Game 4 of ALCS postponed by threat of rain

"They kept saying it was going to come and it never came," Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer said. "So go figure."

About an hour later, however, heavy rain started to fall, soaking the tarp that was placed on the infield before the postponement.

With the Tigers seeking a sweep in the best-of-seven series, Game 4 was rescheduled for Thursday at 4:07 p.m. New York will send ace CC Sabathia to the mound against Scherzer. The Tigers will have lefty Phil Coke, who saved Games 2 and 3, available after a day of rest.

Game 5, if necessary, would be Friday in Detroit.

Under the original schedule, there was a good chance Sabathia would pitch a potential Game 7 on three days' rest if the Yankees rallied in the series. Now, he might be limited to one start — and New York might need to win four games in four days to advance.

"You cannot think about Game 7 when you need to win a game," New York second baseman Robinson Cano said.

Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson, benched along with third baseman Alex Rodriguez by manager Joe Girardi on Wednesday before the game was called, said the unplanned night off might actually help him and his slumping team.

"It's definitely not going to hurt by any means," Granderson said. "We haven't played well to this point. Who knows? Change is always a good thing."

The first pitch Wednesday night was slated for 8:07 p.m. But shortly before the scheduled start, the crowd was informed of a delay. A radar forecast for the Detroit area was eventually posted on the scoreboard video screen, as if to explain to fans why there was no baseball despite what was still pleasant weather at the ballpark.