CLEVELAND -- The Indians may have only played for 44 minutes on Friday, but they put their energy on full display, quickly bouncing back from a two-run deficit in the bottom of the first. Now, the team will have to hope that enthusiasm can carry over for 18 innings on Saturday.

After waiting out a 1-hour, 57-minute rain delay, the Indians announced that the series opener against the Twins was postponed due to inclement weather and will be rescheduled as a split doubleheader on Saturday with games at 1:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. ET.

The Indians reside 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Twins in the American League Central as the rivals begin their final head-to-head series with 15 games remaining overall.

“It’s so late in the season that it doesn’t matter what’s happening,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “We’ve got to go play it and play hard. Enjoy the game. We kind of wish we could play [Friday] and save some arms. But it is what it is.”

Right-hander Mike Clevinger will get the nod in Saturday’s matinee and the Tribe will turn to the bullpen for the nightcap. The bullpen's use in the first game will determine who will serve as the opener in Game 2. The Twins will rely on their relief for both contests.

The Tribe may have been feeding off of the playoff-like atmosphere at Progressive Field on Friday night, but if there’s a silver lining, it’s the fact that the offense will no longer have to face Twins starter Jake Odorizzi, who entered Friday with a 1.61 ERA in 22 1/3 innings with 29 strikeouts against the Indians this year.

“They punched first and we came right back, so it looked like we were ready to play,” second baseman Jason Kipnis said. “Guys were into the game from the start, and it could be a good thing. They had a bullpen game going [Saturday] and now they've got to fit it into two [games], so they lose out on Odorizzi. Granted we lose [Aaron] Civale, but we get to come back with Clev and they've got to piece together two starts tomorrow, but I think this could be a good thing.”

Gates for the makeup game will open at noon ET and fans will be cleared from the ballpark before the gates reopen at 6 p.m. ET. Those holding tickets to Friday’s game can use their same ticket to attend Saturday’s afternoon game and do not have to exchange (that ticket will not be accepted for the night game).

If fans cannot attend the day game, tickets can be exchanged -- online only -- for any other 2019 regular-season home game by the 1:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Indians.com/mytickets. The same deadline applies for season ticket holders, who can exchange for tickets to any game that is available through the My Tickets Exchange program. All District Tickets and tickets purchased at the Progressive Field box office and team shop must call 216-420-HITS for any exchanges.