Indians, Tigers game postponed; Possible make-up day on Monday in Detroit

The final game of a four-game series between the Indians and Detroit Tigers on Thursday was postponed due to rain and field conditions.

The game was called after a delay of more than four hours. Thursday’s postponement came after Wednesday’s game was cut short after five innings due to rain, which continued through the night, Thursday morning and into the afternoon. The rain warranted a flash flood warning and closed some highways near Comerica Park. One of the Indians’ team buses couldn’t make it to the ballpark, leaving many players to search for cabs.

Around 2 p.m., both managers walked the field and determined that it couldn’t take any more water. It then rained for the better part of three hours with more on the way before the game was finally called off.

“We walked the field once and I think we all knew the situation,” said Indians manager Terry Francona. “So put your seatbelt on and either play cards or watch TV. I think this is one of the days where you’re glad that you’re not 20 games out as opposed to being in it. All it is is an inconvenience. We can live with that.”

The Indians and Tigers not being able to get the game in on Thursday now opens up a couple of scenarios. The Indians travel to Kansas City for a weekend series and the Tigers travel to Atlanta to play the Braves. That means Thursday’s game would have to be made up on Monday in Detroit.

It could also be washed out, which would make for the second straight season in which the Indians finished with only 161 games played. If Monday’s make-up game ends up not affecting either the seeding for home-field advantage as it relates to the Indians or the Wild Card race as it relates to the Tigers, there won’t be a need to play it. If it does have potential playoff implications in any way, the Indians and Tigers will be back in Detroit on Monday.

“I don’t think it’s that big [of a deal],” Francona said. “We have three days off, we’d have two instead. I think it’d be a fun game to play, actually.”

The Indians entered Thursday 2.5 games back of Texas for the No. 1 seed in the AL and one game back of the Boston Red Sox for the No. 2 seed. Both of those teams have the tiebreaker over the Indians. The Tigers entered one game back of Baltimore for the second wild card spot.

The postponement means that Thursday’s starter, Ryan Merritt, will be pushed back to Friday. Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin will start on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. If Monday’s make-up game is needed, the Indians will go to another bullpen game.