Double-barreled high pressure will take control of the weather in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast during the next few days generating quite favorable weather conditions in Philly for World Series games 3, 4 and 5 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. Map courtesy NOAA, tropicaltidbits.com
Overview
Last night’s World Series game (#3) in Philadelphia was postponed as rain broke out ahead of a cold frontal system that passed through the region this morning. This is not the first time in recent history that rain has had an important impact on World Series games in Philadelphia. The weather does look quite favorable in Philly for tonight’s game and also for the next two nights following today’s passage of a cold front which should allow games 3, 4 and 5 to go off without a hitch. The Home Run Forecast Index for tonight’s game will be on the “moderate” side of the 1-10 scale – likely coming in around 4 for the game that begins at 8:03pm. After an off day on Friday, the Astros and Phillies will travel back to Houston – if necessary – for games 6 and 7 which are now scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Houston’s Minute Maid Park has a retractable roof so weather would not be a concern this weekend and the roof was closed for the first two games of the series.
2008 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs Tampa Bay Rays (Game 5)
Perhaps the most memorable World Series game in recent history with a significant impact by the weather was Game 5 of the 2008 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. That game began on Monday, October 27th in 2008 with a starting time temperature of 47 degrees and rain was falling. The rain intensified as the game progressed and was ultimately suspended in the 6th inning – the only World Series game ever to be suspended. The game could not be resumed on the next day as a powerful early season nor’easter continued to pound away on the Philadelphia metro region with a cold, steady rain and even several inches of snow fell in nearby Bucks County. Finally, two days after the game began, Game 5 resumed on a cold Wednesday night in Philly with first-pitch temperatures at 44 degrees along with a gusty northwest wind on the back side of a departing coastal storm and the Phillies went on to clinch their second World Series title ever.
Weather maps are shown here from the night of October 28th in 2008 which was the day after the rained-shortened World Series game in Philly and the day before it resumed. On this “in-between” day, very cold air surged into the Philly metro region on the backside of a strong coastal storm and several inches of early season snow accumulated in some suburban locations. Maps courtesy Penn State eWall (surface – upper right, 500 mb – upper left, 700 mb – lower left, 850 mb – lower right).
1993 World Series: Philadelphia Phillies vs Toronto Blue Jays (Game 4)
The first two games in the 1993 World Series between the Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays were played in Canada and the teams split the games and headed to Philly for games 3, 4 and 5. The weather cooperated for Game 3 in Philly and the Blue Jays won the game rather easily by a score of 10-3. The next night was pretty much a “must-win” situation for the Phillies as a deficit of 3 games to 1 would be hard to overcome given the final two games would be back in Canada if necessary.
Game 4 was scheduled for Wednesday, October 20th and the weather was rainy which water-logged the aging turf at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia making for slippery field conditions. In a steady light rain, the 1st inning resulted in a bunch of runs with Toronto scoring 3 in the top half and the Phils countering with 4 in the bottom half. The scoring kept on coming with steady rain continuing throughout the game and the Phillies actually built up a substantial lead of 14-9 after 7 innings were played. That is when things started falling apart for the Phillies as Toronto scored 6 runs in the top of the 8th and took the lead 15-14 which held up through the last inning. Three World Series records were set on that rainy night in Philly including the longest game (4:14), most total runs in a single game (29) and most runs by a losing team (14).
Now down 3 games to 1, it was indeed a must win for the Phillies in Game 5 and the weather became quite different as cooler, drier air pushed in following a frontal passage. This weather was more favorable for the pitchers and Curt Schilling of the Phillies outdueled Juan Guzman of the Blue Jays, 2-0. It was only the 2nd time all year that Toronto had been shut out. The two teams then traveled back to Toronto for game 6 and potentially game 7 if necessary. It wasn’t necessary as Toronto wrapped up the World Series in Game 6 with the roof closed on a memorable 3-run homer by Joe Carter in the bottom of the ninth inning. Joe Carter joined Bill Mazeroski as the only two players to win a World Series with a home run in the bottom of the ninth (Maz hit his home run in Game 7 against the Yankees to win it for the Pirates).
Meteorologist Paul Dorian