ALCS Schedule 2011: Delaying Game 2 Until Monday Is the Best for Everyone

Game 1 of the American League Championship Series between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers ended up being quite the time commitment for those who wanted to watch the whole thing. Rain delays caused the top of the fifth inning to last nearly two hours, and the game itself lasted another three hours on top of that.

Only those rooting for the Rangers were rewarded, as they locked up Game 1 by the final of 3-2 to take a 1-0 series lead.

The weather report for the Arlington area on Sunday called for even more inclement weather, and a conclusion was reached not to tempt fate. Roughly an hour ago, SI.com's Jon Heyman reported that Game 2 of the ALCS has been postponed until Monday.

The game is going to be played at 4:19 p.m. ET, and the pitching matchup that was planned for Sunday will not be changed. Max Scherzer will be on the hill for the Tigers, and Derek Holland will be on the mound for the Rangers.

The only thing that will be different is that the Tigers will not have the benefit of Magglio Ordonez's services. Shortly after Game 2 was postponed, ESPN's Buster Olney passed along word that Ordonez is going to be held out for the rest of the postseason due to ankle problems.

Other than that, not much will change between Sunday and Monday. If there is a catch, it's that the series is losing an off day. After Monday's game, Games 3, 4 and 5, if necessary, will be played on consecutive days in Detroit starting on Tuesday.

But things could certainly be worse. Game 1's rain delays really did neither team any favors, yet they definitely had an effect on the outcome of the game. Having Mother Nature decide games is the last thing Major League Baseball needs, and they certainly don't need it on back-to-back days.

And that's not all there is to it. The not-so-hidden benefit of postponing Game 2 to Monday is that it won't have to contend with the NFL for viewers. That's definitely a win for MLB.

In fact, Bud Selig should probably be thanking Mother Nature right now.