Shabbat and high-leverage World Series games

I am not sure I understand the point of this article about how the switch to the World Series beginning Friday night uniquely adversely affects the large Orthodox communities in New York and Los Angeles. Historically, the World Series played on Tuesday and Wednesday; Friday, Saturday, Sunday; then Tuesday and Wednesday (if necessary). Now it goes Friday and Saturday; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday; then Friday and Saturday (if necessary).

So there always have been games Friday and Saturday, including when the Yankees and Dodgers played in 1977, 1978, and 1981. In fact, it was worse back then because they played Game Four on Saturday afternoon, meaning Orthodox fans missed all or most of two games.

The article seems to argue that the difference is that now Orthodox Jews miss significant or high-leverage games. Opening game has unique majesty and pageantry. And according to a 2014 SABR study, the team that wins Game One wins the Series about 64 % of the time. And Game Six will now be on Friday night, so they cannot watch the clincher of a close-but-not-to-the-wire Series. This contrasts with the past scheme, in which they missed a non-clinching Game Three and the clincher of a sweep.

The article's premise that this is a new problem seems a stretch, although I am not Orthodox. My only concern is that the National League team win, a far cry from my childhood when I lived and died with the Yankees.