MLB playoffs: Yankees-Guardians ALDS Game 2 postponed due to rain, will be played Friday afternoon

The New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians are going to wait an extra day to play Game 2 of their American League Division Series. MLB postponed Thursday night's scheduled game to Friday afternoon at 1:07 ET due to forecasts of sustained rain in New York.

New York, currently leading the series 1-0, will have played only once in an eight-day span when they finally return to the field at Yankee Stadium on Friday. The postponement adds to an already odd schedule that gave AL teams an off day between Games 1 and 2 of the Division Series. If the series goes a full five games, the Yankees and Guardians would have to play on four consecutive days, with the middle two games occurring in Cleveland.

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Game 2 is set to pit the Guardians' former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber against breakout Yankees star Nestor Cortes Jr. While the rain interruption isn't likely to change much on the starting pitcher front in a best-of-five series, the bullpens could be taxed by a punishing stretch of consecutive games.

Whoever advances may also feel the burn of the shifted schedule in planning for the ALCS. The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners will play Game 2 in Houston as scheduled on Thursday afternoon.

The move to postpone this game over weather comes a day after the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies waited out a three-hour delay to start NLDS Game 2 and play it in full. Teams are especially reluctant to begin games that might be delayed and force the exit of a key starting pitcher in high-stakes postseason games. Forecasts were murky, but not promising for New York on Thursday evening, while Friday afternoon is looking clear.

Here's how the rest of the series shapes up now:

Friday, Oct. 14

Game 2: Guardians (Bieber) at Yankees (Cortes) - 1:07 p.m., TBS

Saturday, Oct. 15

Game 3: Yankees (Severino) at Guardians (McKenzie) - 7:37 p.m., TBS

Sunday, Oct. 16

Game 4: Yankees at Guardians - 7:07 p.m., TBS (if necessary)

Monday, Oct. 17

Game 5: Guardians at Yankees - 7:37 p.m., TBS (if necessary)

The ALCS would begin Wednesday. Either the Yankees or Guardians would host ALCS Game 1 if the Mariners prevail, but travel to Houston if the Astros take that series.