10:21PM EDT October 17. 2012 - DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers will
have to wait at least one more day to wrap up the American League pennant.
Game 4 of the American League Championship Series
between the Tigers and New York Yankees at Comerica Park on Wednesday night was
postponed because of a forecast for inclement weather.
Detroit leads the best-of-seven-series 3-0 and was
looking to complete a sweep.
Major League Baseball officials waited one hour
and 10 minutes after the scheduled 8:07 p.m. ET starting time before calling
the game, even though rain never actually fell. MLB said it postponed the game
"in an effort to preserve the integrity of an uninterrupted nine-inning
game."
The game was rescheduled for today at 4:07 p.m. ET
with Max Scherzer pitching for Detroit against Yankees lefthander CC Sabathia.
"We all wanted to play," Scherzer said.
"The forecast was rain but it never rained. They kept saying it was going
to come but it never came. That's weather for you."
The Yankees, at least for a day, staved off
elimination.
"We all got to the park and got our work in
and that's the important thing," center fielder Curtis Granderson said.
"It can't hurt to have an extra day to regroup, come back tomorrow and
trying to start winning some ballgames."
Game 5, if necessary, was originally scheduled for
today. Instead, it would be played Friday afternoon at Comerica Park at a time
to be determined.
Friday was originally scheduled to be an off day.
The series is then scheduled to shift back to New
York for Game 6 on Saturday.
The scheduled starters for Game 5 are Doug Fister
for the Tigers and Andy Pettite for the Yankees. However, with the extra day
off, the teams could counter with their Game 2 starters -- Anibal Sanchez for
the Tigers and Hiroki Kuroda for the Yankees -- on a normal four days of rest.
Sanchez pitched seven shutout innings for the win
in that game on Sunday while Kuroda struck out 11 in seven innings.
If the series would somehow get to a seventh game,
Sabatahia would be unable to start for the Yankees. Because of the loss of the
off day, Sabatahia would only have two days of rest before Game 7.
Meanwhile, Detroit ace Justin Verlander would
remain lined up to pitch Game 7 or the normal four days of rest.
"We can't worry about what might happen in
Game 7," Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano said. "Not in the
position we're in."
Though the Tigers had to keep their celebratory
champagne on ice for at least another day, they understood the decision to
postpone the game.
"They didn't want to start the game, stop it,
and after a third of the game, have a 1 ½-hour delay," catcher Alex Avila
said. "That would screw things up."
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