BOSTON: The Indians will have to wait at least one more day for their chance to advance to the American League Championship Series.
Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the Indians and the Boston Red Sox on Sunday was postponed because of rain. It is set to be played Monday with the first pitch at 6:08 p.m. Game 4, if needed, will be Tuesday.
The Indians hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series after winning both Games 1 and 2 in Cleveland.
According to the managers, the pitching matchup for Game 3 will remain the same. Josh Tomlin will take the mound for the Indians against the Red Sox’s Clay Buchholz. In part due to a lack of available options, the Indians for now intend to keep their rotation through the ALDS the same. Trevor Bauer is still slated to pitch Game 4, if necessary, with Corey Kluber taking the mound for Game 5 if the Red Sox win both games in Boston.
“I think so,” Indians manager Terry Francona said when asked if the Indians could keep that schedule. “You start getting more weather, maybe you do. … We really haven’t gotten that far into it just because [we] still think it’s smart to stay focused on this game. And if something changes, we can change it.”
One benefit of Sunday’s postponement for the Indians is that if the series reaches Game 4, Bauer will be able to pitch on his normal four days of rest, though Francona said Sunday Bauer would have been good to go regardless.
A drawback is that they potentially lose an off day, which plays into how aggressively a manager can use his bullpen.
The Indians have an eye on being aggressive with their bullpen, should the situation call for it.
“The good part is we put ourselves in a good position to only have to win one game,” pitching coach Mickey Callaway said. “And we’re going to go all-out for one of those wins.”
Tomlin said he doesn’t see the rainout as a factor in any momentum the Indians picked up in Cleveland. It just means he has to wait an extra 24 hours to take the mound.
“I’m not sure, because we had a few days off after the regular season and we came out and played good baseball for two days,” Tomlin said. “So, I’m not sure if this is going to break momentum or not.
“I think everybody in that clubhouse knows what’s at stake and we’ll be ready to come out there with a lot of energy. I think the crowd, this place tomorrow, is going to give that extra adrenaline. I think we’ll be ready to play. I don’t think it kills momentum, but we definitely would’ve liked to play today, there’s no doubt.”
1-9
The bottom of the order for the Indians has done as much damage as the top in the first two games of the series. The club’s bottom four hitters have gone 9-for-28 (.321) and driven in six of the Indians’ 11 runs.
In Game 1, Roberto Perez kicked off the three-homer inning against Rick Porcello with a solo shot in his first career postseason at-bat. In Game 2, it was Lonnie Chisenhall’s three-run home run off David Price.
“We need to be a team that goes one-to-nine,” Francona said. “Short series, so much is made out of small sample sizes, but that’s because that’s what there is. Again, you guys hear all the time, we’re just trying to be one run better. Because then that eliminates all the, ‘Why is this area doing this or that?’ Just try to win.”
It’s a major reason why the Indians are up 2-0 in the series and looking to clinch with one more win.
“I mean, it’s been huge,” Perez said. “Those guys like [Mike] Napoli at the top of the order, they did a pretty good job during the season. The bottom of the lineup, we have to come through. We just have to get on base and have good AB’s for those guys at the top of the lineup. We’re trying to create runs and things are going our way right now.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