PHILADELPHIA—Joe Maddon had a briefing with the umpires and MLB officials not long ago, and it sounds like most are optimistic tonight’s game will be played. Starting on time appears unlikely, though.

Maddon said the official word called for the storms to clear through sometime around 9 or 9:30, with everything clear after that. If that’s the case, there shouldn’t be a problem getting the game in, eventually. It’ll just be bad for the kids’ bedtimes and newspaper deadlines.

If and when they get started tonight, Gabe Gross—1-for-16 in the postseason—will be in right field for the Rays. Maddon just liked his swing against the soft-tossing lefty Jamie Moyer but said it was probably the toughest lineup decision he’s had to make this postseason.

The lineups:

Rays
Iwamura 2B
Upton CF
Pena 1B
Longoria 3B
Crawford LF
Navarro C
Gross RF
Bartlett SS
Garza P

Phillies
Rollins SS
Werth RF
Utley 2B
Howard 1B
Burrell LF
Victorino CF
Feliz 3B
Ruiz C
Moyer P