The Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers were set to face off in the first game of the American League Division Series on Thursday, but Mother Nature had other plans. Due to heavy rain in the area, the game was postponed until Friday.
This is not the first time that weather has caused a delay in the ALDS. In fact, the last time the Orioles and Rangers faced off in the ALDS in 2012, Game 1 was also postponed due to rain.
The postponement of Game 1 means that the teams will now play a doubleheader on Friday, with Game 1 starting at 4:30 PM ET and Game 2 starting at 8:30 PM ET. This is not ideal for either team, as it puts a lot of strain on their pitching staffs.
The Orioles will be sending out Chris Tillman to start Game 1, while the Rangers will be sending out Yu Darvish. Both pitchers have had success against their respective opponents this season, so it should be an interesting matchup.
The postponement of Game 1 also means that the teams will have to adjust their rotation for the rest of the series. The Orioles will now have to decide whether to start Wei-Yin Chen or Miguel Gonzalez in Game 3, while the Rangers will have to decide between Colby Lewis and Derek Holland for Game 4.
Rain delays are never ideal, but they are part of baseball. The Orioles and Rangers will now have to adjust their plans and make the best of the situation. With two games on Friday, it should be an exciting day of baseball in Arlington.
