Game 4 of ALCS Between Rays, Guardians Will Be Delayed Due to Bad Weather

Game 4 of the ALCS is going to be delayed because of poor weather for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Oct 13, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash (16) speaks to the media after game two of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians in the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians get set for Game 4 of the ALCS, the two teams are going to have to wait a little bit longer before they square off. 

Through three games, this has been a fun series so far between the two remaining teams in the AL. The Rays came into the playoffs with the best record and figured to be the team to beat. However, even though the overall season for the Guardians might not have been as good, they are playing some good baseball and riding some major momentum following coming back against the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS despite being down 2-0 in the series. 

In the first game, it was the Guardians who came away victorious. A seven-run outburst in the second half of the game helped them secure a win and flipped the home-field advantage to them. However, a great performance by Freddy Peralta in a big spot in Game 2 helped the Rays even up the series. 

With the series going back to Cleveland, it was the Guardians who were able to win a pivotal Game 3 and take the series lead. This game was a bit unique, with the start time being moved up to avoid some bad weather in the area. 

However, with Game 4 scheduled for an 8:00 PM EST start, MLB announced that there was going to be a delay. 

Delay in Game 4 

Tonight’s scheduled 8:08 p.m. (ET) ALCS Game Four in Cleveland will begin in a delay. We will provide updates regarding the preparation of the field and any other potential adjustments as they become available.

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) October 16, 2026

With it being the playoffs and every game having such importance, the two sides will not be starting on time, with the weather not being great in Cleveland. Even before Game 3 was moved up yesterday, there was some concern about the outlook for Game 4. 

It was a bit of a late call with the announcement coming within an hour of the scheduled first pitch, but this game won’t be starting on time. The scheduled pitchers for the Rays and the Guardians are Nick Martinez and Shawn Armstrong. 

This is going to be a bullpen game for Cleveland, and the Rays will have one of their best pitchers from the regular season on the mound. However, depending on what the weather ends up being for the rest of the night, it will be interesting to see if they get a game in. 

If this delay turns into a cancellation, things could change for each team. Hopefully, the delay won’t be too bad, and Game 4 will be able to be played at a reasonable hour on Friday night. 

7:46 PM EST Update:

Guardians groundscrew is starting to squegee the warning track, so there's some progress in trying to get this game underway. https://t.co/Y4QNY9j29r

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 16, 2026

8:02 Update:

And just like that, it’s back on! Lovely! https://t.co/XomvcfauKM pic.twitter.com/3JdByicyDY

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 17, 2026

After seeing the tarp come off in Cleveland, it didn't take long for them to put it back on in a less than ideal scenario.