ON HOLD: With Game 4 postponed a day because of rain (above), CC Sabathia will start today, but likely would miss a potential Game 7 start on Sunday because he’d be on two days’ rest. (AP; Reuters)
DETROIT — Dream big, right? For the Yankees the dream of forcing the ALCS to a Game 7 is borderline impossible.
Yet, when Major League Baseball postponed Game 4 of the ALCS last night the only real impact of playing it today at 4:07 p.m. was that CC Sabathia, today’s starter, likely wouldn’t be available to start a Game 7, if the Yankees manage to extend the series that far. Game 7 is slated for Sunday and the Yankees won’t bring their ace back on two days’ rest.
However, even the thought of a Game 7 was very low on the Yankees’ radar. Down 3-0 in the best-of-seven affair, the Yankees are far more concerned about grabbing a win to stay alive.
Sabathia will go today and be opposed by Max Scherzer. The lineups are expected to remain the same, which means Alex Rodriguez won’t start.
“I am not thinking that far ahead,’’ general manager Brian Cashman said following the postponement when asked about the prospect of not having Sabathia available for a deciding game. “It’s all about [today]. Whatever the schedule turns out to be it doesn’t matter.’’
Despite no rain over Comerica Park and the tarp remaining rolled up instead of on the field, the game was delayed well before the scheduled 8:07 start time and called after 9 p.m.
“Initially, the forecast we got from the local provider here, there was going to be a moderate [storm] cell moving in at 8:30. Having to pull a tarp 30 minutes into a game, I don’t think it’s positive for the players or the fans,’’ said Peter Woodfork, MLB’s senior vice president of baseball operations. “Looking at it, in hindsight, it didn’t come. Obviously, you have to trust forecasters or weathermen, which isn’t always the greatest thing.
“ After that, we reconvened and thought we’d probably try to start between 9 and 9:15. We were looking at the same thing — a bad forecast which everyone agreed upon was coming at 10. That was going to run from 10 to, say, midnight. Having fans sit out there for two hours in a delay … to have to re-start a game at midnight and play until 2 a.m. is not a dynamic that’s good for the fans or the players.’’
Cashman and the Yankees’ players agreed with the decision.
“I think they made the right call,’’ Russell Martin said. “This is playoff baseball. You don’t want your top guys going out there and throwing two to three innings. You want your ace to go out and throw his game and not be impacted by the weather.’’
There could be more of the same today.
”The forecast [today] isn’t good. The forecast Friday isn’t good. It isn’t great back in New York. We play baseball games in October. This is kind of part of the dynamic. I think tomorrow we start a little earlier, have a greater window to try to get things in,’’ Woodfork said. “Right now, we have a possibility of getting nine innings in. Maybe not right on time, but close to it. Get the game in and move on to the next day.’’
Scherzer chalked it up to nature.
“The forecast is rain and it never came,’’ Scherzer said. “That’s the weather for you.’’