WASHINGTON, D.C. — A brief postscript on the decision to postpone Game 2 due to rain, even though the rain stopped shortly after the game was postponed.
Multiple folks from the Dodgers’ front office shot down any conspiracy theories this morning, namely that Major League Baseball wanted the Dodgers and Nationals to play today so the game wouldn’t overlap with Game 2 between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.
Dodgers president Stan Kasten told me yesterday there was “no controversy” at the time the umpires, along with representatives of the Dodgers and Nationals, agreed to postpone the game a day. Evidently the National Weather Service provided a radar image showing a storm moving over the area, and possibly not abating for hours.
“To have the option to stick around till potentially 8:00 or 9:00, or just cancel the game and reschedule for today — I think that we were all in agreement that we should all just postpone and get the guys back to the hotel and get their guys back home and reset for today,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Game 3 starter Kenta Maeda is flying to Los Angeles ahead of his teammates. So is the Nationals’ Game 3 starter, Gio Gonzalez.
Other than that, any practical effects of playing Sunday instead of Saturday?
“I think all in all, it doesn’t affect the rotation,” Roberts said. “And I think the mind-set, guys were here early getting their bodies going. Obviously now you’re looking at three games in a row, but I think for us in this isolated game, where our ‘pen is at, where we’re at with our club, I think that we are in a good place. After tonight, then we’ll be ready to go tomorrow.
“But I think this isolated game, I don’t think it really has any effect on us, the delay.”
