ALCS Game 3 Moved to 1pm ET: Rays-Guardians Rain Change

Major League Baseball has moved ALCS Game 3 at Progressive Field in Cleveland from a 6 p.m. ET start to a 1 p.m. ET matinee on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, after forecasters predicted rain over the city Thursday night. The American League Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians is tied 1-1, with three straight games scheduled in Cleveland through Saturday.

MLB announced the five-hour move on Wednesday, saying the decision was made proactively to keep the ALCS on schedule. “The change, which is based on forecasted rain on Thursday night in Cleveland, is being made proactively in order to remain on schedule in the ALCS,” the league said in a statement reported by Field Level Media.

Why MLB Moved ALCS Game 3 Up Five Hours

The decision came down to timing. Rain is expected to arrive in the Cleveland area later Thursday, and the league opted to bank as many dry innings as possible rather than risk a delay that could cascade through a series with no built-in off days the rest of the way. Game 4 is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. ET, and Friday’s forecast looks even worse, with the chance of rain jumping from 61% on Thursday to 91% on Friday, according to USA Today.

Rays manager Kevin Cash backed the call. “I think MLB did the right thing. They felt likelier that we were going to get rain in the mid-to-late afternoon tomorrow. So let’s move the game up and try to bank as many dry innings as possible. Coming off an off day probably helps a little bit,” Cash said Wednesday, via the Associated Press.

Per MLB Network, the 1 p.m. ET first pitch will be the earliest start time for a League Championship Series game in the Eastern time zone since Game 5 of the 1988 NLCS between the Dodgers and Mets began at 12:20 p.m. at Shea Stadium.

Series Tied 1-1: How the ALCS Got Here

Game 1: Guardians Strike First

The Guardians opened the series on Monday with a 7-3 win at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, stealing home-field advantage from the top-seeded Rays, who had swept the rival New York Yankees in the division series.

Game 2: Peralta Silences Cleveland

The Rays answered on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory behind right-hander Freddy Peralta, who delivered six scoreless innings, allowing four hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Tampa Bay broke the game open in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a costly two-out error by Guardians star José Ramírez before Liam Hicks delivered a two-run single that proved to be the difference.

Rays closer Bryan Baker closed out the win with a 1-2-3 ninth, continuing a historic postseason run. The Rays reliever, who saved 41 games in the regular season, has now recorded four straight playoff saves without allowing a hit.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt took the split in stride. “We feel great. Obviously we would have loved to have taken [Game 2],” Vogt said. “But going home 1-1, to go have three games in front of our fans in Cleveland, we feel really good about that.”

ALCS Game 3 Pitching Matchup: Gavin Williams vs Griffin Jax

The 1 p.m. matinee pits two right-handers against each other. Cleveland will hand the ball to Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76 ERA), while the Rays counter with Griffin Jax (8-10, 3.52 ERA). Williams owns strong career numbers against Tampa Bay: he is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts against the Rays since 2023, and his most recent outing against them was a nine-strikeout performance over 7 2/3 innings in a 3-1 win on April 29.

• Gavin Williams (Guardians): 24 strikeouts across 11.2 postseason innings against a Rays lineup that was among the league’s least strikeout-prone.
• Griffin Jax (Rays): Making a pivotal road start with Tampa Bay’s bullpen — and Baker’s spotless run — waiting behind him.

Oddsmakers have installed Cleveland as a slight favorite for the matinee, with the Guardians around -130 on the moneyline and the total set at 6.5 runs.

NLCS Context: Brewers One Win From the World Series

The other Championship Series is much further along. The Milwaukee Brewers took a commanding 3-0 NLCS lead Wednesday night with a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, leaving the two-time defending champions one loss from elimination.

Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning off Blake Snell to break the game open, while rookie left-hander Robert Gasser tossed five scoreless innings for the Brewers. Milwaukee is now one victory away from its first World Series appearance since 1982.

Only one team in MLB history has ever rallied from a 3-0 series deficit, leaving the Dodgers needing a miracle to keep alive their three-peat bid.

MLB also adjusted the NLCS schedule as a knock-on effect of the Cleveland weather move. Game 4 of the NLCS was pushed up one hour to 8 p.m. ET Thursday at Dodger Stadium, with the league noting the change was a direct result of the earlier ALCS modification.

ALCS Schedule and How to Watch

Games 3, 4 and 5 of the ALCS will be played in Cleveland, with the series shifting back to Tampa Bay for Games 6 and 7 if necessary.

• Game 1: Guardians 7, Rays 3 (Monday, Oct. 12)
• Game 2: Rays 3, Guardians 1 (Tuesday, Oct. 13)
• Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 15 — Rays at Guardians, 1 p.m. ET (moved from 6 p.m. ET due to rain)
• Game 4: Friday, Oct. 16 — Rays at Guardians, 6 p.m. ET
• Game 5*: Saturday, Oct. 17 — Rays at Guardians, 8 p.m. ET
• Game 6*: Monday, Oct. 19 — Guardians at Rays, 5 p.m. ET
• Game 7*: Tuesday, Oct. 20 — Guardians at Rays, 8 p.m. ET

ALCS Game 3 will air on TBS, with live streaming available through Sling and HBO Max. With rain looming over Cleveland through Friday, both teams will be eager to strike first in the matinee — and hope the weekend schedule survives the forecast.