ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 13: Bryan Baker #47 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after the final out to win Game Two of the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October
CLEVELAND - The Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians are set to resume the American League Championship Series on Thursday, but fans will need to adjust their schedules after Major League Baseball moved Game 3 to an earlier start time because of the forecast for inclement weather.
Tampa Bay Rays ALCS Game 3 update
What we know:
The MLB announced first pitch is now scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, instead of the originally scheduled 6 p.m.
PREVIOUS: Rays even ALCS with 3-1 win over Guardians in Game 2
The series is tied 1-1 after Tampa Bay bounced back with a 3-1 win in Game 2 on Tuesday, setting up a pivotal matchup as the teams begin a three-game stretch in Cleveland.
What to know before the game
Dig deeper:
MLB moved Thursday's game up five hours because of the forecast for inclement weather in the Cleveland area.
The game will be played at Progressive Field, where the Guardians will host the Rays for the first time in the series.
Rays & Guardians split first two games
The backstory:
Cleveland took Game 1 with a 7-3 victory Monday, overcoming Tampa Bay to grab the early series lead.
The Rays responded Tuesday with a 3-1 win behind a strong performance from starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, who threw six scoreless innings, allowed four hits and struck out six.
Tampa Bay broke through with three runs in the fourth inning after a fielding error by Cleveland third baseman José Ramírez. On the very next pitch, Liam Hicks delivered a clutch two-run single to help give the Rays the lead, and the bullpen held Cleveland to one run.
Closer Bryan Baker showed his emotions after recording the save and preserving the win to even the series.
Baker made history Tuesday night, becoming the first player to allow zero hits and earn the save in four straight playoff games.
Why Game 3 matters for Tampa Bay
Why you should care:
The best-of-seven ALCS now shifts to Cleveland for Games 3, 4 and 5. Thursday's winner will take a 2-1 series lead and put itself in position to move closer to the American League pennant.
For the Rays, the challenge will be carrying their Game 2 momentum into a road environment. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash has acknowledged the atmosphere at Progressive Field, where Cleveland's fans helped energize the Guardians during their American League Division Series comeback against the Chicago White Sox.
The Guardians, meanwhile, will look to take advantage of home-field support after splitting the opening two games in St. Petersburg.
The series winner will advance to the World Series, which is scheduled to begin Oct. 23.
How to watch Rays vs. Guardians Game 3
What you can do:
Thursday's game is scheduled to air nationally on TBS and truTV, with streaming available through YouTube TV and HBO Max. Spanish-language coverage will be available on UniMás.
Rays fans in the Bay Area can also follow the game on WDAE 95.7 FM in English and WQBN 1300 AM in Spanish. ESPN Radio will provide national radio coverage.
Expected starting pitchers
What's next:
Right-hander Griffin Jax has been named the Rays' Game 3 starter.
What we don't know:
Cleveland had not officially announced its starter at the time of this story’s publishing.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official schedule announcements provided by Major League Baseball, as well as official team and game statistics.