Foul weather in Kansas City threatens Orioles and Royals in Game 3 of ALCS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Weather forecasts are not always right, but this report from the Kansas City Star doesn’t seem promising for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium:
According to the National Weather Service, there’s a 100 percent chance of rain in the Kansas City area Monday afternoon, with winds gusting to 26 mph and rainfall amounts reaching 1 inch. After the 7:07 p.m. scheduled first pitch, a 90 percent chance of rain is forecast with continued gusts and up to a half-inch of precipitation possible.
Ninety percent. So they’re saying there’s a chance the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles will play ball! If not, rains are expected to cease by Tuesday morning, with the weather clearing up for the rest of the week.
As the Star points out, Game 1 of the ALCS at Camden Yards also was threatened by rain, and the only delay was for TBS not turning off the lights on the set of its pregame show, situated beyond center field.
What happens if they don’t play Monday night? Game 3 would happen Tuesday if skies clear as forecast, and Game 4 would be bumped to Wednesday. The Royals lead 2-0 in the series, so if the Orioles win either of the next two games, Game 5 would happen Thursday, which as of now is scheduled as a travel day.
Games 6-7, if necessary, are scheduled for Friday and Saturday night, respectively, at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Nobody can reliably predict the weather that far into the future, so don’t even ask.
WHO’S PITCHING IN THIS GAME? If and when Game 3 happens, left-hander Wei-Yin Chen goes for the O’s and right-hander Jeremy Guthrie pitches for the Royals. In a funny baseball coincidence, Guthrie would be pitching against his old club — a fact not lost on him.
“I think this is very serendipitous that I leave a franchise that I was a part of for five years and had had a long drought of being in the playoffs, but had a storied history and past, and end up on a team with another rich history, as well, but an even longer drought,” Guthrie said.
“To be in the playoffs with Kansas City is very exciting. And then to come back and play against a team that I played with before makes it even that much more interesting and ironic, I think.”
Guthrie compiled a 4.12 ERA (above average when adjusted for the league) in 153 starts for Baltimore from 2007-11. He made 32 starts for Kansas City in 2014, posting a 4.13 ERA (a tad below average) but dependable enough for a fourth or fifth starter. He also pitched a strong game in Kansas City’s playoff clincher against the White Sox.
Chen posted a 3.54 ERA in 31 starts as another underrated cog in Baltimore’s rotation. He said it matters not that the O’s trail 2-0 in the series — his job is the same.
“For me, I want to keep it simple,” Chen said. “It doesn’t matter to me if we’re ahead or behind. For me, my job is to go out and pitch a good game. It doesn’t change whether it’s 0‑2 or 2‑0, I just want to go out and pitch a good game.”
Simple works.
Chen posted a 2.16 ERA in two starts against the Royals during the regular season. He allowed a lot of singles, but the O’s won both of the games he started.
Guthrie posted a 3.60 ERA against the Orioles in two starts this season, both of which Baltimore won.
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David Brown is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter!
