball moved Thursday’s Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians to a 1 p.m. start because of a rain forecast for Cleveland that night, according to the Associated Press.

What happened

The series is tied 1‑1 after the Guardians won Game 1 on Monday, 7‑3, and the Rays captured Game 2 on Tuesday, 3‑1. MLB shifted the start time five hours earlier to avoid a potential rain delay on Thursday night, keeping the best‑of‑seven schedule intact. The game will be televised on TBS and streamed on TNT Sports platforms.

What the reports add

The Associated Press reported the time change and noted that the series remains even at one win each. Bleacher Report added that the ALCS is now a best‑of‑five in its bracket predictions, listing the revised schedule: Game 3 on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. ET (which corresponds to the 1 p.m. local start in Cleveland), Game 4 on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. ET, and potential Game 5 on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. ET. Bleacher Report also highlighted that Cleveland’s pitchers allowed no earned runs in Game 2, but a rough fourth inning by third‑baseman José Ramírez contributed to the Rays’ win.

What was said

The Associated Press did not include direct quotes. Bleacher Report did not quote officials either, but described the teams’ contrasting strengths, noting that “what they lack in payroll and name recognition, they more than make up for in fundamentals, contact, chaos‑creation on the basepaths and all‑the‑little‑things small ball.”

How it came about

MLB’s decision follows the rain forecast for Thursday night in Cleveland, a concern also noted in local weather reports for the region. The series schedule was first set after the Guardians took Game 1, as covered in Felo News’s article Guardians rally past Rays 7‑3 to win ALCS Game 1. The shift ensures the series can continue without a weather‑induced postponement.

Key facts

Game 3 of the ALCS will start at 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (winnipegfreepress.com)
The series is tied 1‑1 after the Guardians won Game 1 and the Rays won Game 2. (winnipegfreepress.com)
MLB moved the start time five hours earlier to avoid a rain forecast for Thursday night in Cleveland. (winnipegfreepress.com)
Bleacher Report lists the revised ALCS schedule through a possible Game 7. (bleacherreport.com)
Cleveland’s pitchers allowed no earned runs in Game 2, but a rough fourth inning by José Ramírez contributed to the Rays’ win. (bleacherreport.com)