Tonight's ALCS Game 4 Has Been Rained Out And I Think That's a Big Advantage For The Yankees

So there's something called a Bomb Cyclone hitting the entire North East today. I don't exactly know what that means, but I believe there's going to be a shit ton of rain and wind today. I might have to take a boat back to my apartment. Major League Baseball was quick today to call today's Game 4 of the ALCS between the Yankees and Astros. Today's game was supposed to be a bullpen day for both teams, but now with everything pushed back a day things are changing. Let's try to make sense of who this favors. 

Tomorrow night's Game 4 will now be Masahiro Tanaka vs. Zack Greinke. You would have to think this favors New York. Tanaka was lights out in Game 1, Greinke was not. Now Greinke has to pitch at Yankee Stadium with a raucous crowd against him. Game 4 is obviously a MUST WIN for New York. Lose that game the series is over. 

Friday was supposed to be a travel day, but with the rain out today that's now Game 5 which starts at 7:08 PM. James Paxton will likely get the ball opposite Justin Verlander it seems. Here's where the rain out benefits the Yankees. Instead of JV and Cole pitching 6 and 7 in Houston, they'll be split up. If the Yankees are going to win this series they will have to beat JV or Cole. Now instead of having to do that in Houston, they can get one of them again at the stadium. If I were Houston I would be throwing a bullpen game for Game 5 and saving your horses for 6 and 7, but it seems like they aren't doing that. Thanks guys! That's the advantage with the rain out. When they first announced the rain out I tweeted that this was really bad, only because I thought JV and Cole would go in Houston. If that's not the case I'm ecstatic. 

If the Yankees can figure out this hitting thing and win games 4 and 5 I think Houston would be forced to throw Cole in Game 6 to avoid elimination. I can't see them going with a bullpen day with the series on the line like that. Let's give them Game 6 for all intents and purposes. That leaves us with a Game 7 in Houston where the Astros aren't starting JV or Cole. I think you take that going into the series. 

Now the big disadvantage for the Yankees with the rain out today is that they'll have to lean on that bullpen for 4 consecutive days starting on Thursday. Guys like Chad Green, Kahnle, Britton, and Chapman will be put to the test. Adam Ottavino will probably have to get a big out at some point. Like at least one fucking out. Luis Cessa will probably have to duplicate what he did at the end of Game 3. These guys were all rested throughout the year for these games. This was the endgame. I think they're ready. The bats just have to wake up. Maybe today's day off will give them that much needed mental reset to get their shit together. 

There's also all of a sudden a man that is healthy and ready to strike. He plays Gold Glove defense, hits the shit out of the baseball to all fields, and brings all of the fire humanly possible. If Stanton isn't good to go, give me the Sock Man. 

PSA for ticket holders: If you had tickets for today's game those are now tickets for tomorrow's Game 4 and if you had tickets for Thursday those are now for Game 5 on Friday.