CLEVELAND -- The good news is that the Indians got an unscheduled day off Wednesday night after their game against Minnesota was rained out. The bad news is that there is still a stretch of 30 games in 30 days with a doubleheader Thursday.
With the rainout, it broke up what could have been the Indians' longest continuous stretch of games since 1968, when they played 42 games over 38 straight days. When asked what he would prefer -- playing the 30 straight days or having a doubleheader today to break things up -- manager Terry Francona didn't have a preference.
"I don't know if there is a worse or better because you don't know how the games are going to go," Francona said. "With a doubleheader, it's hard to win and then win the next day because sometimes guys legs are dragging. When the weather happens you adjust and try to do the best you can. You try to win the game you play and then win the next one."
This is the Indians' fifth doubleheader this season (one sweep, three splits) and the third one that is traditional, meaning the second game goes off roughly 30 minutes after the first. The five twinbills are the most since 2000. Over the past five seasons, the Indians have played 14 doubleheaders in which they have swept seven and split seven.
LEADING OFF: This marks the third time this season that Corey Kluber (14-9, 2.47) has pitched the first game of a doubleheader. He went only 3 1/3 innings on April 2 at Oakland, giving up five runs on eight hits but came one out within a complete game on July 19 at Detroit as he struck out 10.
T.J. House, who was the scheduled starter for Wednesday's rain out, will pitch the nightcap.
"I just think the way he has pitched, he got us pretty deep into games. Hopefully that sets you up for Game 2," said Francona of Kluber. "You have to win Game 1 at all costs."
AVILES CLEARED: Mike Aviles, who suffered a concussion while fielding a fly ball on Sept. 1, has been cleared and is available for the doubleheader.
Aviles is 7 for 11 against Game 2 starter Ricky Nolasco, but Francona might be hesitant about putting Aviles in the lineup because he hasn't had a chance to get in the field due to the rain the past couple days.
