ARLINGTON, Texas — It's a beautiful day in the Metroplex, the kind that would be perfect for a baseball game if ACLS Game 4 had been scheduled for an outdoor stadium like Globe Life Park in Arlington, the former home of the Texas Rangers that sits across from their current home, Globe Life Field.
However, nice weather is the perfect excuse for the Rangers and Astros to have as much of an outside feel as they can at GLF, with the roof scheduled to be open for Game 4 of their pivotal best-of-seven matchup on Thursday night.
While it may be ideal conditions for a baseball game, Astros manager Dusty Baker doesn't seem pleased that the roof will be retracted for the first time this season since May 21.
Dusty Baker isn't happy about the roof being open before Astros-Rangers ALCS Game 4
When asked in the pregame media session about if the roof being open would make a difference, Baker surprised reporters by saying, "We were told there was an agreement we wouldn't have the roof open in either place (Arlington or Houston). I don't know what changed."
The words were a direct turn from the social media message posted on Thursday by John Blake, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the Texas Rangers, which read, "Consistent with the guidelines used during the regular season, Major League Baseball has determined that the Globe Life Field roof will be open for tonight's ALCS Game 4."
So was this a decision by Major League Baseball? Blake's statement on X seems to make it feel that way.
Baker said he didn't know the roof would be open until "prior to us coming here" earlier in the day, adding a bit of intrigue to the decision and how it was received.
In contrast, Texas manager Bruce Bochy shrugged off the decision to open the roof, saying in his session, "Our thoughts are, if it's nice out, we're fine with (the roof being open)."
