The Rain Delay that may win the Phillies the World Series
by John Kincade
Sometimes a little turn of events changes everything. It is many times something that has nothing to do with an individual player performance. It can be a critical injury that derails a teams chances. We all think that the clutch hit or the defensive web gem are the most memorable, but we may look back on Halloween as the turning point of the 2022 World Series.
It took forever for them to make the right decision, but around 6:45pm last night the decision was made to postpone Game 3 of the Series for 24 hours. Every game of the series AND the scheduled travel day have been shifted a day forward. The Fallout from this decision clearly benefits the chances of the Phillies to be able to win a championship. Let me share my biggest theories why…
The delay moves Ranger Suarez up from a Game 4 start to the critical Game 3 start tonight. That is a huge advantage over having to start Noah Syndegaard in Game 3. The thought was that Syndegaard could give the team between 9-12 outs in a best case scenario. The bullpen has now had 2 full days of rest and Suarez should be expected to last at least through the 5th inning. Considering the first 2 starting pitching efforts in this series they could certainly use a strong outing from him.
Moving Suarez up to Game 3 means that Aaron Nola gets his second start of the World Series in Game 4 at Citizens Bank Park. It will be a huge chance for redemption for Nola who has struggled in his last 2 post season starts after changing the narrative of him not being a big game pitcher temporarily. A third straight poor outing and his hot streak will look like the anomaly, not the strong performances that helped get them here. I’m betting on a solid bounce back from him behind the home crowd.
Game 5 is where it gets dicey. For some reason instead of starting Zack Wheeler at Citizens Bank Park on normal rest they are going to choose to wait to use him again until Game 6 in Houston. I believe that discussed plan will be adjusted IF they are down 3-1 in the series. There would be no reason to not start Wheeler there. If he doesn’t go in Game 5 I expect a bullpen game where Noah Syndegaard or Kyle Gibson gets called on to start a bullpen game.
The delay also allows you to use Nola and Wheeler in Game 7 of the series if it lasts that long. Nola could easily give you 3 or 4 innings and Wheeler could probably be counted on for an inning. That is a huge edge considering without the rainout you didn’t have a Wheeler option and Nola would have been an option to use for just a few innings.
A lot of people were inconvenienced by going to the ballpark and being sent home disappointed. The next 3 nights will be clear and relatively warm. I guarantee, with the benefits of a better starting slate and more rest the Phillies have a much better chance to take it all home! The inconvenience of Monday will end up being well worth it!
