Scheduled to play ... eventually

The forecast calls for rain until the early evening, but Rays manager Joe Maddon said he believed tonight’s Game 3 of the World Series will still be played at Citizens Bank Park, though it will start late.

After meeting with the umpire crew and officials from Major League Baseball at 4:30 p.m., Maddon said the game time could be moved back at least a half hour, from 8:35 p.m. to sometime after 9 p.m.

“They’re thinking the proverbial window will show up post 9, 9:30 (p.m.) possibly,” Maddon said. “Once it does, it’s not going to be a window, it’s going to be wide-open spaces after that. Unless anything changes there’s a good chance it will start a little bit off time, but nevertheless, get the full game in.”

Maddon said a definitive cut-off time to call the game if the rain lingers longer than anticipate was not discussed.

“There’s no definitive (time),” Maddon said. “When you’re talking 10 o’clock you’re getting a little bit crazy, but there wasn’t a definitive, ‘If we get to 10 o’clock and we’re still not playing we’re not playing.’ There was nothing like that.”

Maddon said he had not thought of how a rainout would affect his pitching rotation since the Series would loss the off day Tuesday and the teams would play five straight days should the Series go seven games.

“I think we’re going to play,” he said. “From what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen, I think we’re going to play, so I’m not there yet. We’re going to play. It’s just going to be late.”