Guardians-Tigers ALDS Game 5 start time: Weather alters plans for winner-take-all game

For a chunk of Thursday's game between the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers, it felt as if a Game 5 of this entertaining ALDS matchup wouldn't even be necessary. The Tigers had a 2-1 series lead, and held a 3-2 advantage after six innings in what could've been the series clincher. They were nine outs away from victory and moving on to the ALCS.

Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn't hold the lead, and a valiant comeback effort against Emmanuel Clase fell short. The Tigers lost 5-4, forcing the series to need a fifth game.

As frustrating as the loss was for Tigers fans, the fact there were some bright spots for them to consider. First, the fact that they're even in this position based on where they were record-wise in August is pretty amazing. Second, Game 5 of the series was going to be played on prime time.

For the first time all series, the Guardians and Tigers were poised to play a game that began past 6:08 p.m. ET. First pitch of the winner-take-all Game 5 of the ALDS was scheduled to be at 8:08 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 12. Unfortunately, Mother Nature ensured that Tigers and Guardians fans would be subjected to watching their teams battle it out in the afternoon.

According to Mandy Bell of MLB.com, Game 5 between the Guardians and Tigers was moved from 8:08 p.m. ET to 1:08 p.m. ET due to inclement weather in Cleveland.

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Guardians-Tigers ALDS Game 5 start time moved due to inclement weather

According to Weather.com, there's a chance for some showers at around 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday in Cleveland, but there's rain in the forecast beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday night all the way through much of the day on Sunday. They might have to play through one small pocket of rain on Saturday afternoon, but had they kept the game in the evening, a delay or potential postponement might've been needed. With that in mind, as unfortunate as it is, moving this game to the afternoon feels like a no-brainer.

While Tigers fans would almost certainly prefer to watch their team play at night, they have to like their chances of winning this decisive Game 5 with Tarik Skubal, arguably the best pitcher on the planet, set to take the ball on full rest. Skubal allowed one run in seven innings in his only start against the Guardians during the regular season, and he delivered seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts in Game 2 of this series. The Tigers didn't score when he was on the mound, but they won that game 3-0.

It's unclear as to who the Guardians will start in Game 5. Matthew Boyd feels like the logical assumption as he went up against Skubal in Game 2, but it's entirely possible that the Guardians rely heavily on their bullpen the entire way. Regardless of who Cleveland starts the game with, even with the time change, this Game 5 should be electric.