Tigers vs. Yankees: Mother Nature Won't Change Outcome of ALDS

Just what kind of impact did Game 1's suspension have on this series? Minimal. Likewise, future delays won't impact the series too much.

This series was not going to be decided in the games between C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander. Sure, in a series where you only need to win three games, those games carry relevance, but not enough to impact the end result.

The series was always dependent on these things:

Could the Yankees' bats hit the Detroit pitchers not named Justin Verlander?

Could the Yankees' pitchers not named C.C. Sabathia do enough to carry the team to victory?

Guess what, those are still the most important questions we're facing here.

As great as they are, Verlander and Sabathia were only going to impact two games if the series went five games. Whether the answers to the above questions were yes or no, this one was probably not going five games.

The Yankees have a lot of offensive punch. The Tigers are good, but they don't have the same vaunted lineup that the Yankees have.

So, if they were going to hit Detroit's other pitchers in the original setup, then they are going to hit them with this schedule.

The Yankees secondary pitchers are a question mark. Considering their offense, if those arms do well, then the Yankees are again the team that would win this series in fewer than five games.

If the answer to those questions is no, then the Yankees aren't going to a fifth game in this one. Even if they do, the Tigers will win it either way.

Yes, this delay is going to mess with the bullpens, but that shouldn't hurt one team more than the other. They're all being inconvenienced.

Obviously, nobody can do anything about the rain. It's just another potential obstacle that you will need to overcome if you want to win a series.

But the playoffs are filled with those obstacles. This isn't the only challenge that either team will face.

So, while the weather is a factor, it's just one factor. Regardless of what team you thought would win, what happened on Friday shouldn't change your predictions for this series.