Yankees-Blue Jays Series Finale Rained Out, No Makeup Date Set
NEW YORK (AP) — Against the Toronto Blue Jays this season, the only thing that has stopped the Yankees was a day full of rain.
The Yankees would have been trying to make it seven in a row against the Blue Jays on Sunday, but rain began to fall in the late morning with no signs of letting up, and the game was postponed before it started. No makeup date was announced.
"It's going to rain until probably 9 o' clock," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's just not going to be playable."
The two AL East rivals are not scheduled to meet again in the Bronx until August.
Yankees starter CC Sabathia will pitch Monday in Baltimore, followed on Tuesday by Phil Hughes. This means rookie Vidal Nuno will be skipped and remain available out of the bullpen until the Yankees can find a way to work him back into the rotation.
Toronto right-hander R.A. Dickey will face Tampa Bay on Monday.
Dickey and the Blue Jays may have dodged some bad luck, with the rain out, which was announced more than half an hour before the scheduled start time of 1:08 p.m.
He has had outings in the past where wet weather appeared to nullify the effectiveness of his hard, darting knuckleball and leave him without his most effective pitch.
The Blue Jays had won four straight before dropping the first two of a three-game series in the Bronx.
New York has won its last nine home games against Toronto, since last season, as well as the last six in a row overall against the Blue Jays.
"There's no question they've had our number. They've out played us, too," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "This has always been a tough place to play."
The Yankees have outplayed pretty much everyone lately. They've won nine of their last 12 and facing Dickey on a wet day, appeared in a good spot to make it 10 out of 13.
"We weren't necessarily looking for a rain out," Girardi said.
Girardi said that Yankees officials met with umpire crew chief Joe West and consulted their metorologists about the forecast, which Girardi said showed rain falling in New York until after dark.
That made the decision a fairly easy one.
The delay pushed back Reid Brignac's debut with the Yankees, too.
The infielder was acquired in a trade with the Rockies for cash after Colorado designated the infielder for assignment. He arrived Saturday night. He was set to play shortstop and bat eighth.
"It was a little disappointing, I was really looking forward to getting the chance to play here today as a member of the Yankees," Brignac said.
"I'm tickled just to get the chance to be a Yankee."
Notes: Toronto's only win over the Yankees this season was an 8-4 win on April 21. . Dickey will face Tampa Bay RHP Jake Odorizzi, who is making his 2013 debut. RHP Ramon Ortiz will pitch Tuesday, followed by Mark Buehrle on Wednesday. The Blue Jays skipped the turn of RHP Chad Jenkins. .Yankees OF Curtis Granderson was going to lead off and return to center field a day after his first start in right. . . Yankees C Francisco Cervelli said he was still hoping to return from a broken hand before the All-Star break. He is on the 60-day DL. . "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band was played on the PA shortly before the Yankees announced the postponement. . In Baltimore, the Yankees will send out Sabathia against Freddy Garcia on Monday. The veteran RHP spent the last two seasons as a mostly effective part of the Yankees rotation after a career mostly spent with the Mariners and White Sox.
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