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The immediate takeaway from last night’s rainout is that the postponement benefits the Phillies, who get an extra day of rest for their pitching staff, which isn’t as deep as that of the Astros.
Ranger Suárez and Aaron Nola are still scheduled to pitch tonight and tomorrow night, as was the plan before, but now, because the games were pushed back a day, they both end up pitching a game earlier in the World Series. Now, Philadelphia’s short start/bullpen game—with either Noah Syndergaard or Kyle Gibson getting the ball, depending on if Syndergaard is needed in relief before then—will come on Thursday, in Game 5. This, of course, could backfire if both Suárez and Nola lose, putting the Phillies on the brink of elimination with their fourth, or possibly their fifth, best starter on the mound. However, it’s undoubtedly better to have Suárez and Nola pitch as soon as they are available, because that gives them their best chance to win these next two games and possibly pull ahead 3–1 in the series.
