Major League Baseball

Diamondbacks-Indians game postponed

Published Aug. 13, 2014 12:44 a.m. ET

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CLEVELAND (AP) A long, rainy night made Mike Aviles silly - and slippery.

Aviles led a charge of Indians players who did several headfirst slides across the tarp before Tuesday night's game between Arizona and Cleveland was postponed after a rain delay of 3 hours, 40 minutes that began in the top of the fourth inning.

Aviles, along with teammates Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall, emerged from the dugout and entertained the couple of hundred fans who waited until 11:37 p.m. to finally found out the game would not be re-started.

''It may or not have been mine,'' Aviles said when asked whose idea it was to start the tarp slide. ''When you get to a point where it's 11 o'clock or 11:30 and you're going to play or not play, you get real restless. I was getting restless. It's not good for a person with my energy to sit around with nothing to do.''

The game will be played as part of a traditional doubleheader on Wednesday starting at 4:05 p.m.

The Indians led 1-0 when the delay began at 7:57 p.m. The tarp was pulled off the field around 11 p.m. with the plan of starting about a half hour later, but a heavy storm hit again and the game was quickly called.

Aviles said he asked permission from Indians manager Terry Francona whether they could slide on the tarp.

''He didn't really say no, but he didn't really say yes,'' Aviles said. ''I didn't hear no. It was like a maybe. You've got to read between the lines.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Diamondbacks: SS Chris Owings (left shoulder strain) is scheduled to take batting practice Sunday against LHP Matt Reynolds (left elbow) at the team's training facility in Scottsdale, Arizona. Owings has been on the 15-day disabled list since June 26, while Reynolds is on the 60-day DL after undergoing Tommy John surgery Sept. 24.

Indians: DH Nick Swisher could be facing surgery on his right knee. He was examined by a team physician Monday and is getting a second opinion before a decision is reached. ... OF David Murphy will miss four to five weeks with a strained right oblique muscle.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: LHP Andrew Chafin, who played at Kent State, will make his major league debut in the first game. LHP Vidal Nuno (0-3), drafted in the 48th round by the Indians in 2009, starts for Arizona in Game 2.

Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (4-7) made his big league debut with Arizona in 2012, going 1-2 with 6.06 ERA in four starts before being dealt to Cleveland in a three-team trade following the season. RHP Josh Tomlin (5-8) will start the second game.

NO HARD FEELINGS

Diamondbacks C Miguel Montero and Bauer disagreed on pitch selection at times as teammates in Arizona two years ago. Montero now believes both could have handled the situation better. ''He felt like I wasn't calling the right game for him, which was probably the case because I'm not perfect,'' Montero said. ''We all knew he had the potential to be a very good pitcher.''

IN THIS TO WIN

With Murphy, Swisher and Bourn on the DL, Francona has had to improvise. Zach Walters and Tyler Holt, both called up Sunday, were in Tuesday's lineup. ''We put up a lineup and we expect to win,'' he said. ''The expectations are whoever's in the lineup that night will help us win.''

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