Guardians and Yankees Ready for Rain-Free, Do-Or-Die Game 5

Plus, previewing the NLCS between the Phillies and Padres.

Well, nothing happened last night.

The Yankees and Guardians were supposed to play Game 5 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium. The gates opened at 5 p.m. ET for a 7:07 start time. At 6:20, the Yankees announced that the game would be delayed, and that they would “provide updates as available.”

So we waited, as the rain held off for about an hour. We waited, as fans downed Bud Light tall boys and walked the concourse, as parents bought their kids chicken tenders, ice cream and hot chocolate—anything that would keep them calm during the storm. We waited as MLB, the two teams, the umpires, the weather experts and the TV networks met at 7, and then again at 8:15, and yet again after 9, everyone in the building hoping the deluge would die down early enough to play, or the forecast would indicate that wouldn’t be possible.

We joked about having a media sleepover in the press box and making s’mores. We fired off tweets about the rain delay playlist. We watched soccer and hockey on the scoreboard, before they finally turned over to that despicable Monday Night Football game. Still, the downpour continued. We kept waiting.

Finally, at 9:36 p.m. ET, more than three hours later, MLB postponed the game, rescheduling it for 4:07 p.m. ET today. It was the right call, one that many felt should have been done much sooner. The cynical response is they waited to postpone until after the Yankees had gotten their fill on parking and concessions revenue, and there are plenty of times when that feels like the only motivation for teams as they delay the inevitable postponement. Last night, however, was different.

Everyone knew it was going to rain, with the worst of it coming around 7:30, but weather reports indicated the worst of the storm would continue until around 9, and even if it wouldn’t stop entirely until around 10:30–11ish, they felt they could begin playing sometime between 9 and 9:30. The powers that be were incorrect, but their motivations were sinister. Simply, playing last night would’ve made things a heck of a lot easier for whichever team advances to the ALCS, which will begin in Houston tomorrow night. Instead, they have to play a do-or-die game this afternoon, with the winner flying to Houston tonight, getting in well after midnight. Then, some 12 or so hours later, they’ll have to be at Minute Maid Park to get ready to play a fully rested Astros team. That is far less ideal than waiting out a rain delay for three hours to see if that window they thought they saw would materialize.

Still, just because the intentions for waiting out the long delay were good doesn’t mean the Yankees and MLB are off the hook. Their fans waited in the cold, driving rain and paid for parking, food and drinks to watch a playoff game that didn’t happen. And now, they need to alter their plans today just to make it back for the game they thought they would see last night. Either that, or they’ll have to eat the money for the tickets, too, since MLB doesn’t offer refunds for playoff games.

The Yankees still made the choice not to do right by their fans. They could've done what the Braves did last week, when they opened the gates at 3 p.m. as scheduled and offered everyone a 50% discount for all food and nonalcoholic beverages until first pitch. If Atlanta can afford to cut the fans a break, why can’t the Yankees?

Also, this whole no-refund policy for playoff games has to go. If the game gets postponed and the fans who paid for those tickets can’t make it back for when the game is rescheduled, they should get their money back. My friend paid $120 for his ticket, which is relatively cheap for a winner-take-all playoff game in New York City. Think of a family of four, who easily would’ve spent nearly $500 last night for tickets, without even factoring in the cost of parking or concessions. That same family might not be able to get back to the game today, with Mom and Dad having to work and the two kids at school. They’re out $500, because MLB decided it either couldn’t afford to offer refunds, or it didn’t care enough about its fans to do so.

Have any questions or comments for our team? Send a note to mlb@si.com.

1. THE OPENER

Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports, Ashley Landis/AP

“At age 17, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado shared a bunk bed at a dorm in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Teammates then on the USA 18U national team, this week they are opponents fighting for the same prize: a spot in the World Series.”

That’s how Tom Verducci begins his column previewing the NLCS between Machado’s Padres and Harper’s Phillies. It’s an excellent look at the two stars who, after developing from prodigies into future Hall of Famers, are still chasing their first World Series title.

Bryce Harper and Manny Machado Have Lived in Lockstep for Years. Now it’s Showtime. by Tom Verducci
In the 13 years they’ve known each other, the two postmodern superstars have been on parallel tracks. Now, they face off in the NLCS, with a World Series appearance on the line.

