OAKLAND -- For the first time since 1998, there has been a rainout in Oakland. Of course it would come while the Indians are in town.
Tuesday's Indians-Athletics game at the O.co Coliseum was called less than two hours before the scheduled first pitch as heavy rains pelted the Bay Area for the second straight day. Unlike Monday, when it rained heavily in the afternoon and then abated, the forecast for Tuesday was the rains would continue as the night went along.
The teams will play a day-night doubleheader tomorrow with the first game going off as scheduled at 3:35 p.m. Cleveland time and the nightcap at 9:05 p.m.
The Tribe will stick to its rotation with Corey Kluber going in the first game and Zach McAllister in the nightcap. The Athletics will still have former Indians' pitcher Scott Kazmir going in the first game and the nightcap to be announced. Jesse Chavez was supposed to be Oakland's starter had things remained on schedule.
Kluber pitched well in his last spring training start. Last Thursday against the Diamondbacks, the right-hander allowed only two hits through six before Arizona scored a pair of runs on three hits. He walked one and struck out seven.
"I think we've all been through rainouts before. It just pushes you back another day," Kluber said after the rainout was announced. "We'll play a little bit of catch and get my arm going. You just figure out what you need to do and go after it tomorrow.
"I was looking forward to it regardless. Masty set a good tone (on Monday) and let everyone build off that."
It is just the 19th rainout in Oakland since the Athletics moved here in 1968. The last rainout was against the Tigers on May 3, 1998. The Indians had four games postponed in April last season but one of those was made up two days later with a day-night doubleheader.
