The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays are preparing for a crucial Game 3 of the ALCS, but the weather forecast has forced MLB to make an unexpected adjustment. With rain expected in Cleveland on Thursday, the league moved up the first pitch by five hours, changing the start time from 6 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET.

The late change could affect fans who had planned to attend the game in the evening. However, Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti is hopeful that the earlier start won’t take away from the atmosphere at Progressive Field.

“I think we’re hopeful that we’ll still have a great environment in ballpark tomorrow. Our fans have always shown up and supported us, and we expect that to be the case tomorrow,” Antonetti said, per Mason Horodyski on X. “Obviously, we recognize it’s an inconvenience for them, especially a last-minute shift, but this is what we needed to do to get the payment.”

The Guardians confirmed the change in a statement, citing the incoming weather expected on Thursday, October 15. Gates at Progressive Field will now open at 11 a.m. ET, giving fans two hours before the scheduled first pitch.

Those attending won’t need to exchange their tickets. According to the Guardians, tickets issued for the original game time will remain valid for the rescheduled 1 p.m. start, including tickets purchased through secondary marketplaces.

The ALCS isn’t the only series affected by the schedule adjustments. MLB has also moved up Game 4 of the NLCS by an hour, from 9 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET, as the league works around the weather forecast.

The stakes are high in both series, although the teams find themselves in very different positions. Cleveland and Tampa Bay enter Game 3 tied at one win apiece, making Thursday’s matchup an opportunity for either side to take control. In the National League, meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers have taken a 3-0 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving the defending contenders facing elimination in the next game.

MLB Network noted that the 1 p.m. ET start would be the earliest Eastern time-zone start for a League Championship Series game. With the forecast threatening to disrupt the afternoon, moving the game forward gives both teams a better chance of getting innings in before the rain arrives.

The Guardians returned home on Wednesday after losing Game 2, while the Rays had travelled to Cleveland on Tuesday night. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash supported MLB’s decision, believing the change gives the teams a better chance of avoiding a weather interruption.

“I think MLB did the right thing. They felt likelier that we were going to get rain in the mid-to-late afternoon tomorrow. So let’s move the game up and try to bank as many dry innings as possible. Coming off an off day probably helps a little bit,” Cash reportedly said Wednesday.

The pitching matchup will see Griffin Jax take the mound for Tampa Bay, while Gavin Williams is slated to start for Cleveland. With the series level and the weather adding another complication, both teams will have to adjust quickly to the earlier first pitch.