Blue Jays-Yankees postponed due to rain
NEW YORK -- CC Sabathia's personality does not give off the aura of an intense person so when Sunday's start against the Toronto Blue Jays was rained out approximately 40 minutes before he threw his first pitch, he simply shrugged it off.
"I was all the way out, but I'm not very intense," Sabathia said. "Either way I wasn't really worried about it. I was sitting on the couch and they told me it was canceled so I'll just play catch and I'll be fine."
The fact that the New York Yankees scheduled starter was sitting on the clubhouse couch before first pitch also seemed to be a sign that the game was not going to get played.
No makeup date has been announced and the Yankees have a three-game series with the Blue Jays Aug. 20-22.
By then their lead over Toronto could be a lot more than nine games. The Yankees have won all six at home from Toronto this year and eight of nine from the team many projected to win the AL East.
Sabathia will now start Monday's series opener in Baltimore against the Orioles, marking New York's first trip there since Game 2 of last year's ALDS. He was relieved to avoid pitching in a game that could have a rain delay like he did May 9 at the Colorado Rockies when rain cut short his start to four innings.
"That happened in Colorado," he said. "I ended up getting a win but you still don't want to kind of waste starts."
For the Blue Jays, the rainout concludes a disappointing weekend. They seemed to making some progress with a four-game winning streak and came into the series having scored 33 runs on 41 hits during that stretch.
R.A. Dickey, who was slated to make his second start against the Yankees, will now start Toronto's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday afternoon. Ramon Ortiz and Mark Buehrle will follow in their regularly scheduled turns.
Dickey said he was getting into game mode before it was rained out but, like Sabathia, he also shrugged it off.
"I was prepared to pitch regardless of the situation, but who knows what advantage that would give what team, so whatever," Dickey said. "It's out of my control. I'll be ready to go tomorrow."
Notes: The rainout cost LHP Vidal Nuno a chance at a second start. Nuno made his first start in Monday's doubleheader and picked up the win. He was sent down the Class AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre but recalled Friday when the Yankees placed LHP Andy Pettitte on the 15-day disabled list with an upper back injury. ... C Chris Stewart would have missed his third straight game with a groin injury suffered in the seventh inning on Thursday. ... C Francisco Cervelli spent this weekend at Yankee Stadium rehabbing his broken right hand. He will continue rehabbing there while the team is in Baltimore and said he could get the pins removed. ... Toronto RHP Josh Johnson (triceps) is expected to make a rehab start for Class A Dunedin of the Florida State League on Monday. ... Mark DeRosa was slated to make his second start in the cleanup spot for Toronto. ... RHP Chad Jenkins was initially slated to start Monday for the Blue Jays.
