In theory, a playoff game rainout impacts both teams equally. If a game isn't played, it's difficult to see how one team would benefit more than another.
In theory.
In reality, the Red Sox may gain an advantage from Sunday's rainy weather, which forced the postponement of Game 3 of their Division Series with the Cleveland Indians.
First, let's acknowledge the obvious: in leading two games to none, the Indians are most assuredly in the driver's seat for the series, needing just one win in three tries to advance to the American League Championship Series.
Secondly, if the Red Sox don't start to hit like they did during the regular season, than the rainout and its consequences -- unintended or not -- is largely moot.
But given the importance of pitching, the Red Sox could benefit two ways by the cancellation Sunday.
Though they haven't shown it in the two games to date, the Red Sox own a deeper and more talented rotation. The Indians are without their second- and third-best starters, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar.
Boston Red Sox
Those injuries forced Terry Francona to try to get through this best-of-five series with three starters: Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin.
That plan is unaffected by the rainout, although Bauer will get an extra day of rest if a Game 4 is necessary Tuesday. (Bauer would have otherwise made his Game 4 start on three days' rest; he'll now get the standard four, though given that he was lifted after 4 2/3 innings in Game 1, the short rest wasn't going to be a huge factor anyway).
If Kluber is needed for a Game 5, he'll pitch on normal rest - just as he would have had the rainout not taken place.
The Red Sox, on the other hand, have a deeper rotation and Sunday's rain means they now have more options.
While John Farrell announced Sunday that Clay Buchholz will remain the Game 3 starter, he wouldn't commit to Eduardo Rodriguez for Game 4.
"What we do if we get to a Game 4,'' said Farrell, "we'll have further discussion on that.''
Translation: Rick Porcello will start a Game 4. Given the opportunity to commit to Rodriguez, Farrell wouldn't, meaning that the organization is leaning toward Porcello for that assignment, with David Price available for a potential winner-take-all Game 5.
Given how poorly Porcello and Price pitched in Games 1 and 2, that might not sound like an advantage for the Red Sox. But they're betting that Porcello, the Cy Young Award front-runner, experience an aberrational outing in the opener and like his chances to shut down the Indians better than Rodriguez's.
As for the bullpen, the Indians own a decided edge there if for no other reason that the series' most dominant pitcher -- Andrew Miller -- belongs to them.
But Sunday's inclement weather has taken away a day off between Games 4 and 5, with the teams looking at the potential of playing Games 3 through 5 in three consecutive days.
That means it will be harder for Terry Francona to have Miller contribute multi-inning appearances in all three.
In the event that the Sox force this series back to Cleveland, Miller would have had a day of rest between Games 4 and 5. Now, he no longer has that luxury.
Finally, with Rodriguez likely scratched from a Game 4 start, he, too, would be available out of the bullpen in both Game 4 and Game 5, providing one more lefty -- to go with Robbie Ross Jr. and Drew Pomeranz -- for Farrell with which to match up against Cleveland's predominantly lefty-hitting lineup.
On paper, then, the Sox could realize more of an advantage from Sunday's unexpected time off.
But if they don't get a good start from Buchholz and more production from their lineup starting in Game 3, that's academic.