Guardians name Shawn Armstrong opener against Rays starter Nick Martinez for ALCS Game 4
Cleveland leads the series 2-1, but rain and wind are forecast around Friday’s scheduled 8 p.m. start at Progressive Field.
The Cleveland Guardians will use Shawn Armstrong as their opener against Tampa Bay Rays starter Nick Martinez in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Friday, October 16, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, the Associated Press reported. Cleveland leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, and a win would put it one victory from the World Series. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern time, although rain and wind are forecast around the game window.
Why Cleveland and Tampa Bay waited to name pitchers
Both teams waited to announce their pitching plans because of the weather, according to the AP. Rain was expected in Cleveland for much of Friday, but the forecast included a possible window between 8 and 11 p.m. Eastern time in which the game could be played. The scheduled start was moved back two hours, to 8 p.m., after Milwaukee swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series on Thursday night.
The weather had already affected this series: USA TODAY reported that the threat of rain prompted MLB to move Thursday’s Game 3 start from 6 p.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time. Friday’s forecast again put the schedule in question. The 8 p.m. listing is a scheduled start, and it was not immediately clear whether conditions would allow Game 4 to begin then.
Armstrong and Martinez enter Game 4
Armstrong has appeared four times in this postseason, allowing one hit over 5⅓ innings while striking out five, according to the AP. He returned to the Guardians during the final week of the regular season after a calf strain in late July. Cleveland is asking him to begin a game that could leave the club one win from its first World Series appearance since 2016.
Martinez went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA during the regular season, the AP reported. In Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees, the right-hander allowed two runs on five hits over 3⅔ innings, walking one and striking out three. He described Friday’s assignment as a ‘dogfight’ and said his aim was to get as many outs as he could for Tampa Bay.
Cleveland took the series lead with a 3-2 win Thursday, powered by Petey Halpin’s two-run homer. In the earlier NewsJaws report on the Game 3 result, that victory broke a 1-1 series tie. Game 5 is listed for Saturday, October 17, in Cleveland; Games 6 and 7, if needed, are scheduled for October 19 and 20 at Tampa Bay.
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Sources and context
- Guardians to open with Armstrong; Rays start Martinez in ALCS Game 4Associated Press, carried by ESPN
- Guardians vs Rays ALCS Game 4 updates, latest weather report: Cleveland eyes 3-1 leadUSA TODAY (carried by Yahoo Sports)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.