WASHINGTON (AFP) — Game 3 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies was postponed from Monday because of heavy rain in the Philadelphia forecast, Major League Baseball said.
A statement issued by MLB shortly before the game was to have begun said it had been postponed until Tuesday “due to inclement weather and the forecast for rain throughout the evening.”
MLB said the remainder of the best-of-seven championship series would be pushed back one day, with Games 4 and 5 now scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Philadelphia.
Games 6 and 7, if necessary, will be on Saturday and Sunday in Houston.
While it wasn’t yet raining when officials made the call to postpone, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he thought it was the right move.
“Just looking at the radar, it looked like it was going to pick up over the course of the night and it looks like at 9 o’clock it’s going to be raining pretty hard,” he said.
“So, it’s the right decision, really.”
The Astros and Phillies are tied 1-1 after splitting the first two games in Houston.
J.T. Realmuto’s homer in the top of the 10th inning lifted the unfancied Phillies to victory in Game 1, but the Astros rebounded with a victory in game two on Saturday.
Game 3 will be the Phillies’ first World Series home game since 2009. They are 5-0 at home in this year’s playoffs.
The game was the first World Series contest to be postponed since Game 6 in 2011 between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.
Astros manager Dusty Baker said right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers would still get the ball for Game 3 on Tuesday.
The Phillies said left-hander Ranger Suarez will now start Game 3 instead of right-hander Noah Syndergaard, who was scheduled to pitch on Monday.
