PHILADELPHIA — Game 3 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros was postponed by rain Monday night with the matchup tied 1-1, pushing the entire Fall Classic schedule back one day.
The rainout moved Game 3 to Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, when the weather was supposed to be all clear. There was a smattering of boos at the ballpark when the washout was announced an hour before the scheduled first pitch on Halloween night.
Game 4 will now be played Wednesday and Game 5 is set for the scheduled travel day on Thursday night — Game 5 will compete with the NFL game that has, of all teams, the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in Houston against the Texans.
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There will be a travel day on Friday if necessary. That had been the original date of Game 6.
Game 6 has been rescheduled for Saturday and Game 7 would be Sunday. All games will start at 7:03 p.m. Houston time.
Updated World Series schedule
Because of the rainout Monday, this is the new schedule for the World Series, all times Central.
GAME 3: Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 7:03 p.m. in Philadelphia
GAME 4: Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:03 p.m. in Philadelphia
GAME 5: Thursday, Nov. 3 at 7:03 p.m. in Philadelphia
GAME 6: (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7:03 in Houston
GAME 7: (if necessary): Sunday, Nov. 6 at 7:03 in Houston
Houston right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. is set to pitch against Phillies lefty Ranger Suárez in Game 3. Noah Syndergaard had been scheduled to start for Philadelphia before the rainout.
“It affects both teams. You just have to turn it off, get a good night’s rest and be ready to play tomorrow," Astros manager Dusty Baker said. "It’s part of the game. You can’t control the weather, so you just deal with it.”
Phillies manager Rob Thomson was fine with the decision by Major League Baseball to postpone the game.
“Everybody would rather play in dry conditions. It’s going to be fair for everybody,” he said.
For fans, tickets that were good for Monday night now become valid for Tuesday's game, when the calendar rolls over to November.
Game 1 starter Aaron Nola will start for the Phillies in Game 4 against Cristian Javier. Either Syndergaard or Kyle Gibson will start Game 5 for the Phils.
The Astros and Phillies both worked out on the field Monday before the tarp was put down around 5 p.m. It started to rain about an hour later.
“I’m glad we took some batting practice and played some balls off the wall. That’s their real home-field advantage," Baker said.
And once again, rain intruded on the World Series in Philly.
In 2008, the clinching Game 5 actually took three days to play. The Phillies and Tampa Bay were tied when the game was suspended and, after steady rain the next day, Philadelphia won the World Series a day after that.
The start of World Series games in Philadelphia in 1993, at Veterans Stadium, and 2009, at Citizens Bank Park, were delayed by rain.
The Phillies clinched the NL Championship Series with a win against San Diego on a rainy, gusty Sunday. The Phillies famously won the 2008 World Series with a Game 5 victory that took three days to complete because of heavy rain.
Game matchup
The Houston Astros will try to take a lead in the World Series as the best-of-seven matchup shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3, 4 and 5. The Phillies won Game 1, 6-5. The Astros took the second game, 5-2.
Houston will send pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound for Game 3. Philadelphia had planned to go with Noah Syndergaard, but the rainout had them change their rotation and will now go with Ranger Suárez.
McCullers has started two games this postseason, pitching six scoreless innings in Houston’s 18-inning win over Seattle in Game 3 of the ALDS and starting the clinching game of the ALCS win over the Yankees.
“He’s a big-game pitcher, wants the ball,” Houston pitching coach Josh Miller said. “We want him out there and excited to see him go (Monday). He’s got elite curveball-slider combination with a sinker and a changeup to boot, and he’ll be ready to rise to the occasion.”
McCullers has pitched in 18 postseason games in six seasons, going 2-2 with a 2.77 ERA.
The first pitch is at 7:03 p.m. Houston time.
Game 3 weather
UPDATE: Game 3 has officially been postponed
Track the rain headed to Philadelphia with our live radar below:
Series tied at a game apiece
Behind a masterful performance by Framber Valdez, the Astros evened up the World Series on Saturday night. Valdez gave up one earned run in 6 1/3 innings, as Houston beat Philadelphia, 5-2.
The Astros jumped out to a 5-0 lead Saturday and held on for the win, something they were unable to do the night before in Game 1 when they also had a 5-0 lead. In that game, Philadelphia came back to win 6-5 in 10 innings on a JT Realmuto home run.
McCullers shows his love for Houston
How much does Lance McCullers love Houston? During the celebration after the Astros completed a sweep of the Yankees on Sunday, he told a national TV audience, "Bury me in the H," and it’s not the first time he’s said it. Then on Thursday, a day before the Astros World Series Game 1 against Philadelphia, McCullers showed his Houston tattoos off to reporters.