Minute Maid Park roof to be closed for World Series opener

HOUSTON (AP) — The roof at Minute Maid Park will be closed for Game 1 of the World Series and likely will be shut for Game 2.

The forecast calls for a 90% chance of rain when the World Series opens on a Friday for the first time since 1915.

Major League Baseball makes the decision during the World Series whether to open or close the roof.

Aaron Nola starts for the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies and Justin Verlander is expected to be on the mound for the American League champion Houston Astros.

The roof was open for Game 2 last year. The Astros won that game 7-2 over Atlanta (though lost the series). The roof was also open for Game 3 in 2005, won by the Chicago White Sox 7-5 in 14 innings (Chicago also went on to win that series).

There has been speculation that balls carry more poorly when the roof is open. The Yankees maintained Aaron Judge’s drive to right in Game 2 of this year’s AL Championship Series would have been a home run had the roof been open.

The only game that the roof was open for during the regular season this year was during Houston’s 4-3 loss to Toronto on April 22.

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