Inclement weather intervened on the final game of the series between the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox on August 2, which may have been a blessing for both clubs after a grueling emotional roller coaster ride of a game the night before that saw bad outings by Chris Sale and Carlos Carrasco followed by some poor pitching performances by some of the biggest names in each team’s respective bullpen. That cancellation led to a quick reunion, as the Tribe and Sox will rematch for a one-night showing at Fenway Park on Monday.

The Indians (63-52) have not let the disadvantages of playing on the road be an issue for the club this season. With a 32-25 record away from Progressive Field, the Tribe is one of just seven teams in the Majors with a winning road record, and their mark is the third-best in the American League, trailing Houston (39-20) and Minnesota (32-24). Road wins have been a common theme for the division leaders this season – all six clubs leading playoff chases possess winning records and the other road warriors, the Minnesota Twins, find themselves just four and a half games off of the mark in the AL Central.

The Red Sox (67-50) own the second-best record in the league and sit in the top spot in the East, five and a half games in front of the New York Yankees. They are in the midst of a particular tough stretch of schedule, but they have won ten of their last eleven. Included in that run were a pair of previous wins over the Indians at Fenway Park. A 6-2 loss by the Indians on July 31 was followed by a heartbreaking 12-10 walk-off whose specific details will not be mentioned.

PITCHING PROBABLES and NOTES

Monday, 8/14, 6:10 PM ET – RHP Trevor Bauer (10-8, 4.79 ERA) vs. RHP Doug Fister (2-5, 5.03)

Bauer was set to pitch in the originally scheduled game that was rained out earlier in August, so he will get a second chance at taking on the Red Sox. It will be start number 23 on the season for the sixth-year right-hander, who has now notched double-digit win seasons in each of the last three years. He has been a workhorse of late for the Tribe, making three straight starts of seven innings or more while allowing carbon-copy one-run and seven-hit efforts. Two of the three runs that he has allowed over his last three outings have come off of solo home runs and he has a 2-0 record in that span. His no-decision came in his most recent start, when he worked seven innings against the Colorado Rockies in a third straight quality effort while striking out nine. He is 0-2 against the Red Sox in his career with a 12.91 ERA and a 2.61 WHIP.

Fister will get his second look at the Indians this season after containing the lineup in his first effort. His first win of the season came in that game, his eighth appearance overall, as he held the Indians to two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in seven and two-thirds innings of work while making a season-high 108 pitches. He followed that up with a win over the Chicago White Sox, making a second straight quality start in allowing three runs on eight hits with no walks and seven strikeouts while needing just 87 pitches on the day. The 6’8” righty owns a 6-4 record against the Indians in 17 career starts with a 3.07 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a .232 batting average against, the latter two being the best marks he has against any American League opponent.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV – Fox Sports SportsTime Ohio; NESN
Radio – Cleveland Indians Radio Network; WEEI 93.7, WCEC 1490 AM/103.7 FM (Boston)

TRANSACTIONS and INJURY NEWS

Cleveland:
Cody Anderson (SP) – out for season – right elbow surgery
Michael Brantley (LF) – 10-day disabled list (8/9) – right ankle sprain
Lonnie Chisenhall (RF) – 10-day disabled list (7/9) – right calf strain; on rehab assignment
Boone Logan (RP) – 60-day disabled list (7/20) – left lat muscle
Andrew Miller (RP) – 10-day disabled list (8/2) – right knee patellar tendinitis; to start rehab assignment 8/16
Josh Tomlin (SP) – 10-day disabled list (7/31) – left hamstring

Boston:
Blaine Boyer (RP) – 10-day disabled list (8/6) – neck strain
Roenis Elias (P) – 60-day disabled list (4/1) – multiple strains
Marco Hernandez (2B) – out for season (5/4) – recovery from May 2017 left shoulder surgery
Dustin Pedroia (2B) – 10-day disabled list (8/9) – left knee inflammation
David Price (SP) – 10-day disabled list (7/25) – left elbow inflammation
Robbie Ross (RP) – 60-day disabled list (5/19) – left elbow inflammation
Josh Rutledge (3B) – 60-day disabled list (7/3) – concussion
Carson Smith (RP) – 60-day disabled list (4/1) – recovery from May 2016 Tommy John surgery; on rehab assignment
Ben Taylor (RP) – 10-day disabled list (7/23) – left intercostal strain; on rehab assignment
Tyler Thornburg (RP) – out for season (4/1) – recovery from June 2017 rib surgery
Steven Wright (SP) – out for season (4/30) – recovery from May 2017 left knee surgery

AL CENTRAL STANDINGS

RED SOX STATS

Hanley Ramirez has struggled in the second half of the season, but he has not struggled against Bauer in his career. He owns a .571 batting average against him with four hits in seven at bats, including a pair of doubles and three runs batted in.

Mookie Betts has had a similarly productive time in the box against Bauer, hitting .429 with two doubles, a homer, and four RBI against the Tribe righty.

Eduardo Nunez continues to be a beneficial trade deadline acquisition for the Red Sox. In his 14 games with Boston, he is hitting .365 with a .403 on-base percentage. He leads the club since the All-Star break with six doubles and is tied for second on the team with four homers. He has two singles and a walk in ten plate appearances against Bauer in his career.

Rookie Rafael Devers has excelled at the plate after a strong performance during the Indians’ first visit to Boston this season. He is hitting .328 with a .391 on-base percentage with three doubles, four homers, and ten RBI.

Second-year outfielder Andrew Benintendi’s bat has picked back up in August. In nine games this month, he is slashing .457/.524/.886 with three doubles, four homers, 12 RBI, and five stolen bases. He hit a solo homer against Bauer last season in two trips to the plate.

Jackie Bradley Jr. is batting just .200 in August through ten games with seven hits in 35 at bats. Thirteen of his at bats in the month have ended in strikeouts.

INDIANS BY THE NUMBERS

Francisco Lindor has reached base safely via hit, walk, or hit by pitch in 26 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the Majors. Included in this stretch is a six-game hitting streak. He has reached base safely in all but one of the 28 games that he has played in the second half of the season and just five times has been held without a hit in those contests.

Jay Bruce is already making a big impact in the Tribe lineup since his acquisition from the New York Mets last week. Through four games, he has five hits in 12 at bats (.417), including a pair of doubles and three RBI.

Bradley Zimmer had a pair of hits off of Fister in the earlier meeting between the two clubs, including a homer and both runs driven in. His struggles in August have been very real, however, as he is 0-for-the-month at the plate through 30 plate appearances. Thirteen times he has been cut down on strikes. He has reached base safely three times on walks and once via hit by pitch.

Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana each reached base safely twice against Fister with a single and a walk. Ramirez has a pair of hits in total in six plate appearances in his career against him. Santana has hit just .167, with six hits in 36 at bats.

Austin Jackson also reached base safely with a single, but struck out twice. He has just three hits in 20 at bats against Fister in his career, a .150 average.

Jason Kipnis has done well against Fister in his career, going 12-for-27 (.444) at the plate with two doubles and two runs batted in.

HEAD WEST, YOUNG MEN

The stay is short in Boston as the Indians will bolt town after the game and head to the Twin Cities in advance of their three-game set with the Minnesota Twins, beginning Tuesday night. The Red Sox will stay home at Fenway Park, hosting the St. Louis Cardinals for a pair of games before the New York Yankees come to town over the weekend for a three-game series.

The Indians and Red Sox will meet again next Monday in Cleveland to wrap up their season series with a four-game set from Progressive Field.

Photo: Rich Schultz/Getty Images