MLB Playoff Picture 2022: Hot Takes and Top Storylines for October 18 Schedule

Tuesday's MLB postseason schedule was supposed to have Game 1 of the NLCS in the spotlight by itself, but a second rainout in the final division series yet to be determined changed those plans.

The Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees will play Game 5 of their ALDS at 4:07 p.m. ET after rain washed out Monday's attempt to play.

Cleveland and New York will have more rested arms for Tuesday, but the winner will be at a significant disadvantage because they have to start the ALCS in Houston on Wednesday night.

The San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies are plenty rested for their NLCS opener at 8:03 p.m. ET inside Petco Park.

Zack Wheeler and Yu Darvish are expected to put on a show on the mound in what should be a low-scoring game.

Runs could even be hard to come by in the later innings since both bullpens were impressive in their respective NLDS victories.

NLCS Game 1 Should Be Pitchers Duel

Harry How/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 12: Yu Darvish #11 of the San Diego Padres pitches in the fifth inning in game two of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Yu Darvish and Zack Wheeler impressed in their first two playoff outings.

Darvish allowed four earned runs on 13 hits over 12 innings, while Wheeler conceded three earned runs off six hits in 12.1 innings of work.

Wheeler's postseason numbers hand him a slight edge over Darvish in the matchup, but that can be negated by Darvish's NLCS experience and the home crowd backing him in San Diego.

Darvish gave up one earned run on six hits in his one previous NLCS start for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017. He threw in two World Series games after that.

Darvish posted a 2.60 ERA at home in the regular season. He made his first two postseason starts on the road in New York and Los Angeles.

The San Diego right-hander did not give up more than three earned runs in a home start in the last three full months of the regular season.

Wheeler was a bit more vulnerable on the road with a 3.84 ERA in the regular season, but he was fantastic in St. Louis and Atlanta to kick off the Phillies' postseason run.

Darvish and Wheeler will likely combine to give up a low total of runs, and there may not be any relief in sight for the batters on either side when the bullpens enter the game.

San Diego's bullpen was fantastic against the Dodgers, and Josh Hader has that automatic feeling to him in the ninth inning.

Philadelphia's Jose Alvarado and Seranthony Domínguez were strong all season. The addition of Zach Elfin, a starter in the regular season, to the bullpen has strengthened the later innings for the Phillies.

The stars on both sides are more capable of coming up with a few big hits, and we should see more of them throughout the series, but Tuesday should be all about the pitching.

Rain out Helps Cleveland, New York Pitching Staffs

Elsa/Getty Images

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 14: Nestor Cortes #65 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game two of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 14, 2022 in New York, New York. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The ALDS between Cleveland and New York was not supposed to take a full week to complete.

Neither team wanted to play four games in four straight days after Game 2 was pushed back from Thursday to Friday.

The rescheduling of Game 5 from Monday to Tuesday will be inconvenient for the winner because it has to play in Houston on Wednesday, but on Tuesday, it will actually help both pitching staffs.

New York already announced Nestor Cortes as its starter. Jameson Taillon was listed as the starter on Monday. That is already a huge upgrade, and the Yankees can use Cortes for a few innings because he is on three days' rest.

Cleveland's pitching situation was more difficult to pin down on Monday. Aaron Civale was listed as the starter. He could still start on Monday, but now the Guardians have more options.

Shane Bieber was told to focus on ALCS Game 1, but that was when ALDS Game 5 was scheduled for Monday. Cleveland could go to Bieber for a few innings on three days' rest to ensure it gets to the next round.

Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie are realistically the only pitchers who are not available now because of their starts in Games 3 and 4.

Cortes' availability to start and Bieber's potential role at some point make the pitching matchups more intriguing for fans, and it allows both managers to work more strategy into the contest.