Mariners-Yanks postponed, rescheduled for June 2
NEW YORK -- With heavy rain in the forecast all night, Wednesday's game between the Mariners and Yankees was postponed early in the afternoon and the two teams will attempt to resume play Thursday night as scheduled.
Since the Mariners weren't slated to return to New York this season, they'll need to make a special trip back to the Bronx now on June 2 at 4:05 p.m. PT to make up Wednesday's game.
The Mariners were scheduled to fly to Atlanta that day to begin a six-game road trip vs. the Braves and Rays from June 3-9. The Yankees had an off-day June 2 in the middle of a homestand.
The two teams could have attempted a doubleheader to complete the three-game series on Thursday, but forecasts call for rain showers to continue through the morning and early afternoon.
The Mariners also already have a doubleheader scheduled for the final day of their cross-country trip next Wednesday against the A's, with eight games still remaining in the next seven days in New York, Houston and Oakland before returning home for another seven straight games prior to their next off-day.
Rookie left-hander Roenis Elias will now pitch Thursday's 7:05 p.m. ET game for Seattle as the Mariners are just pushing their starters back a day. The Yankees will skip Wednesday starter David Phelps and stick with Thursday starter Hiroki Kuroda.
Felix Hernandez, originally slated to go Thursday for Seattle against the Yankees, will instead face the Astros on Friday in Houston.
The Mariners previously had left Friday's game open with the potential of bringing All-Star right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma off the disabled list for that start, but now have more time to decide on that plan.
Iwakuma has thrown just one Minor League rehab start after missing all of Spring Training with a sprained tendon in his right middle finger.
The heavy rain began falling midway through Tuesday night's 6-3 series-opening win for the Mariners, played in bone-chilling conditions with a brisk wind that left many players calling it one of the toughest weather games they'd ever played in.
"Real bad," said Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon. "It was very cold, very wet, and windy on the field. It was pretty tough."
He got no argument from the players on either side.
"It was rough," said Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. "It was cold, it was windy, it was raining. It's tough conditions. I don't know what the temperature was, but the wind was blowing circles. You can't do anything about the weather. It was like that for both teams, but it was not ideal conditions."
"It was cold and wet," said Mariners pitcher Chris Young, who picked up his first Major League victory since 2012 with 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball. "It's like that for both teams, so I'm going to put it out of my mind and not worry about it. But I felt like every inning I had to get re-loose again. It wasn't like I could keep my sweat. Every inning I went back out there in the wind and rain and cold temperatures. But look, we all play in the same environment, both teams, and you have to find a way to get it done."
The two teams should find conditions much better by Thursday night, with the forecast calling for temperatures in the upper 60s instead of the low 40s with a steady 15-20 mph wind and heavy rain that blew through on Tuesday and Wednesday.