Why Rainout Gives Phillies World Series Advantage

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The plastic and poncho draped fanatics drizzled out the exits of Citizens Bank Park on Monday night with the hushed and anxious fervor of a madness deferred. All the old familiar chants broke out, interrupting at turns the riotous reverie. An engine had been idling and circling the start line for interminable hours and now had no recourse but to regather and regulate its inertia for another 24 hours.

The long ivory white tarpulin lay a diamond pall across the grass and muffled dreams.

Somewhere in the bowels of the stadium Noah Syndergaard's pre-game preparation paused. Somewhere Ranger Suarez began swinging his long left arm. What was whispered became true, and Game 3 was postponed.

But what was written in the clouds was a boon to a Phillies club that can now lean on the arm of Suarez Tuesday night in what has become a significantly different series.

Houston began the World Series with home field advantage in a best of 7 matchup that was set to be played across 9 days.

After the Phillies split the first two games in Houston and after Monday's rainout, the Phillies now have home field advantage in what is essentially a best of 5 matchup that will be played across 7 days.

Aside from getting three games back at Citizens Bank Park, where they're undefeated this year, a shorter series is a huge benefit to the Phillies. The rainout and extra day of rest means they'll get to throw Ranger Suarez in Game 3 instead of Noah Syndergaard. Suarez is the team's number three starter who has a 1.86 ERA this postseason, including a relief effort that helped win Game 1 of the World Series, and a two-out save in the deciding Game 5 of the National League Division Series.

Put simply: the more Ranger, the better.

"The way that Rob Thomson is managing this tells me they trust Ranger Suárez about as much as any other pitcher right now," as MLB Network's Jon Morosi said.

Suarez is now also lined up to start a potential Game 7, if the series went that far. The Phillies can now throw Aaron Nola Wednesday night on full rest, Syndergaard in Game 5 on Thursday, and Zack Wheeler on full rest in a potential Game 6 on Saturday. Friday is marked as a travel day if the series has to head to back to Houston.

The off day also gives their handful of trusted, high leverage relief pitchers an extra day of rest. Jose Alvarado, Zach Eflin, Seranthony Dominguez, and David Robertson all threw big pitches in a herculean team effort to win Game 1.

For the Astros, a team full of top line pitchers, shortening the series matters less to them. Giving their very best pitchers more rest so they can trot them out again means less to them. Their two biggest advantages heading into the series were depth and home field advantage, and the Phillies have taken both of them away.

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