Not clear weather Tribe made right call for Game 1
CLEVELAND — The Indians are defying convention, in a big way, by pocketing their best starting pitcher for their second postseason game.
Could Mother Nature laugh at the Indians’ plans and help out the Yankees in the process?
Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer will throw the first pitch of this American League Division Series, Thursday night at P rog ressive Field, in leading the top-seeded Indians against the underdog Yankees. Bauer put together a strong 2017 season, compiling a 4.19 ERA in 176 ¹/₃ innings, striking out 196 and walking 6 0, and he surged with a 3.01 ERA in the second half.
Bauer’s teammate Corey Kluber, however, put up arguably the best season of any AL starting pitcher. He’ll start Friday’s Game 2, putting him in line to start a Game 5 on Oct. 12 on his standard four days’ rest.
It’s an intriguing plan, for sure. And it might get disrupted by the external force of rain.
“It changes here so much,” Indians manager Terry Francona said Wednesday in a news conference, “but it seems like [Thursday] is getting better, and it seems like Friday, there’s a possibility [of rain]. Again, we have tried to have contingency in our roster. We have Danny [Salazar], we have [Mike] Clevinger, we have [Josh] Tomlin. So there’s ways, if we have to adjust, we feel like we can.”
A Friday rainout would move Game 2 to Saturday, thereby eliminating a day of rest from Kluber’s schedule. The right-hander is no stranger to starting on short rest, as he made three starts last postseason with only three days off. He pitched respectably in the first two, Game 4 of the AL Championship Series in Toronto (a loss) and Game 4 of the World Series in Chicago (a win) before tiring and struggling in Game 7 of the World Series.
Kluber, speaking to Cleveland reporters on Wednesday, said of his superiors, “They explained the thought process behind [the plan]. It was thought out. I don’t think it’ s just something they threw together over a couple drinks one night. My response was, ‘I’m willing to pitch when you feel like it gives us the best chance to win.’”
“I think we probably expected to see Corey Kluber in Game 1,” Joe G ir ar di conceded. “I know for them it still allows him to pitch twice, and I’m sure they have a great reason for doing what they’re doing. But unfortunately, I wasn’t invited to those meetings.”
Jason Nicholas, the chief meteorologist for Cleveland 19 News, the CBS affiliate, said Wednesday afternoon in a telephone interview that the wet forecast on Friday “looks like it could be a little bit of an issue” for Game 2, which is scheduled to start shortly after 5 o’clock.
To further muddy the issue — and perhaps give Kluber more rest, after all, rain is scheduled for Monday in The Bronx, when Game 4 is scheduled.
Bauer, who could start Game 4 on short rest, beat the Yankees in both of his 2017 starts against them, recording a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings. All he recalled was that he “walked a bunch of guys” (four, in six innings) in his Aug. 30 start at Yankee Stadium.
“But none of that matters for this start anyway, really,” he said.