BOSTON _ The Indians will have to wait at least one more day for their chance to advance to the American League Championship Series.
The Indians' Game 3 matchup with the Boston Red Sox in the American League Division Series was postponed on Sunday due to rain. Game 3 will move to Monday with a first-pitch time of 6:08 p.m. Game 4, if needed, would be pushed to Tuesday. The Indians hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series after winning both Games 1 and 2 in Cleveland.
Per both 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 believe their rotation through the ALDS will remain the same. Trevor Bauer is still slated to throw Game 4, if necessary, with Corey Kluber taking the mound for Game 5, should the Red Sox win both games in Boston.
"I think so," Indians manager Terry Francona 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 throw on his normal four days of rest, though Francona said Sunday that Bauer would have been good to go regardless. A drawback is that they potentially lose an off-day, which plays into how a manager can aggressively 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," said pitching coach Mickey Callaway. "And we're going to go all-out for one of those wins."
Tomlin 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."
