CLE to win-100
TLDR: Cleveland's pen has extra rest after a day game, an opener the Rays haven't touched, and a cold, windy night against a dome team whose best young bat keeps striking out.
Point
- Turnaround
Game 3 started at 1 p.m. Thursday and Game 4 starts at 8:08 p.m. Friday, so Cleveland's relievers get about 31 hours off before a bullpen game.
- The opener
Shawn Armstrong, a former Ray, has allowed 1 hit in 5 1/3 postseason innings, including 1 2/3 scoreless against Tampa Bay in Game 2.
- Junior Caminero
Caminero is 2-for-11 with 7 strikeouts in this series, so the bat the Rays build around is not giving them the damage they need.
- Dome club outside
The Rays play home games under Tropicana Field's fixed roof, and tonight they hit in October cold and wind after waiting out rain all day.
Counterpoint
- Nick Martinez
Martinez threw 13 scoreless innings against Cleveland in 2 regular-season wins, holding the Guardians to a .159 average, so he is the matchup Tampa Bay wants.
- Bulk innings
Tanner Bibee is one of the bulk options, and his poor outing in ALDS Game 4 lowered his standing, so the middle innings are uncertain.
Neutral
- Weather
Rain was forecast most of the day, with a break from about 8 to 11 p.m. ET, and MLB said it would keep monitoring, so the risk applies to both clubs.
- Start time
First pitch moved from 6 p.m. to 8:08 p.m. ET, and both clubs held their pitching plans until Friday morning to see the forecast.