Blame It On The Rain: No Sabathia For Yankees If ALCS Goes To Game 7
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Yankees will have ace CC Sabathia on the hill for Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday. That's the good news.
But if the big left-hander manages to turn the momentum around -- if New York storms back from a 3-0 series deficit -- it'll have to be somebody else on the hill for a deciding Game 7.
Blame it on the rain.
With storms on the way Wednesday night in Detroit, the decision was made for the Yankees and Tigers to postpone Game 4 until Thursday afternoon. Game 5 would be Friday if necessary, and the remaining two over the weekend.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Sabathia, who likely would have been available to start Game 7, won't be considered on two days' rest.
When asked if Sabathia would be available, Cashman flatly responded "No," according to the New York Daily News.
Andy Pettitte is scheduled to start Game 5, if it gets that far. Hiroki Kuroda would start Game 6 at Yankee Stadium. Without Sabathia, the Yankees' options for a do-or-die Game 7 would be Phil Hughes, whose back issue forced an early exit from Game 3, or David Phelps. Throw Derek Lowe into the conversation, too.
"Regardless, we'll find a way," Cashman said. "It's all about winning our next game. Then we'll worry about the day after, the day after. Whatever the schedule turns out to be, it doesn't matter. We will find a way. We have no choice."
It gets worse when you consider the rainout won't affect Detroit's plans to start fearsome ace Justin Verlander if the series goes the distance. But first things first -- the Yankees have to win three straight.
"You can't think about Game 7 when you need to win a game," said second baseman Robinson Cano. "We need to just focus on one game at a time."
The Tigers will start Max Scherzer opposite Sabathia in Game 4, scheduled to start at 4:07 p.m.
Do you think this will even be an issue, or will the Bombers be done before the deciding game? Be heard in the comments below...
