Game 3 of the World Series is postponed, giving Phillies’ pitching a boost

PHILADELPHIA – If the Philadelphia Phillies were at all anxious about hosting their first World Series game since 2009 on Monday night, they did not show it in the usual ways. Backup catcher Garrett Stubbs arrived wearing a taco costume. Infield coach Bobby Dickerson took the field wearing a wrinkled monster mask contraption in which he was almost unrecognizable. And despite all that, they still seemed relatively emotionally stable.

But by about 5:30 p.m. on Halloween, the tarp was in place at Citizens Bank Park and word was spreading to managers, players and reporters that the forecast of rain had grown ominous enough that the game could be postponed. The news later became official: Major League Baseball postponed Game 3 of the World Series to Tuesday, pushing Game 4 to Wednesday and Game 5 to Thursday. MLB opted to maintain the travel day between cities, so Game 6, if needed, would be Saturday (instead of Friday) and Game 7 would be Sunday (instead of Saturday).

It is possible that Monday’s weather made a Game 7 more likely – or, at least, made the Phillies’ chances in this series significantly better. If the Phillies had played Monday night, they would have pitched right-hander Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard has pitched just 51/3 innings in this postseason and did not carry a heavy workload down the stretch.

If the Phillies had relied on him Monday, they might have been grateful to get a few innings, then turned things over to the bullpen. Perhaps it would have worked.

But now, Phillies Manager Rob Thomson will turn to lefty Ranger Suárez, who pitched in relief in Game 1. Suárez has thrown 2611/3 innings over the past two seasons on his way to a 2.72 ERA. He has a 1.86 ERA in 92/3 postseason innings. He is, in other words, more of a sure thing.

And because Game 4 moves from Wednesday to Thursday, Aaron Nola would be available for that game instead of Game 5. Thompson said Monday that while Zack Wheeler could start Game 5 on regular rest, he will instead start Game 6 on extra rest, if necessary, after his velocity was down during his Game 2 start. The Phillies will not eliminate uncertainty, but they will reduce it.

The difference, perhaps, is that the Astros generally have less pitching uncertainty. Their bullpen is deep. Their rotation is deep. So while the rainout would mean Justin Verlander could return on full rest for Game 4 instead of Game 5, the Astros would not exactly have been at a loss if they had needed to use Lance McCullers Jr. in Game 3 and Cristian Javier in Game 4. In fact, Houston Manager Dusty Baker said Monday afternoon that McCullers would still start Game 3 on Tuesday. He said Javier probably will start Game 4 and Verlander is likely to handle Game 5, meaning the latter would pitch on an extra day of rest.

That might help him. Verlander has started eight World Series games and never recorded a win. Most recently, Verlander – a candidate for the American League Cy Young Award at 39 – was unable to hold a five-run lead against the Phillies in Game 1. Perhaps of all the Astros’ starters, he is the least of the sure things at the moment.

Had the postponement meant the teams would have to play five straight days with a late flight to Houston between Games 5 and 6, the change almost certainly would have benefited the Astros. Their bullpen is deeper. Their pitching staff is deeper. They could withstand five games in five days better than the Phillies, both in the rotation and in relief. But that did not happen, which perhaps represents another break for Philadelphia.

And the Phillies know better than the Astros what can happen when games start in the rain. Their stunning Game 5 win over the San Diego Padres in the National League Championship Series – the Bryce Harper homer game forevermore – was played on a sloppy, muddy field in a steady, drenching rain. Monday’s forecast called for rain off and on at best, meaning the teams surely would have had to play through some. Thomson said experiencing one rain game did not necessarily mean his team would be better prepared for another.

“I don’t know how you would (make it easier), either, because you just couldn’t keep the balls dry. It was raining so hard,” Thomson said. “And I don’t think MLB or anybody – Astros or us – want to get into that scenario again. I think they’re going to be pretty careful with that.”

And they were: MLB held multiple pregame meetings to evaluate the evolving forecast, then decided to postpone it. Game 3 will be played in November, and Philadelphia will wait one more day to host its first World Series game in 13 years.