MLB playoff schedule: World Series continues on Tuesday

After Game 3 of the World Series was postponed on Monday night, the Phillies and Astros will be back on the field on Tuesday evening.

The Phillies and Astros split Games 1 and 2 in Houston, setting the stage for a pivotal Game 3. Historically, the World Series has ended very well for teams that win Game 3 after splitting the first two. In a best-of-seven series tied at 1-1, the Game 3 winner has gone on to win the World Series sixty-eight of ninety-eight times.

Philadelphia hands the ball to left hander Ranger Suarez. Originally, Noah Syndergaard was slotted to be the Game 3 starter, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson made the switch once the game was postponed and pushed back to Tuesday. Suarez has been used both as a starter and out of the bullpen so far this postseason, with his last start coming in Game 3 of the NLCS versus San Diego. Since then, he has made two relief appearances, including a short outing in Game 1 in Houston

Lance McCullers Jr. makes the start for the Astros. Despite the Astros making the World Series in 2019 and 2021, McCullers will make his first World Series appearance since he started Game 7 at Dodger Stadium in 2017. McCullers has made two starts in this year’s postseason, one in each round. In his final start of the regular season, McCullers faced Philadelphia, throwing six innings of one run baseball.

Throughout the regular season, the Astros killed left handed pitching, ranking second in baseball behind the Cardinals in both slugging and on base percentage, and leading all of baseball in home runs versus southpaws. After facing two right handers in Nola and Wheeler in Games 1 and 2, this could be the advantage that Houston needs to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Above all else, World Series baseball returns to Philadelphia for the first time since 2009, and if we’ve been reminded of anything this postseason, it’s that Citizens Bank Park is absolutely electric this time of year. It should be a great one.

World Series: Phillies at Astros

Game 3, 5:03 p.m. PT

Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Ranger Suarez

TV: FOX (Joe Davis, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal, Tom Verducci)

Streaming: Fox Sports