2. ICYMI

A new series means more predictions! Here are our picks for the NLCS:

NLCS Predictions: Expert Picks for Padres vs. Phillies by SI MLB Staff
Will it be San Diego or Philadelphia advancing to the World Series?

And let’s take a look at how we’ve done through the wild-card round and Division Series (excluding Yankees-Guardians):

Playoff Predictions Standings
Matt Martell: 5–2
Will Laws: 3–4
Nick Selbe: 3–4
Emma Baccellieri: 3–4
Stephanie Apstein: 2–5
Claire Kuwana: 2–5
Tom Verducci: 2–5
Tiebreaker goes to the person with more correct picks for both series winner and series length.

Now, let’s get you caught up on some of our other recent stories:

Gerrit Cole Lets His Second Gem Against the Guardians Do the Talking by Stephanie Apstein
Josh Naylor’s home run celebration may end up being the lasting image of Game 4, but Cole’s season-saving performance is what really matters.

Fans Benefit From New Playoff Format’s Upsets by Matt Martell
Plus, previewing Guardians-Yankees in Game 5.

Padres Expose Dodgers’ Flaws in Stunning Series Win by Tom Verducci
As Los Angeles stuck to a script that got it in trouble, San Diego hardly looked like the underdog in defeating its division rival in the NLDS.

The Yankees Will Need a New Manager Next Season by Matt Martell
The aftermath of Aaron Boone’s decision not to use Clay Holmes in New York’s Game 3 loss, more than the decision itself, is why he is in his final days as the team’s manager.

The Mariners’ Marathon Loss Is More of a Beginning Than an End by Greg Bishop
Seattle’s first home MLB playoff game in 21 years brought together a city starved for baseball success—one that still has reason for hope despite the Mariners’ elimination.

‘It Feels Like Failure’: The Braves’ Promising Season Is Over by Emma Baccellieri
This team was better than the one that won the World Series last year. That’s what makes this early exit so painful.

3. WORTH NOTING from Matt Martell

Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports

The two pitchers Juan Soto has faced the most in his career both pitch for the Phillies: Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. And fortunately for the Padres, Soto crushes the two Philadelphia co-aces.

In 49 career plate appearances against Wheeler, Soto has a .290/.449/.474 slash line with two home runs. He’s been even better vs. Nola, with a .273/.489/.606 slash line and three homers in 47 plate appearances. 

4. W2W4 from Nick Selbe

Mother Nature decided that there would be no baseball Monday. Yesterday’s loss is today’s gain, for now we get not one but two games to sink our teeth into.

The Yankees and Guardians will fight for their playoff lives. Cleveland has already said that Aaron Civale will remain the starting pitcher, and the Yankees will turn to Nestor Cortes Jr. on three days’ rest. First pitch is scheduled for 4:07 p.m. ET, and the winner will have to fly to Houston for Game 1 of the ALCS, which begins Wednesday less than 24 hours after the end of Tuesday’s game.

Meanwhile, Game 1 of the NLCS will get going at Petco Park at 8:03 p.m. ET. Zack Wheeler gets the ball for the Phillies, and he’s allowed only three earned runs over his 12.1 innings across two postseason starts. Wheeler fired seven shutout innings in his lone start against San Diego this season. Yu Darvish, meanwhile, has won both his playoff starts, though he’s also allowed four home runs in 12 innings. He faced the Phillies twice in the regular season, allowing a combined three runs over 13 innings with one walk, no homers and 14 strikeouts, so a pitchers duel could be in the works to get this series started.

5. THE CLOSER from Emma Baccellieri

One great moment from yesterday’s NLCS media day: Bryce Harper, when asked what manager Rob Thomson has meant to this team since taking over in early June, said, “He’s kind of like in Tombstone when Doc Holliday says to Wyatt Earp, ‘You’re an oak,’ because he’s just so even-keel.” Which yielded this response from Thomson, after hearing that his slugger had compared him to an oak: “I guess I’m thick? I don’t know. I don’t know what to take from that.”

That’s all from us today. We’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow. In the meantime, share this newsletter with your friends and family, and tell them to sign up at SI.com/newsletters. If you have any questions or comments, shoot us an email at mlb@si.com.