One-game detour 'business as usual' in Majors

CLEVELAND -- The Angels arrived at their hotel just before 9 p.m. Sunday following an afternoon game in Minnesota. They checked out of the downtown Cleveland skyscraper 12 hours later to play a Monday makeup game against the Indians, and they'll fly directly to Texas after the contest to begin a three-game series with the Rangers on Tuesday.

Though the itinerary isn't ideal, Angels manager Mike Scioscia says it's business as usual in the big leagues.

"The whole schedule is an inconvenience because the Major League schedule is insane," Scioscia said with a laugh. "But you do what you have to do in a pennant race. It doesn't feel like quite as much of a chore when you're trying to make the playoffs."

Los Angeles was only scheduled to make one trip to Cleveland this year, but its plans changed when a June 18 game at Progressive Field was rained out.

Scioscia said he "relaxed the dress code a little bit" in order to make the multiple flights more comfortable for his players, but he kept the team's pregame routine the same.

Left-hander Hector Santiago, who will start Tuesday, was sent directly from Minnesota to Texas. Left-hander Joe Thatcher, who was on a rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Arkansas, also wasn't required to travel to Cleveland before rejoining the team.