Sunday's Rays-Angels game moved to Sat. due to Hurricane Hilary

August 19th, 2023

ANAHEIM -- With Hurricane Hilary forecasted to impact Southern California as soon as Sunday, the Angels and Rays adjusted their weekend schedule to play a series-capping doubleheader on Saturday at Angel Stadium.

Major League Baseball announced on Friday that three series in Southern California would be rescheduled due to the forecast related to Hurricane Hilary, moving Sunday’s games in Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Diego to become part of split doubleheaders on Saturday.

The Rays-Angels games on Saturday are set for 1:07 p.m. PT (4:07 p.m. ET) and 6:07 p.m. PT (9:07 p.m. ET). For ticket holders, Sunday’s rescheduled game now becomes the early afternoon game, while the originally scheduled game remains intact.

The Rays elected to move up right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who had been set to pitch Sunday with an extra day of rest, to start Game 1. Glasnow said it did not affect his routine, as he didn’t throw a between-starts bullpen session. Zach Eflin will stay on schedule to pitch the nightcap. The Angels will have Chase Silseth shift his start five hours ahead to pitch Game 1, with scheduled Sunday starter Patrick Sandoval taking the mound for Game 2.

Both clubs were on board with the plan, especially given the rarity of such a storm in this area. Currently graded as a Category 4 storm, Hilary prompted the first-ever tropical storm alerts for Southern California. It is projected by several sources to hit Southern California as a tropical storm, the area’s first since 1939, bringing high winds and potentially dangerous flooding.

“I’ve lived here 52 years and never heard of something like this. I’ll be honest, the more I read about it and hear about it, I’m a little nervous, too,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “I just tore up my front yard to put some turf out there. Might be a swamp out front. It’s crazy. I don’t know much about weather living out here. It’s never really intrigued me that much because I can wake up and tell you what’s going to happen that day.”

There is one weather expert in the Angels’ clubhouse, however, and Mike Trout has kept his manager informed.

“He’s texted me radar screens and everything. I’ve gotten about six or seven of them already today,” Nevin said. “He’s got it all mapped out. He’s got my home address on there and what it’s going to look like at my house. That’s what’s probably making me the most nervous.”

The Rays have dealt with the occasional hurricane-related scheduling shift at home, but this is the first time they’ve dealt with the effects away from Tropicana Field. With the schedule changed, they will be able to fly home through Saturday night, arriving Sunday morning ahead of a scheduled off-day Monday.

“It is a unique situation. I think MLB probably did the right thing, being proactive with it. You wish for the best for the safety of all of Southern Cal,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I know they don't see many hurricanes this way. It's been a long time, but probably best for both clubs to do this and allow us the opportunity to get out.”